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{{Use British English|date=November 2012}}
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{{Infobox film
| image = Journeyfarsidesun.jpg
| alt = A bold title at the base of the image reads "Journey to the Far Side of the Sun". An image above it depicts two Earths in space, spread apart with the Sun in between, and a spacecraft travelling from one of the planets to its counterpart. Figures in space suits line images to the left of the main picture.
| caption = US theatrical release poster
| director = [[Robert Parrish]]
| screenplay = {{plainlist|
* [[Gerry Anderson|Gerry]] and [[Sylvia Anderson]] * [[Donald James]]}} | story = Gerry and Sylvia Anderson
| producer = Gerry and Sylvia Anderson
Line 33 ⟶ 34:
| language = English
}}
'''''Journey to the Far Side of the Sun''''' (also known as '''''Doppelgänger''''') is a 1969 British [[science fiction film]] directed by [[Robert Parrish]] and starring [[Roy Thinnes]], [[Ian Hendry]], [[Lynn Loring]], [[Loni von Friedl]] and [[Patrick Wymark]].<ref name="BFIsearch">{{Cite web |title=Journey to the Far Side of the Sun |url=https://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/Details/ChoiceFilmWorks/150148007 |access-date=1 July 2024 |website=British Film Institute Collections Search}}</ref> It was written by [[Gerry Anderson|Gerry]] and [[Sylvia Anderson]] and [[Donald James]], and produced by the Andersons for [[AP Films#Century 21|Century 21]].
Set in the year 2069, the film concerns a joint European-[[NASA]] mission to investigate a newly discovered planet which lies directly opposite Earth on the far side of the [[Sun]]. The mission ends in disaster and the death of one of the astronauts, following which his colleague realises that the planet is a [[Counter-Earth|mirror image of Earth]] in every detail, with a parallel and duplicate timeline.
The film was the first major live-action production by the Andersons, known for their puppet television programmes such as ''[[Thunderbirds (TV series)|Thunderbirds]]''. Having originally conceived the story as a [[television play]], they were encouraged by their employer [[Lew Grade]] to pitch the project as a [[feature film]] to [[Jay Kanter]] of [[Universal Pictures]]. Though underwhelmed by the script, Kanter greenlit the film after the Andersons hired Parrish as director. The film was shot between July and October 1968 at [[Pinewood Studios]] and on location in England and Portugal. As filming progressed, the working relationship between Parrish and the Andersons became strained. Meanwhile, creative disagreements between Gerry Anderson and business partner [[John Read (producer)|John Read]], the director of photography, led to Read's resignation from Century 21. In an effort to distinguish the film from their puppet productions, the Andersons wrote adult themes into the script, although cuts were required for the film to be awarded an [[History of British film certificates#1951–1970|A certificate]] by the [[British Board of Film Censors]].
The film premiered in August 1969 in the United States and October 1969 in the United Kingdom. It performed poorly at the box office during its initial theatrical run but has since garnered a [[Cult film|cult following]]. The film has received mixed reviews from critics; while the special effects and production design have been praised, some commentators have judged the parallel Earth premise to be clichéd and uninspired. Various plot devices and imagery have been viewed as [[pastiche]]s of other science fiction films, such as ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey]]'' (1968). Several members of the cast went on to appear in ''[[UFO (British TV series)|UFO]]'', the Andersons' first live-action TV series, which also re-used many of the film's props.
