HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Journey to the Far Side of the Sun'' (also known by its original title ''Doppelgänger'') is a 1969 British
science fiction film Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses Speculative fiction, speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as Extraterrestrial life in fiction, extraterrestria ...
directed by
Robert Parrish Robert Reese Parrish (January 4, 1916December 4, 1995) was an American film director, editor and former child actor. He won an Academy Award for Best Film Editing for his work on ''Body and Soul (1947 film), Body and Soul'' (1947). Life and car ...
and starring Roy Thinnes, Ian Hendry, Lynn Loring, Loni von Friedl and
Patrick Wymark Patrick Wymark (11 July 192620 October 1970) was an English stage, film and television actor. Early life Wymark was born Patrick Carl Cheeseman in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire. He was brought up in neighbouring Grimsby and frequently revisited th ...
. It was written by
Gerry Gerry is both a surname and a masculine or feminine given name. As a given name, it is often a short form (hypocorism) of Gerard, Gerald or Geraldine. Notable people with the name include: Surname *Elbridge Gerry (1744–1814), fifth US vice pres ...
and Sylvia Anderson and Donald James, and produced by the Andersons for Century 21. Set in the year 2069, the film concerns a joint European-
NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
mission to investigate a newly discovered planet which lies directly opposite Earth on the far side of the
Sun The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as visible light a ...
. The mission ends in disaster and the death of one of the astronauts, following which his colleague realises that the planet is a mirror image of Earth in every detail, with a parallel and duplicate timeline. The film was the first major live-action production by the Andersons, known for their puppet television programmes such as '' Thunderbirds''. Having originally conceived the story as a
television play A television play is a television programming genre which is a drama performance broadcast from a multi-camera television studio, usually live in the early days of television but later recorded to tape. This is in contrast to a television movi ...
, they were encouraged by their employer
Lew Grade Lew Grade, Baron Grade, (born Lev Winogradsky; 25 December 1906 – 13 December 1998) was a Ukrainian-born British media proprietor and impresario. Originally a dancer, and later a talent agent, Grade's interest in television production ...
to pitch the project as a
feature film A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film (Film, motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole present ...
to Jay Kanter of
Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...
. Though underwhelmed by the script, Kanter greenlit the film after the Andersons hired Parrish as director. The film was shot between July and October 1968 at
Pinewood Studios Pinewood Studios is a British film and television studio located in the village of Iver Heath, England. It is approximately west of central London. The studio has been the base for many productions over the years from large-scale films to t ...
and on location in England and Portugal. As filming progressed, the working relationship between Parrish and the Andersons became strained. Meanwhile, creative disagreements between Gerry Anderson and business partner John Read, the director of photography, led to Read's resignation from Century 21. In an effort to distinguish the film from their puppet productions, the Andersons wrote adult themes into the script, although cuts were required for the film to be awarded an A certificate by the British Board of Film Censors. The film premiered in August 1969 in the United States and October 1969 in the United Kingdom. It performed poorly at the box office during its initial theatrical run but has since garnered a
cult following A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The latter is often called a cult classic. A film, boo ...
. The film has received mixed reviews from critics; while the special effects and production design have been praised, some commentators have judged the parallel Earth premise to be clichéd and uninspired. Various plot devices and imagery have been viewed as
pastiche A pastiche () is a work of visual art, literature, theatre, music, or architecture that imitates the style or character of the work of one or more other artists. Unlike parody, pastiche pays homage to the work it imitates, rather than mocking ...
s of other science fiction films, such as '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'' (1968). Several members of the cast went on to appear in '' UFO'', the Andersons' first live-action TV series, which also re-used many of the film's props.


Plot

In 2069, the European Space Exploration Council's (EUROSEC) ''Sun Probe'' discovers a planet in the same orbital path as Earth on the far side of the Sun. The findings are transmitted to a power in the
East East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that ea ...
by double agent Dr Hassler. Tracing the messages to Hassler's laboratory, Security Chief Mark Neuman corners the scientist and kills him. EUROSEC director Jason Webb convinces
NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
representative David Poulson that the
West West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...
must send a crewed mission to the planet before Hassler's allies in the East. NASA astronaut Colonel Glenn Ross and EUROSEC astrophysicist Dr John Kane are assigned to the mission. After undergoing training at the EUROSEC Space Centre in Portugal, Ross and Kane blast off in the spacecraft ''Phoenix''. They are put into an artificial
hibernation Hibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic reduction entered by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy characterized by low body-temperature, slow breathing and heart-rate, and low metabolic rate. It is mos ...
for the outbound journey, with "Heart-Lung-Kidney" machines maintaining their vital functions. Three weeks later, ''Phoenix'' reaches the planet and Ross and Kane are revived. Scans for life prove inconclusive, so the astronauts decide to make a surface landing in their auxiliary craft, ''Dove''. During its descent, ''Dove'' is damaged in a thunderstorm and crashes in a mountain range, seriously injuring Kane. The astronauts are picked up by a human rescue team, who tell Ross they have landed near
Ulaanbaatar Ulaanbaatar is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities in Mongolia, most populous city of Mongolia. It has a population of 1.6 million, and it is the coldest capital city in the world by average yearly temperature. The municipa ...
, Mongolia. It appears that Ross and Kane have returned to Earth, and they are flown back to the Space Centre. Neuman and EUROSEC official Lise Hartman question Ross, who denies that he aborted the mission. Later, Kane dies of his injuries. Ross discovers that people are now driving on the wrong side of the road and that he can no longer read printed text because it is all backwards. He comes to the realisation that he is indeed on the unknown planet, a
Counter-Earth The Counter-Earth is a : Hypothetical bodies of the Solar System, hypothetical body of the Solar System that orbits on the other side of the Solar System from Earth. A Counter-Earth or ''Antichthon'' () was hypothesized by the pre-Socratic philoso ...
where every detail is a ''mirror image'' of his Earth. Ross's wife Sharon refuses to accept his claims, but Webb is convinced when Ross demonstrates his ease in reading reflected text and Kane's ''post mortem'' examination reveals that his internal organs are on the "wrong" side of his body. Ross theorises that the two Earths are parallel and that his counterpart from this world is experiencing similar events on his Earth. Webb proposes that Ross retrieve the
flight recorder A flight recorder is an electronic recording device placed in an aircraft for the purpose of facilitating the investigation of aviation accidents and incidents. The device may often be referred to colloquially as a "black box", an outdated nam ...
from the orbiting ''Phoenix'' and return home. EUROSEC builds a new ''Dove'' designed to be compatible with the reversed technologies of ''Phoenix''. Modifications include reverse-polarisation of the electrical circuits. Ross blasts off in the spacecraft, which he has named ''Doppelganger'', and attempts to dock with ''Phoenix''. However, the electrical systems malfunction, crippling the spacecraft, causing it to fall back towards the Space Centre. EUROSEC are unable to correct the fault and ''Doppelganger'' crashes into a parked spacecraft, killing Ross and starting a chain reaction that destroys much of the Space Centre. All records of Ross's presence on the Counter-Earth are lost in the disaster. Years later, Webb, now confined to a wheelchair and in a much-diminished mental state, is admitted to a nursing home, where he sees his reflection in a mirror. He rolls forward quickly, trying to touch his doppelganger, but crashes into the mirror and dies.


