Thank you. As a child in the 1960’s I remember my brother and I hiding behind the couch terrified when the darleks came on. Thought with the more modern Dr who, they’ve sort of become Star Wars storm troopers than monsters.
My Dad was a scenery shiftier at the BBC in the early 60s. When I was 4 he took me to the Dr Who studio and I was up close to daleks and saw the interior Tardis scenery. A day of excitement for me, but the end result was that it demystified Dr Who for me completely!
Thanks for commenting Simon. Indeed, Terry Nation had a rule that the Daleks should never be seen disassembled, giving away their secret. Sadly the rule didn't last too long.
My father worked on the show back then He took me to TVC may times but I never saw a Dalek. That removed the fear of the show but heightened my delight in it. In later life I too worked on 'Who'.
Hey! Don't worry. You're absolutely right! I wasn't working from a script, so a few facts slipped by me. I hadn't noticed that really obvious one until you pointed it out. As you say, 'The Chase' was a Bill Hartnell story. Thanks for commenting.
This was absolutely fascinating! You really must show more of these beautiful props from the show history. Thank you for saving these beautiful works of art for future generations of Who fans.
Thankyou so much Kenneth. Very kind comment. I'll be doing more videos once I'm over a few health issues. Getting old's not as fun as I thought it might be!
Fantastic, informative film Chris - as a reallY thorough and methodical breakdown of each part, this has to be the ultimate, definitive video record of that first historic middle Shawcraft section! - I saY that, of course, as proud owner of the tinY 'L'-shaped Dalek 1 fragment removed bY necessitY from the perished gunbox section during the prop's restoration in 2010. It was sold to me in 2015 bY Matt Doe of Toybox Treasures/Reliquary, who also created the most wonderful 'bespoke' retro tv film can case to house both the fragment itself and a crucial letter of provenance signed bY the great Mike Tucker, the man who removed it.
Thank you, Chris. This was fascinating. I was born in 1963 & was told I watched the first Dalek episodes with my mum. I do remember “Remembrance…” though. What a joy to find out some of the first Dalek was in that special story. I found more joy in your video than I am in the current series. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
This was amazing! Thank you so much for sharing this piece of history. Do you have any close up photos of the different bits that you could possibly share?
Great video, thanks for giving such a detailed look at the prop! It would be great to see the Robots of Death head you mentioned if you do more videos showing your collection
Many thanks for commenting. Yes, I realise now I should have started recording every decent prop while I had it. Happily the Voc Robot head, and top tunic/chest-back plates are still with me, so that'll be the next video.
I was lucky enough to have Dalek 1 at home for a week back in 1981. It was to be used at our local school fete, and as we lived very close to the school it was delivered to us for safe keeping. According to the gurus at the Dalek68-88 website it was the top of Dalek 1 and the skirt of Goon 2, a later built series prop. I has 13 at the time and spent the day of the fete inside it operating the dome, plunger and ray gun to the sounds of the Dalek speeches I had edited on to cassette tape from the BBC Records release of Genesis Of The Daleks LP. I’ve still got pictures of me with it, both standing beside and sitting in the skirt section like Davros. Then a few years on, the same top section (Dalek 1) now coupled with Skirt 7 appeared in the Five Doctors. I’m told the skirt section of Goon 2 which it was married to when it was with us, was used as the exploded base in the Five Doctors where you can see the creature inside. I must get down to Beaulieu to see it once more, 43 years on! Great video Chris, many thanks for uploading it.
Hi Paul (I think it's you after seeing some 1981 pics of you in 1981 on Dalek 6388's site!). What a great memory! Thanks so much for sharing it. I haven't been able to upload a new video changing the end information. Unfortunately it's no longer at Beaulieu. The display, with a Tardis, the Whomobile and Bessie came to a close. My replica Genesis Dalek (see my other videos) remains, with Bessie and Sarah Jane's Metro, as Lord Montagu felt it looked 'more original' than 1-7! But if you're down this way, get in touch with me and I can arrange a private viewing. I'm easily found on Google and on social media. Thanks again for your lovely story.
This goes some way to answering some crucial fan questions, so thank you, Chris! All these years, and *nobody* has ever done this, until now. That said, I would love to see a short feature focusing on how the controls worked on the Daleks - the eyestalk with the working iris, the telescoping sucker arm and the gun. Seeing the painted-over eyeball (with that bloody "pupil"), the manipulator arm so rigid and the "firing" mechanism from the gun inactive are real let-downs, destroying a lot of the illusion that the Daleks were "alive".
I agree Steve. I have a replica 'Genesis' Dalek (currently on display at Beaulieu) which has the 'firing' gun rod, telescopic plunger arm and a proper eye. The Remembrance props were over simplified. And I hate the later dome rotation system of drilling a hole through the top! It led to the outer neck baskets getting pushed further and further up on the few original props still being used, spoiling the look. But still lovely to see them back during Sylvester's tenure.