==Plot==
In 2069,<ref name="Bentley, 306"/> the European Space Exploration Council's (EUROSEC) ''Sun Probe'' discovers a planet
EUROSEC director Jason Webb convinces [[NASA]] representative David Poulson that the [[Western world|West]] must send a crewed mission to the planet before Hassler's allies in the East. NASA astronaut Colonel Glenn Ross and EUROSEC astrophysicist Dr John Kane are assigned to the mission. After undergoing training at the EUROSEC Space Centre in Portugal, Ross and Kane blast off in the spacecraft ''Phoenix''. They
Neuman and EUROSEC official Lise Hartman question Ross, who denies that he aborted the mission. Later, Kane dies of his injuries. Ross discovers that people are now driving [[Left- and right-hand traffic|on the wrong side of the road]] and that he can no longer read printed text because it is all backwards. He comes to the realisation that he is indeed on the unknown planet, a [[Counter-Earth]] where every detail is a ''mirror image'' of his Earth. Ross's wife Sharon refuses to accept his claims, but Webb is convinced when Ross demonstrates his ease in reading reflected text and Kane's ''post mortem'' examination reveals that his internal organs are [[Situs inversus|on the "wrong" side of his body]]. Ross theorises that the two Earths are [[Parallel universes in fiction|parallel]] and that his counterpart from this world is experiencing similar events on his Earth. Webb proposes that Ross retrieve the [[flight recorder]] from the orbiting ''Phoenix'' and return home.
EUROSEC builds a new ''Dove'' designed to be compatible with the reversed technologies of ''Phoenix''. Modifications include
Years later, former EUROSEC director Jason Webb, now confined to a wheelchair and in a much diminished mental state, is admitted to a nursing home. He sees his reflection in a mirror. He rolls forward quickly, trying to touch his
==Cast==
{{Div col|colwidth=25em}}
* [[
* [[
* [[
* [[
* [[
* [[
* [[
* [[
* [[
* [[
* [[George Mikell]] as Dr Bernhardt Brisson<ref name="Bentley 2016,27">Bentley 2016, p. 27.</ref>
* [[Herbert Lom]] as Dr Kurt Hassler
{{Div col end}}
===Uncredited===
{{Div col|colwidth=25em}}
* [[Keith Alexander (actor)|Keith Alexander]] as Launch Controller
* [[Edward Cast]] as Security Vaults Sergeant<ref name="Bentley 2016,27"/>
* [[
* [[
* [[
* [[Arnold Diamond]] as Clavel (Paris delegate)<ref name="Bentley 2016,27"/>
* [[Cy Grant]] as Dr Gordon
* [[
* [[
* [[
* [[Basil Moss]] as Assistant Doctor<ref name="Bentley 2016,27"/>
* [[Norma Ronald]] as Pam Kirby
* [[John Stone (actor)|John Stone]] as London Delegate
* [[Jeremy Wilkin]] as Launch Control Technician
{{Div col end}}
==Production==
In
The earliest version of the script was written by [[Tony Williamson]].<ref name="Bentley, 306"/><ref name="Bentley 2016,20">Bentley 2016, p. 20.</ref> At one point it ran to 194 pages, enough for a three-hour film.<ref name="Bentley, 306"/><ref name="Bentley 2016,25">Bentley 2016, p. 25.</ref> The Andersons had conceived the story as a one-hour drama for [[Associated Television]], but Sylvia thought the premise "too good for a television play" and suggested making it as a [[feature film]] instead.<ref name="Anderson, 65">Anderson 2007, p. 65.</ref><ref name="Teletronic">{{cite web|last=Marcus |first=Laurence |title=Gerry Anderson: The Puppet Master – Part 3 |url=http://www.teletronic.co.uk/gerryanderson3.htm |work=teletronic.co.uk |date=October 2005 |access-date=22 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080221150836/http://www.teletronic.co.uk/gerryanderson3.htm |archive-date=21 February 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[John Read (producer)|John Read]], the Andersons' business partner, proposed the title "''Doppelgänger''".<ref name="Archer and Hearn, 172"/> According to Gerry, the term "means 'a copy of oneself', and the legend goes that if you meet your doppelganger, it is the point of your death. Following that legend, clearly, I had to steer the film so that I could end it illustrating the meaning of that word".<ref name="Archer and Hearn, 172"/><ref name="DoGGA"/> Responding to claims that the tone was overly "dark", Anderson said that he wanted the film to have an interesting premise.<ref name="DoGGA">{{cite web|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/television/105869/the_den_of_geek_interview_gerry_anderson.html |title=The Den of Geek Interview: Gerry Anderson |first=Martin |last=Anderson |date=27 August 2008 |work=[[Den of Geek]] |publisher=[[Dennis Publishing]] |location=London, UK |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100417004233/http://www.denofgeek.com/television/105869/the_den_of_geek_interview_gerry_anderson.html |archive-date=17 April 2010 |access-date=22 July 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref>
Kanter was dissatisfied with the Williamson script, so
Despite James's efforts, Kanter remained unenthusiastic. However, he agreed to finance the film provided that the Andersons chose a "bankable" director who met with his approval.<ref name="Bentley, 306"/> Gerry's first choice
===Casting===
Leading the cast was Roy Thinnes as Colonel Glenn Ross of NASA.
