WHAT IF?
DALEKS VS MEKONS !
The Movie that never was.
In an alternate universe,
the third Dalek movie was actually made.
This is that story...
1960s Dalek Mania was in full throttle. Hope was on the horizon that the Mechanoid props might actually return and on the big screen, no less in colour! However, box office receipts for the second Dalek movie proved inconsequential and plans for the third movie were scrapped, sealing the fate of the Mechanoid props forever. But what if this hadn't occurred?
CHANGING THE COURSE OF HISTORY
It is somewhat of a small tragedy that the third Dalek movie was never made. In it, Dr Who would have been pitted against not only the Daleks but also one of Terry Nations other monsters: The Mechanoids. Brilliantly realised by Dalek designer Ray Cusick, the Mechanoids were featured in the climax of the third Dalek story The Chase.
Apparently writer Terry Nation was very pleased with Cusicks design and saw great potential in the Mechanoids as successors to the Daleks. Production crews however couldn’t stand them. BBC attitudes towards science fiction in the 1960’s was luke-warm at best.
It was bad enough that they had to contend with pepper pots, let alone The Mechanoids. Due to their bulky size also, the three Mechanoid props (painted a light blue) only featured in the final episode of The Chase in a spectacular battle with the Daleks before being ultimately chucked on the scrap heap, much to Terry Nations dismay. So what happened?
CUMBERSOME PROPS
The story of their demise went something like this: that the Mechanoid props were far too cumbersome to be used in the small confines of the BBC studios, hence the battle scenes being shot at Elstree.
However, despite their popularity, BBC staff had quite enough of them jamming up lifts and corridors and were glad to see the back of them, binning all three props on a skip as quickly as possible and used for landfill, (much to Ray Cusick and Shawcrafts dismay I imagine). A rather typical BBC decision, that tended to thwart Dr Who on many occasion.
But wait just a darn minute, is that an alternate Universe I see? Where Milton Subotsky takes up his option to make a third Dalek movie? It was quite possible, that he would have steered it towards a lavish production of the Chase, perhaps even cutting down a lot of the waffle that pads out the story and getting right down to the meat of Daleks vs Mechanoids.
RISE OF THE MECHANOIDS
After only one episode of fighting the Daleks, Writer Terry nation had high hopes for further stories featuring the Mechanoids, who seemed a natural successor to the Daleks in every way except storage.
It is quite possible that he hoped to feature them further in his stand alone Dalek Tv series that might have mirrored his other Tv series the Avengers in its production values. Director Gordon Flemyng was also set to be director of this new Tv series but alas things were not coming together.
Never the less, by 1966, the Mechanoids were already being featured as heavyweight opponents in the Dalek comic strips sanctioned by Nation, so much so, that it looked like the Daleks had met their match. So there is a strong indication that kids wanted to see more Mechanoid action.
By this time, Cherilea toys were also making Mechanoid merchandise, things were seemingly building up to a big movie confrontation. Or not as the case maybe. So lets look at the playing field of 1966.
Ok so you maybe familiar with the two Dalek movies made in 1965 and 1966, made by Amicus, Hammers contemporary of the time and produced by a couple of Americans named Milton Subotsky and Max J Rosenburge. These films were based on the first two Dalek adventures (The Mutants, and the Dalek invasion of Earth) with proposals for the third Dr Who film in the pipeline being based on the Chase.
Invasion Earth 1966 - Contains Moderate Peril
However, when the box office receipts waned on the second film, the plug was pulled and the concept of Dalek movies as a series was scrapped. So what went wrong ?
Was Invasion Earth really that bad ? As far as the critics were concerned, Daleks in movies was going to be anything but Shakespeare and the films were panned for sloppy direction and visible strings on the flying saucers etc. Admittedly the scene with Bernard Cribbins in disguise with the Robomen is a little cringe worthy, but after all, this is a children’s film. For fans of these movies, let us imagine what if Amicus had turned left instead of right. What would that third Dalek movie have turned out like?
It is perhaps a learning curve that many film makers have learned from since, that multiple sequels should always be made back to back: That way subsequent movies can insure that actors and film crews are all involved and contracted to finish the project. A practice utilised by the first two Superman movies and the Back to the Future sequels. Sadly this was not the case for the proposed Daleks Vs Mechanoids movie. Which probably wouldn't have featured either metallic monsters anyway...
