The Dummy Dalek Mystery: A Forgotten Movie Prop Resurrected

[@barneyrubble1964]

My late father who was the Production Designer on the TV Series the Dalek Invasion of the Earth once told me that he got a call from the movie makers asking if there were any Daleks that could be used for the movie. He (in-famously) used photographs to beef up the numbers of Daleks in some background shots of the TV Series.

[@Dalek6388]

Fascinating! Thank you! I guess it would make sense that they tried to tap up the BBC too.

[@curmudgeone]

@barneyrubble1964 That wouldn’t be Mr S.C. would it by any chance? 🙂 If yes, I saw him on the DVD extra talking about it and the little tricycles and higher fenders on the Dalek props for travelling on London pavements and on Westminster Bridge.

[@barneyrubble1964]

@@curmudgeone Yes that would ;)

[@curmudgeone]

@@barneyrubble1964 He seemed such a nice person; I know it’s can never heal the loss by any means but having footage like that must give you pride and a little comfort. 🙂

[@evensgrey]

The series often used blown up photos in the backgrounds. The fairly low resolution of TV broadcasting in the UK before conversion to color helped to hide this trick.

[@YesItsMartin]

That restoration is immaculate.

[@cyberleaderandy1]

Absolutely agree, beautiful job. ❤

[@splat-trainproductions]

@@cyberleaderandy1 I wish the same was done to the TV props, that would be nice to see an original 1963 Dalek in it's silver & blue paint job instead of being a renegade Dalek.

[@martingreen4707]

I'm Watching the Canterbury tales, a movie back in 1971, it's Italian made a medieval soft porn movie but when I saw Tom Baker having a bath full frontal and afterwards he goes off near a hedge and a woman pleasure him, Dr Who will never be the same again 😂😂😂😂😂

[@Just-Plain-Potential]

Truly, a Ressurrection of a Dalek.

[@dreamcastfan]

Yes, this video was truly a revelation. It’s great to see the remembrance of these props.

[@cyberleaderandy1]

​@@dreamcastfanDavros would be very happy 😂

[@Problembeing]

YES 🤣

[@darthadipose1920]

⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠@@dreamcastfan The prop has definitely underwent an evolution over the years, but in the end I think it’s safe to say this has been a victory for the Dalek now that it has found asylum.

[@dreamcastfan]

@@darthadipose1920 🤣

[@jamesthegoo7600]

Honestly, I thought all the movie props would've disintegrated by now. I love the commitment some people have to preserve these ancient props!

[@guymadgesam24]

You ever seen a classic sontaran, silurian or even yoda from star wars (anything latex) , sadly I'd say those are truly "disintegrating", Daleks have had had it easy in comparison

[@phill6859]

​​@@guymadgesam24I think their size and durability helped a lot with that. The early star wars props were built to survive filming and barely achieved that. None of the full size ships survived as storage would be too expensive. Luke's xwing sat in the swamp and the wood swelled up. The first time they tried to lift it out, the wings fell off. The evidence of what they had to do to get the shot is long gone. The millennium falcon was rebuilt for empire and seemingly survived to return of the jedi, but it's scenes were cut. They used a green screen with a matte painting for it's only shot, because it would take too long to move the shuttle from the sound stage and bring in the falcon. Supposedly it was burned after filming was complete.

[@ianhorne8364]

Don't you mean EXTERMINATED. ??

[@MrBannystar]

Yet again, another great video. Your level of research and detail never ceases to amaze, well done!

[@Dalek6388]

Thank you very much!

[@Dirty_Hamble]

​@@Dalek6388 Truly astonishing! 🫡

[@Adrian.frost57]

Magnificent thanks, that Dalek looked so good at the end. So authentic.

[@Chord_]

Now this was a treat to see. Not just the detailed history of this prop and the other dummies. Not just that the prop has survived the last 60-ish years. But the fact that it's been *so* immaculately restored to screen appearance, it truly is stunning to witness. It really is a museum piece!