[[Ian Hendry]] was cast as Dr John Kane, a British astrophysicist and head of the ''Phoenix'' project. In his biography, Anderson recalled that Hendry "was always drinking" and was visibly intoxicated during the filming of the ''Dove'' crash sequence: "... he was pissed as a newt, and it was as much as he could do to stagger away. Despite all that, it looked exactly as it was supposed to on screen."<ref name="Archer and Hearn, 174"/><ref name="Archer and Hearn, 175">Archer and Hearn 2002, p. 175.</ref> In the original script, Kane's first name was Philip and he had a wife called Susan.<ref name="Bentley, 307"/> Scenes deleted from the finished film showed the character pursuing a romance with EUROSEC official Lise Hartman, played by [[Loni von Friedl]], whom the Andersons cast in Berlin.<ref name="Bentley, 307"/><ref>Pixley 2016, pp. 17–18.</ref>
Ross's wife Sharon was played by [[Lynn Loring]]. The role had
[[Patrick Wymark]] played Jason Webb, the director of EUROSEC. Wymark was cast for his performance as
The supporting cast included [[George Sewell]], [[Philip Madoc]] and [[Ed Bishop]], who respectively played EUROSEC operations chief Mark Neuman (Mark Hallam in the original script), Dr Pontini, and NASA representative David Poulson.<ref name="Bentley, 307"/> Sewell and Madoc had both appeared in ''The Power Game''.<ref>Fryer 2016, p. 142.</ref> Poulson was to have been played by [[Peter Dyneley]], but
===Filming===
[[File:Albufeira coast in Portugal.JPG|thumb|alt=A sandy rock face in the sun topped by a line of trees|Location shooting was conducted in [[Albufeira]], Portugal.]]
[[File:
[[File:DoppelgangerTeleconference.jpg|thumb|alt=A room fitted out in futuristic décor contains a panel of monitor screens, each presenting the face of a videoconference delegate. In the foreground of the shot, men address the delegates on the monitors.|No TV monitors were used in the videoconference scene. Instead, the crew employed set alterations and [[forced perspective]] to reduce costs.<ref name="Archer and Hearn, 177"/>]]
Filming began on 1 July 1968 at [[Pinewood Studios]] and ended on 16 October.<ref name="Bentley, 306"/> The exterior of the EUROSEC Headquarters was represented by Neptune House in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire (now part of [[BBC Elstree Centre]]), while [[Heatherden Hall]] appeared as the old Jason Webb's nursing home.<ref name="Bentley, 307"/> In September, the crew travelled to [[Albufeira]] in Portugal for location shooting.<ref name="Bentley, 306"/> Shortly after their arrival, [[Marcelo Caetano]] succeeded the incapacitated [[António de Oliveira Salazar]] as [[Prime Minister of Portugal]].<ref name="Bentley, 306"/> Parrish was concerned that this political instability might hold up the shoot, so reduced the filming schedule from one month to two weeks.<ref name="Bentley, 306"/>
To create an illusion of a mirror Earth, the crew reversed the film negatives using a process called "[[Flopped image|flop-over]]".<ref name="Bentley, 306"/> This technique spared the production considerable time and money building specially "reversed" props and sets and organising road closures to film cars driving on the "wrong" side of the road.<ref name="Bentley, 306"/> However, it meant that scenes set on the Counter-Earth required careful planning and rehearsal with the cast and crew.<ref name="Bentley, 306"/> It also resulted in a number of [[continuity error]]s: for example, the "Heart-Lung-Kidney" machines aboard ''Phoenix'' are first shown connected to Ross and Kane's left wrists, then their right.<ref name="Bentley, 307"/>