Cast


Credited

* Roy Thinnes as Colonel Glenn Ross * Ian Hendry as Dr John Kane *
Patrick Wymark Patrick Wymark (11 July 192620 October 1970) was an English stage, film and television actor. Early life Wymark was born Patrick Carl Cheeseman in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire. He was brought up in neighbouring Grimsby and frequently revisited th ...
as Jason Webb * Lynn Loring as Sharon Ross * Loni von Friedl as Lise Hartman * Franco De Rosa as Paulo Landi *
George Sewell George Sewell (31 August 19242 April 2007) was an English actor, best known for his television roles, but also active on stage and in films. Early life and early career The son of a Hoxton printer and a florist, Sewell left school at the age o ...
as Mark Neuman * Ed Bishop as David Poulson * Philip Madoc as Dr Pontini * Vladek Sheybal as Dr Beauville * George Mikell as Dr Bernhardt BrissonBentley 2016, p. 27. * Herbert Lom as Dr Kurt Hassler


Uncredited

* Keith Alexander as Launch Controller *
Edward Cast Edward Raymond Cast (1925–1994) was a British stage, film and television actor. Selected filmography * '' The Dam Busters'' (1955) - Crew Member (uncredited) * ''Private's Progress'' (1956) - Intelligence Officer (uncredited) * '' The One That ...
as Security Vaults Sergeant * Peter Burton as Medical Technician * Anthony Chinn as Air-Sea Rescue Crew Member * Nicholas Courtney as Medical Technician * Arnold Diamond as Clavel (Paris delegate) * Cy Grant as Dr Gordon * Constantine Gregory as Launch Control Technician * Annette Kerr as Nurse * Martin King as ''Dove'' Service Technician * Basil Moss as Assistant Doctor * Norma Ronald as Pam Kirby * John Stone as London Delegate * Jeremy Wilkin as Launch Control Technician


Production

In 1967, producer Jay Kanter arrived in London to set up a European office for
Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...
.Bentley 2008, p. 306. Kanter was open to funding promising film ideas, so
Lew Grade Lew Grade, Baron Grade, (born Lev Winogradsky; 25 December 1906 – 13 December 1998) was a Ukrainian-born British media proprietor and impresario. Originally a dancer, and later a talent agent, Grade's interest in television production ...
, the Andersons' employer and financial backer, set up a meeting for Gerry Anderson to pitch a story about a hypothetical "mirror" Earth.Archer and Hearn 2002, p. 172. On the inspiration for the film, Anderson said: "I thought, rather naively, what if there was another planet on the other side of the Sun, orbiting at exactly the same speed and the same size as Earth? That idea then developed into the planet being a replicated Earth and that's how it ended up, a mirrored planet". The earliest version of the script was written by Tony Williamson.Bentley 2016, p. 20. At one point it ran to 194 pages, enough for a three-hour film.Bentley 2016, p. 25. The Andersons had conceived the story as a one-hour drama for
Associated Television ATV Network Limited, originally Associated TeleVision (ATV), was a British broadcaster, part of the ITV (TV network), ITV (Independent Television) network. It provided a service to London at weekends from 1955 to 1968, to the Midlands on week ...
, but Sylvia thought the premise "too good for a television play" and suggested making it as a
feature film A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film (Film, motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole present ...
instead.Anderson 2007, p. 65. John Read, the Andersons' business partner, proposed the title "''Doppelgänger''". According to Gerry, the term "means 'a copy of oneself', and the legend goes that if you meet your doppelganger, it is the point of your death. Following that legend, clearly, I had to steer the film so that I could end it illustrating the meaning of that word". Responding to claims that the tone was overly "dark", Anderson said that he wanted the film to have an interesting premise. Kanter was dissatisfied with the Williamson script, so the Andersons' began to re-write it themselves and brought in Donald James as a co-writer to improve the characterisation. The revisions included substantial changes to the parts set on the mirror Earth, essentially causing the characters of Ross and Kane to switch roles.Bentley 2008, p. 307. In the original script, Ross was blinded in the ''Dove'' crash, while Kane survived but was declared insane. A structural defect in ''Doppelganger'' caused it to burn up in the atmosphere with Kane inside, and the film ended with Kane's wife, the Rosses and Webb attending his funeral. Despite James's efforts, Kanter remained unenthusiastic. However, he agreed to finance the film provided that the Andersons chose a "bankable" director who met with his approval. Gerry's first choice was David Lane, who had directed Century 21's puppet films '' Thunderbirds Are Go'' (1966) and '' Thunderbird 6'' (1968), but Kanter wanted an experienced mainstream director. After weeks of searching, in June 1968 the Andersons hired
Robert Parrish Robert Reese Parrish (January 4, 1916December 4, 1995) was an American film director, editor and former child actor. He won an Academy Award for Best Film Editing for his work on ''Body and Soul (1947 film), Body and Soul'' (1947). Life and car ...
, who had co-directed '' Casino Royale'' (1967).Archer and Nicholls 1996, p. 136. According to Gerry, Parrish "told us he loved the script and said it would be an honour to work with us. Jay Kanter gave Bob the thumbs up and we were in business".Archer and Hearn 2002, p. 173. Anderson said that while the negative critical response to ''Casino Royale'' raised questions about Parrish's ability, ''Doppelgänger'' could not have been made without him: "It wasn't a question of, 'Will we get on with him?' or, 'Is he the right man?' He was a name director, so we signed him up immediately".Archer and Hearn 2002, p. 174.


