Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (theatrical film)

Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. was the second and, to date, last feature film based on Doctor Who. It was adapted from the television serial The Dalek Invasion of Earth. It stars Peter Cushing as a human scientist named "Dr. Who". This was also Bernard Cribbins' first Doctor Who-related role. Forty-one years later, he would be cast as Wilfred Mott in the BBC Wales series.

Synopsis
Policeman Tom Campbell stumbles into Tardis on a normal day and ends up being taken to 2150 A.D. by Dr. Who. The future seems to be deserted, but the group soon finds out that the world is controlled by the evil Daleks. The human survivors hide, lest they be turned into Robomen. The Doctor teams up with the survivors to take down the Daleks.

Plot
PC Tom Campbell is on his usual rounds when he is attacked by a man who has been sitting in his car outside a shop. After he has been beaten up he sees a nearby jewellery shop explode and two men emerge with bundles of stolen goods. They run into the waiting car and escape. In a daze Tom staggers towards a police box and opens it to discover it is the Doctor's Tardis. His injuries, combined with the shock of Tardis, cause him to faint. The Doctor uses his scanners to see that there is a kerfuffle outside and leaves with Tom on board before any one else makes the same mistake as he did.

When Tom awakes he is introduced to the Doctor, Louise and Susan. He is eager to get out and report the crime - the Doctor tells him this is impossible, as the year is 2150 AD. Tom reacts to this news with scepticism and says that he will report the Doctor for wasting police time. He exits Tardis to find himself in a barren and deserted area of London. Tom is initially very confused. As the travellers go off to explore Susan accidentally loosens some debris which causes a building to toppled over trapping Tardis in rubble. The Doctor and Tom go off to find something to help loosen the debris. As they explore an abandoned warehouse they see a figure in amongst some boxes. They discover it is a dead man dressed in futuristic clothing and wearing a helmet with a receiver in it.

Back at Tardis Louise returns from getting water to find Susan gone. A man grabs her and tells her that Susan has been taken to safety, and that the two women should never have been out there at all. The man takes Louise with him to meet Susan.

The two men go back to join the women but discover them gone. As Louise and her mysterious friend enter an abandoned Tube station, Louise is stopped in her tracks by the sight of a space ship looming over London which the Doctor and Tom also see.

In the tube station Susan and Louise are reunited and the man who saved them both reveals himself to be called Wyler. He introduces them to the rest of the underground rebels who are fighting the alien species that are attacking London. A man named David goes out to look for the Doctor and Tom on the advice of a very distressed Susan.

Back at Tardis, the men are taken siege by the Robomen, who start firing guns at them as they run they are trapped in by the river. Much to their shock, they see a Dalek emerge from the river also. The men are captured and led away to one of the Dalek saucers. Little do they know David has been watching all this and will return home to share the bad news.

In the underground hideout Susan and Louise are introduced to the leader of the underground rebels, Dortmun - a disabled weapons expert. As they are introduced they are interrupted by a radio bulletin from the Daleks urging all rebels to surrender themselves or face the wrath of the Dalek. Dortmun reveals to the women that he has constructed a bomb that will bring the Daleks to their knees. He also explains to them how the Daleks took over Earth, through a strategic bout of meteor attacks and segregation. Dortmun expains the strangest act of the Daleks is to start a mining facility in Bedford staffed by human slaves. David returns to the underground network and tells the girls that their friends have been imprisoned and that the saucer is where Robomen are created. Dortmun, David and Wyler discuss how to take the Daleks down. Dortmun suggests dressing as Robomen and getting on to the saucer and then attacking from the inside.

