The Hand of Fear@42

It’s testament to the effectiveness of the story’s conclusion that all this time later following multiple returns to the series for the character, Sarah’s departure remains one of the original series’ rare emotional moments. It’s presented in a very English manner, all repressed and buttoned up as neither the Doctor nor Sarah says what they really want to say. The genius of the scene though is that Sarah has only just been having a bit of a strop and if nothing else had happened would undoubtedly have been talked into one more journey and another and… Instead the Doctor gets a call and realises he can’t take her to Gallifrey. It adds weight to the feelings of both because for sure the Doctor wants her to stay. Incidentally when Sarah does meet the Doctor again in `School Reunion` her reaction is so in tune with this farewell scene.  The end of part 4 is such a good sequence, especially from both actors, that it can lead you to think the whole story has been as subtle which despite some strong elements it hasn’t.

Though restrained compared to some of Bob and Dave’s extravaganzas (think globby Axons and Gellguards!) `The Hand of Fear` makes the most of a thin narrative that is essentially an extended chase from the quarry to the hospital to the research centre to Kastria. It certainly gives it momentum though some of the narrative decisions don’t do the best for the story. The opening scene would surely test the patience of the uncommitted viewer with a wordy debate between the unseen Rokon and the hoodie clad Zazzka over the fate of Eldrad. In fact as much of this information re-appears at different points later on it is probably unnecessary to have had this sequence at all which would have left more time for Sarah and the hand to have been brought together more convincingly.  

As it stands the whole sequence seems a bit unlikely. She could easily find it in already uncovered relics somewhere but instead- perhaps tempted by the fact they could show a properly big explosion - she has to be in the quarry during a detonation which she somehow survives when the rocks seem to have fallen ever so carefully around her.  Not even a bruise. You could be charitable and say that the hand protected her I suppose but it seems very contrived. The guy in the quarry is amusing though, accepting all this crazy stuff though we shouldn’t be too surprised after witnessing such lax security and safety measures

Once this awkward opening ten minutes or so is out of the way the story motors on more enjoyably. With the appendage in a lunch box and sporting an alarming pair of stripy pants Sarah eventually takes refuge in the nearby (remarkably undermanned) nuclear power station. I recall as a youngster finding all this rather good, The crystallised hand in particular and the whole “Eldrad must live” mantra which today would be #eldradmustlive I suppose.

Lis Sladen’s Sarah becomes rather like a sullen child when hypnotised and director Lenny Mayne emphasises this with odd angles especially when she’s carrying the box into Nunton. When she sits in the reactor it’s like a little girl in a playground, her Andy Pandy inspired outfit further plays into this. There’s a real buzz about the ensuing scenario even though it’s an extended chase. The use of such a large location adds scope and the cameras are allowed long tracking shots, Indeed Lennie Mayne constantly raises the quality throughout always spotting the best shot.

The story contains a lot of little character notes which is a pleasant surprise considering no guest character runs across all four episodes so each has limited time to make an impact. Best remembered of course is Professor Watson’s phone call home in the middle of the crisis which contrasts with his efficiently sharp manner while running operations. There’s also a moment when Miss Jackson refuses to leave emphasising her loyalty – and perhaps more? While his dialogue is confined to technical exposition, the always reliable Rex Robinson emphasises Carter’s zeal at what is happening and it’s a pity he exits the story so soon. Even the unspeaking extras from the control room are differently dressed to give an impression of individuality they wouldn’t have if they all just wore white lab coats or overalls.

The hand itself is tremendous even as a still model but when it moves the effect looks as creepy as anything that could be done today. It’s a shame no merchandise company in 1976 thought to sell a moving hand and lunchbox combo!

If the hand draws from classic horror film territory, the lone stranded alien taking desperate measures was a recurring feature of the series around this time. It allows more nuanced performances from individuals rather than the more clinical approach of large invasions. Plus it was probably cheaper! Eldrad’s scenario is not dissimilar to the same writers’ Omega from the previous season; a genius engineer abandoned by his race now set on revenge. Eldrad becomes “King of Nothing” while Omega literally becomes nothing. There are differences though with Eldrad’s concocting of a tale of alien invasion and the way she manages to elicit the sympathies of both the Doctor and even Sarah to achieve what she wants. The exchanges between them are highlights of the story as like Broton or Sutekh, Judith Paris’ Eldrad becomes a real character rather than villain of the story. 