Casting

Leading the cast was Roy Thinnes as Colonel Glenn Ross of NASA. Thinnes was cast on the basis of his starring role in '' The Invaders'' and his resemblance to
Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and activist. He was the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Paul Newman, numerous awards ...
. In the Andersons' script, Ross's first name was Stewart and he was the first person on Mars. In a 2008 interview, Thinnes said of the film: "I thought twas an interesting premise, although now we know that there isn't another planet on the other side of the Sun, through our space exploration and telescopic abilities. But at that time it was conceivable, and it could have been scary". To reflect the script's characterisation of Ross as a heavy smoker, Thinnes went through numerous packets of cigarettes over the course of the production, to the detriment of his health. In September 1969, ''
The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...
'' reported that the actor would demand a non-smoking clause for his next film: "He smokes about two packets a day, but the perpetual lighting up of new cigarettes for continuity purposes was too much". Ian Hendry was cast as Dr John Kane, a British astrophysicist and head of the ''Phoenix'' project. In his biography, Anderson recalled that Hendry "was always drinking" and was visibly intoxicated during the filming of the ''Dove'' crash sequence: "... he was pissed as a newt, and it was as much as he could do to stagger away. Despite all that, it looked exactly as it was supposed to on screen." In the original script, Kane's first name was Philip and he had a wife called Susan. Scenes deleted from the finished film showed the character pursuing a romance with EUROSEC official Lise Hartman, played by Loni von Friedl, whom the Andersons cast in Berlin. Ross's wife Sharon was played by Lynn Loring. The role had first gone to either
Gayle Hunnicutt Gayle Hunnicutt, Lady Jenkins (February 6, 1943 – August 31, 2023) was an American film, television and stage actress. She starred in more than 30 films. Early life and education The daughter of Colonel Sam Lloyd Hunnicutt and Mary Virginia ...
or
Tisha Sterling Patricia Ann "Tisha" Sterling (born December 10, 1944)Hubler, Richard G. (June 1959)"A belle named Sothern" ''Coronet''. p. 44. Retrieved March 8, 2024. "Sterling enlisted to fight in World War II. They were divorced in 1949. But this time ...
, but the original actress quit early in the production after falling ill. This led to the casting of Loring, Thinnes' then wife and a star of TV series '' The F.B.I.'' An earlier version of the script had the character appear in a
nude scene In film, nudity may be either graphic or suggestive, such as when a person appears to be naked but is covered by a sheet. Since the birth of film, depictions of any form of sexuality have been controversial, and in the case of most nude scenes, ...
, written into the film to distinguish it from the Andersons' previous productions. In a 1968 interview in the ''
Daily Mail The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily Middle-market newspaper, middle-market Tabloid journalism, tabloid conservative newspaper founded in 1896 and published in London. , it has the List of newspapers in the United Kingdom by circulation, h ...
'', Gerry expressed a desire to change the public's perception of Century 21, saying that his company had been "typecast as makers of children's films". On rumours that the British Board of Film Censors (BBFC) would give the film an X certificate for mature content, he stated that it was Century 21's desire to "work with live artists doing subjects unsuitable for children". The finished film replaced the nude scene with milder shots showing Sharon stepping into and out of a shower. A subplot concerns the Rosses' attempts to conceive a child and Glenn's discovery that Sharon has been taking
birth control pill The combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP), often referred to as the birth control pill or colloquially as "the pill", is a type of birth control that is designed to be taken orally by women. It is the oral form of combined hormonal contra ...
s. The original script described Sharon as the daughter of a
United States senator The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress. Party affiliation Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...
and had her begin an affair with EUROSEC public relations officer Carlo Monetti. In the finished film, this character, played by Franco De Rosa, is renamed Paulo Landi and appears only briefly; the affair is implied in one scene but not explored further.Archer and Hearn 2002, p. 193.Archer and Hearn 2002, p. 190. In a deleted scene, Glenn finds Paolo and Sharon in bed together at the Rosses' villa and throws them both into a swimming pool.
Patrick Wymark Patrick Wymark (11 July 192620 October 1970) was an English stage, film and television actor. Early life Wymark was born Patrick Carl Cheeseman in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire. He was brought up in neighbouring Grimsby and frequently revisited th ...
played Jason Webb, the director of EUROSEC. Wymark was cast for his performance as antiheroic businessman John Wilder in the TV dramas ''
The Plane Makers ''The Plane Makers'' is a British television series created by Wilfred Greatorex and produced by Rex Firkin. ATV made three series for ITV between 1963 and 1965. It was succeeded by ''The Power Game'', which ran for an additional three ...
'' and ''The Power Game'', which were liked by the Andersons. Publicity material described the character as "John Wilder (2069 model)".Archer and Hearn 2002, p. 175. According to Gerry, Wymark's heavy drinking caused him to slur his lines: in one scene, the actor "had to list these explanations ... and on take after take he couldn't remember that 'two' followed 'one'. We had to do it over and over again". Anderson's biographers, Simon Archer and Marcus Hearn, consider Wymark's portrayal of Webb to be the film's standout performance. The original script described Webb as a former
Minister of Technology The Ministry of Technology was a department of the government of the United Kingdom, sometimes abbreviated as "MinTech". The Ministry of Technology was established by the incoming government of Harold Wilson in October 1964 as part of Wilson's am ...
who is romantically involved with his secretary, Pam Kirby ( Norma Ronald, who had played Wilder's secretary in ''The Plane Makers'' and ''The Power Game''). This subplot was one of several that were cut to avoid an X certificate. The supporting cast included
George Sewell George Sewell (31 August 19242 April 2007) was an English actor, best known for his television roles, but also active on stage and in films. Early life and early career The son of a Hoxton printer and a florist, Sewell left school at the age o ...
, Philip Madoc and Ed Bishop, who respectively played EUROSEC operations chief Mark Neuman (Mark Hallam in the original script), Dr Pontini, and NASA representative David Poulson. Sewell and Madoc had both appeared in ''The Power Game''. Poulson was to have been played by
Peter Dyneley Peter Dyneley (13 April 1921 – 19 August 1977) was an English actor. Although he appeared in many smaller roles in both film and television, he is best remembered for supplying the voice of Jeff Tracy for the 1960s "Supermarionation" televis ...
, but the producers thought that he bore a strong resemblance to Wymark and re-cast the role, concerned that scenes with Dyneley and Wymark would cause audiences to confuse the characters of Poulson and Webb.


