Thunderbirds Are GO (1966)

Director:

David Lane

Writers:

Gerry Anderson
Sylvia Anderson

Release Date:

July 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Streak Through Uncharted Worlds of Adventure!

Plot:

Zero-X, a manned exploration mission crashes during lift-off on its maiden flight. Two years later an...

Plot Keywords:

Puppet | Supermarionation

Cast

Peter Dyneley	...	Jeff Tracy (voice)
Sylvia Anderson	...	Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward (voice)
Shane Rimmer	...	Scott Tracy (voice)
Jeremy Wilkin	...	Virgil Tracy / Space Exploration Center President (voice)
Matt Zimmerman	...	Alan Tracy / Messenger (voice)
David Graham	...	Gordon Tracy / Brains / Aloysius Parker (voice)
Ray Barrett	...	John Tracy / The Hood (voice)
Christine Finn	...	Tin-Tin Kyrano (voice)
Paul Maxwell	...	Captain Paul Travers (voice)
Alexander Davion	...	Space Captain Greg Martin (voice)
Neil McCallum	...	Dr. Ray Pierce (voice)
Bob Monkhouse	...	Space Navigator Brad Newman / Swinging Star Compere (voice)
Charles 'Bud' Tingwell	...	Dr. Tony Grant / Angry Young Man / Public Relations Officer (voice) (as Charles Tingwell)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Cliff Richard	...	Cliff Richard Jr. (voice) (uncredited)
The Shadows	...	Themselves (uncredited)

Directed by
David Lane

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Gerry Anderson
Sylvia Anderson

Produced by
Sylvia Anderson	....	producer
John Read	....	associate producer
Gerry Anderson	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Barry Gray

Film Editing by
Len Walter

Production Design by
John Lageu
Keith Wilson

Costume Design by
Elizabeth Coleman

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Harry Ledger	....	assistant director
Ken Turner	....	assistant director

Art Department
Tony Dunsterville	....	property maker

Sound Department
Maurice Askew	....	sound mixer
Brian Hickin	....	sound editor (as Brian T. Hickin)
John Peverill	....	sound editor
Lionel Strutt	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Richard Conway	....	visual effects assistant
Derek Meddings	....	visual effects director
Harry Oakes	....	visual effects lighting camera
Peter Wragg	....	visual effects: second unit
Ted Cutlack	....	visual effects camera operator (uncredited)
Ted Fowler	....	visual effects lighting cameraman: second unit (uncredited)
Shaun Whittacker-Cook	....	visual effects director (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Alan Perry	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Paddy Seale	....	lighting camera (uncredited)

Animation Department
John Brown	....	character sculptor (as John F. Brown)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Zena Relph	....	assistant to costume designer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Selwyn Petterson	....	apprentice editor (uncredited)
George Randall	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Other crew
Brian Burgess	....	production coordinator
Norman Foster	....	assistant to executive producer
Christine Glanville	....	character operator
Mary Turner	....	character operator
Wanda Webb	....	puppeteer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Associated Television (Overseas) Limited
• Century 21 Television

Distributors

• United Artists (1968) (USA) (theatrical)
• Chapel Distribution (2002) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print Techniscope Technicolor - re-issue)
• United Artists Corporation (1966) (UK) (theatrical)
• MGM Home Entertainment (Europe) (2001) (UK) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Video (1988) (UK) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Studio Film Laboratories Ltd.  titles
• Wig Creations of London  wigs

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:93 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:11 | UK:U

Company:

Associated Television (Overseas) Limited

Trivia:

During International Rescue's mission to save Zero X's crew, Brains travels as a passenger on Thunderbird 1. This is one of only two occasions where a passenger has flown in Thunderbird 1; the first time was when Scott took Tony and Bob Williams to Tracy Island in the Thunderbirds episode "Cry Wolf".

Goofs:

Continuity: At Assembly Control, the name of the Zero-X launch site on the map is given as "Glenn Field". However, when Lady Penelope drives into the car park, there is a sign on the gate of the press enclosure that reads "Glenfield".

Quotes:

[first lines]
Glenn Field Controller:This is Assembly Control calling all Zero X units. Assembly Phase One - go!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in All About 'Thunderbirds' (2008) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Thunderbirds Are GO

Not at all Bad

I remember back in the 1960s the family were out for a walk and we were passing a cinema. We had nothing else to do, so we went in to see this. I had never been particularly impressed with the TV version in black and white (at that time in Britain). But I was very impressed with the film. In full glorious colour, and the special effects looked highly realistic on the big screen - they really did.

It's kids' entertainment for children aged from 7 to 700. The fact it lasted longer than a TV episode doesn't matter.

You get a great exciting story, lots of journeys into space in a blistering adventure that'll steam up Brains's glasses and set his bow tie spinning.

Saw the film again recently, this time with the eyes of an adult. Saw the dream sequence set in the night club. I was amazed at the attention to detail with The Shadows. Not only was each puppet almost a perfect model of Hank, Bruce, John and Brian, but the little Burns guitars were perfect in every detail, right down to the trade mark scroll head. Beautifully done. The singer was Cliff Richard Junior. Oh, well, you can't get everything right!