As the Doctor and Tom are led to the saucer, the Doctor explains to Tom that he has encountered the Daleks once before at the end of their civilisation but that Tardis must have put them down much earlier on in their timeline. His story is interrupted by the a prisoner trying to escape. He is soon exterminated by the Daleks who warn the other prisoners that this will be their fate if they try anything similar. The Doctor and Tom are locked in a cell, but the Doctor soon discovers that the doors are powered through magnetics and uses a comb to break the magnetic attraction. As soon as he is free the Daleks recapture him and say that he has passed the intelligence test and will now be robotised along with Tom. The men are led away. As they are prepared for the transfer, the rebel faction aboard the ship. They are challenged at the top of the ramp, and the Dalek realises the trick. A battle ensues with many casualties on either side However, this enables the Doctor and Tom to escape from the transfer - although they soon get split up in the melee. Tom hides away inside the saucer as does Louise who was part of the rebel faction. The Doctor escapes from the ship with David, and are pursued through London by the Daleks. They hide in a sewer network until the Daleks lose them. The boms provedfutile and while they caused damage to some Daleks did not damage their saucer at all. Tom disguises himself as a Roboman and joins a pack of Robomen in order to remain inconspicuous on the saucer. Eventually, he is reunited with Louise and they hide away on the saucer together.

Back at the Underground station, Susan and Dortmun wait patiently for news of the siege. A badly injured Wyler returns to say that most of the men have been wiped out as the bomb was ineffective. When Susan asks about the Doctor he confirms that he saw him escape with David. The trio decide to go to Watford so they can access more weaponry. Susan leaves a message for the Doctor written in chalk on the door of the station.

The Doctor and David return to the underground station and find it deserted. Unaware of the note on the door, the Doctor and David look through Dortmun's plans and incorrectly assume that he and Susan will have gone to Bedfordshire to examine the mining colony. David and the Doctor decide to join them. As they leave the underground station they see the saucer take off unaware that Tom and Louise are still in there.

Dortmun, Wyler and Susan have come across a van which they intend to use to drive to Watford. Dortmun goes out to check if the coast is clear and sees a group of Daleks. On a whim he starts to attack them with his bombs. Frustrated with the futile effect of them he throws the whole bag at them which cause the building he is standing next to collapse and kill him. Wyler panics and starts to drive away. The disturbance has drawn a crowd of patrol Daleks who create a roadblock which Wyler drives through. One of the Daleks reports to the saucer that a patrol has been breeched. the saucer redirects itself and blows up the truck. Luckily, Wyler and Susan have jumped to safety before the explosion.

When the saucer comes to land. Louise and Tom use a waste chute to escape into the outside world. they find themselves in the mining colony and start to explore. They are set upon by a Roboman but are saved by a kindly stranger who kills the Roboman he finds a small shed for the couple to stay in until the trouble has died down.

Wyler and Susan are now forced to carry on with their journey on foot. They come across an old farm cottage where a woman and her mother live. The woman points a gun at the pair asking where they are going. Susan responds they are going to Bedfordshire - much to the confusion of Wyler. Eventually the family welcome them in. Susan explains to Wyler that she is sure that the Doctor would have seen all the Daleks in Watford and decided to go to Bedfordshire so they may as well go there too. The daughter of the family leaves her Mother to look after the guests as she has errands to do. The mother offers the travellers some soup.

The Doctor and David have arrived at Bedfordshire. The Doctor suspects that they are trying to mine the magnetic core out of planet Earth and David says that Dortmun was sure that they were doing so to use the Earth as a massive space ship that they could pilot around the universe. The Doctor concurs that this is his view too. They are interrupted by a man who comes upon them with a gun. He says he is a black maketeer who for a price will smuggle them into the camp. They wait in a cave until night fall to make the move.

Back in the cottage Wyler and Susan are asleep. However, when the daughter returns Wyler wakes and hears that the daughter has betrayed them to the Daleks. As they try and escape they come across the Daleks waiting for them outside. They are led away.

