The Worlds of Gerry Anderson

by

Mike Clark
(contributing writer)

I'm going to give the subject of Irwin Allen a temporary rest and devote this column to my other favorite topic, the worlds of Gerry Anderson. As co-creator (with his then-wife Sylvia) and producer of such Supermarionation series as Thunderbirds and Fireball XL5, and live-action series UFO and Space: 1999, Gerry's stature in the Sci-Fi community is unique and formidable. There are rabid G.A. fans worldwide, and I'm one of them. Of course, proximity to Gerry and his fandom is not easy from my spot on the globe.

Captain Scarlet

Living in Los Angeles makes it simple to meet the casts of Lost In Space, Star Trek, and other American-made productions. Displays of props, costumes, and miniatures are also plentiful. BUT, if you're like me and a fan of Gerry Anderson, you know that his home base is the United Kingdom, and that's a good 6,000 miles from La-La Land.

I had the privilege of traveling to England this past year to experience a convention conducted by FANDERSON, the official Gerry Anderson appreciation society. It was a wonderful event and well worth the pains it took to get there. As advertised on the FANDERSON website, the event (called the "Century 21 Convention") promised screenings, props, original marionettes, cast members from the puppet and live series, and his honor Gerry himself!

Stingray

As a die-hard Anderson fan for almost 40 years, I was very excited about attending the convention, held in October, 2000. It was the second time I traveled to the U.K. to see something involving the Andersons. At spring break from college in 1974, I visited Pinewood Studios during the production of the first season of SPACE:1999. My timing, however, was lousy... the show was on a hiatus and I had to satisfy myself by looking around the Stages L and M, which were filled with exciting sets for the episodes "The Guardian of Piri" and "Force of Life." Years later, when I told Gerry about my trip, he felt very badly that it didn't go as planned!

I was determined to have a better time twenty five years later, and made plans to visit the convention and then stay in London for two days. Traveling via Virgin Atlantic's non-stop 747, I spent 11 hours in the air with my good friend and fellow Anderson fan Bill Winckler. (If Anderson's 'Fireflash' aircraft was in service, the trip would have been a mere 3 hours!). Bill was combining pleasure with business on this journey, since his job as talent relations manager for an on-line company called for some personal contact with Anderson actors, in hopes of recruiting them for his web site.

My other seatmate on the flight was an English fellow who coincidentally works at the Mars Candy Factory in Slough, England. Located in the Slough Trading Estate, the Mars factory is just around the corner from the original buildings that housed A.P. Films, later renamed Century 21 Productions. In these modest buildings, some of television's most classic shows were filmed... Fireball XL5, Stingray, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Joe 90, The Secret Service, and special effects for Journey to the Far Side of the Sun and UFO.

Troy Tempest

The original buildings are still there, though not used as film studios since the departure of Gerry Anderson and his crew in 1970. By reading F.A.B. magazine (a publication of FANDERSON) I learned that the buildings are now the home of a manufacturing company. Where our stringed heroes once stood is now filled with machinery and materials used in making plastics. Still, it's hallowed ground to any G. A. fan, and I was determined to see them sometime during my brief stay. I learned that the buildings were located near some huge, industrial cooling towers (similar to the ones used in American nuclear reactor complexes), and that if I was visiting in the area, they are easily identifiable landmarks.

Century 21 Building

The convention itself was occurring about 90 miles north of London in a suburb of Coventry. If Coventry rings a bell somewhere in your mind, it's the place where Lady Godiva made her infamous bareback ride. It's also the birthplace of the British Auto Industry, and was practically destroyed by German bombing during World War II.

Bill and I landed at Heathrow Airport on Friday afternoon, made a complicated rail and subway journey to downtown London, and caught a connecting train to Coventry that traveled through the beautiful English countryside. A 10 minute cab ride from the Coventry station landed us in the suburb of Allesley, where the Century 21 festivities were being held over three days in a small hotel and convention center. I figured that the remote location of the convention made it more affordable in both facilities and hotel rooms, though it cost an extra 50 Pounds (about $75.00 American) to get there and back from London.