Her costume has more freedom for facial expression than other great monsters of the era; compared to Broton for example she can fully move her face and is thus able to show Eldrad’s cunning, her regret and her cleverness. The result is one of the best performances of an alien from any era of the programme. In contrast, while Stephen Thorne brings his impressive bellowing voice to bear, the later iteration of Eldrad is scripted as more of a standard villain. I think they missed a trick there, instead of having him change at all they could have kept the female version whom we had got to know. As it is the short chase and unlikely scarf trip seems a rather one dimensional end to an interesting character.

The Kastrian sequences lack the vigour of the earthbound ones and seem rather rushed. It also seems odd that having ignored Zazzka’s warnings at the start that Eldrad had a small chance of surviving, Rokon took such drastic action over such tiny odds. Perhaps Kastrians are like that- after all Eldrads destruction of her own barriers against the solar winds seems equally as rash. It’s a wonder they managed to build any civilisation!

It is difficult to avoid the feeling that `The Hand of Fear` peaks in episode 3 and struggles to reach a strong climax though nobody can argue that Sarah’s farewell scene, afforded a full six minutes, is amongst the best for any departing regular. Totally different to what would be written now it taps into 1940s films in terms of what is not being said as important as what they do. That it plays out without music makes it even more special leaving the audience to react as they will rather than the modern method of sweeping you up in an orchestral swell. In retrospect it’s also a farewell to a certain Doctor / companion dynamic as subsequent regulars would become more sophisticated or from other worlds or different in some way. This may be the weakest story of the season but the overall standard is very high and this tale cannot quite match it despite some excellent performances and sequences. 

Judith Paris 
Playing Eldrad is something of an anomaly in Judith Paris’ impressive career and given her favourite roles are real life characters. Nonetheless she embodies the challenge. Years later she recalled the costume: “It was a complete all in one body stocking, very high boots, this Egyptian-type head piece, with rock crystals stuck all over. I was stitched into it, I couldn’t move, couldn’t go to the loo, couldn’t drink because I was in it for the day – and they put my voice through a machine to make it sound very strange. It was a lovely part to play because I played the little girl lost to start with and I turned out to be really extremely evil!”

Her impressive career is ongoing today and stretches back to the Sixties. Earlier this year she played the female lead in a Sidmouth Summer Play Festival production of The Dresser and before that playing the legendary role of Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest and Mrs Higgins in My Fair Lady.

Having started dancing at the age of four she went on to train and appear with the Royal Ballet.. After leaving the Royal Ballet School, she  joined Gillian Lynne’s theatre company for three years as a  dancer before joining the National Theatre in 1974 for eleven years during its Peter Hall heyday., Her extensive theatre credits across the decades include one woman plays A Fine Line at the Edinburgh Fringe and Tango In the City. She was the co-director and choreographer on the British outh Opera’s Carmen. Some of her other productions include In the Dead of Night, Hobson’s Choice and Jane Eyre. She was part of the original 1978 cast of Annie and made her Broadway debut in Medea starring Diana Rigg. At the National Theatre  she appeared in  amongst others,  Coriolanus, Little Hotel on the Side, Bow Down and  Spring Awakening, Her favourite of the NT productions she appeared in was Jumpers. She later said; “It was one of the most extraordinary experiences of my life because Dottie is mad, funny, she sings and dances and does huge tragic monologues and it’s written by Tom Stoppard.”

Judith Paris in Waxing Lyrical

She made a number of films- eight for Ken Russell including The Rainbow and Dante's Inferno. Russell also directed the New End Theatre production of Weill and Lenya which Judith Paris wrote. She appeared in guest roles in dozens of TV series and one off productions including Doctors, A Touch of Frost, Mind Games, Within These Walls and The Camomile Lawn. In the mid Nineties she appeared in several New Shakespeare Company productions held in the open air Regents Parks including Comedy of Errors, The Tempest and Paint Your Wagon.

In 2011 she debuted her one woman show Waxing Lyrical based on the life of the real Madame Tussaud and has said her preference is playing real life characters More recently in 2013 she played Sarah Turing in musical The Universal Machine.

The DWAS Yearbook review of this story from 1977... 

 

They read the review. Tom is ok with it, Glyn is angry, Rex is puzzled.