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing Chris. I was talking about your Dalek only the other day with customers here at the shop.... Now I can show them too! Thankyou 😀😀😀
Absolutely right Jeff. I really should have worked from a a script! Sadly my basic video editing didn't allow me an easy fix once another viewer had spotted my error some weeks after I'd posted the video. Glad you enjoyed the rest of it 🙂
A Thoroughly absorbing breakdown of an original 1960s Dalek - thanks so much for the time taken doing this for us curious people! The point that stood out for me was that this 1965 base/skirt section is partially fibreglass, I'd come to believe fibreglass wasn't commonly used at this time in prop-making, but I may be confusing it with vac-forming...? Either way, what's lovely about your examination of this original early Dalek is that it shows how construction methods have changed over the decades - the turret section you showed off looks at first glance modern fibreglass or maybe vac-formed, but once inside you see its true age and that it is solid hardboard! These wouldn't be made like this today. And when you think of the weight of these original materials I wonder what the _weight_ difference is between and original classic series Daleks like this one is, from the modern series' Bronze models... (It would be an interesting video to look at how the building methods and the materials used for Dalek construction evolved over the decades - from the original 1963 model, to the end of the 80s' and beyond into the modern series..) Lovely look at your classic Dalek, thanks so much!
Thank you so much for your kind words David. Shawcraft Models (contractors to the BBC) were using fibreglass a lot in the early 1960s. There's a great video called 'Follow That Dalek' which you can find on RU-vid, and shows their production methods. The middle (gun/plunger) section is also fibreglass, with a wooden base and top. The dome is also fibreglass, with an inner wooden rim. The props were originally fairly light. But over the years, many layers of extra paint, plus repairs and new ways of operating the domes/eyes, meant they became rather heavy. I have a 2005 gold Dalek, again 85% fibreglass, which weighs about the same as the old Sixties prop.
Thank you! This brought back so many happy memories of growing up in the 60's and 70's. Even though it was of course experienced hiding behind a sofa. An amazing piece of history!
OH wow !!!! How glorious ! Thank you so much for making this and it’s absolutely fascinating to see inside!!! although I was one of those many people that visited MOMI And did indeed speak into the microphone inside the Dalek, of course never realise at the time that i was inside such an historic prop! so I was extremely relieved and happy to hear that the prop had been reunited and beautifully restored , and it’s very awesome to see inside it .
It was at Llangollen? I think I may have seen it, there was a half dalek when we went! I wonder what happened to the squashed dalek, looked like an early one too :)
Great question! Off the top of my head: Planet Of The Daleks: Watch the Dalek bringing Jon P down in the lift to the cell. Genesis Of The Daleks: Watch the scene in the invaded city when one Dalek approaches another to recall it to Davros. There's quite a long list, but I won't bore you!
It's no longer on public display Owen, but at least via the internet, people can still see it. Thanks for commenting. Glad you enjoyed seeing the prop.
@@TheChrisBalcombe I look forward to watching your new videos. With regards the Dalek colur variants, I think that the grey colour scheme from Planet of the Daleks and Genesis. As a kid in 1975, I would wait all week for the next episode of Genesis, and to think your Dalek was one of the grey Daleks that I was transfixed by fascinates me immensly. Thank you.
Thank you, Chris, for this fantastic video. Did that polyurethane plunger do the trick? If you need the correct bell shaped plunger for his remembrance appearance just let me know. I'm overjoyed you have one of my plungers on a magic pice of history. I hope to get a pair of of my resin beakers on the first film drone prop JK's just done a Fantastic restoration of, too. If you ever get the time could you send me a picture of classic monster with your new plunger on. I'd love to see it. Interestingly the bottom plywood return on the shoulders there are not the original but put in place for 'The Five Doctors'. You'll notice it follows the interior of the bands & not the fibreglass shoulders as per the originals. This was likely due to the original Shawcraft wood being chewed up beyond repair with the locating pegs damaging it. The new plywood is screwed directly to the shoulder bands which also gives the prop extra height. The neck may also be a complete swap from a goon. At least I think it is...
Hi Mark. 1-7 is currently sporting your excellent copy rubber plunger! Plus I found another original 1960's version which an elderly couple had bought back in 1963!
@@TheChrisBalcombe Blimey! Keep that one safe. Out the sunlight is best. I'm on the hunt for a 70's cone shaped plunger. I do have a cast to copy from but I'd still like to own my own.
Absolutely fascinating Chris! FYI, out of the four original Daleks made by Shawcraft, two Daleks had the two rows of globes 1/2” higher at the back…I have no idea why this happened. This was also the case with the film daleks and later TV props. I am a bit confused about the middle section because these props originally had aluminium straps/belts on spacers to “hold off” from the body. PS: The old Shawcraft building is still there at 69, Rockingham Road in Uxbridge which I sometimes drive past!! 😜
Hi Craig. Thanks for commenting. The mid-section metal band is still there, probably with the original wooden spacers. But for 'Remembrance', they chose to put dark grey foamex into the gap, to match the other newer-build Daleks look. That's why it looks like a solid band. Hope that helps :-)
@@TheChrisBalcombe Cheers Chris, that all makes sense now…you are a very lucky man indeed! I am planning to build my own Dalek next year in between the Lambretta projects!! (And life in general!!). ATB - Craig