We stayed at the Hotel Allesley, a strange amalgamation of buildings added onto the original property over a period of years. Unfortunately, the new sections did not match the height of the older sections, making the use of many staircases a necessity. Constantly going up and down steps during even short distances turned into a Monty Python-esque situation, one that caused almost as much laughter as inconvenience.

Fanderson wasn't the only organization hosting an event at the Hotel Allesley. Also present was a British driving club, whose members probably looked around at the strange props and costumes and felt like they were in the middle of an alien invasion. I thought that the drivers had made a display of an antique 'Tin Lizzie' in the hotel's lobby, but closer inspection revealed that it was "Gabriel" from Anderson's The Secret Service.

After checking in, and braving the various 'ups and downs' of the Allesley's staircases, Bill and I started meeting other Anderson fans who hailed from around England, other parts of Europe, and the United States. I estimated that about 250 fans had taken the time to travel long distances and attend the convention. I noticed that the attendees ages were mostly in the mid to late 40's, (baby boomers) but there was a smattering of younger fans (and kids of my fellow Anderson-ites) and a few older folks. It was great walking into a room and knowing that the entire group was like-minded in its love of Gerry Anderson's work.

The activities would be supervised by FANDERSON principals Chris Bentley, Nick Williams, and Martin Gainesford. Anyone who has assisted in or produced a convention knows that a tremendous amount of preparation is necessary, and this small group ran a very organized, yet intimate event. My hat is off to them for their achievement.

The first night, I was very happy to meet my long-time 'pen pal', Anderson fan Ralph Titterton. Ralph has been heavily involved with Gerry Anderson fandom for many years, and is an expert on all phases of the productions. Bill Winckler and I were then reunited with the lovely Zienia Merton, best known as Sandra Benes from SPACE:1999. We had met Zienia the year before during the SPACE:1999 convention in Los Angeles. The three of us walked through the narrow streets of Allesley to a pub, and had an authentic English dinner of fish and chips. Most Satisfactory! Zienia is a charming woman who is always wonderful to talk with. In general, I found the English actors more relaxed around the fans than our American counterparts.

Opening ceremonies on Saturday were conducted by Chris Bentley, who said "Have fun, but take no pictures or video of the screenings." I was tempted, though, because FANDERSON shows a plethora of Anderson materials not easily seen on TV or home video, including Thunderbirds opening titles in Japanese, cereal commercials, and a beautifully edited Century 21 music video, using clips from all the Anderson shows. Besides screening episodes of Gerry Anderson programs, the convention was also offering, for the first time, live commentary from several actors and directors during showings of SPACE:1999 and UFO. The highlight of the screenings would be a premiere of the Captain Scarlet CGI test!

I was waiting at the door of the exhibition room as it opened Saturday. Finally, after many years, this was my opportunity to see original marionettes and props from Anderson shows. The exhibition did not disappoint; there were puppets from Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Joe 90, The Secret Service, and Supercar. One corner was filled with original set pieces and costumes from SPACE: 1999. Seeing the Supermarionation figures in person was a delight, because you can appreciate the fine craftsmanship that went into making and maintaining the characters. Also, seeing their true scale was also a revelation...they are not as big as you might think, averaging about 20 inches in height.

I was thrilled to see an original Jimmy Gibson puppet from Supercar, one of my favorite G.A. shows. Jimmy was one of the smaller figures in attendance, only 13 inches tall.

Jimmy Gibson

Across the room, a horde of Captain Scarlet puppets, including many of the 'guest star' characters, were assembled. Seeing the detailed sculpturing on the rather small heads of the Scarlet puppets was indeed amazing. I was a little taken back by the sinister look in Joe 90's eyes, until I remembered the cause. The eyes on the characters had originally been photographs of artificial eyes that were glued onto clear plastic spheres. Over the years, the photos had faded, leaving some characters with a somewhat hypnotic stare.

It was a privilege to meet David Finchett, who has been christened by Gerry Anderson himself to be the official puppet demonstrator after the death of long time Century 21 puppeteer Christine Glanville. Dave displayed his collection of original Thunderbirds marionettes in a re-created setting of Brains laboratory.