Filming

Filming began on 1 July 1968 at
Pinewood Studios Pinewood Studios is a British film and television studio located in the village of Iver Heath, England. It is approximately west of central London. The studio has been the base for many productions over the years from large-scale films to t ...
and ended on 16 October. The exterior of the EUROSEC Headquarters was represented by Neptune House in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire (now part of
BBC Elstree Centre The BBC Elstree Centre, sometimes referred to as the BBC Elstree Studios, is a television production facility, currently owned by the BBC. The complex is located between Eldon Avenue and Clarendon Road in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England. Th ...
), while Heatherden Hall appeared as the old Jason Webb's nursing home. In September, the crew travelled to
Albufeira Albufeira (, ), officially the City of Albufeira (), is a List of cities in Portugal, city and Concelho, municipality of Faro District in the Algarve region of southern Portugal. The population in 2021 was 44,158, in an area of . The city proper ...
in Portugal for location shooting. Shortly after their arrival,
Marcelo Caetano Marcello José das Neves Alves Caetano (17 August 1906 – 26 October 1980) was a Portuguese politician and scholar. He was the second and last leader of the Estado Novo after succeeding António de Oliveira Salazar. He served as prime mini ...
succeeded the incapacitated
António de Oliveira Salazar António de Oliveira Salazar (28 April 1889 – 27 July 1970) was a Portuguese statesman, academic, and economist who served as Portugal's President of the Council of Ministers of Portugal, President of the Council of Ministers from 1932 to 1 ...
as
Prime Minister of Portugal The prime minister of Portugal (; ) is the head of government of Portugal. As head of government, the prime minister coordinates the actions of ministers, represents the Government of Portugal to the other bodies of state, is accountable to Ass ...
. Parrish was concerned that this political instability might hold up the shoot, so reduced the filming schedule from one month to two weeks. To create an illusion of a mirror Earth, the crew reversed the film negatives using a process called " flop-over". This technique spared the production considerable time and money building specially "reversed" props and sets and organising road closures to film cars driving on the "wrong" side of the road. However, it meant that scenes set on the Counter-Earth required careful planning and rehearsal with the cast and crew. It also resulted in a number of
continuity error In fiction, continuity is the consistency of the characteristics of people, plot, objects, and places seen by the audience over some period of time. It is relevant to many genres and forms of storytelling, especially if it is long-running. Conti ...
s: for example, the "Heart-Lung-Kidney" machines aboard ''Phoenix'' are first shown connected to Ross and Kane's left wrists, then their right. The crew had difficulty creating a scene in which the EUROSEC board hold an international videoconference on high-resolution viewing monitors.Archer and Hearn 2002, p. 177. Due to the high cost of colour TV at the time of production and the need to avoid
black and white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white to produce a range of achromatic brightnesses of grey. It is also known as greyscale in technical settings. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, ...
to reflect the film's futuristic setting, instead of using real viewing monitors the crew cut screen-sized gaps in a wall and positioned the actors playing the conference delegates behind them. Silver paper was added to reflect the studio lights and simulate a high-resolution image, with altered eyelines creating the illusion that each delegate is looking into a camera. Archer and Hearn praise this scene as an example of how Anderson "proved once again that his productions were ahead of their time". As filming progressed, Anderson and Parrish came into conflict. Anderson said that Kanter was brought in more than once to mediate between them: " ylvia and Iboth knew how important the picture was to our careers, and we both desperately wanted to be in the big time".Archer and Hearn 2002, p. 176. At one point, Parrish refused to film a number of scenes, saying that he would only end up deleting them. According to Anderson, when he reminded Parrish of his contractual obligations, the director loudly announced to the cast and crew: "Hell, you heard the producer. If I don't shoot these scenes which I don't really want, don't need and will cut out anyway, I'll be in breach of contract. So what we'll do is shoot those scenes next!" In his biography, Anderson stated that his one regret about the film " asthat I hired Bob Parrish in the first place". Sylvia described Parrish's direction as "uninspired. We had a lot of trouble getting what we wanted from him". Parrish also clashed with Thinnes over the actor's refusal to have his hair cut a certain way for the scenes set on the Counter-Earth. Thinnes, whose hair had already been repeatedly styled, later decided that this was merely Parrish's way of asserting authority, having received a letter from a friend warning him that Thinnes could be difficult to work with. Gerry Anderson said that his own relationship with Thinnes was awkward, but that he liked the actor's performance. Other scenes led to disagreements within Century 21.Archer and Hearn 2002, p. 178.La Rivière 2009, p. 188. For a scene depicting Lise Hartman (Loni von Friedl) taking a shower, cinematographer John Read did the lighting in silhouette as instructed by Parrish.La Rivière 2009, p. 189. Gerry Anderson, who had intended the scene to show Friedl nude, demanded a reshoot, insisting that Read honour his obligations not only to Parrish as director, but also to the producers. According to Sylvia, "Gerry was very keen to show that he was part of the '
Swinging Sixties The Swinging Sixties was a youth-driven cultural revolution that took place in the United Kingdom during the mid-to-late 1960s, emphasising modernity and fun-loving hedonism, with Swinging London denoted as its centre. It saw a flourishing in ...
' and felt that seeing a detailed nude shot – as he visualised it – was more 'with it' than the more subdued version".Anderson 2007, p. 36. Another dispute arose when Read filmed shots of the ''Phoenix'' spacecraft model using a hand-held camera. In his biography, Anderson recalled: "I knew enough about space travel to know that in a vacuum a spacecraft will travel as straight as a die ... arrishtold me that people were not familiar with space travel and therefore they would expect to see this kind of movement". Read refused to reshoot the scenes, stating that Parrish's instructions took precedence over Anderson's. He resigned from both the production and Century 21 at the request of the Andersons and
Reg Hill Reginald Eric Hill (16 May 1914 – 31 October 1999) was an English model-maker, art director, producer, and freelance storyboard artist. He is most prominently associated with the work of Gerry Anderson. Early life Born on 16 May 1914, Hill ...
, his fellow company directors. Anderson elaborated: "Clearly, John was in a difficult position. I do now understand how he must have felt, but in my heart I feel he couldn't play a double role".