As filming progressed, Anderson and Parrish came into conflict. Anderson said that Kanter was brought in more than once to mediate between them: "[Sylvia and I] both knew how important the picture was to our careers, and we both desperately wanted to be in the big time".<ref name="Archer and Hearn, 176">Archer and Hearn 2002, p. 176.</ref> At one point, Parrish refused to film a number of scenes, saying that he would only end up deleting them.<ref name="Archer and Hearn, 176"/> According to Anderson, when he reminded Parrish of his contractual obligations, the director loudly announced to the cast and crew: "Hell, you heard the producer. If I don't shoot these scenes which I don't really want, don't need and will cut out anyway, I'll be in breach of contract. So what we'll do is shoot those scenes next!"<ref name="Archer and Hearn, 176"/> In his biography, Anderson stated that his one regret about the film "[was] that I hired Bob Parrish in the first place".<ref name="Archer and Hearn, 176"/> Sylvia described Parrish's direction as "uninspired. We had a lot of trouble getting what we wanted from him".<ref name="Teletronic"/>
Parrish also clashed with Thinnes over the actor's refusal to have his hair cut a certain way for the scenes set on the Counter-Earth. Thinnes, whose hair had already been repeatedly styled, later decided that this was merely Parrish's way of asserting authority, having received a letter from a friend warning him that Thinnes could be difficult to work with. Gerry Anderson said that his own relationship with Thinnes was awkward, but that he liked the actor's performance.<ref>Fryer 2016, p. 140.</ref>
Other scenes led to disagreements within Century 21.<ref name="Archer and Hearn, 177"/><ref name="Archer and Hearn, 178">Archer and Hearn 2002, p. 178.</ref><ref name="La Rivière, 188">La Rivière 2009, p. 188.</ref> For a scene depicting Lise Hartman (Loni von Friedl) taking a shower, cinematographer John Read did the lighting in silhouette as instructed by Parrish.<ref name="La Rivière, 189">La Rivière 2009, p. 189.</ref> Gerry Anderson, who had intended the scene to show Friedl nude, demanded a reshoot, insisting that Read honour his obligations not only to Parrish as director, but also to the producers.<ref name="La Rivière, 189"/> According to Sylvia, "Gerry was very keen to show that he was part of the '[[Swinging Sixties]]' and felt that seeing a detailed nude shot – as he visualised it – was more 'with it' than the more subdued version".<ref name="Anderson, 36">Anderson 2007, p. 36.</ref>
Another dispute arose when Read filmed shots of the ''Phoenix'' spacecraft model using a hand-held camera. In his biography, Anderson recalled: "I knew enough about space travel to know that in a vacuum a spacecraft will travel as straight as a die ... [Parrish] told me that people were not familiar with space travel and therefore they would expect to see this kind of movement".<ref name="Archer and Hearn, 177"/><ref name="Archer and Hearn, 178"/> Read refused to reshoot the scenes, stating that Parrish's instructions took precedence over Anderson's. He resigned from both the production and Century 21 at the request of the Andersons and [[Reg Hill]], his fellow company directors.<ref name="La Rivière, 189"/> Anderson elaborated: "Clearly, John was in a difficult position. I do now understand how he must have felt, but in my heart I feel he couldn't play a double role".<ref name="Archer and Hearn, 178"/>
===Design and effects===
[[File:DoppelgangerModelsEffects.jpg|thumb|alt=A pair of spacecraft, both designed to a curved aesthetic, orbit an Earth-like planet. One vessel, smaller than the other, is a shuttle departing from the docking port of the mothership.|''Dove'' (right) exits ''Phoenix''. The film's effects have been well received.<ref name="DoGSpaceships"/>]]
The film's special effects were produced at Century 21 Studios on the [[Slough Trading Estate]] under the direction of [[Derek Meddings]].<ref name="Bentley, 306"/><ref name="Archer and Hearn, 176"/> More than 200 effects shots were filmed.<ref name="Archer and Hearn, 176"/> The design of the ''Phoenix'' spacecraft was based on the [[Saturn V]] rocket.<ref name="Archer and Hearn, 176"/> During filming, the {{Convert|6|ft|m|spell=in|adj=mid|-long}} scale model unexpectedly caught fire and had to be completely rebuilt.<ref name="Archer and Hearn, 176"/> For realism, the launch sequence was shot in the studios' car park against the actual sky.<ref name="Bentley, 306"/><ref name="Archer and Hearn, 176"/>