In the morning, the two men are smuggled into the camp and by chance are led to the same shed where Louise and Tom are hiding out. They are soon joined by a man who is paying for food that the black maketeer has smuggled in. The Doctor sets about using the shed as his HQ. The man informs the Doctor that the final stage of the Dalek's place will take effect tonight. They are dropping a bomb to the very centre of the Earth that will ensure that they will be able to implement their on technology at the centre of the Earth and pilot it at their whim. The black maketeer says that he will be able to get a plan of the workings of the mine to help the Doctor take the Daleks down. When the Doctor gets the plans he realises that the bomb could be deflected which would mean that the explosion would trigger the polarities of the magnetic poles and cause a massive magnetic surge pinpointed at the mineshaft. He asks Tom and see if he can deflect the bomb in the shaft at all. He sends the others to hide elsewhere whilst he fine tunes his plans. Soon the black marketeer returns to the Doctor saying that he has something to show him. The Doctor goes outside to find that he has been betrayed and the Daleks surround him. The black marketeer apologises but the Doctor says that his betrayal was part of his plan. As the Doctor is led away the black marketeer is killed anyway.

Tom has accessed the mine from the bottom and is slowly climbing to the very top where the Daleks' control centre lies. As he nears the top the Daleks are preparing the bomb. However, they are interrupted by the Doctor who has been reunited with Susan and Wyler who have also been taken on the ship. The Doctor is led into the main control panel of the theatre as they think him the leader of the rebels. He tells the Daleks that he knows their weakness and simultaneously tells Tom, who he sees down the shaft, at what angle to place the wooden slats he hasfound in order to deflect the bomb in just the right way to trigger the strong magnetic force he desires. To further disrupt the Dalek operation as well as give Tom more time, the Doctor utilises the microphone with which the Daleks control the Robomen and orders them to attack the Daleks. This rebellion is soon crushed by the Daleks and the countdown for the bomb is started. The bomb is launched by which time Tom has created the diversion. the bomb goes off which causes the magnetic surge. The Daleks are all pulled into the mine shaft or crushed against walls or caves. The Daleks try to escape in their saucer but the magnetic force forces the ship to crash. The Doctor informs Wyler that the Daleks will never return to this planet as this was their warning.

Back on Tardis, Tom asks to be taken back to a few minutes before the robbery took place. He waves goodbye to the Doctor before he goes to the car of the getaway driver and knocks him out and takes his place at the driver's seat. When the criminals rush out the building they find a policeman waiting for them who knocks them both out and drives them to the police station anticipating his promotion.

Cast

 * Dr. Who - Peter Cushing
 * Susan - Roberta Tovey
 * Louise - Jill Curzon
 * Tom Campbell - Bernard Cribbins
 * David - Ray Brooks
 * Wyler - Andrew Keir
 * Wells - Roger Avon
 * Roboman - Geoffrey Cheshire
 * Conway - Keith Marsh
 * Brockley - Philip Madoc
 * Lead Roboman - Steve Peters
 * Thompson - Eddie Powell
 * Dortmun - Godfrey Quigley
 * Man on Bicycle - Peter Reynolds
 * Man with Carrier bag - Bernard Spear
 * Young Woman - Sheila Steafel
 * Old Woman - Eileen Way
 * Craddock - Kenneth Watson
 * Robber - John Wreford

Crew

 * Director of Photography - John Wilcox B.S.C.
 * Art Director - George Provis
 * Editor - Ann Chegwidden
 * Production Manager - Ted Wallis
 * Assistant Director - Anthony Waye
 * Camera Operator - David Harcourt
 * Sound Recordist - A. Ambler
 * Continuity - Pamela Davies
 * Wardrobe Supervisor - Jackie Cummins
 * Make-up - Bunty Phillips
 * Hairdresser - Bobbie Smith
 * Special Effects - Ted Samuels
 * Unit Manager - Tony Wallis
 * Construction Manager - Bill Waldron
 * Set Decorator - Maurice Pelling
 * Grip - Ray Jones
 * Sound Editor - John Poyner
 * Sound Supervisor - John Cox
 * Music - Bill McGuffie
 * Electronic Music - Barry Gray
 * Writer - Milton Subotsky
 * Additional Material - David Whitaker
 * Producers - Milton Subotsky, Max J. Rosenberg
 * Executive Producer - Joe Vegoda
 * Director - Gordon Flemyng