[@elmorientez3787]

I'm so glad one of those original movie daleks survived - the AARU films were something I grew up watching with my Dad, and it boggles the mind that any of those props would have been crushed - Daleks have always had a cool gimmick to themselves, and they are truly a timeless piece of design.

[@leokimvideo]

Amazing, I will never look at a Dalek dent the same ever again

[@Tomalak]

Phenomenal! And what a perfect restoration.

[@davidlavelle70]

What a fascinating story. John's restoration is real craftsmanship, it looks amazing.

[@Dalek6388]

He has done an incredible job!

[@mikethespike7579]

I remember going to the cinema to watch the film in the 60s. Daleks were quite a craze among children in those days with kids walking around with their arms stuck out in front of them saying "exterminate" in the good old Dalek fashion. Later, after gathering experience working with fibre-glass during my apprenticeship, I helped to build a full sized working Dalek with all the lights and moving parts. This was more or less just for fun and we drove it down the pedestrian precinct in the town centre and watched shoppers gaze at it in amazement. After a while we gave it to a children's home and what happened to it after that I have no idea.

[@riddimchef1]

Did you give it to children’s home in Clacton ?

[@mikethespike7579]

@@riddimchef1 No, it was somewhere in Greater Manchester.

[@riddimchef1]

I remember one outside a kids home in Clacton in the 60s 👍🏾😊

[@mikethespike7579]

@@riddimchef1 Ah, that's why the question. Most homemade Daleks were simple affairs. Ours on the other hand had all the bells and whistles, flashing lights, a ray gun that lit up, swivel top, a movable arm that could grab things and even had hidden wheels to propel it along the ground. We went crazy (I was studying engineering at the time) and if we'd have built it today it would most likely have had an electric motor powered by a battery and probably even remote controlled.

[@riddimchef1]

@@mikethespike7579 sounds great 👍🏾 I have no idea of the quality of the Dalek I only ever saw it from the road. Looked pretty convincing though 👍🏾

[@RichPober]

In the late 1970s, I remember seeing a couple discarded Daleks under a lean-to covered storage area, amongst other disused prop materials, at the back of Pinewood Studios in Iver, Buckinghamshire. I was intrigued to see them there in such a desolate state, having recognised them as the mainstay of Dr. Who storylines from the earliest series. I could see them from a footpath in Black Park, that ran alongside the perimeter fence of Pinewood Studios. They have long since gone, as that area was demolished and cleared to make way for new offices and car parking on the site.

[@crap_car]

That's a great restoration. I love the work you do into identifying props by their imperfections. You must have a massive archive of period photos.

[@Dalek6388]

Thank you very much!

[@Scodiddly]

I just love how detail-oriented you all are. Tracking down those minor differences to movie scenes, the amazing restoration. Serious dedication, you are my true ethnic group.

[@Dalek6388]

Thank you!

[@marjon1703]

Great to know that this prop survived. I enjoyed the movie on TV as a child and unlike all other robot monsters from that era, the Daleks were and are flocking cool!

[@hopebgood]

I'm blown away (again) by your amazing research and eye for those tiny little details. Huge congratulations for all those involved in the making of this vid.

[@Lumibear.]

Another extraordinary video which unearths and preserves more Dalek history, thanks guys!

[@unimpressedlink2507]

Lovely to hear about this Dalek’s history! Was a joy to watch John restore on the PDF!

[@unimpressedlink2507]

Now if only we could get you and him to agree on Dalek 2’s Chase shoulders 😜

[@nigeldewallens1115]

That was truly fascinating to watch what this man did to restore it and your detective work! As a kid of the ages show on the back of that truck myself back then LOL It brought memories flooding back of reading Century 21 magazine, to allow us kids back then to see all of the colours in many TV shows back then! Thank you!!

[@Mr.DWHO96]

Just what I needed after a long shift at work. Always a treat to see Terry Nation Army video ready and wait.

[@Adrian.frost57]

Had to pause the video - THE DALEK DETECTIVES ARE BACK!!!!!!!