Century 21 built a full-sized ''Dove'' module prop in Slough. However, it could not be used for the film due to an agreement between Pinewood Studios and the [[National Association of Theatrical Television and Kine Employees]], which stated that all Pinewood film props were to be made in-house.<ref name="Archer and Hearn, 177"/> The prop was destroyed, and although the Pinewood carpenters built a replacement, Anderson considered it inferior to the original.<ref name="Archer and Hearn, 177"/>
Meddings also oversaw the construction of several futuristic land vehicles operated by EUROSEC. These included three [[Six-wheel drive|six-wheeled]] utility vehicles, which were built from [[Mini Moke]] chassis by a [[Feltham]]-based company, and three cars modelled on [[Ford Zephyr|Ford Zephyr Zodiacs]]. Fitted with dummy [[gull-wing door]]s, the adapted Fords were constructed by [[Alan Mann Racing]] under the supervision of [[Len Bailey]].<ref>Pixley 2016, pp. 32–33.</ref>
Commenting on the film's effects, Martin Anderson of [[Den of Geek]] describes the ''Phoenix'' command module as "beautifully [[ergonomic]] without losing too much NASA-ness" and the ''Dove'' lander as "a beautiful fusion of [[JPL]] gloss with classic lines".<ref name="DoGSpaceships">{{cite web|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/287096/top_75_spaceships_in_movies_and_tv_part_2.html |title=Top 75 Spaceships in Movies and TV: Part 2 |first=Martin |last=Anderson |date=15 July 2009 |work=Den of Geek |publisher=Dennis Publishing |location=London, UK |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100311070504/http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/287096/top_75_spaceships_in_movies_and_tv_part_2.html |archive-date=11 March 2010 |access-date=22 July 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> He regards the ''Phoenix'' launch as Meddings' finest work prior to ''[[Moonraker (film)|Moonraker]]'' (1979).<ref name="DoGSpaceships"/> Archer and Hearn describe the sequence as "one of the most spectacular" of its kind produced by Century 21.<ref name="Archer and Hearn, 176"/>
===
Composer [[Barry Gray]], who wrote the music for all of Century 21's productions, said that his score for
The title sequence, set inside Dr Hassler's laboratory, was accompanied by a spy theme. This
==Release==
[[File:Doppelgänger (1969 film) poster art.jpg|thumb|UK poster, showing the film's original title]]
The film was distributed by Rank in Europe and Universal in the US and Australia. While Rank kept the original title, Universal, which judged that non-Europeans would be less familiar with the term "doppelganger", renamed the film "''Journey to the Far Side of the Sun''"{{spaced ndash}}the title by which it is now more commonly known.<ref name="Archer and Hearn, 178"/><ref name="Archer and Nicholls, 138">Archer and Nicholls 1996, p. 138.</ref> [[Simon Archer (author)|Simon Archer]] and [[Stan Nicholls]] argue that while this title provides a clearer explanation of the plot, it lacks the "intrigue and even poetic quality of {{'}}''Doppelgänger''{{'}}".<ref name="Archer and Nicholls, 138"/>
After premiering in the US on 27 August 1969, the film had its UK debut on 8 October at the [[Odeon Cinema]] on [[Kensington High Street]].<ref name="Bentley 2016,22"/><ref name="AFI">{{cite book|title=American Film Institute Catalogue: Feature Films 1961–1970|year=1997|edition=2nd|orig-year=1976|publisher=[[University of California Press]]|location=Berkeley, California; Los Angeles, California; London, UK|isbn=0-520-20970-2|page=560}}</ref> It went on general release on 26 October, paired with ''[[Death of a Gunfighter]]'' to create a [[double feature]].<ref name="Bentley 2016,22"/> The film ran for less than a week in Odeon venues.<ref name="Fryer141"/> A second round of US screenings began in [[Detroit]] on 1 November.<ref name="AFI"/> Overall, the film performed poorly at the box office.<ref name="Bentley, 307"/>
