Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (1969) Doppelgänger (original title)

Director:

Robert Parrish

Writers:

Gerry Anderson (story) &
Sylvia Anderson (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

11 November 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Tagline:

You will meet yourself face-to-face when Earth meets its duplicate in outer space!

Plot:

A planet is discovered in the same orbit as Earth's but is located on the exact opposite side of the sun...

Plot Keywords:

Planet | Astronaut | Sun | Space Travel | Parallel World

Cast

Roy Thinnes	...	Colonel Glenn Ross
Ian Hendry	...	John Kane
Patrick Wymark	...	Jason Webb
Lynn Loring	...	Sharon Ross
Loni von Friedl	...	Lisa Hartmann
Franco De Rosa	...	Paulo Landi (as Franco Derosa)
George Sewell	...	Mark Neuman
Ed Bishop	...	David Poulson (as Edward Bishop)
Philip Madoc	...	Dr. Pontini
Vladek Sheybal	...	Psychiatrist
George Mikell
Herbert Lom	...	Doctor Hassler
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Keith Alexander	...	EuroSEC Launch Controller (uncredited)
Anthony Chinn	...	Mongolian Rescue Crew Member (uncredited)
Nicholas Courtney	...	Medical Data Analyst (uncredited)
Cy Grant	...	Dr. Gordon (uncredited)
Annette Kerr	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Martin King	...	Dove Service Technician (uncredited)
Basil Moss	...	Monitoring Station Technician (uncredited)
Norma Ronald	...	Pam Kirby, Webb's Secretary (uncredited)
John Stone	...	London Delegate (uncredited)
Jeremy Wilkin	...	Trajectory Analyst (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Parrish

Writing credits
Gerry Anderson		(story) &
Sylvia Anderson		(story)
Gerry Anderson		(screenplay) &
Sylvia Anderson		(screenplay) and
Donald James		(screenplay)

Produced by
Gerry Anderson	....	producer
Sylvia Anderson	....	producer
Ernest Holding	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Barry Gray

Cinematography by
John Read		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Len Walter

Art Direction by
Bob Bell

Makeup Department
Barbara Ritchie	....	hair stylist
Geoffrey Rodway	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Brian Burgess	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John O'Connor	....	assistant director

Art Department
Philip Bawcombe	....	assistant art director
Chris Burke	....	assistant art director
Don Fagan	....	instrumentation and special props
Reg Hill	....	additional designer
Wally Hill	....	property master (uncredited)
Wally Hill	....	props chargehand (uncredited)
Wally Hill	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Ted Karnon	....	sound recordist
John Peverill	....	sound editor
Ken Rawkins	....	sound recordist
Harry Fairbairn	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Norman Foster	....	special effects production manager
Tony Dunsterville	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Derek Meddings	....	visual effects director
Harry Oakes	....	special effects lighting cameraman

Camera and Electrical Department
Godfrey A. Godar	....	camera operator (as Godfrey Godar)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gloria Barnes	....	wardrobe mistress
Elsa Fennell	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Margaret Miller	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Barry Gray	....	conductor

Other crew
Joan Davis	....	continuity
Julie Leighton-White	....	production secretary
Ivo Nightingale	....	location manager

Production Companies

• Century 21 Television

Distributors

• J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (1969) (UK) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1969) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1971) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (199?) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Century 21 Film Props  special props

Also Known As:

"Doppelgänger" - UK (original title)

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Norway:12 | France:U | UK:A | USA:G

Filming Locations:

Albufeira, Algarve, Portugal

Company:

Century 21 Television

Trivia:

Patrick Wymark's character complains of heart trouble early in the film. Ironically, Wymark really did have a bad heart and died the following year.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the astronauts are training for their mission, and have a parachute jump, clearly one of the parachutes doesn't open.

Quotes:

David Poulson:Does our side have anything like this?
Mark Neuman:We do now.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Out of this World Super Shock Show (2007) (V)

Flawed but fascinating. Possibly the most underrated SF movie of the 1960s.

'Journey To The Far Side Of The Sun' is quite possibly the most underrated SF movie of the 1960s. It certainly has some flaws - especially the lack of character development, and a few ponderous sequences seemingly modeled on '2001: A Space Odyssey', released the previous year - but if you overlook them you'll find a quietly intelligent and fascinating movie that deserves to be rediscovered. The brains behind this movie were Gerry and Sylvia Anderson best remembered for their wildly entertaining marionette TV shows such as 'The Thunderbirds'. This movie was their first foray into live action SF and in some ways was the precursor to their 1970s cult series 'UFO'. Ed Bishop, George Sewell and some of the other supporting cast members went on from this movie to that TV show. The real stars however are Roy Thinnes, best known at the time for 'The Invaders', and Brit character actors Ian Hendry and Patrick Wymark. Hendry was the star of the little seen first series of 'The Avengers', and also appeared in Polanski's disturbing 'Repulsion' (alongside Wymark), and the camp classic 'Theatre Of Blood' with horror legend Vincent Price. Wymark appeared in another Price movie 'The Conqueror Worm', and starred in 'Blood On Satan's Claw'. Thinnes, Hendry and Wymark are all very good in this movie, albeit a little too cold and remote for my liking, but that is obviously the script's failing not the performers. I haven't mentioned much about the plot of the movie wary of spoiling it for those who have never seen it. Suffice to say it involves the discovery of a hereto unknown planet in our solar system. The less you know about it after that the more you will enjoy it. Overall, despite the script problems and one or two other minor criticisms I highly recommend this movie to all SF fans who prefer ideas over action.