AT THE EARTHS CORE
At any rate, there was some talk that the third movie may simply not have included any Daleks at all, and Dr Who would simply have fought a bunch of dinosaurs etc. Ultimately this is what eventually happened anyway. Amicus did actually make the 3rd Dr Who movie, except they called it "At the Earths Core" (1976) instead, featuring Peter Cushing as a Dr Who like character but not actually Dr Who. Doug McClure was a natural Ian Chesterton substitute and had a love interest with Carolyn Munro (ironically mirroring the Leela type character to Tom Bakers Doctor in 1977). Oh and the Tardis is replaced by a giant drill called the Mole. But I guess this is all worthy of another essay, I should write another time. Anyway, I digress.
However, since it was clear that the success of the first movie was due solely to the Daleks and since they had made a Dalek sequel, it follows that another Dalek film made more financial sense to produce. And since the first two movies had been based on the first two Dr Who Dalek tv stories it also followed that, (for the sake of continuity), the third Dalek movie would have been based on the Tv story “The Chase”.
THE CHASE - A RECAP
If your hoping to see a tons of Mechanoid action in this story forget it. In this six part storey, we see the first doctor, Ian Chesterton, Barbara and newcomer Dodo land in a desert on the planet Aridious and soon catch wind that the Daleks are none too happy with them foiling the Dalek Invasion of Earth.
It is not long before a Dalek execution is dispatched to Aridious and so begins the chase across time and space, as our time travellers attempt to evade certain extermination.
Soon they are hopping across the cosmos, landing on the observation deck of the Empire State Building, the Marie Celeste and even a West World Style Dracula's castle, complete with android Frankenstein monster. However, wherever they land, the Daleks time capsule is not too far behind and so our intrepid travellers must make a stand on the jungle planet of Mechanus...
Six episodes later, they finally find themselves prisoners of the large spherical robots that live in a city on stilts. Enter the Mechanoids. Colony robots designed to terraform planets but somehow down the line were forgotten about and evolved into killing machines. Soon these robots would be pitted with the Daleks in the grande finale. All of which lasts less than two minutes !
And so, in a nut shell, that is the Tv story. The plot does tend to be all over the place. The Chase at best was considered more an attempt at injecting more comedy into the series but with so much going on, the story tended to suffer for it.
There are also too many subplots, such as a robot duplicate Doctor (!) sent out by the Daleks to infiltrate the companions and kill the original Doctor, but this whole idea, only detracts from what (I suspect) kids really wanted to see, and that was Daleks fighting Mechanoids.
Of which there is actually very little. Considering the amount of effort it took to construct three Mechanoids, design their model city on stilts, not to mention all the Mechanoid city interiors built at Ealing, none of this is used for much more than a few seconds here and there, culminating in a mere four or five minutes of screen time at best.
Perhaps the story is only really worth watching for this short lived and yet glorious moment of Daleks and Mechanoids in battle. After all, they were immediately popular with the kids and (at least in Terry Nations mind) heralded as the new Daleks. However, the battle is far too brief and the Mechanoids much ill used. So lets look at what might have happened...
DALEKS VS MEKONS : SPECULATIONS
So what would that third instalment have looked like?
Speculations, still abound to this day but assuming that Dalek-Mania was responsible for the first two movies, its most likely the script would have been based on The Chase - rebranded as Daleks vs Mekons to wet the appetite of overseas buyers.
To save money, it would have been a logical step to recycle as many of the sets from the first and second film as possible, such as the Tardis, its interiors, the Dalek saucer (and its corridors) and possibly even the Robomen costumes.
Shawcraft would have most likely been roped in to build more Daleks and Mechonoid props and generally the movie would have had the look and feel of the first two movies.
PRODUCTION BEGINS ON 3RD DALEK MOVIE
Anyway, the third Dalek Movie goes ahead. And so, ignoring the two critics that panned the second movie, producer Milton Subotsky takes a risk and goes hell for leather with the third Dalek movie, throwing everything at it, so he can re-coop losses on the second film.
And so production begins back at Shepparton in the spring of 1967, bringing back nearly all the original production team of the first two films.