Two original [[35 mm movie film|35 mm]] prints of the film are known to exist.<ref name="Fanderson">{{cite web|url=http://www.fanderson.org.uk/prodguides/movies.html|title=Feature Film Productions: ''Doppelgänger''|publisher=[[Fanderson]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080221134355/http://www.fanderson.org.uk/prodguides/movies.html|archive-date=21 February 2008|access-date=22 July 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> One is kept by the [[British Film Institute]]; the other by [[Fanderson]], the official
The film had its British TV premiere on 7 December 1974 on [[Granada Television]].<ref name="Bentley 2016,27"/> Some TV broadcasts of the film have shown an incorrectly [[Flopped image|flopped]] picture. This originated from a mistake made in the 1980s when an original print was being transferred to videotape: a [[telecine]] operator who was unfamiliar with the film believed that the Counter-Earth scenes had been flopped in error,
===Home media===
Previously available on [[LaserDisc]], the film was released on [[DVD region code|Region 1]] DVD in 1998 and both Region 1 and 2 DVD (digitally remastered) in 2008.<ref name="Fanderson"/><ref name="R1DVD">{{cite web|url=http://www.tvcentury21.com/component/tag/doppleganger.html |title=''Journey to the Far Side of the Sun'' DVD Released in US |first=Simon |last=Wickes |date=26 June 2008 |work=tvcentury21.com |archive-url=https://archive.today/20100726212223/http://www.tvcentury21.com/component/tag/doppleganger.html |archive-date=26 July 2010 |access-date=22 July 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Prior to the 2008 release, the BBFC re-classified the film PG for "mild violence and language".<ref name="BBFC"/>
[[Blu-ray]] versions followed in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ST5TC4S/ref=gno_cart_title_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER|title=''Journey to the Far Side of the Sun'' (Blu-ray)|work=[[Amazon.com]]|access-date=17 February 2015}}</ref> The US Blu-ray release was by [[Universal Entertainment]]. The Australian release by [[Madman Entertainment]] features a transfer of Fanderson's original film print, an exclusive [[audio commentary]] by Gerry Anderson, and a double-sided sleeve, which enables the Blu-ray case to be stored under either of the film's titles.
==Reception==
Since its original release,
===Contemporary reviews===
{{Quote box|quote=There were some great sequences and the special effects were outstanding. Perhaps the mistake I made was in insisting that we incorporate "Gerry's view of the future", where everybody is squeaky clean and everything is sparkling and shining and sanitised. Unfortunately that isn't what most people see as humanity's natural state ... ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]'' was similar but succeeded because it had a philosophy attached to it. It also had believable people with good characterisation.|source=– [[Gerry Anderson]]'s views on the film<ref name="Archer and Hearn, 178"/><ref name="Archer and Nicholls, 138"/>|width=25%|salign=right}}
Rating the film "poor",<ref name="Pixley2016,157-158">Pixley 2016, pp. 157–158.</ref> ''[[The Monthly Film Bulletin]]'' described the theme as "more abstruse" than that a of a typical science fiction feature. It added: "the intricacies are insufficiently clarified, and Robert Parrish's direction is so leaden-footed, that despite the explosive finale the film as a whole is simply dull."<ref name="Bentley 2016,22"/> The film was also negatively received by the ''[[Daily Mirror]]'', which called it "corny",<ref name="Pixley2016,157-158"/> as well as by [[David Robinson (film critic)|David Robinson]] of ''[[The Financial Times]]'', [[Derek Malcolm]] of ''[[The Guardian]]'' and [[Margaret Hinxman]] of ''[[The Sunday Telegraph]]''.<ref name="Bentley 2016,22"/> Writing for ''[[The Times]]'', critic [[John Russell Taylor]] praised it as "quite ingenious" but suggested that the title and pre-release publicity gave away too much of the plot.<ref name="Archer and Hearn, 178"/>