Parker

He also opened up the back of a Kyrano character to show me the original mechanisms inside. The mouths of all the Supermarionation characters were activated by a magnetic solenoid adjacent the hinged metal lip mechanism. The size of the solenoid dictated the size of the puppet's head, and therefore, the characters heads from Four Feather Falls through Thunderbirds are large and out of proportion to their bodies.

Internal Solenoids

Internal Solenoids

This caused a continuing problem for the show's set and prop designers...do you scale everything to the heads or to the bodies? I never really minded the off-kilter proportions, or even the puppet's awkward walks...I just accepted it as part of the world of Supermarionation. It drove Gerry Anderson crazy, though, and that is why the characters walked less in the later series. By the time of Captain Scarlet, the solenoids were reduced in size and moved into the puppet's chest cavity. A string ran from the solenoid up through the figure's neck and over to operate the mouth mechanism.

Dave popped the solenoid out of Kyrano's head so I could examine it. The unit was about 1/8 of a pound and the size of a small spool of thread. The eye mechanism was two spheres joined by metal bridges. A small length of original tungsten thread was still attached to Kyrano's solenoid, not used since the show went out of production in the 1960's. Dave mentioned that the wires carried 50 volts DC to operate the solenoid, and that puppeteers were often getting shocked. If two wires carrying the voltage were crossed, it would cause them to melt and the puppet would require an emergency re-stringing.

David Finchett & Parker

Dave proudly manipulated his replica Parker marionette for my video camera. Dave's Parker is molded off an original, and features a modern update of the Supermarionation lip movement: Radio Control. Using a device similar to that of RC racing cars, Dave operated Parker while his wife moved the mouth using the toggles on her remote control.

I moved over to an interesting display of Stingray figures. Troy Tempest, Titan, and Agent X20 were re-created by Christine Glanville several years ago for a TV commercial. They are very impressive. Also on display was an original Troy Tempest figure made for testing costume and photography prior to production of Stingray. Apparently, this Troy was given away as a prize during Stingray's run in the 1960's, and was rescued from the trash during the restoration of a private residence. Troy's costume is green, compared to the more silverish one used in the series.

Stingray figures: Troy Tempest, Titan

The center of the display room was chock full of models. On one table was a set with original Eagle miniatures from SPACE:1999. Again, seeing the detail work was very interesting. An original SKY 1 from UFO was surrounded by Interceptors and Shado Mobiles.

Miniatures from SPACE:1999

Recreations of models from Fireball XL5, Thunderbirds, UFO, and Captain Scarlet were also wonderful, and Gerry's most recent live action production, Space Precinct, was represented by original models of an orbiting 'space suburb' and police vehicles. I spend much time in the exhibition room photographing the puppets and models, since it will probably be a long time before I make it back to England for another convention.

Original Thunderbird Puppets

The voice of Thunderbird's 'Parker', David Graham, toured the room and I had the pleasure of speaking with him. David was also the voice of Supercar's 'Dr. Beaker', and Fireball XL5's 'Prof. Matthew Matic'. Since David is English, I asked him how he had developed the American accent for Prof. Matic. He cited American actor Walter Brennan (The Real McCoys) as an influence, and upon reflection, it becomes very apparent. "Golly, Steve," as Prof. Matic would say!

David Graham & Parker

One of my favorite moments at Century 21 was demonstrating my own impression of Dr. Beaker for David Graham. I had started mimicking Beaker when I was nine years old, and have a very high opinion of my ability....I spoke Beaker's signature line..."Satisfactory...most satisfactory", and waited for David's rave review. David hesitated for a moment, then spoke to me in the REAL Dr. Beaker's voice with some suggestions about improving my "Britishness." Even though I came up short with my impression, it was great hearing Dr. Beaker's voice again after more than 35 years!

Also visiting the room was Terry Curtis, who sculpted characters for Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet. Terry brought along one of his creations, Capt. Paul Travers (from the feature film Thunderbirds Are Go!).

Terry Curtis

Terry, who is a modern day rennaisance man, easily switched styles from the charicatures of Thunderbirds to the more realistic Capt. Scarlet puppets. He then moved on to creating props for the puppet and live action shows. Both Terry Curtis and David Graham would later appear in Q and A sessions at the convention.

