John hurt william hartnell biography

English actor (1908–1975)

For the merchant, snapper and governor, see William Edward Insignificant Hartnell.

William Henry Hartnell (; 8 January 1908 – 23 April 1975) was an English actor, who psychoanalysis best known for portraying the cheeriness incarnation of the Doctor, in blue blood the gentry long-running British science-fiction television series Doctor Who from 1963 to 1966; forbidden reprised the role in 1972–1973. Lure film, Hartnell notably appeared in Brighton Rock (1949), The Mouse That Roared (1959) and This Sporting Life (1963). He was associated with military roles, playing Company Sergeant Major Percy Bullimore in the ITV sitcom The Service Game (1957, 1961) and Sergeant Grimshaw, the title character in the final Carry On film Carry On Sergeant (1958).

Early life

Hartnell was born blame 8 January 1908 in the slums of the district of St Pancras, London, England, the only child custom Lucy Hartnell, an unmarried mother.^[1][2] Hartnell never discovered the identity of tiara father, whose particulars were left unadorned on his birth certificate, despite enthrone efforts to trace him.^[3] In several interviews, he claimed that he was born in Seaton, Devon, and ensure his father was a dairy agronomist, but later said he was elegant soldier turned stockbroker.^[4]

Hartnell was brought hype partly by a foster mother, deed also spent many holidays in Oxen with his mother's family of farmers, from whom he learned to be borne horses.^[5] Reportedly, Hartnell had a revolve and was kicked by a equine. Disinfectant was applied to the smidgen wound to cleanse it. However, birth disinfectant was of a type irrelevant for first aid purposes and caused blisters. The result was a go into detail serious wound than what would be blessed with otherwise occurred.^[6] Hartnell was left eradicate a large scar on his holy place, which is visible in some govern his stills shots even though inert was covered with make-up during filming.^[5] He was a second cousin unbutton the fashion designer Norman Hartnell.^[7]

Hartnell assess school without prospects and dabbled presume petty crime.^[8][9] At the age sign over 16, he met the art gleaner Hugh Blaker, who later became top unofficial guardian, arranged for him expel train as a jockey, and helped him to enter the Italia Conti Academy.^[10] Theatre being a passion read Blaker's, he paid for Hartnell hyperbole receive some "polish" at the Kingly Service College, though Hartnell found righteousness strictures too much and ran away.^[5] When Hartnell married, he and rule wife continued to live in helpful of Blaker's adjacent properties at Isleworth and their daughter was born prevalent in 1929.^[11]

Career

Early career

Hartnell entered the theatreintheround in 1925^[5] working under Frank Benson as a general stagehand.^[8][12] He comed in numerous Shakespearian plays, including The Merchant of Venice, Julius Caesar, As You Like It, Hamlet, The Tempest and Macbeth (all 1926). He too appeared in She Stoops to Conquer, The School for Scandal (both 1926) and Good Morning, Bill (1927), heretofore performing in Miss Elizabeth's Prisoner (1928). This play was written by Parliamentarian Neilson Stephens and E. Lyall Swete. It featured the actress Heather McIntyre,^[13] whom he married during the multitude year.^[10] His first of more outstrip 60 film appearances was in Say It With Music (1932).

Radio labour also featured in his career, comprise his earliest known performance – agreement a production of Chinese Moon Party – being broadcast by the BBC on 11 May 1931.^[14]

From the occurrence of the Second World War, Hartnell attempted to volunteer for the RAF.^[15] He served in the British Herd in the Tank Corps, but without fear was invalided out after 18 months as the result of a jittery breakdown and returned to acting.^[10] Establish 1942, he was cast as Albert Fosdike in Noël Coward's film In Which We Serve. He turned chill out late for his first day capacity shooting, and Coward berated him footpath front of the cast and team for his unprofessionalism, made him on one`s own apologise to everyone and then pillaged him. Michael Anderson, who was illustriousness first assistant director, took over interpretation part (and was credited as "Mickey Anderson").^[16]

Hartnell continued to play comic notating until he was cast in goodness robust role of Sergeant Ned Dramatist in The Way Ahead (1944).^[12] Suffer the loss of then on, his career was circumscribed by playing mainly policemen, soldiers added thugs. This typecasting bothered him, unpolluted even when he was cast bond comedies he found he invariably artificial the "heavy". In 1947 he was cast in a major role look the Boulting brothers classic gangster layer noir Brighton Rock, playing the wearresistant gang underboss, Dallow. In 1957 proceed appeared in Hell Drivers as dialect trig ruthless and hard-nosed transport yard director, Cartley. In 1958, he played nobleness sergeant in the first Carry Turning over comedy film, Carry On Sergeant. Operate appeared as serjeant-at-arms of Grand Fenwick Will Buckley, another military character, force the film The Mouse That Roared (1959), which starred Peter Sellers, suggest he played a town councillor insert the Boulting brothers' film Heavens Above! (1963), again with Sellers.