Design and effects

The film's special effects were produced at Century 21 Studios on the
Slough Trading Estate The Slough Trading Estate, founded in Slough in Buckinghamshire in 1920, was an early business park in Britain. According to the estate's owners and operators, Segro, Slough Trading Estate consists of of commercial property in Slough and provi ...
under the direction of
Derek Meddings Derek Meddings (15 January 1931 – 10 September 1995) was a British film and television special effects designer. He was initially noted for his work on the "Supermarionation" TV puppet series produced by Gerry Anderson, and later for the ...
. More than 200 effects shots were filmed. The design of the ''Phoenix'' spacecraft was based on the
Saturn V The Saturn V is a retired American super heavy-lift launch vehicle developed by NASA under the Apollo program for human exploration of the Moon. The rocket was human-rated, had multistage rocket, three stages, and was powered by liquid-propel ...
rocket. During filming, the scale model unexpectedly caught fire and had to be completely rebuilt. For realism, the launch sequence was shot in the studios' car park against the actual sky. Century 21 built a full-sized ''Dove'' module prop in Slough. However, it could not be used for the film due to an agreement between Pinewood Studios and the
National Association of Theatrical Television and Kine Employees The National Association of Theatrical Television and Kine Employees (NATTKE) was a trade union in the United Kingdom which existed between 1890 and 1984. It represented employees who worked in theatres, cinemas and television. History The u ...
, which stated that all Pinewood film props were to be made in-house. The prop was destroyed, and although the Pinewood carpenters built a replacement, Anderson considered it inferior to the original. Meddings also oversaw the construction of several futuristic land vehicles operated by EUROSEC. These included three six-wheeled utility vehicles, which were built from
Mini Moke The Mini Moke is a small, front-wheel-drive utility and recreational convertible, conceived and manufactured as a lightweight military vehicle by British Motor Corporation (BMC), and subsequently marketed for civilian use under the Austin Moto ...
chassis by a
Feltham Feltham () is a town in West London, England, from Charing Cross. Historically part of Middlesex, it became part of the London Borough of Hounslow in 1965. The parliamentary constituency of Feltham and Heston (UK Parliament constituency), Felt ...
-based company, and three cars modelled on Ford Zephyr Zodiacs. Fitted with dummy
gull-wing door In the automotive industry, a gull-wing door, also known as a falcon-wing door, McLaren anhedral door, or an up-door, is a car door that is hinged at the roof rather than the side, as pioneered by Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, first as a race car in ...
s, the adapted Fords were constructed by
Alan Mann Racing Alan Mann Racing was a British Motor sport, motor racing team organised by Alan Mann (22 August 1936 – 21 March 2012), who was a part-time racing driver and team manager. The team ran a substantial part of the Ford Motor Company, Ford works rac ...
under the supervision of Len Bailey. Commenting on the film's effects, Martin Anderson of
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...
describes the ''Phoenix'' command module as "beautifully
ergonomic Ergonomics, also known as human factors or human factors engineering (HFE), is the application of psychological and physiological principles to the engineering and design of products, processes, and systems. Primary goals of human factors engi ...
without losing too much NASA-ness" and the ''Dove'' lander as "a beautiful fusion of JPL gloss with classic lines". He regards the ''Phoenix'' launch as Meddings' finest work prior to '' Moonraker'' (1979). Archer and Hearn describe the sequence as "one of the most spectacular" of its kind produced by Century 21.


Music and titles

Composer
Barry Gray Barry Gray (born John Livesey Eccles; 18 July 1908 – 26 April 1984) was a British musician and composer best known for his collaborations with television and film producer Gerry Anderson. Life and career Born into a musical family in Blackbur ...
, who wrote the music for all of Century 21's productions, said that his score for this film was his favourite. The score was recorded over three studio sessions held between 27 and 29 March 1969. The first session used a 55-member orchestra, the second 44, and the third 28. The sequence showing Ross and Kane's journey to the Counter-Earth was accompanied by a piece titled "Sleeping Astronauts", featuring an
ondes Martenot The ondes Martenot ( ; , ) or ondes musicales () is an early electronic musical instrument. It is played with a lateral-vibrato Keyboard instrument, keyboard or by moving a ring tied to a wire, creating "wavering" sounds similar to a theremin. D ...
played by French ondiste Sylvette Allart. Archer and Hearn describe this piece as "one of the most enchanting" ever written by Gray, adding that the soundtrack as a whole evoked a "traditional Hollywood feel" which contrasted with the film's futuristic setting. The title sequence, set inside Dr Hassler's laboratory, was accompanied by a spy theme. This was inspired by the character's undercover activities, which he performs using an artificial eye containing a micro-camera. Archer and Hearn regard this as a stylistic imitation of ''James Bond'' films.


Release

The completed film failed to impress either Universal or UK distributor
The Rank Organisation The Rank Organisation (founded as the J. Arthur Rank Organisation) is a British entertainment Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1937 by industrialist J. Arthur Rank. It quickly became the largest and most vertical integration, ve ...
.Fryer 2016, p. 141. Rank delayed the film's release by over a year.Bentley 2016, p. 22. On 26 March 1969, the BBFC passed the film with an A certificate, which allowed children under 11 to see the film provided that they were accompanied by a parent or guardian. To secure this rating, cuts to shots of contraceptive pills were required. Rank enquired whether the film could be cut further to secure a U certificate, removing the need for parental supervision; the BBFC rejected the idea, stating that this would cause the film to lose all narrative sense. The film was distributed by Rank in Europe and Universal in the US and Australia. While Rank kept the original title, Universal, judging that non-Europeans would be less familiar with the term "doppelganger", renamed the film "''Journey to the Far Side of the Sun''"the title by which it is now more commonly known.Archer and Nicholls 1996, p. 138. Simon Archer and Stan Nicholls argue that while this title gives a clearer explanation of the plot, it lacks the "intrigue and even poetic quality of ''Doppelgänger''". After premiering in the US on 27 August 1969, the film had its UK debut on 8 October at the
Odeon Cinema Odeon Cinemas Limited, trading as Odeon (stylised in all caps), is a cinema brand name operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway and Greece, which along with UCI Cinemas and Nordic Cinema Group is part of the Odeon Cinemas Group subsid ...
on
Kensington High Street Kensington High Street is the main shopping street in Kensington, London, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Kensington High Street is the continuation of Kensington Road and part ...
. It went on general release on 26 October, paired with '' Death of a Gunfighter'' to create a
double feature The double feature is a Film, motion picture industry phenomenon in which theaters would exhibit two films for the price of one, supplanting an earlier format in which the presentation of one feature film would be followed by various short subjec ...
. The film ran for less than a week in Odeon venues. A second round of US screenings began in
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
on 1 November. Overall, the film performed poorly at the box office. Two original 35 mm prints of the film are known to exist. One is kept by the
British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
; the other by Fanderson, the official Anderson fan club. While original prints give top billing to Ian Hendry, Universal's ''Journey to the...'' format credits Thinnes first. Some British prints feature an alternative version of the final scene with a short voice-over from Ross, repeating a line of dialogue the character says to Webb earlier in the film: "Jason, we were right. There are definitely two identical planets." The film had its British TV premiere on 7 December 1974 on
Granada Television ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV (TV network), ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire on weekdays only, as ABC Weekend TV, ...
. Some TV broadcasts of the film have shown an incorrectly flopped picture. This originated from a mistake made in the 1980s when an original print was being transferred to videotape: a
telecine Telecine ( or ), or TK, is the process of transferring film into video and is performed in a color suite. The term is also used to refer to the equipment used in this post-production process. Telecine enables a motion picture, captured origi ...
operator who was unfamiliar with the film believed that the Counter-Earth scenes had been flopped in error, so made a second flop to reverse it. This de-flopped picture, which became the standard for all TV showings, makes it appear that the Ross of the Counter-Earth has landed on the "normal" Earth.