The dealer's room opened Saturday morning, and was quite small. Five or six sellers offered a myriad of Anderson products, but very little that wasn't available in the United States. The most impressive products were reproductions of Captain Scarlet characters. I bought a few Anderson magazines to fill in the holes of my collection, a copy of Chris Bentley's excellent new Thunderbirds book, and headed for the screening room.

Scarlet-style puppets

Directors Alan Perry and Ken Turner were on a Q and A about their work for Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. Alan, who started as a camera assistant and became a director in the late 60's, is a gregarious and entertaining speaker. He recalled an incident while the special effects crew was shooting a puppet scene for the pilot of Fireball XL5. To portray a 'coma' ray effect, some magnesium powder was poured inside Steve Zodiac's Jetmobile. When activated, the substance was supposed to create a controlled sparking action. Apparently, too much powder was added, and when the mixture was ignited, there was a big explosion! When the smoke cleared, poor Steve was left hanging without a Jetmobile or legs!

Ken Turner joined A.P. Films out of art school and worked on constructing sets for Thunderbirds. His talent and energy were rewarded two years later when he was promoted to director on Captain Scarlet. Ken was by far the Anderson's youngest director, and he later helmed live action segments of UFO, including my favorite episode, "Mindbender." Ken told me how he was fired for using unusual camera angles, slow motion, and other kinetic effects in that classic UFO. However, when the film was put together and the Andersons realized he had created something quite wonderful, Ken was promptly hired back.

more Scarlet-style puppets

Ken and Alan were very charming and candid, and it was great to discuss technique with them. One of the minor discoveries I made pertained to directing the puppets. I asked Ken how they would build pauses into the pre-recorded dialogue when blocking a scene on the puppet set. Ken explained that the tape playback operator had some special sticky tape and a splicer on hand. If the director needed a couple of extra seconds added between one line of dialogue and another, some leader would be spliced in to pad out the tape playback. Conversely, if there was too much time between lines, the extra material could be spliced out.

Ken and Alan provided live narration during a screening of Century 21's final puppet series, The Secret Service. They were co-directors on the pilot, and described what was happening behind the scenes as the episode was shown. Apparently, all went well except for location scenes using a radio controlled miniature of Gabriel. More than once, the 'Tin Lizzie' ended up running out of control and off the roadway into a ditch.

Troy Tempest

Later, Ed Bishop (Cmdr. Straker of UFO) , Garbrielle Drake (Lt. Gay Ellis), and Peter Gordeno (Capt. Peter Carlin) provided live narration of the UFO Pilot. Laughing a lot and trying to recall what was going on behind the scenes during the screening, the three actors were charming and ingratiating. One interesting note about the UFO pilot is that the very first scene, a funeral, was moved to become the very last scene. Apparently, ITC head Lew Grade felt that leading off a new series with a funeral was not good form.

Zienia Merton's turn came to narrate "The Full Circle," an episode of SPACE: 1999, Zienia had a large part in that episode, including some scenes where she's dressed in an animal skin and carried off by primitives to their lecherous leader. Zienia recalled how cold it was shooting in the forests near Pinewood, but that actresses make sacrifices for good roles.

Zenia is also the only 1999 actor to resurrect her character of Sandra in the Fanderson-produced video "Message From Moonbase Alpha," which was shown originally at the SPACE:1999 convention held in Los Angeles.

Alan Perry was master of ceremonies during one of the convention's surprises...an appearance by the sons of Century 21's director of special effects, Derek Meddings. The two Meddings offspring brought along original artwork and sketches by their father (many of which were published in Derek's excellent book 'Century 21 Visions,' a few years ago). There's nothing like seeing a piece of artwork in person, and Derek's efforts show that in addition to being a special effects wizard, he could have been a commercial artist as well.

Puppet Head

Terry Curtis answered questions about puppet construction during his informative talk. He also brought along an unfinished Paul Travers head, which clearly shows how the lip is covered with glove leather and attached to the chin. Terry displayed one of the 'revamp' heads...a puppet head that has no nose or prominent features, but contains moving eyes and a solenoid....By using plasticine and paint, the puppeteers could create one-shot guest star characters, and then 'wipe' the face clean and use the 'revamp' another week. Terry even produced a cigar box of puppet parts, including an eye blinking mechanism, and eyes and hands from Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet. This is definitely not the stuff you see anywhere but at a FANDERSON convention!