GORDON FLEMYNG
Gordon Flemyng takes the reigns once more, bringing much of the humour of the first film, that was lacking from the second movie. With less Daleks to worry about, he sets about making sure that most of the mistakes he made in the second movie are not repeated, such as not filming enough Dalek action or synchronising the Daleks dome lights to their speech.
BILL McGUFFY
As London's most celebrated pianist, the nine fingered talents of Bill McGuffies crazy piano ensembles and jazzy music score really made the second movie exciting. Subotsky ropes him in to make the opening theme tune for the third movie and several inserts. However, to save money, the majority of the music from the second movie is also re-used, bar the inserts that cover the chase sequences.
DAVID WHITAKER
PRODUCT PLACEMENT
As was the case in the second movie, it is likely Subotsky employs sponsors. Various shots feature recognisable breakfast cereal products, such as Sugar Puffs, prominently placed on bill boards around the observation tower of the Empire State Building Scenes. He might also get toy company Cherilea on board, to use their Dalek & Mechanoid toys.
LOCATIONS USED.
The majority of the film is likely shot at Shepperton Studios, where the jungles of Mechanus are constructed using the remains of the of the petrified forest set from the first movie and whatever fake trees and bushes they can lay their hands on. A large area is cleared of trees, in order to film a battle between Daleks and Mechanoids, against a large diorama backdrop of the jungles and city on stilts.
The interiors of the Mechanoid City take up one enormous floor of the studio, where the Dalek Saucer exterior and the Mine Control Room stood the year before.
Sections of it are re-used for both the Mechanoid city interiors and the Dalek Emperors throne room and Dalek Time Machine. Surviving sets are also acquired from the Ealing shoot (for the television version) and repainted.
The Cutty Sark, moored along the River Thames, is hired for the day to double as the Marie Celeste scenes.
The sandy beaches at Whittering and Moorgate are used to film the scenes on Aridius. A scene involving a Dalek rising from the sand is achieved back at Shepperton by creating an elevator system (inside a fibreglass sand dune) which can raise a Dalek on a platform, covered by sand.
The shot is then matted into a larger desert shot background to appear more spectacular.
MATT SHOTS
Several matt shots are included. In particular a panoramic view of the jungles of Mechanus that includes the Mechanoid City towering above the jungle canopies. The Emperors Throne room and a shot of the Dalek City on Skaro are also used.
MODEL WORK
Even the Dalek Saucer from the second movie is brought out of moth-balls for the grand finale.
However, the massive five foot long model has suffered a dent in its top, due to careless film crews shunting it about in the storage depots at Shepparton.
Never the less, its cleaned up and footage of it is carefully shot from low angles to hide the damage.
Dalek Saucer prop suffering in storage - recycled for the third movie?
The awesome Mechanoid city on stilts
Just imagine the model work it would involve !
All this is on a par with the model work used in Thunderbirds and similar to the scenes of the Saucer crashing over the mine workings in the second movie.
CHERILEA TOYS
In the jungle below, Mechanoids fight Daleks one on one.
Concept render of battle scenes using Cherilea toys.
To achieve these grand model shots, readily off the shelf toys are quickly utilised, to save time.
Cherilea Dalek Toys
In particular toy Daleks and Mechanoids (made by Cherilea ) are repainted and placed on a model landscape, which is basically the same model recycled from the second movie.
The Daleks and Mechanoid toys are pulled along with string etc.
Pyrotechnic explosions are filmed in slow motion.
This is all intercut with studio shots of the actual props fighting and a bit of clever editing gives the impression of a exciting battle.
GREEN ROBO-MEN
The Dalek Execution squad is assisted by a squad of Robotised green Fish Men from Aridious, using re-cycled Robomen uniforms and biker helmets from the second movie.
MECHANOIDS RE-USED
MECHANOIDS RE-USED
The three Mechanoid props are rescued from the scrap heap and given a new paint job, painted a metallic blue and silver much like the Daleks were in the first movie.
Their round bases are raised to six inches, in order to look more "cinematic" on the big screen. Several extra Mechanoid crowd fillers are also built.
DALEK TIME MACHINE
The Dalek time machine might have looked like the central spinner from the "War of the Daleks" board game...
That spinner thing from the Dalek board game,
as the Daleks Time machine?