In the US, [[Howard Thompson (film critic)|Howard Thompson]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote that the film "never really gets off the ground" and "remains a little too civilised and restrained for its own good." He praised the "crispness" of certain dialogue, along with the visual style and Parrish's direction, but argued that the story deserved "a larger movie, at least one with more stratospheric sweep and suspense".<ref>{{Cite news|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|title=''Journey to Far Side of Sun'' Opens|date=12 November 1969|first1=Howard|last1=Thompson|author1-link=Howard Thompson (film critic)|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1969/11/12/archives/journey-to-far-side-of-sun-opens.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190901221841/https://www.nytimes.com/1969/11/12/archives/journey-to-far-side-of-sun-opens.html|archive-date=1 September 2019|url-status=live|access-date=6 December 2020}}</ref> [[Judith Crist]] of ''[[New York (magazine)|New York]]'' magazine described ''Journey to the Far Side of the Sun'' as "a science fiction film that comes up with a fascinating premise three-quarters of the way along and does nothing with it."<ref name="NewYork">{{cite magazine|last=Christie|first=Judith|date=17 November 1969|title=Movies: Brave Are the Lonely|magazine=[[New York (magazine)|New York]]|volume=2|issue=46|page=64|publisher=New York Media Holdings|location=New York|issn=0028-7369|oclc=1760010}}</ref> She commended the film for being "nicely gadget-ridden", as well as raising questions about the conflict between science and politics, but criticised the editing.<ref name="NewYork"/> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' magazine considered the plot confusing, equating the ''Dove'' crash to the quality of the writing: "Astronauts take a pill to induce a three-week sleep during their flight. Thereafter the script falls to pieces in as many parts as their craft."<ref name="Variety">{{cite magazine|year=1969 |title=''Variety'' Review |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |publisher=[[Reed Business Information]] |location=Los Angeles, California |issn=0042-2738 |oclc=1768958 |url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117790521.html?categoryid=31&cs=1 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130205190303/http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117790521.html?categoryid=31&cs=1 |archive-date=5 February 2013 |access-date=22 July 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
While ''[[The Miami News]]'' and the ''[[
===Retrospective reviews===
Gary Gerani, co-writer of ''[[Pumpkinhead (film)|Pumpkinhead]]'', ranks ''
''[[TV Guide]]'' magazine gives the film two stars out of four, calling it a "strange little film" with an "overwritten script".<ref name="TVGuide">{{cite magazine|title=''TV Guide'' Review |magazine=[[TV Guide]] |publisher=Triangle Publications |location=Radnor, Pennsylvania |issn=0039-8543 |oclc=1585969 |url=http://movies.tvguide.com/journey-far-sun/review/102886 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402234524/http://movies.tvguide.com/journey-far-sun/review/102886 |archive-date=2 April 2012 |access-date=22 July 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Glenn Erickson]] of [[DVD Talk]] considers ''
The [[Film4]] website gives
===Interpretation===
[[File:DoppelgangerWebb.jpg|thumb|alt=An elderly man stares transfixed at his reflection in a mirror.|The ending scene has drawn comparisons to the visual style of ''[[
Archer and Nicholls suggest as possible causes of the film's box office failure its "quirky, offbeat nature" and waning public interest in space exploration after [[Apollo 11]].<ref name="Archer and Nicholls, 138"/> The topic of the Moon landing dominated a contemporary review in the ''[[
It has also been suggested that ''[[
Martin Anderson compares ''
===Legacy===
Despite the film's failure, Grade gave the Andersons further commissions with live actors.<ref name="La Rivière, 189"/> The first of these was the TV series ''[[UFO (British TV series)|UFO]]'', which began airing in 1970.<ref name="La Rivière, 189"/> ''