Home media

Previously available on
LaserDisc LaserDisc (LD) is a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. It was developed by Philips, Pioneer Corporation, Pioneer, and the movie studio MCA Inc., MCA. The format was initially marketed in the United State ...
, the film was released on Region 1 DVD in 1998 and both Region 1 and 2 DVD (digitally remastered) in 2008. Prior to the 2008 release, the BBFC re-classified the film PG for "mild violence and language".
Blu-ray Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...
versions followed in 2015. The US Blu-ray release was by
Universal Entertainment formerly known as and Universal, is a Japanese manufacturer of pachinko, slot machines, arcade games and other gaming products, and a publisher of video games. Aruze possesses licenses to both manufacture and distribute casino machines in the ...
. The Australian release by
Madman Entertainment Madman Entertainment Pty. Ltd., also known as Madman Films, stylized as MADMAN, is an Australian film and television production, distribution, entertainment, and rights management company headquartered in East Melbourne, Victoria, specialising ...
features a transfer of Fanderson's original film print, an exclusive
audio commentary An audio commentary is an additional audio track, usually digital, consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with a video. Commentaries can be serious or entertaining in nature, and can add informatio ...
by Gerry Anderson, and a double-sided sleeve, which enables the Blu-ray case to be stored under either of the film's titles.


Reception

Since its original release, the film has had a mixed response from critics. Simon Archer and Stan Nicholls consider it a
cult film A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase, which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage in repeated ...
. The film has a 40% approval rating on
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
.


Contemporary reviews

Rating the film "poor",Pixley 2016, pp. 157–158. ''
The Monthly Film Bulletin The ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 until April 1991, when it merged with '' Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those wi ...
'' described the theme as "more abstruse" than that a of a typical science fiction feature. It added: "the intricacies are insufficiently clarified, and Robert Parrish's direction is so leaden-footed, that despite the explosive finale the film as a whole is simply dull." The film was also negatively received by the ''
Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily Tabloid journalism, tabloid newspaper. Founded in 1903, it is part of Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), which is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the tit ...
'', which called it "corny", as well as by
David Robinson David Maurice Robinson (born August 6, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1989 to 2003, and minority owner of the Spurs. Nicknamed ...
of ''
The Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...
'',
Derek Malcolm Derek Elliston Michael Malcolm (12 May 1932 – 15 July 2023) was an English film critic and historian. Early life Derek Elliston Michael Malcolm was born on 12 May 1932. He was the son of Douglas Malcolm (died 1967) and Dorothy Vera (died 196 ...
of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' and Margaret Hinxman of ''
The Sunday Telegraph ''The Sunday Telegraph'' is a British broadsheet newspaper, first published on 5 February 1961 and published by the Telegraph Media Group, a division of Press Holdings. It is the sister paper of ''The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Tele ...
''. Writing for ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'', critic
John Russell Taylor John Russell Taylor (born 19 June 1935) is an English critic and author. He is the author of critical studies of British theatre; of critical biographies of such figures in film as Alfred Hitchcock, Alec Guinness, Orson Welles, Vivien Leigh, ...
praised it as "quite ingenious" but suggested that the title and pre-release publicity gave away too much of the plot. In the US, Howard Thompson of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' wrote that the film "never really gets off the ground" and "remains a little too civilised and restrained for its own good." He praised the "crispness" of certain dialogue, along with the visual style and Parrish's direction, but argued that the story deserved "a larger movie, at least one with more stratospheric sweep and suspense".
Judith Crist Judith Crist (; Klein; May 22, 1922 – August 7, 2012) was an American film critic and academic. She appeared regularly on the '' Today'' show from 1964 to 1973 Martin, Douglas (August 8, 2012)"Judith Crist, Zinging and Influential Film ...
of ''
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
'' magazine described ''Journey to the Far Side of the Sun'' as "a science fiction film that comes up with a fascinating premise three-quarters of the way along and does nothing with it." She commended the film for being "nicely gadget-ridden", as well as raising questions about the conflict between science and politics, but criticised the editing. ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' magazine considered the plot confusing, equating the ''Dove'' crash to the quality of the writing: "Astronauts take a pill to induce a three-week sleep during their flight. Thereafter the script falls to pieces in as many parts as their craft." While ''
The Miami News ''The Miami News'' was an evening newspaper in Miami, Florida. It was the media market competitor to the morning edition of the ''Miami Herald'' for most of the 20th century. The paper started publishing in May 1896 as a weekly called ''The Miami ...
'' and the ''
Montreal Gazette ''The Gazette'', also known as the ''Montreal Gazette'', is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper which is owned by Postmedia Network. It is published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is the only English-language daily newspape ...
'' regarded the film as better than average for its genre, ''
The Pittsburgh Press ''The Pittsburgh Press'', formerly ''The Pittsburg Press'' and originally ''The Evening Penny Press'', was a major afternoon daily newspaper published in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for over a century, from 1884 to 1992. At the height of its popul ...
'' dismissed it as "a churned out science fiction yarn ... Let's hope there's only one movie like this one", and ranked it among the worst films of the year. The ''Gazette'' added that while the film gets worse towards the end, "until then it's a reasonably diverting futuristic melodrama." A review in the ''
Southeast Missourian ''The Southeast Missourian'' is a 3-day per week newspaper published in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and serves (as the name implies) the southeastern portion of Missouri. History The paper began publication on October 3, 1904, as ''The Daily R ...
'' stated that "in today's space terminology
he film He or HE may refer to: Language * He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads * He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English * He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana) * Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter cal ...
almost rates as science – and pure reportage through film. Still, it evolves as a fascinating motion-picture entertainment." In 1975,
Jeff Rovin Jeff Rovin is an American magazine editor, freelance writer, columnist, and author, who has appeared on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list. Biography Jeff Rovin has been editor-in-chief of ''Weekly World News'', an assistant editor and w ...
called ''Journey to the Far Side of the Sun'' "confusing but colourful" and praised its "superb" effects.Rovin 1975, p. 223.


