Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons

This is an original Captain Ochre puppet head screen used in the classic 1967 series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons made by the Century 21 productions company of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, John Read and Reg Hill.

These supermarionation puppets housed an internal solenoid which enabled mouth movements that could be synchronised with dialogue. Construction of these puppets was a complex and time consuming process, first a master sculpt would be made from clay and then a plaster mold constructed, from which the heads were cast by layering up fiberglass cloth soaked in polyester resin. The puppets were then dressed with mohair and plastic hemispheres for eyes containing a colour photograph of a human pupil. The lower lips are hinged and held shut by a spring allowing movement in order for the puppet to talk. The rear of the heads are detachable to gain access to the internal mechanisms and are held in place by strong magnets, the joints being covered by the hair. The finely crafted internal mechanisms could be used to control the eye movement of the puppet. It was common for several versions of head to be constructed in addition to the normal heads including smilers, frowners and blinkers.

This particular head is a hero normal Captain Ochre, sculpted by Terry Curtis and voiced by Jeremy Wilkin who also voiced Virgil Tracy in series two of Thunderbirds. It went on to be used in the later Anderson productions Joe 90 and The Secret Service.

The back of the head, internal mechanism and neck mechanism are accurate reproductions created by the the original sculptor Terry Curtis. The eyes are originals which have faded to a pinkish colour as it very common with these puppets.

This puppet head represents the only original Captain Ochre known to exist today, in excellent studio used condition with just a slight split to the bottom lip.

A truly excellent example which is a testament to the quality of Gerry Anderson productions and a rare insight into the Supermarionation process which is sadly an almost forgotten art form.