[@dustin_4501]

Dr. Detective Who 😂

[@hgwells1899]

Dalek Holmes

[@RichArd-vc5jp]

How lovely to think an original Dalek movie prop can still turn up today!!

[@BillSilver-kg8hs]

Great to know an actual Dalek from the movie has been restored to it's former glory. Well done to the renovators.

[@KieronSmithMusic]

What an effort!! 👏👏👏 I bet you a lot of people would have given up and just built one from scratch. Hats off

[@alanclarke4646]

Hmm🤔

[@frankshailes3205]

Absolutely fascinating. What an insightful documentary about a great piece of Who history! And an "object" of true beauty at the end of it.

[@craigwilliams6734]

OMG - 59 years later and I never noticed that quirky shoulder strap design! I wondered what you and John were doing…what an incredible episode! (I drove past the old Shawcraft building again, the other day! 😜) PS John Kelly did a phenomenal job!!!

[@ohmydinosare]

The restoration part at the end was super interesting, I have a comet miniatures movie dalek, from a model kit, that I got prebuilt and in horrible condition and had to rebuild and then prime and repaint and watching this be restored was like seeing my dalek project being done full size

[@ajones747]

Amazing restoration job - well done to all!

[@kevinhardy996]

Always happy to see more from the Dalek Detectives !

[@historex54tamiya]

A quick post that might be of interest. I grew up in Sittingbourne, born 1972. My mum worked for the electric board, I believe in Faversham, and Terry Nation would come in and pay his bills direct. Every time he had to sign, mum tells me when they moved or after a period all paperwork was destroyed, I believe there were a few other famous people that did the same. So all those original signatures we would treasure today were just burned. I know it was the norm but mum knew how famous he was, apparently a really nice man as well!

[@Dalek6388]

Very interesting thank you!

[@MillwalltheCat]

A friend of mine worked for the BBC as an architect in 1970s, and told me that on one occasion while returning back to his office (after a few pints) to collect some drawings, there was a skip which had the remains of a Tardis stacked up in it. He said it was light blue, and not the dark blue due to the fact that on B/W T.V., the light blue would appear to be dark blue, and if it was painted dark blue (as we're used to seeing it) it would be too dark, almost black. He said he tried to 'rescue' it, but was far too imbibed of alcohol to make any progress. He also worked with Stanley Kubrick on 2001, and A Clockwork Orange. A top bloke!

[@matchboxmickmoyboyz6988]

I remember back in the 60's doing a job at an old garage. Somewhere in the Sheperds Bush area and inside thehad a Dalek and the control panel for the Tardis. Being a fan I had to have a good sticky beak at them and found the Daleks had pedal car items to make them move and the control desk was worked by a simple bike chain to make it go up and down. Great thrill as I have followed the Dr. since program 1 !

[@Dalek6388]

If you saw the pedal car system then that was only used for The Dalek Invasion of Earth story in 1964 although they kept them inside until the next Dalek story was made in 65 when they were removed again.

[@matchboxmickmoyboyz6988]

@@Dalek6388 Yes was facinating to see. The gun was just a steel bar bent at the end and they manually pushed it in and out. Can't for the life of me remember the place but think it was off Goldhawk road and cut through to Acton way. I was tempted to get inside the Dalek but to many people around as it looked like a props department.

[@robertwinsper7409]

I remember being terrified by them at Bingley Hall in Birmingham. I'd be about 4 years old. We were towed around on some sort of novelty train of trailers, and the Daleks were trundling up and down around us. I think it was a roller skating rink. A Dalek came and tickled me under the arm with its exterminator. I bear the mental trauma scars to this very day. That must have been part of the promotional tour mentioned.

[@Dalek6388]

It was very early in the promo for the film and we’d love to see some pictures from it. Can you recall if they were movie Daleks like this one or the TV versions without the large fenders?