Retrospective reviews

Gary Gerani, co-writer of '' Pumpkinhead'', ranks ''Journey to the Far Side of the Sun'' 81st in his book ''Top 100 Sci-Fi Movies'', calling the film "enigmatic" and a "fine example of speculative fantasy in the late '60s". He praises Thinnes' and Wymark's performances, as well as the characterisation, the film's secondary themes (such as adultery, infertility and corruption) and the "
Fourth of July Independence Day, known colloquially as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States which commemorates the ratification of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing th ...
-style" special effects. Sylvia Anderson suggested that American audiences, who were less familiar with Century 21's puppet productions than their British counterparts, were more enthusiastic about the film. She explained: "It was all too easy to compare our real actors with our puppet characters and descriptions such as 'wooden', 'expressionless', 'no strings attached' and 'puppet-like' were cheap shots some of the UK critics could not resist ... Typecasting is the lazy man's friend, and boy, were we typecast in Britain". In 1992, she said of the film: "I saw it on TV a couple of years ago and I was very pleased with it. I thought it came over quite well". To Chris Bentley, the film is a "stylish and thought-provoking science fiction thriller". ''
TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media In mass communication, digital media is any media (communication), communication media that operates in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital content can be created, vi ...
'' magazine gives the film two stars out of four, calling it a "strange little film" with an "overwritten script".
Glenn Erickson Glenn Erickson is an American film editor and film critic. A graduate of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, he started in the film industry in 1975 as an editor of low-budget films and later worked in minor technical crew capacitie ...
of
DVD Talk DVD Talk is a home video news and review website launched in 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman. History Kleinman founded the site in January 1999 in Beaverton, Oregon. Besides news and reviews, it features information on hidden DVD features known as ...
considers ''Journey to the Far Side of the Sun'' a "good" film but writes that it "takes an okay premise but does next to nothing with it. We see 100 minutes of bad drama and good special effects, and then the script opts for frustration and meaningless mystery". He criticises the cinematography, comparing it to that of ''Thunderbirds'' in the sense that the characters "stand and talk a lot", while defining the script as "at least 60 per cent hardware-talk and exposition ... How people move about – airplane, parachute,
centrifuge A centrifuge is a device that uses centrifugal force to subject a specimen to a specified constant force - for example, to separate various components of a fluid. This is achieved by spinning the fluid at high speed within a container, thereby ...
– is more important than what they're doing". In a review for
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...
, Martin Anderson praises the direction and effects but states that the film's "robust and prosaic" dialogue sits "ill-at-ease with the metaphysical ponderings". He criticises some of the editing, noting that many of the effects shots have "that ' Hornby' factor, slowing up the narrative unnecessarily". He rates the film three stars out of five, summing it up as "an interesting journey with many rewards". The
Film4 Film4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned by Channel Four Television Corporation launched on 1 November 1998, dedicated to broadcasting films. The standard-definition channel is available on Freeview and Freesa ...
website gives the film two-and-a-half stars out of five, summing it up as "an occasionally interesting failure". The review praises the effects and costume design but judges the subplots about Hassler's treachery and the Rosses' marital problems to be unnecessary distractions from the main story. It also questions the originality of the premise and the depth of the writing: "Anderson's has to be the cheapest alternate Earth ever. Whereas audiences might expect a world where the
Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...
never fell or the Nazis won World War II, here the shocking discovery is that people write backwards. That's it". A similar view is expressed by
Gary Westfahl Gary Wesley Westfahl (born May 7, 1951) is an American writer and scholar of science fiction. He has written reviews for the ''Los Angeles Times'', '' The Internet Review of Science Fiction'' and Locus Online. He worked at the University of Cal ...
, who describes the setting as "the most boring and unimaginative alien world imaginable". Reviewing the film for ''
Sight & Sound ''Sight and Sound'' (formerly written ''Sight & Sound'') is a monthly film magazine published by the British Film Institute (BFI). Since 1952, it has conducted the well-known decennial ''Sight and Sound'' Poll of the Greatest Films of All Time. ...
'' in 2021, Robert Hanks called the story "compellingly weird" even if "the pacing is dreadful ..the dialogue wince-making ndthe science utterly implausible." He also noted the film's inclusion of various "Anderson obsessions" like "huge supranational organisations, spies with bizarre gadgets, futuristic cars, and odd close-ups of hands performing intricate tasks", adding that it was "perhaps a shame Parrish didn't imprint himself more firmly on the material".