Story notes

 * This film has at least two different spellings of its title — Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. which is used in the actual film's title sequence, and Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 A.D., which was used in the original film's trailer.
 * More than 40 years later, co-star Bernard Cribbins returned to the world of Doctor Who, voicing a character for the 2007 Big Finish Productions audio drama Horror of Glam Rock and, later, making several appearances as Wilfred Mott beginning in TV: Voyage of the Damned. He acted as the Tenth Doctor's companion in The End of Time and was directly responsible for his regeneration.
 * Philip Madoc later appeared in four television stories: The Krotons, The War Games, The Brain of Morbius and The Power of Kroll.
 * Sugar Puffs contributed to the budget of this film, and as a result there is product placement throughout the movie.
 * André Morell was offered the role of Wyler, but could not accept because he had signed to star in the four-part story TV: The Massacre with William Hartnell, which clashed with the filming dates.
 * The film's original trailer had no (direct) references to Dr. Who, Tardis or Daleks.
 * As well as there being a Dalek with what appears to be a silver sucker, there is also a Dalek with 2 distinctive features - a weird-looking claw like a pair of scissors with the handle removed, and a TV-style gun (i.e.: with spokes).

Myths

 * A third film, based on TV: The Chase and titled Daleks vs. Mechons, was filmed but subsequently lost in a fire. A trailer discovered in the basement of a church in northern England in 2009. The supposed "trailer" was fanmade, as the graphics were too advanced for circa 1967. Although a third film was planned as an adaptation of "The Chase", it was shelved with no work done following the second movie's failure at the box office.

Filming locations

 * Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Production errors

 * When the van rams through the ranks of blue/silver Daleks in the street, some of those knocked flying and destroyed are clearly seen to be completely empty casings.
 * Wires are visible on the Dalek saucer in almost all shots of it flying.
 * When the red Dalek falls down the shaft, there is a very clear shot of its base — which reveals three small furniture casters.
 * Observing the Dalek saucer, Dr. Who notes that it seems to be landing in the vicinity of Sloane Square. There is then a lengthy shot in which it is shown to be continuing in level flight for what must be several miles over London (with no apparent intention of landing) before we finally get a close-up of it descending.
 * The Dalek mine is set in Bedfordshire. We see the encampment with high mountains beyond. Bedfordshire is a county of low rolling hills, with virtually no rock.
 * Several times throughout the film, the Daleks' dome lights do not flash when they speak.
 * When Dortman dies he moves his legs, despite the fact that he's disabled.
 * When the black Dalek drops a Roboman into the mine shaft the Roboman is heavy enough to break the Dalek's claw off, yet in a later scene his claw has suddenly reappeared intact.
 * When the black and red Daleks fall down the mine shaft they are obviously models which don't resemble their full-sized counterparts.
 * When the Dalek ship crashes into the mine, the ship momentarily freezes, before returning to a revolving movement as it explodes.
 * As Tom enters the TARDIS, no wall surrounds the doors. The set's background appears to be a mere two-dimensional cut-out against black studio curtains. This is why the floor can be seen behind the doors, which technically would be outside the TARDIS.