[@robertwinsper7409]

@Dalek6388 No chance mate. It was 58 years ago.I was four, terrified, and there wasn't an exterminator resistant sofa to be seen anywhere!

[@Dalek6388]

😂 Fair enough!

[@jaywalker1233]

hahahahah! 🤣🤣

[@BlueSkaro]

Just delightful. Thank you Dalek Detectives !

[@TheBillPodcast]

Thanks so much for another tremendous video. Seeing that meticulous restoration being lovingly brought to life was a real treat.

[@Dalek6388]

Our pleasure!

[@Eltonlaleham]

An awesome video in billions of ways

[@fredbloggs8072]

I love that we almost certainly know how the dome damage occurred, because the incident was caught on film ...in the movie itself!

[@ZandaKristy]

The restoration is amazing. The research... sublime. 🙂 Keep it up boys!

[@AlongPreservedLines]

I remember seeing one of those photos of this dalek in that garish colour scheme with the blue dome and red neck sections! Really glad to see one of these movie props restored as I adore the two movies and love the designs, great work as usual and it’s really good to see more of these! More from the dalek detectives in future please!

[@MartinFutter70]

Another wonderfully produced and researched video. Great restoration too, another superb prop saved and preserved ❤

[@Dalek6388]

Thank you!

[@27andyD]

fantastic work finding out all this information.

[@chriswinwood6501]

The hemi on panel L3. Absolutely amazing. The research and attention to detail is quite remarkable.

[@Dalek6388]

Thank you!

[@markwardel6751]

WOW! Always been fascinated by the mysterious dummy Daleks....Ironic that the roughly made dummys don't appear to have the mis aligned hemis! Great video.

[@Dalek6388]

Ooh no they do have the misalignment

[@markwardel6751]

@@Dalek6388 ha ha OK ..my eyes have gone! Lol

[@tooleyheadbang4239]

@@markwardel6751 If they have the misalignment, they must have been moulded from the misaligned original. My brain is starting to hurt.

[@markwardel6751]

@@tooleyheadbang4239 like a warehouse! Lol ...yeah it makes sense

[@MatthewCaunsfield]

An amazing bit of history. Excellent final job!

[@new_memeplex]

This video makes me think of the Doctor Who Technical Manual in the 1980s. That book was a mindblast, I can feel my neurons buzz at the memory.

[@krazytroutcatcher]

I love how you researched, and picked out all the detail differences of the individual models, something I never noticed. I’ve worked with GRP on and off since the mid 1980’s, and I was surprised at how crude these models were, with all their imperfections that were glaringly obvious, I can only assume there must have been a time scale, or budget for the builds? Undercuts in moulding processes are not normally a problem, except when corner cutting exercises come into play. If you need a three dimensional product you would create flanges in a much more complex pattern/plug, then mould.

[@mastterby]

Another amazing video! It’s so sad watching those props deteriorate throughout the press tour. Look at the eyestalks at 16:47!

[@meihem76]

30 or so years ago, we had a silver and blue Dalek in the theatre props cupboard at college. It was rumoured to have been a screen used prop, it was mostly made of wood, with a little bench inside to sit on and scoot it about, and you could see out through the mesh neck. I don't know if it really was a real screen used one, but we had a bunch of former students who'd worked at the BBC over the years.

[@Dalek6388]

It’s unlikely if it was made of wood. The originals were all fibreglass mainly.

[@rondarporpoise3271]

I entered the competition in the Liverpool Echo. You had to come up with a name for the Dalek. The entry from the kid who won was Bagpipes. Still bitter.

[@tonyb2600]

Nice to see it beautifully and sympathetically restored.

[@AlrightThere]

Well done! What an amazing find and restoration.

[@MegaTheExtremist]

Another brilliant video. You guys are geniuses. That's all that needs to be said.

[@Dalek6388]

Thank you!

[@GrumpyOldGit60]

We know all the silver/blue Daleks were partially repainted at Shepperton - the dark blue paint on the fenders was replaced by a lighter blue as the original wore off very easily. Shots of both colour schemes appear in the film, so it was done after production started. All prepublicity shots feature the darker fenders.

