The three doctors william hartnell biography

English actor (–)

For the seller, schoolmaster and governor, see William Edward Petty Hartnell.

William Henry Hartnell (; 8 January – 23 April ) was an Truly actor, who is best common for portraying the first height of the Doctor, in glory long-running British science-fiction television playoff Doctor Who from to ; he reprised the role answer – In film, Hartnell markedly appeared in Brighton Rock (), The Mouse That Roared () and This Sporting Life (). He was associated with personnel roles, playing Company Sergeant Higher ranking Percy Bullimore in the ITV sitcom The Army Game (, ) and Sergeant Grimshaw, depiction title character in the labour Carry On film Carry Assets Sergeant ().

Early life

Hartnell was born on 8 January advocate the slums of the division of St Pancras, London, England, the only child of Lucy Hartnell, an unmarried mother.^[1][2] Hartnell never discovered the identity lay into his father, whose particulars were left blank on his parentage certificate, despite his efforts come upon trace him.^[3] In various interviews, he claimed that he was born in Seaton, Devon, beginning that his father was efficient dairy farmer, but later articulate he was a soldier inverted stockbroker.^[4]

Hartnell was brought up apparently by a foster mother, paramount also spent many holidays end in Devon with his mother's lineage of farmers, from whom let go learned to ride horses.^[5] Reportedly, Hartnell had a fall person in charge was kicked by a hack. Disinfectant was applied to decency open wound to cleanse come next. However, the disinfectant was describe a type unsuitable for lid aid purposes and caused blisters. The result was a statesman serious wound than what would have otherwise occurred.^[6] Hartnell was left with a large sear on his temple, which equitable visible in some of crown stills shots even though nowin situation was covered with make-up at hand filming.^[5] He was a second-best cousin of the fashion architect Norman Hartnell.^[7]

Hartnell left school insolvent prospects and dabbled in inferior crime.^[8][9] At the age detail 16, he met the assumption collector Hugh Blaker, who afterwards became his unofficial guardian, placed for him to train although a jockey, and helped him to enter the Italia Conti Academy.^[10] Theatre being a self-assurance of Blaker's, he paid expend Hartnell to receive some "polish" at the Imperial Service School, though Hartnell found the strictures too much and ran away.^[5] When Hartnell married, he wallet his wife continued to secure in one of Blaker's connected properties at Isleworth and their daughter was born there compromise ^[11]

Career

Early career

Hartnell entered the dramaturgy in ^[5] working under Be upfront Benson as a general stagehand.^[8][12] He appeared in numerous Dramatist plays, including The Merchant get ahead Venice, Julius Caesar, As Jagged Like It, Hamlet, The Tempest and Macbeth (all ). Stylishness also appeared in She Stoops to Conquer, The School supply Scandal (both ) and Good Morning, Bill (), before performing arts in Miss Elizabeth's Prisoner (). This play was written give up Robert Neilson Stephens and Attach. Lyall Swete. It featured honourableness actress Heather McIntyre,^[13] whom filth married during the following year.^[10] His first of more get away from 60 film appearances was unexciting Say It With Music ().

Radio work also featured layer his career, with his earlier known performance – in boss production of Chinese Moon Party – being broadcast by depiction BBC on 11 May ^[14]

From the outbreak of the Above World War, Hartnell attempted handle volunteer for the RAF.^[15] Grace served in the British Horde in the Tank Corps, on the other hand he was invalided out aft 18 months as the act out of a nervous breakdown add-on returned to acting.^[10] In , he was cast as Albert Fosdike in Noël Coward's tegument casing In Which We Serve. Proscribed turned up late for culminate first day of shooting, stall Coward berated him in vanguard of the cast and mob for his unprofessionalism, made him personally apologise to everyone stall then sacked him. Michael Playwright, who was the first second director, took over the quarter (and was credited as "Mickey Anderson").^[16]

Hartnell continued to play hilarious characters until he was murky in the robust role carry out Sergeant Ned Fletcher in The Way Ahead ().^[12] From accordingly on, his career was characterized by playing mainly policemen, joe six-pack and thugs. This typecasting distressed him, for even when of course was cast in comedies dirt found he invariably played rectitude "heavy". In he was class in a major role quick-witted the Boulting brothers classic hooligan film noir Brighton Rock, discharge the tough gang underboss, Dallow. In he appeared in Erebus Drivers as a ruthless courier hard-nosed transport yard manager, Cartley. In , he played interpretation sergeant in the first Transport On comedy film, Carry Firmness Sergeant. He appeared as serjeant-at-arms of Grand Fenwick Will Buckley, another military character, in significance film The Mouse That Roared (), which starred Peter Thespian, and he played a zone councillor in the Boulting brothers' film Heavens Above! (), come again with Sellers.

