Thunderbirds Are Go is a 1966 British science fiction puppet film based on Thunderbirds, a Supermarionation television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Written by the Andersons and directed by David Lane, the film follows the spacecraft Zero-X as it carries the first human mission to Mars. When Zero-X suffers a malfunction during re-entry, it is up to life-saving organisation International Rescue, with the help of its technologically advanced Thunderbird machines, to activate the trapped crew's escape pod before the spacecraft hits the ground.
Filmed between March and June 1966 at AP Films's (APF) studios on the Slough Trading Estate, and on location in Portugal, Thunderbirds Are Go features guest appearances by puppet versions of Cliff Richard and The Shadows, who also contributed to the film's score. It was the first film to be shot using an early form of video assist called "Add-a-Vision". The special effects sequences, directed by Derek Meddings, took six months to complete.
Although early reviews praised the film as a successful cinematic transfer of the TV series, box office reaction was muted and the film proved to be a commercial failure. Later reviews criticised the film for its lack of characterisation, time-consuming effects shots, and inclusion of a dream sequence involving Richard and The Shadows. Surprised by the film's failure, and confident that Thunderbirds still had cinematic potential, distributors United Artists ordered a sequel: Thunderbird 6. This too received a lukewarm critical and commercial response and plans for further sequels were abandoned. Zero-X later appeared in the first episode of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, the Andersons' follow-up to Thunderbirds. TV Century 21 magazine ran a Zero-X comic strip until 1969.
Plot In 2065,Bentley 2005, p. 96. the first human mission to Mars is launched from Glenn Field in the form of spacecraft Zero-X. Unknown to Captain Travers and his four-man crew, master criminal the Hood has stowed away on board to photograph Zero-Xs wing mechanism. Shortly after lift-off, the Hood inadvertently traps his foot in the craft's hydraulics, jamming them and causing Zero-X to go out of control. As the astronauts eject in the escape pod, the Hood extracts his crushed foot and parachutes to safety. Zero-X crashes into the ocean and explodes.
In 2067,Bentley 2008, p. 303.Although Jeff is shown to be reading a newspaper dated June 2066, the Andersons intended this part of the film to be set in 2067 (Bentley 2008, p. 303). the Inquiry Board of the Space Exploration Center concludes that the mission was sabotaged. A second Zero-X has been built and another mission to Mars planned. Due to the possibility of further sabotage, International Rescue agrees to provide security at the launch. Jeff Tracy dispatches Scott to Glenn Field in Thunderbird 1 to monitor the situation from the ground, while Virgil and Alan are assigned to escort Zero-X through the atmosphere in Thunderbirds 2 and 3. Posing as a reporter at the pre-launch press conference, Lady Penelope arranges for each member of the crew to wear a St Christopher medallion containing a homing device. On launch day, Dr Grant's device is no longer registering, despite the fact that he is aboard Zero-X awaiting lift-off. Scott unmasks "Grant" as the Hood in disguise. The Hood flees Glenn Field in a car, pursued by Penelope and Parker in FAB 1. Reaching the coast, he transfers to a speedboat and then a helicopter. Parker shoots down the helicopter using FAB 1's machine gun.Surviving the helicopter crash, the Hood returns in the sequel, Thunderbird 6, as the villain Black Phantom (Bentley 2005, p. 98). In her audio commentary for the DVD release of Thunderbird 6, Sylvia Anderson said that Black Phantom is the Hood's son, seeking revenge for his father's death. The kidnapped Grant is found and returned to Zero-X and the spacecraft launches without further incident.
Mission complete, Penelope invites Scott and Virgil to join her at a popular nightclub called The Swinging Star. Returning to Tracy Island, Alan feels unappreciated when Jeff insists that he stay at base while the others spend the night partying. Asleep in bed, Alan has a surreal dream in which he and Penelope travel to another Swinging Star located in space. Appearing at the nightclub are Cliff Richard Jr and The Shadows, who perform a song called "Shooting Star" and an instrumental called "Lady Penelope". The dream ends when Alan falls back to Earth, waking to discover that he has fallen out of bed.
After six weeks in space, Zero-X reaches Mars on 22 July. While Navigator Newman remains in orbit, the rest of the crew detach their rover – the Martian Excursion Vehicle (MEV) – from the main body of the craft, and touch down on the planet's surface. They are puzzled to find the terrain dotted with coil-like rock formations. Captain Martin blows up one of them with the MEV's gun and Dr Pierce prepares to go outside to collect samples. The other formations come to life, revealing themselves to be one-eyed rock snakes. The aliens bombard the MEV with fireballs from their mouths, forcing the astronauts to abandon the excursion and re-enter orbit. They dock with Zero-X and start back to Earth.
As Zero-X re-enters Earth's atmosphere on 2 September, one of the lifting bodies fails to connect with the spacecraft due to a radio fault. The impact damages various systems, including flight control and the escape pod circuit. With the astronauts unable to eject and Zero-X set to impact the town of Craigsville, Florida,Craigsville is located in Florida (Archer and Nicholls, p. 116; Archer and Hearn, p. 140) and background shots filmed in Portugal are intended to represent that area. Jeff dispatches Scott and Brains in Thunderbird 1 and Virgil, Alan and Gordon in Thunderbird 2. While Craigsville is evacuated, Alan is lifted into Zero-Xs undercarriage and repairs the escape circuit under Brains' guidance. Seconds before impact, Alan completes his task and jumps out as the astronauts eject. The empty Zero-X hits Craigsville and obliterates the town. Picked up by Penelope and Parker in FAB 1, Alan is driven to the real Swinging Star, where the entire International Rescue team toasts him as the "hero of the day."