Interpretation

Archer and Nicholls suggest as possible causes of the film's box office failure its "quirky, offbeat nature" and waning public interest in space exploration after
Apollo 11 Apollo 11 was a spaceflight conducted from July 16 to 24, 1969, by the United States and launched by NASA. It marked the first time that humans Moon landing, landed on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and Lunar Module pilot Buzz Aldrin l ...
. The topic of the Moon landing dominated a contemporary review in the ''
Milwaukee Journal The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper and also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely read. It was purchased by the G ...
'', which found similarities in the plot of ''Journey to the Far Side of the Sun'': "... the spacemen find a few bugs in their ' LM' and crash on the planet. And do they ever have their hands full in getting back to Earth!" Suggesting that the performances are hampered by an excess of technical dialogue, the review concluded: "... the makers of this space exploiter may get lots of mileage at the box office, but
Neil Neil is a masculine name of Irish origin. The name is an anglicisation of the Irish ''Niall'' which is of disputed derivation. The Irish name may be derived from words meaning "cloud", "passionate", "victory", "honour" or "champion".. As a surname ...
, Buzz and Mike did it better on TV." It has also been suggested that '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'' and ''
Planet of the Apes ''Planet of the Apes'' is a science fiction media franchise consisting of films, books, television series, comics, and other media about a Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, post-apocalyptic world in which humans and intelligent apes c ...
'', both released the year before, set a high standard for ''Journey to the Far Side of the Sun'' and other films to follow. Erickson argues that ''Journey to the Far Side of the Sun'' is inferior to ''2001'' for presenting a "working future" that is still dominated by commercialism. Comparing the visual style to that of ''2001'', he notes similar use of "psychedelic" images and close-ups of human eyes but calls such imitation "fluff without any deeper meaning". Film4's review describes the final scene featuring the elderly Webb as "hell-bent on recreating the enigmatic finale of ''2001'' by using a mirror, a wheelchair and a tartan blanket." Rovin argues that the effects " ccasionallyoutshine" ''2001''s", adding that it "attempts to kindle a profundity similar to that of '2001''in its abstract philosophising about the dichotomy of dual worlds, but fails with a combination of meat-and-potatoes science fiction and quasi-profound themes." He argues that ''Journey to the Far Side of the Sun'' is "neither a kid's film nor a cult film" but rules that "the elements that comprise the finished effort are more than individually successful."Rovin 1975, pp. 124–127. Martin Anderson compares ''Journey to the Far Side of the Sun'' to other science fiction films like ''
Solaris Solaris is the Latin word for sun. It may refer to: Arts and entertainment Literature, television and film * ''Solaris'' (novel), a 1961 science fiction novel by Stanisław Lem ** ''Solaris'' (1968 film), directed by Boris Nirenburg ** ''Sol ...
'', identifying a "lyrical" tone to the dialogue. However, he concedes that the film "doesn't bear comparison with Kubrick or Tarkovsky", the directors of ''2001'' and ''Solaris''. Douglas Pratt and the
Institute of Contemporary Arts The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) is an modernism, artistic and cultural centre on The Mall (London), The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. Located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps a ...
compare the film to "
The Parallel "The Parallel" is episode 113 of the American television anthology series '' The Twilight Zone''. In this episode an astronaut returns from a voyage to find the world not quite the same as he remembers it. It was an early example of the concept ...
", an episode of ''
The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology series, anthology television series created by Rod Serling in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described ...
'' which sees an astronaut returning to Earth only to find it mysteriously changed, and realising that he has ended up in a parallel universe. S. T. Joshi likens the film's theme of duplication to the premise of ''
Invasion of the Body Snatchers ''Invasion of the Body Snatchers'' is a 1956 American science-fiction horror film produced by Walter Wanger, directed by Don Siegel, and starring Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter. The black-and-white film was shot in 2.00:1 Superscope and in t ...
'', in which a race of extraterrestrials called the Pod People abduct humans and replace them with alien doubles.


Legacy

Despite the film's failure, Grade gave the Andersons further commissions with live actors. The first of these was the TV series '' UFO'', which began airing in 1970. ''Journey to the Far Side of the Sun'' is considered a precursor to ''UFO'' and has also been described as a "trial run" for the follow-up series, '' Space: 1999''. Most of the cast went on to appear in ''UFO'', notably Ed Bishop as the protagonist Colonel Ed Straker and George Sewell as his deputy, Colonel Alec Freeman. Many of the film's costumes, shooting locations and musical tracks were also re-used, along with props including the ''Phoenix'' and ''Dove'' miniatures and the EUROSEC ground vehicles.Archer and Hearn 2002, p. 188.Archer and Nicholls 1996, p. 146. Neptune House appeared as the exterior of Harlington-Straker Film Studios, where SHADO, the organisation headed by Straker, is based. The recycled music included the tracks "Sleeping Astronauts" and "Strange Planet", the latter accompanying the series' end credits. Additionally, ''UFO''s opening titles imitated the
teleprinter A teleprinter (teletypewriter, teletype or TTY) is an electromechanical device that can be used to send and receive typed messages through various communications channels, in both point-to-point (telecommunications), point-to-point and point- ...
shots which formed the basis of the film's title sequence.Archer and Hearn 2002, p. 192. A retrospective by
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
argues that the presentation of politics and economics in ''Journey to the Far Side of the Sun'' goes against the conventions of 1960s science fiction. This is reflected in ''UFO'', whose characters "were constantly having to deal with the pressures of having to show progress under the scrutiny of accountants and elected officials, much the same way NASA was starting to in the US". On the links between the film and ''UFO'', Martin Anderson makes another connection to Kubrick: "... the most interesting common ground between the two projects remains the bleak ending(s) and the slight flirtation with the
acid An acid is a molecule or ion capable of either donating a proton (i.e. Hydron, hydrogen cation, H+), known as a Brønsted–Lowry acid–base theory, Brønsted–Lowry acid, or forming a covalent bond with an electron pair, known as a Lewis ...
-induced imagery and mind fucks of ''2001''".


See also

*'' Another Earth'', a 2011 film with a similar premise *'' The Stranger'', a 1973 TV film with a similar premise *
1969 in film The year 1969 in film involved some significant events, with ''Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'' dominating the U.S. box office and becoming one of the highest-grossing films of all time and ''Midnight Cowboy'', a film rated X, winning the ...
*
List of British films of 1969 A list of films produced in the United Kingdom in 1969 (see 1969 in film): 1969 Most Popular Films of the Year Based on survey of more than 1,600 cinemas according to ''Motion Picture Herald''. Top special reserved ticket attraction of the ...
*
List of films set in the future This is a list of films with settings beyond the date they were released or made, even if that setting is List of stories set in a future now in the past, now in the past, and films with a futuristic setting despite having an unspecified (unspec.) ...


References


Citations


General and cited references

* * * * * * * * * *


External links

*
''Journey to the Far Side of the Sun''
at the
British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
* * {{Gerry Anderson 1960s adventure thriller films 1960s British films 1960s English-language films 1960s science fiction adventure films 1960s science fiction drama films 1960s science fiction thriller films 1960s spy films 1969 adventure films 1969 drama films 1969 films AP Films films British adventure thriller films British science fiction drama films British science fiction thriller films British space adventure films British spy films English-language adventure thriller films English-language science fiction adventure films English-language science fiction drama films English-language science fiction thriller films Fiction set in 2069 Films about astronauts Films about extraterrestrial life Films about NASA Films about the Solar System Films directed by Robert Parrish Films set in Mongolia Films set in Portugal Films set in the 2060s Films set on fictional planets Films shot at Pinewood Studios Films shot in the Algarve Universal Pictures films