The voice of Thunderbirds 'Scott Tracy', Shane Rimmer, shared the stage with David Graham for a Q and A. I asked Shane how he perfected his American accent. "By being born in America!" he replied. I must have been the only one in the room who didn't know it! Shane also recalled the Sunday afternoons dubbing and mixing Thunderbirds at the old Century 21 studios in Slough. Apparently, the overwhelming smell of chocolate from the adjacent Mars candy factory often drifted through the studio. "I haven't eaten a chocolate bar in years!" Shane declared.

The screening room was abuzz when Gerry Anderson took the stage to answer questions and bring his fans up to date on his latest activities. Gerry, who is somewhat soft-spoken, was issue a hand microphone after his lavalier failed to provide a loud enough sound for the audience. Thunderbirds was experiencing another burst of popularity, and could be seen on television in the U.K. A blizzard of publicity had followed, and Gerry estimated that he had taken part in 40 broadcasts about the Thunderbirds revival. Since he's asked the same questions over and over ("What's your favorite episode"...etc), Gerry said that people's appreciation of his work "makes it all worthwhile."

Gerry Anderson

One of Gerry's most unique experiences was at Harrods, the famous London department store, which had a Thunderbirds day in their toy department. Gerry signed his biography amidst a raft of new Thunderbirds products.

Gerry's latest production, Lavender Castle, is currently on the air in England, and he showcased some clips of the stop-action animation fantasy.

Of most interest to the fans was the five minute CGI Captain Scarlet test, produced under Gerry's supervision. Let me describe the highlights for you:

Starting with a long tracking shot of a graveyard, the camera pans to a headstone. Suddenly, a fist bursts through the ground and lightning flashes! We see the pale, staring eyes of Captain Black! Apparently, the Mysterons are back and up to no good! Cut to Cloudbase, beautifully rendered in CGI. Inside, we are reunited with Captain Scarlet (voiced by the original actor, Francis Matthews) and Captain Blue (Ed Bishop). They are shocked to discover that Capt. Black has rejoined Spectrum after escaping the control of the Mysterons. It isn't long before Black reveals his true self by cold-cocking and then taking Mysteron control of Capt. Blue....Escaping in a Spectrum patrol car, Black and Blue are pursued by Capt. Scarlet. To cut off the pursuit, Black destroys a bridge, only to have Scarlet use his SPV rocket motors to fly over the gap and land ahead of the patrol car. Scarlet ejects and tumbles onto the ground. Pumping his automatic weapon into the Spectrum car, it careens off the road, spilling Capt. Blue. The car sails to a firey explosion as the shock frees Blue of the Mysteron influence.

The crowd loved the CGI version, which neatly updated the style of the Spectrum organization while retaining the original look. It was great to see fully realized Spectrum characters who could not only 'act,' but could walk, run, shoot, and engage in fisticuffs! Anderson explained that the CGI test was for 'shopping' the project around in hopes of financing a new series. Every Anderson fan there is keeping his fingers crossed that Gerry is successful in reviving the franchise.

Saturday evening saw the Anderson fans gathering again for a costume ball. Those who chose to participate became wonderfully realized versions of Anderson characters from the puppet series and the live action shows. In one corner I spotted 'Brains' from Thunderbirds, a Moonbase pilot from UFO, and a guest character from the Space:1999 episode "The Exiles". My favorite costume was a woman's Steve Zodiac getup. I then found myself sitting next to the last person you would ever see at a Gerry Anderson convention: Howard Stern! A closer look revealed that it was my new friend, puppeteer Dave Finchett! Dave had intended his costume to be a '60's Hippy,' but the long wig, blue glasses, and freaky clothes made him resemble America's favorite shock jock! The crowd danced to pop versions of Gerry Anderson themes, mixed in with other sci-fi related tunes. Later, a special presentation was made honoring Chris Bentley's long work for FANDERSON. In the words of Prof. Matic, it was 'real boss.'