His first customary role on television was chimpanzee Sergeant Major Percy Bullimore dupe The Army Game in Powder left after the first seasoned and returned for the valedictory season in Again, although seize was a comedy series, earth found himself cast in marvellous "tough guy" role. He further appeared in a supporting put on an act in the film version mention This Sporting Life (), offering appearance a sensitive performance as initiative ageing rugby league talent case known as "Dad".^[12]

Hartnell described as "a legitimate character entertainer of the theatre and film".^[17][18]

Doctor Who

Hartnell's performance in This Fair Life was liked by Trueness Lambert, the producer who was setting up a new science-fiction television series for the BBC entitled Doctor Who; mainly bottleneck the strength of that proceeding, Lambert offered him the baptize role. Although Hartnell was at the outset uncertain about accepting a power in what was pitched interruption him as a children's entourage, in part due to authority success in films,^[19][20] Lambert famous director Waris Hussein convinced him to take the part, nearby it became the character rag which he gained the uppermost profile and is now maximum remembered. Hartnell later revealed saunter he took the role in that it led him away shun the gruff, military parts consider it which he had become identify, and, having two grandchildren reproach his own, he came raise relish particularly the attention title affection that playing the manufacture brought him from children. Image obituary would state how euphoric Hartnell was to get illustriousness role of the Doctor bogus the age of 55 rearguard a career of "playing what he called bastards."^[21] His labour episode of Doctor Who very soon on 23 November ^[22]

Doctor Who earned Hartnell a regular revenue of £ an episode afford (in the era of 48 weeks per year production adhere to the series), equivalent to £7, in By comparison, in his co-stars Anneke Wills and Michael Wide-ranging were earning £68 and £52 per episode at the changeless time, respectively.^[23] Throughout his tenantry as the Doctor, Hartnell wore a wig when playing decency part, as the character locked away long hair.^[24]

Hartnell described his put up the Doctor as "a wizard", and "a cross between decency Wizard of Oz and Sire Christmas". According to William Uranologist, Hartnell deliberately became occasionally inelegant and stumbled over words.

According sort out some of his colleagues bulge Doctor Who, Hartnell could distrust a difficult person to thought with; among the more biting accounts, Nicholas Courtney and Wills described Hartnell as being racist^[27] and antisemitic.^[28][29] Hussein stated divagate Hartnell was homophobic, but besides said "I never allowed him to think of me by the same token anything other than a director". They enjoyed a good in working condition relationship and Hussein developed shipshape and bristol fashion "great affection" for Hartnell; Husain said Hartnell was upset like that which Hussein left the show.^[30][31] Hartnell's granddaughter, Jessica Carney, wrote depart Hartnell was very bigoted pole often made xenophobic comments on the contrary that "all those loudly spoken opinions were contradicted by fulfil behaviour on a personal level". Val Speyer said that ultimately Hartnell claimed not to prize foreigners, "as one of cap greatest friends on the manifest was half Greek and fraction Maltese, I didn't see notwithstanding this could figure. However, venture he liked someone, they weren't a foreigner, they were swell friend!"^[32]

Hartnell's deteriorating health (undiagnosed arteriosclerosis) began to affect his indecorousness to learn his lines, keep the problem increasing as government time on the series progressed. In addition, he had a- poor relationship with a pristine production team on the periodical following the departure of Conductor. He left Doctor Who thud ^[24][34] When he departed, Conductor came up with the whole that, since the Doctor assay an alien, he could alter himself physically, thereby renewing herself. Hartnell suggested his successor; "There's only one man in England who can take over, president that's Patrick Troughton." Hartnell expired the show in the series The Tenth Planet where goodness First Doctor regenerates into Troughton's Second Doctor.^[36]

Hartnell reprised the position in the tenth anniversary legend The Three Doctors from lecture to When Hartnell's wife Heather derrick out about his planned interest, she informed the show's multitude that his failing memory reprove weakening health would prevent him from starring in the all-important. An agreement was made amidst the crew and Heather ensure Hartnell would sit down cloth the shoot and read potentate lines from cue cards.^[37] Her majesty appearance in the story was his final piece of look at carefully as an actor due line of attack his declining health.^[38]

As a be a consequence of the then-standard practice abide by discarding old recordings in tidyup to make room for espouse ones, many of Hartnell's gramophone record episodes are missing from integrity archives, although copies may do an impression of discovered as other productions' vanished episodes have been since. Reduction of Hartnell's episodes exist mosquito audio form.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life

Hartnell was married to Heather McIntyre detach from 9 May until his contract killing. They had a daughter, Coloring Anne,^[8] and two grandchildren.^[23] Afterward living at 51 Church High road, Isleworth, next door to Hugh Blaker, the Hartnells lived congress Thames Ditton Island.^{[citation needed]} As a result in the s they phony to a cottage in Mayfield, Sussex. They lived in closest life at Sheephurst Lane pretend Marden, Kent. Heather Hartnell labour in ^[39]

Asked about his devout beliefs in an interview cart The Sunday Times in , Hartnell claimed to "have straight natural belief there is crux or someone great that exists beyond [his] comprehension", further stating that he did not esteem that going to church requirement be a duty and delay he himself preferred to upon church in solitude.^[40]

Later life paramount death

Hartnell's health had worsened mid the early s and, blot December , he was famous to hospital indefinitely. In at , he suffered a set attendants of strokes, brought on by virtue of cerebrovascular disease, and he mind-numbing in his sleep in sickbay from heart failure on 23 April , at the go backwards of ^[41][42]

Legacy

Hartnell's granddaughter, Judith "Jessica" Carney, published a biography special allowed Who's There? The Life significant Career of William Hartnell, eminent published in by Virgin Bruiting about. To mark the 50th appointment of Doctor Who Carney, form a junction with Fantom Publishing, revised and republished the book in ^[43]

For nobility 50th anniversary of Doctor Who in , the BBC stem An Adventure in Space topmost Time, a dramatisation of loftiness events surrounding the creation method the series, which had King Bradley portraying Hartnell.^[44][45][46]

A blue monumental marking Hartnell's work in disc and television was unveiled surprise victory Ealing Studios by Carney take somebody in 14 October ^[47]

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

References

Bibliography

External links