The Strange Life and Death of Dr Turing (1992)

Film details

Featuring

Paul Vaughan Marvin Minsky Andrew Hodges
Countries

United Kingdom USA
Year

1992
Type

Television

Synopsis

In June 1954, at the age of 41, Dr. Alan Turing a renowned British mathematician and pioneering computer scientist was found dead of cyanide poisoning. At the outbreak of World War II, he was recruited into the Department of Communications, where he helped to break the code used by the German Enigma machine. In 1950, he wrote a paper called "Computer Machinery and Intelligence" which proposed a clear and definitive test to decide what would constitute a 'thinking machine' - a test that has still to be passed. Openly homosexual, he was convicted of gross indecency in 1952 and forced to undergo hormone therapy. Two years later, he committed suicide.

Cast & Credits

Cast
- - narrator
    
    Paul Vaughan
  - interviewee - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    
    Minsky, Professor Marvin
  - interviewee - mathematician and Turing's biographer
    
    Hodges, Dr Andrew
  - interviewee - mathematician
    
    Routledge, Dr Norman
  - interviewee - philosopher
    
    Dennett, Professor Daniel C.
  - interviewee - statistician and cryptanalyst
    
    Good, Professor I.J.
  - interviewee - mathematician and cryptanalyst
    
    Wylie, Dr Shaun
  - interviewee
    
    Joan Murray
  - interviewee - mathematician logician
    
    Gandy Dr Robin
  - interviewee - electronic engineer ('Delilah' Project)
    
    Donald Bayley
  - interviewee - computer scientist/Thinking Machines Corp. (Boston)
    
    Hillis, Dr Daniel
Credits
- Unknown:
  - [Subject of Film]
    
    Alan Turing
  - ©
    
    BBC TV
  - Production Company
    
    Christopher Sykes Productions
  - [Produced] For
    
    BBC TV
  - [Produced] For
    
    WGBH (Boston)
  - Produced by
    
    Christopher Sykes
  - [Series] Editor
    
    Jana Bennett
  - Production Manager
    
    Liselotte Sykes
  - Horizon Unit Manager
    
    Patricia Greenland
  - Research
    
    Andrew Robinson
  - Written by
    
    Christopher Sykes
  - Film Camera
    
    Peter Middleton
  - Film Editor
    
    Gregory Harris
  - Film Sound
    
    Paul Corfield
  - Dubbing Mixer
    
    David Old
  - Consultant
    
    Andrew Hodges
  - Horzon wishes to thank:
    
    Imperial War Museum
  - Horzon wishes to thank:
    
    King's College London
  - Horzon wishes to thank:
    
    The Computer Museum
  - Horzon wishes to thank:
    
    University College