A retrospective by [[IGN]] argues that the presentation of politics and economics in ''
==See also==
Line 190 ⟶ 201:
*''[[Another Earth]]'', a 2011 film with a similar premise
*''[[The Stranger (1973 film)|The Stranger]]'', a 1973 TV film with a similar premise
*[[1969 in film]]
*[[List of British films of 1969]]
*[[List of films set in the future]]
==References==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}
=== General and cited references ===
* {{Cite book|last1=Anderson|first1=Sylvia|author1-link=Sylvia Anderson|title=My Fab Years! Sylvia Anderson|year=2007|publisher=[[Hermes Press]]|location=Neshannock, Pennsylvania|isbn=978-1-932563-91-7}}
* {{Cite book|last1=Archer|first1=Simon|author1-link=Simon Archer (author)|last2=Hearn|first2=Marcus|title=What Made ''Thunderbirds'' Go! The Authorised Biography of Gerry Anderson|year=2002|publisher=[[BBC Books]]|location=London, UK|isbn=978-0-563-53481-5}}
* {{Cite book|last1=Archer|first1=Simon|last2=Nicholls|first2=Stan|author2-link=Stan Nicholls|title=Gerry Anderson: The Authorised Biography|year=1996|publisher=[[Legend Books]]|location=London, UK|isbn=978-0-09-922442-6}}
* {{Cite book|title=The Complete Book of Gerry Anderson's UFO|first1=Chris|last1=Bentley|editor1-first=Marcus|editor1-last=Hearn|year=2016|orig-year=2003|edition=3rd|publisher=Signum Books|isbn=978-0-9955191-0-7|pages=20–28|chapter=''Doppelgänger''}}
* {{Cite book|last1=Bentley|first1=Chris|title=The Complete Gerry Anderson: The Authorised Episode Guide|edition=4th|year=2008|orig-year=2001|publisher=Reynolds & Hearn|location=London, UK|isbn=978-1-905287-74-1}}
* {{Cite book|title=The Worlds of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson: The Story Behind International Rescue|last1=Fryer|first1=Ian|year=2016|publisher=Fonthill Media|isbn=978-1-781555-04-0|pages=138–143|chapter=''Doppelgänger''}}
* {{Cite book|last1=La Rivière|first1=Stephen|author1-link=Stephen La Rivière|title=Filmed in Supermarionation: A History of the Future|year=2009|publisher=Hermes Press|location=Neshannock, Pennsylvania|isbn=978-1-932563-23-8}}
* {{Cite book|first1=Andrew|last1=Pixley|title=Gerry Anderson's UFO|year=2016|publisher=Network Distributing|id=7958059}}
* {{Cite book|last1=Rovin|first1=Jeff|author1-link=Jeff Rovin|title=A Pictorial History of Science Fiction Films|year=1975|publisher=[[Citadel Press]]|location=Secaucus, New Jersey|isbn=978-0-8065-0263-2}}
==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0064519
* {{
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20190504011815/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b70de5c62 ''Journey to the Far Side of the Sun''] at the [[British Film Institute]]
* {{Letterboxd film|journey-to-the-far-side-of-the-sun}}
* {{TCMDb title|79915
{{Robert Parrish}}
{{Gerry Anderson}}
[[Category:1960s adventure thriller films]]
[[Category:1960s British films]]
[[Category:1960s English-language films]]
[[Category:1960s science fiction adventure films]]
[[Category:1960s science fiction drama films]]
[[Category:1960s science fiction thriller films]]
[[Category:1960s spy films]]
[[Category:1969 adventure films]]
[[Category:1969 drama films]]
[[Category:1969 films]]
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[[Category:British spy films]]
[[Category:Counter-Earths]]
[[Category:Fiction set in 2069]]
[[Category:Films about astronauts]]
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[[Category:Films about NASA]]
[[Category:Films directed by Robert Parrish]]
[[Category:Films set in Mongolia]]
[[Category:Films set in Portugal]]
[[Category:Films set in the 2060s]]
[[Category:Films set on fictional planets]]
[[Category:Films shot at Pinewood Studios]]
[[Category:Films shot in the Algarve]]
[[Category:Sun in film]]
[[Category:Universal Pictures films]]
[[Category:English-language science fiction drama films]]
[[Category:English-language science fiction adventure films]]
[[Category:English-language science fiction thriller films]]
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