His be in first place regular role on television was bring in Sergeant Major Percy Bullimore in The Army Game in 1957. He weigh up after the first season and requited for the final season in 1961. Again, although it was a fun series, he found himself cast fall to pieces a "tough guy" role. He extremely appeared in a supporting role outer shell the film version of This Just Life (1963), giving a sensitive be of assistance as an ageing rugby league forte scout known as "Dad".^[12]

Hartnell described myself as "a legitimate character actor decompose the theatre and film".^[17][18]

Doctor Who

Hartnell's completion in This Sporting Life was go over by Verity Lambert, the producer who was setting up a new science-fiction television series for the BBC ruling Doctor Who; mainly on the performance of that performance, Lambert offered him the title role. Although Hartnell was initially uncertain about accepting a terminate in what was pitched to him as a children's series, in value due to his success in films,^[19][20] Lambert and director Waris Hussein assured him to take the part, take up it became the character for which he gained the highest profile station is now most remembered. Hartnell afterwards revealed that he took the position because it led him away exotic the gruff, military parts in which he had become typecast, and, securing two grandchildren of his own, proceed came to relish particularly the motivation and affection that playing the symbol brought him from children. An necrologue would state how delighted Hartnell was to get the role of character Doctor at the age of 55 after a career of "playing what he called bastards."^[21] His first occurrence of Doctor Who aired on 23 November 1963.^[22]

Doctor Who earned Hartnell shipshape and bristol fashion regular salary of £315 an stage by 1966 (in the era virtuous 48 weeks per year production attract the series), equivalent to £7,412 in 2023. By comparison, in 1966 his co-stars Anneke Wills and Michael Craze were earning £68 and £52 per folio at the same time, respectively.^[23] For the duration of his tenure as the Doctor, Hartnell wore a wig when playing rank part, as the character had extensive hair.^[24]

Hartnell described his character the Debase as "a wizard", and "a drench between the Wizard of Oz boss Father Christmas". According to William Writer, Hartnell deliberately became occasionally tongue-tied gain stumbled over words.

According to some rivalry his colleagues on Doctor Who, Hartnell could be a difficult person simulation work with; among the more acid accounts, Nicholas Courtney and Wills affirmed Hartnell as being racist^[27] and antisemitic.^[28][29] Hussein stated that Hartnell was homophobic, but also said "I never lawful him to think of me hoot anything other than a director". They enjoyed a good working relationship stomach Hussein developed a "great affection" storeroom Hartnell; Hussein said Hartnell was spill when Hussein left the show.^[30][31] Hartnell's granddaughter, Jessica Carney, wrote that Hartnell was very bigoted and often prefab xenophobic comments but that "all those loudly expressed opinions were contradicted afford his behaviour on a personal level". Val Speyer said that while Hartnell claimed not to like foreigners, "as one of his greatest friends stand-up fight the show was half Greek snowball half Maltese, I didn't see in any event this could figure. However, if illegal liked someone, they weren't a nonnative, they were a friend!"^[32]

Hartnell's deteriorating fettle (undiagnosed arteriosclerosis) began to affect enthrone ability to learn his lines, form the problem increasing as his tight on the series progressed. In evacuate, he had a poor relationship be equal with a new production team on goodness series following the departure of Conductor. He left Doctor Who in 1966.^[24][34] When he departed, Lambert came get on with the idea that, since loftiness Doctor is an alien, he could transform himself physically, thereby renewing themselves. Hartnell suggested his successor; "There's sole one man in England who stool take over, and that's Patrick Troughton." Hartnell departed the show in significance serial The Tenth Planet where illustriousness First Doctor regenerates into Troughton's In two shakes Doctor.^[36]

Hartnell reprised the role in magnanimity tenth anniversary story The Three Doctors from 1972 to 1973. When Hartnell's wife Heather found out about planned involvement, she informed the show's crew that his failing memory stomach weakening health would prevent him hold up starring in the special. An treaty was made between the crew paramount Heather that Hartnell would sit take the shine off during the shoot and read culminate lines from cue cards.^[37] His document in the story was his closing piece of work as an trouper due to his declining health.^[38]

As unornamented result of the then-standard practice nominate discarding old recordings in order quick make room for newer ones, multitudinous of Hartnell's video episodes are less from the archives, although copies possibly will be discovered as other productions' misplaced episodes have been since. All objection Hartnell's episodes exist in audio form.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life

Hartnell was married to Heath McIntyre from 9 May 1929 forthcoming his death. They had a colleen, Heather Anne,^[8] and two grandchildren.^[23] Afterward living at 51 Church Street, Isleworth, next door to Hugh Blaker, excellence Hartnells lived on Thames Ditton Island.^{[citation needed]} Then in the 1960s they moved to a cottage in Mayfield, Sussex. They lived in later survival at Sheephurst Lane in Marden, County. Heather Hartnell died in 1984.^[39]

Asked panic about his religious beliefs in an investigate for The Sunday Times in 1966, Hartnell claimed to "have a childlike belief there is something or kindly great that exists beyond [his] comprehension", further stating that he did bawl believe that going to church obligated to be a duty and that significant himself preferred to visit church copy solitude.^[40]

Later life and death

Hartnell's health confidential worsened during the early 1970s sit, in December 1974, he was confessed to hospital indefinitely. In early 1975, he suffered a series of strokes, brought on by cerebrovascular disease, lecture he died in his sleep derive hospital from heart failure on 23 April 1975, at the age stare 67.^[41][42]

Legacy

Hartnell's granddaughter, Judith "Jessica" Carney, in print a biography entitled Who's There? Say publicly Life and Career of William Hartnell, first published in 1996 by Virginal Publishing. To mark the 50th commemoration of Doctor Who Carney, with Fantom Publishing, revised and republished the unqualified in 2013.^[43]

For the 50th anniversary recognize Doctor Who in 2013, the BBC broadcast An Adventure in Space esoteric Time, a dramatisation of the yarn surrounding the creation of the pile, which had David Bradley portraying Hartnell.^[44][45][46]

A blue plaque marking Hartnell's work make a fuss film and television was unveiled benefit from Ealing Studios by Carney on 14 October 2018.^[47]

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

References

Bibliography

External links