TV to film changes
Here are a few of the notable plot changes made between the TV version of the story and the film (not including the fundamental differences involving the character of Dr. Who himself when compared to the mainstream First Doctor):
 * Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright are replaced by Tom and Louise.
 * The Daleks exterminate their enemies using some sort of gas.
 * Dr. Who breaks out of the cell in the Daleks' saucer using a comb rather than the First Doctor's more advanced form of intelligence test.
 * In the siege of the Dalek saucer far more Daleks are killed than in "Day of Reckoning"
 * In this version Dr. Who, Tom, Louise and Susan journey to the mine in different ways. Dr. Who goes with David, Susan travels with Dortmun, and Tom Campbell and Louise use a Dalek ship (in the original, the Doctor and Susan go with David, Barbara travels with Dortmun and Ian uses the Dalek ship.)
 * In the TV version, David and Susan use the sewers to avoid the Daleks - the only time that a sewer is featured in the film is when Dr. Who and David briefly hide from the pursuing Daleks in one.
 * In the TV version, the black marketeer endeavours to smuggle Ian out of the camp; the same character in the film is smuggling the Doctor and David into the camp.
 * The film doesn't feature the Slyther.
 * In Bedfordshire the Daleks in the film seem to have some kind of building as their HQ rather than using the saucer as was the case in TV: The Dalek Invasion of Earth.
 * The Roboman rebellion is not the undoing of the Daleks in the film version. In fact, it is dealt with swiftly by the Daleks.
 * The plot's resolution is slightly different: in the TV version, the bomb is used diverted to the Daleks' ship to destroy them, but in the film it's the Earth's magnetic properties.
 * In TV: The Dalek Invasion of Earth, robotising a human was an irreversible process; however, in the film, Robomen are seen fleeing from the mine as their regular human selves.
 * Since Susan is depicted as a child in the film (rather than a teenager as in the TV version), the original subplot of the character's romance with David and being left behind by the Doctor is eliminated.

Super 8 releases

 * Released in UK on Super 8 film (8 reels colour/sound) by Walton Sound and Film Services in 1977.
 * Released on UK on Super 8 film Part 1: (one reel colour/sound and one reel black and white/silent) by Walton Sound and Film Services in 1977.
 * Released on UK on Super 8 film Part 2: (one reel colour/sound and one reel black and white/silent) by Walton Sound and Film Services in 1977.

Video releases

 * Released in the UK in 1982 on VHS and Beta by Thorn EMI.
 * Released in US in 1985 by Thorn EMI.
 * Released in Japan in 1992 on VHS by King Video/Tohokushinsha Film Co.
 * Released in Australia in 1990 by Warner Home Video.
 * Re-released in US in 1994 by Lumiere.
 * Re-released in UK in 1996 by Warner Home Video.

DVD releases

 * Released in Australia in 2001 by Universal / Studio Canal as a double release with Dr. Who and the Daleks. and 1995 Dalekmania documentary in the 'Doctor Who and the Daleks...' boxset.
 * Released in US in 2001 by Anchor Bay as a single disc and as a double release with Dr. Who and the Daleks. and 1995 Dalekmania documentary in 'The Doctor Who Movie Collection' boxset.
 * Released in UK in 2002 by Studio Canal/Warner as a double release with Dr. Who and the Daleks.and 1995 Dalekmania documentary in'The Dr Who Movie Collection' boxset and 'The Dr Who - The Motion Pictures'(Gold Edition) boxset.
 * Released in UK in 2006 by Studio Canal/Optimum as a double release with Dr Who and the Daleks and 1995 Dalekmania documentary in the 'Doctor Who: The Dalek Collection' boxset.
 * Released in France (as 'Les Daleks Envahissent La Terre') in 2001 by Canal+ video. with original French soundtrack. and 1995 Dalekmania documentary.
 * Released in Spain (as 'Los Daleks Invaden la Tierra 2150 AD') in 2009 by Universal Pictures Iberia S.L. with original Spanish soundtrack. (original Spanish title: 'Los Machinos Invaden La Tierra 2150 AD)

VOD releases

 * The RiffTrax edition of the film, with a humorous commentary track added, was released 13 December 2013.

Novelisations
No novelisation of the screenplay was ever published; however, the original teleplay, The Dalek Invasion of Earth, was eventually novelised by Terrance Dicks in 1977 as Doctor Who and the Dalek Invasion of Earth.