Voice cast Voice actorMajor characters voicedPeter DyneleyJeff TracyShane RimmerScott TracyJeremy WilkinVirgil Tracy, Space Colonel HarrisMatt ZimmermanAlan TracyDavid GrahamGordon Tracy, Brains, ParkerRay BarrettJohn Tracy, the Hood, Commander CaseySylvia AndersonLady PenelopeChristine FinnTin-Tin KyranoPaul MaxwellCaptain Paul TraversAlexander DavionSpace Greg Captain MartinBob MonkhouseNavigator Brad NewmanNeil McCallumDr Ray PierceCharles TingwellDr Tony GrantCliff RichardCliff Richard JrThe ShadowsThemselves
With one exception, Virgil Tracy, the regular characters returning from the TV series were voiced by their original actors. Voice actors introduced in Thunderbirds Are Go were:
Jeremy Wilkin as Virgil Tracy. David Holliday, the original voice of Virgil, had returned to the United States after the completion of Thunderbirds Series One.Bentley 2005, p. 33.La Rivière, p. 139. Wilkin voiced the character for the rest of the 1960s. He continued his association with the Andersons for several years, going on to voice supporting characters in Captain Scarlet, Joe 90 and The Secret Service, as well as appear in the live-action productions Doppelgänger, UFO and The Protectors.Bentley 2008, p. 307. Paul Maxwell as Captain Paul Travers. Having been the voice of Colonel Zodiac in Fireball XL5, Maxwell later provided uncredited guest voices in Thunderbirds Series Two, voiced Captain Grey in Captain Scarlet, and appeared in an episode of UFO.Bentley 2005, p. 34. Alexander Davion as Space Captain Greg Martin. Davion later appeared in an episode of UFO.Bentley 2005, p. 35. Bob Monkhouse as Navigator Brad Newman. The role of Newman originally went to Alfred Marks, who withdrew from the production due to a dispute over his fee. Monkhouse had approached Gerry Anderson to obtain permission to film a sketch parody of Stingray but ended up agreeing to replace Marks.La Rivière, p. 138. Monkhouse recalled the conversation: "[Anderson] said, 'How much would you charge for the job?' I said, 'Gerry, I'd do it for nothing.' And that was the first time I ever heard the phrase, 'the price is right'." He used an American accent for the film. Neil McCallum as Dr Ray Pierce. McCallum's later credits include appearances in Captain Scarlet, UFO and The Protectors. Charles Tingwell as Dr Tony Grant. Known for playing Alan Dawson in the medical drama Emergency Ward 10, Tingwell was approached by the Andersons after being recommended by Ray Barrett.Bentley 2001, p. 29. Like Maxwell, he voiced guest characters in Thunderbirds Series Two and Captain Scarlet and had a guest role on UFO. Cliff Richard as Cliff Richard Jr. Cast in Portugal, where he owned a house "next-door-but-one" to the Andersons, Richard was "thrilled" to be involved in the film, in which he and The Shadows perform "Shooting Star" during the dream sequence. He fondly remembered his puppet self: "It was quite a hoot ... I was never really sure if I looked like my puppet or it looked like me." Shadows members Brian Bennett, Hank Marvin, John Rostill and Bruce Welch were also depicted in puppet form and supplied backing vocals for Richard.
Production
When filming on Series One of Thunderbirds end in late 1965, Gerry Anderson and his financial backer, Lew Grade, agreed that a feature film would be the next logical step in expanding the Thunderbirds franchise.Bentley 2005, p. 31. With United Artists (UA) contracted to distribute the film, a budget of £250,000 (about £ million in ) was set and Anderson and his wife, Sylvia, began work on a script at their second home in Portugal.Archer and Nicholls, p. 115.Archer and Hearn, p. 138.
In writing the film, the Andersons drew inspiration from the American-Soviet Space Race – in particular, the aim to land the first astronauts on the Moon – but adapted this premise for the futuristic world of Thunderbirds by switching the location to Mars. During the pre-production of their next puppet series, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, they wrote in an appearance of Zero-Xs MEV as a link to Thunderbirds.Bentley 2001, p. 59. Like Thunderbirds Are Go, Captain Scarlet depicts hostile life on Mars, although the Mysterons of that series pose a greater threat than the film's "rock snakes" in that they strike at Earth itself. The rescue of Zero-X is similar to that of Fireflash in the episode "Operation Crash-Dive".
Frustrated with the puppets' limitations and worried that the TV series would not translate well to the big screen, Alan Pattillo declined to direct the film.Supermarionation Classics, p. 159.Supermarionation Classics, p. 180. The role was instead given to 24-year-old David Lane, who had directed several of the TV episodes.Bentley 2008, p. 302.Archer and Hearn, p. 139.La Rivière, p. 133. This made Lane the UK's youngest film director at the time.