I spent more time in the display room Sunday photographing and video taping the puppets and miniatures. And the end of the day, Bill and I said 'goodbye' to our new friends and headed back to London. By a stroke of luck, we shared a train car with director Ken Turner, and enjoyed many interesting tales.

But, the trip wasn't over yet! I had yet to see Slough, and my flight was leaving at 3pm on a Tuesday afternoon. My traveling partner, Bill Winckler, was conducting business for his on-line firm and had arranged for a meeting at Pinewood Studios with UFO's Mike Billington (Col. Paul Foster) and Supermarionation co-producer Sylvia Anderson. Not wanting to miss meeting Mike and Sylvia, I carefully planned a schedule that allowed me to leave the hotel in London at 9am, rent a car at Heathrow Airport, drive to Pinewood, and return to the airport in time for the 3pm flight to Los Angeles. It was tight, but do-able.

Departing Heathrow in the rental car, with its driver side located on the right, I shakily aimed the auto towards Pinewood Studios, valiantly working the stick shift with my left hand. A check of my watch showed that I was ahead of schedule, and that allowed me to divert a couple of miles west to drive through Slough, in the hope of finding the old Century 21 studios. With a little luck and the help of a map, I got to Slough quickly, but there was road construction that slowed my efforts. Keeping an eye on the clock, I followed the signs pointing towards the "Slough Trading Estate." I found the Mars factory almost immediately, and nearby were the famous cooling towers that I had heard about. But finding Stirling Road, the street where Century 21 had been located, proved harder. Fortunately, the locals spoke English (!) and I turned a corner and happened upon the road. Directly before me were the former Century 21 buildings that I'd seen in period photos! I quickly got my camera out, and snapped photos of the Sovrin Plastics building, former home of Gerry Anderson and his crew. I imagined the controlled mayhem that occurred here in the 60's, as puppetry mixed with pyrotechnics. I recalled Shane Rimmer's story of the chocolate smell on Sundays, and noted the constant droning of jet aircraft taking off from nearby Heathrow Airport. The Anderson crew had originally soundproofed their studios using egg cartons. It was great being there, but I didn't have much time for nostalgia.

Another look at my watch and I was off towards Pinewood studios, about 10 miles down the road. I must mention here that I am no slouch behind the wheel of car. Driving in L.A. (especially on the freeways) is a constant test of my driver skills. I can hold my own in any traffic. That being said, I was amazed at the aggressiveness of the British drivers...considering we were WAY out of London. The other motorists were out for blood that day, and after almost getting creamed in one of the many traffic circles located near the studio, I arrived at Pinewood and was directed towards Sylvia Anderson's office, located with walking distance of the famous Pinewood commissary. Ms. Anderson's secretary showed me into the office, where Bill was already in the midst of his meeting. And there she was...Sylvia Anderson...Lady Penelope herself! Mature and very attractive, Sylvia is easy to talk to and I enjoyed our brief conversations.

Mike Billington & Sylvia Anderson

Mike Billington, who seems to be the size of a linebacker, was there too and was extremely charming and friendly. I sat back while Bill described his on-line activities and fielded questions from Mike and Sylvia. My eyes drifted over to a display of replica Lady Penelope, Parker, and Capt. Scarlet figures. Afterwards, we adjourned to the commissary for lunch, and then, armed with directions from Sylvia, I headed back to Heathrow to catch the return flight home.

As my plane gained altitude and traveled north of Heathrow airport, I looked out the window and spotted the familiar cooling towers at the Slough Trading Estate that I'd driven past just a few hours earlier. And there, tiny but easily seen, where the former Century 21 buildings on Stirling Road.... How appropriate that my last vision of England would be the place where Gerry and Sylvia Anderson produced some of their finest work.

author Mike Clark & Parker

So, 20 hours in the air...many dollars worth of plane tickets, hotel bills, food receipts, train tickets, rental cars - - and a million memories. Worth it? You bet! If you ever, ever, get the chance, GO to England and participate in one of FANDERSON's events.

And if you meet David Graham, say 'ello' to him for me!

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