[@Dalek6388]

Yep hopefully that will feature in a future video on the first movie props.

[@GrumpyOldGit60]

@@Dalek6388 The four zig-zag Daleks, with the black and the red casing in the board room… isn’t that Selfridges in London, not Birmingham? The store’s Dalek city featured the zig-zags, as I recall from the limited photographic evidence, whereas the Lewis Daleks didn’t include ‘em.

[@Dalek6388]

We have a cutting that states the date and location as August in the Birmingham Lewis's. Its taken from a Birmingham newspaper. The zig-zag Daleks featured in the Hanley Lewis's in Stoke too.

[@WhosViews]

What a fantastic film! Great to see this Dalek back to its full glory!

[@Problembeing]

A thing of beauty. Makes your heart sing to know it's in the best shape of its life now.

[@stikibunz1212]

As always Gents - totally fascinating - Thank You!

[@Tappit333]

After missing the opportunity of owning a Silver and black Dalek from a friend of a friend who had been given the job to scrap several Daleks of the 80s, I started building D-Fer Dalek, now known as Alan the Dalek on Facebook, that my nephew had finished. I still kick myself. I could have saved the original from being scrapped because I had no room at the time I was offered the original

[@frizzlefry5904]

As an old 65 year old, that was awseome ! thank you.

[@Dalek6388]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@Dirty_Hamble]

I winced when I saw what the Round Table had done. Then John Kelly's work brought a bit of a tear to my eye, I don't mind admitting. Another brilliant video. Thanks Gav and team! 👏👏

[@theomnicontentchannel2203]

At least this movie Dalek survives today, unlike the ones that also saw use in The Chase, where (as covered previously) they were stolen, broken up to make a go-kart, and taken without permission to be used as the Guy Fawkes on a bonfire, respectively.

[@walsallmatt]

😮 done it again chaps. Me watching this video exclaiming "I'll be damned" You do this to me every single time

[@stevelee2787]

Brilliant video thank you very much brought back many many memories 😊😊

[@Dalek6388]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@JackAcid]

Wow!! How FASCINATING!! This gave me a much needed geek out.

[@Dalek6388]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@projectdalekmark]

JK made a fantastic job of that restoration. Truly fantastic. I'll have to pull my finger out and get a set of clear beakers over to him to pass onto the owner. I'll get another mould made and post a video on my channel.

[@gaildavies8380]

Wow John Kelly knows his onions! Cool to hear and see the restoration 👍

[@xKynOx]

Ive been to the caves they used to shoot DR Who there were loads of old daleks about and broken in to parts.

[@Dalek6388]

Where was that?

[@danielfreeman8136]

Do you remember Dalek Death Ray ice lollies? They had a competition where you could win a full sized Dalek for your school. Is there a story behind those Daleks?

[@Dalek6388]

There is. We have a few images of them and it could be used for a short perhaps?

[@schizoidman601]

What an amazing piece of work, both with the Dalek restoration, and the Dalek 63-88 team!

[@Dalek6388]

Thank you!

[@reviewsbyelaine4902]

Great research and excellent presentation as usual 👍🏻

[@GazzaBoo]

I got to see this film when it was released, I was still a young kid at the time so you can imagine how excited I was.

[@schubertuk]

Utterly enthralling!

[@RobSchofield]

Fascinating - great video!

[@Dalek6388]

Thank you!

[@waltertomashefsky2682]

I love how they have names for all the parts of the Dalek characters. Almost like there’s a book called Dalek Anatomy.

[@alexfletcher5192]

I mean, it's history. I go off and see mum in her care home (now 87) and remind myself she would have been in her late twenties when this was put together. Mind-blowing, really.

[@Biokemist-o3k]

Absolutely incredible!!!!