PETER CUSHING
Peter Cushing returns for a third time. However after suffering ill health in real life, Cushing is no longer the soft approachable Dr Who of the first movie, which had become quite evident by the climax of the second. By now his character is very much in the vain of Van Helsing, of the Hammer Horror Films, and portrays his character as the hardened time traveller, hunted by the Daleks.
ROBERTA TOVEY
On the insistence again of Cushing, Roberta Tovey reprises her role as Grand daughter Susan. However, the commitments are taking a strain on her schooling so a private tutor is brought in, while she is on the film set of Daleks Vs Mekons. Much as he had in the first movie, director Gordon Flemyng is obliged to pay her sixpence for every line she gets right in one take.
Edward Judd would have most likely have played a Ian Chesterton type character and love interest for Louise, probably called Pete Banford, who gives Louise a ride home from work and winds up a reluctant passenger in the Tardis.
The title would probably have been called Daleks Vs Mechons. Because "Mechons" (or Mekons) was what the Mechanoids were originally called in the early drafts of the Tv script. The name would later evolve into Mechanoids because the obvious similarities with the Mekon character from the Dan Dare comic book series.
Never the less, the term "Mekon" is used at least once in the Chase Tv story, probably due to a typo-error that had been duplicated down to the final draft. If the film had gone ahead, Americans would probably have used "Mekons" anyway because it has the same amount of letters as Daleks and would be easier for the kids to read on posters.
So assuming they stuck with the original script, the Mechanoid name would have been shortened to "Mekons", due to a typo. In the rush to get the script churned out, they just stick with it.
Hence the poster Daleks vs Mekons!
Subotsky phones up Bill Wiggins the artist responsible for the first two movie posters and says:
Quick make me another poster! I want explosions! I want Daleks fighting Mekons! The works!
Concept Poster for the 3rd Dalek Movie:
With deliberate misspelling of the Mechanoids
for easy American distribution.
DALEK EMPEROR CAMEO
So the movie might start with a brief cameo of the Dalek Emperor himself, with his immense gold spheroid head, enraged that Dr Who has foiled the Dalek Invasion of Earth. We may see him barking out orders for the Doctors extermination, in his grand throne room back on Dalek planet Skaro.
SALVAGED DALEK PROPS
In the third movie, only four to six Dalek props are ever used. Not because of modesty, but because only four props ever survived the pounding that the Daleks endured in the last sequel. However, because they've been left outside on the Shepparton backlot for the past year, (without protection), the props are severely damaged by weather and so several are procured from Terry Nation, who has four in his possession from a stage play. The weather beaten Daleks are only used for stunts and the final battle with the Mechanoids.
Of course every things Technicolor, so all the props are gathered and re-painted metallic blue with gold collars, slats and red domes.
MORE SCREEN TIME ?
But in this film, the 'Mekons' might be introduced a hell of lot sooner, maybe as soon as the half way point of the movie.
Which would have meant a good forty minutes of Mechanoid action, where the Dalek execution squad might even summon up the entire Dalek Empire to do battle with the Mechanoids on their own turf. Hence a more satisfying ending than the Tv version.
GRAND FINALE
For the grand final, a spectacular air battle might have occurred above the Mechanoid city, between Dalek saucers and Mechanoid battle cruisers!
Eventually the ground troops are overrun as the Daleks enter the Mechanoid city for a final confrontation, similar to the Thals battle at the climax of the first movie.
And like in the series, the full size props fight each other but now its in cinemascope.
To bulk out the numbers, more Zig-Zag stunt Daleks are required for destruction. A stunt Mechanoid is also needed for various explosions and on screen carnage.
Meanwhile Dr Who and friends escape, while the Daleks and Mechanoids destroy each other as the city explodes into a spectacular fire ball.
In any event, a movie version of The Chase, (with a larger portion dedicated to the Mechanoids) would have most likely secured the franchise for at least a few more sequels.
Who knows, we might have even seen a movie epic of The Dalek Master Plan but thats another story...
Another unfinished attempt at a third movie was started in 1986, independantly made by a fan, called "The Mission Of Doom" and this featured Daleks in Hoverbouts and again they were to face The Mechanoids, who this time were armed with some pretty heavy artilery!
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Yes I've seen that. Julian Vince did a great job of the model work in that film. Its a shame he never finished it but life always gets in the way.
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