[@pedroervert]

The art design of the Dalek is so interesting and unique

[@mutualbeard]

I first encountered daleks in 1964 while watching Doctor Who as a five year old. They scared the crap out of me which put me off watching for a number of years. The sound of the amazing theme music would get me scurrying to change the channel. I was a teenager interested in Sci Fi before I could watch it again and appreciate the story's if not the some of the cheeses props.

[@craftysean945]

Another fantastic video. I’m glad to see a Salem being brought back to life. Thank you for the detective work and posting. 👏

[@paulashe61]

Amazing detail

[@ptonpc]

Good to see it surviving and well restored.

[@mickymazda1]

I remember reading about that competition (17:00) as a 10 year old boy in New Zealand. My Aunt in England used to send English comics to me and my brother and TV21 was my favoutite.

[@annepoynter6600]

Fantastic thank you for the memories

[@Dalek6388]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@MrVulcanbomber]

Absolutely fantastic ❤

[@THEFORBIDDENMAN-lk7of]

WELL DONE IN TRACKING THIS DOWN

[@kylejackson1392]

Turned out better than the factory job. Stunning. Question; how did the Daleks move a long .?

[@Dalek6388]

The main hero props were propelled around by the operator sat inside just using his legs

[@chrisharris3552]

thanks for this Dalek Mystery

[@suzyqualcast6269]

I remember the small backstreet factory in Uxbridge where they used to build Daleks, etc, occasionally seen when the pair of wooden gates were left open. All those buildings vanished when they built the South of town by pass.

[@Dalek6388]

Apparently the building still survives… for the time being.

[@atherstone55]

Brilliant video

[@theSTUNTHAMSTER]

I remember going with my father to see the Darleks in Lewis's Liverpool. the highlght was to get to shake hands with one of the Darleks. I don't remember the competition to win one, perhaps my dad steered me away from seeing it?

[@jamespotter3334]

It could possibly be that those dummy Daleks were made with those subtle differences to the shoulder bands so that they could be easily told apart from the Shaw craft hero props but also look close enough that you wouldn't notice unless you were actually looking.

[@PreciselyOneMyfi]

I kinda dig the zig-zag on the collar, it's very unique and charming imo!

[@planes124]

Great video as always : )

[@Dalekcollector1]

Brilliant thank you!!!!

[@Jack_Warner]

I remember buying a Dr Who supplement to the Radio Times back in 1973. There was a plan at the back to build a Dalek, and the approximate cost was £15. I din't have the skill to build one, as I was only eleven years old. But, I bet I could build one now, at the age of 62.

[@tkps]

Another informative watch . So glad this channel was recommended. All the old footage takes me back and I find out things that as a kid watching just sailed on past.

[@retrogiftsuk4812]

Another reason why the jellymold daleks may have been rarely used in the film is that the more daleks on set, the harder it is to set up shots (without blocking doors and/or camera angles) and when filming move the hero props around without banging into each other (requiring retakes). If the sets had been bigger I think they'd have been able to use more daleks without difficulty.

[@Bishop37]

Absolutely amazeballs! What a fantastic restoration.

[@chriscollins3540]

Great video as usual. Back in I think the early Eighties my brother bought home a wooden full size silver dalek (it had no eye stalk or appendages) that his friend was getting rid of, and which me and my friends would go play in at the end of the garden. My Dad wasn't happy because he thought someone could get splinters from it and told us to get rid of it. One day he chopped it up with an axe but I've always wondered where it came from and what was it's history. One of life's mysteries I suppose

[@darthken815]

Oof. 😣😢

[@Dalek6388]

Was it all wooden including the shoulder section?

[@chriscollins3540]

@@Dalek6388 I don't remember there being anything other than solid wood (which was going a bit rotten inside).

[@Dalek6388]

If that’s the case it’s probably home made as even the Planet of the Daleks dummies had metal shoulders.

[@chriscollins3540]

@@Dalek6388 Sorry was on Holiday but I think you a correct according to my mum. Keep up the good work anyway

[@flyhyland]

Is it weird that I think the 'zig zag' actually looks better than what the standard Daleks have? Haha.