William Hartnell

William Henry Hartnell (; 8 January 1908 – 23 April 1975) was an English actor, who is best known for portraying the first incarnation of the Doctor in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who from 1963 to 1966; he reprised the role in the serial The Three Doctors (1972–1973). In film, Hartnell notably appeared in Brighton Rock, 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 Army Game (1957, 1961) and Sergeant Grimshaw, the title character in the first Carry On film Carry On Sergeant (1958).

Early life William Henry Hartnell was born on 8 January 1908 at 24 Regent Square, St Pancras, London, the only child of Lucy Hartnell, an unmarried commercial clerk. Hartnell never discovered the identity of his father, whose particulars were left blank on his birth certificate, despite his efforts to trace him. In various interviews, he stated that he was born in Seaton, Devon, and that his father was a dairy farmer, but later said he was a soldier turned stockbroker.

Hartnell was brought up partly by a foster mother, and also spent many holidays in Devon with his mother's family of farmers, from whom he learned to ride horses. Reportedly, he had a fall and was kicked by a horse. Disinfectant was applied to the open wound to cleanse it. However, the disinfectant was of a type unsuitable for first aid purposes and caused blisters. The result was a more serious wound than what would have otherwise occurred. He was left with a large scar on his temple, which is visible in some of his stills shots even though it was covered with make-up during filming. He was a second cousin of the fashion designer Norman Hartnell.

Hartnell left school without prospects and dabbled in petty crime. At the age of 16, he met the art collector Hugh Blaker, who later became his unofficial guardian, arranged for him to train as a jockey, and helped him to enter the Italia Conti Academy. Theatre being a passion of Blaker's, he paid for Hartnell to receive some "polish" at the Imperial Service College, though Hartnell found the strictures too much and ran away. When Hartnell married, he and his wife continued to live in one of Blaker's adjacent properties at Isleworth and their daughter was born there in 1929.

Career

Early career Hartnell entered the theatre in 1925 working under Frank Benson as a general stagehand. He appeared in numerous Shakespearian plays, including The Merchant of Venice, Julius Caesar, As You Like It, Hamlet, The Tempest and Macbeth (all 1926). He also appeared in She Stoops to Conquer, The School for Scandal (both 1926) and Good Morning, Bill (1927), before performing in Miss Elizabeth's Prisoner (1928). This play was written by Robert Neilson Stephens and E. Lyall Swete. It featured the actress Heather McIntyre, whom he married during the following year. His first of more than 60 film appearances was in Say It With Music (1932).

Radio work also featured in his career, with his earliest known performance – in a production of Chinese Moon Party – being broadcast by the BBC on 11 May 1931.

From the outbreak of the Second World War, Hartnell attempted to volunteer for the RAF. He served in the British Army in the Royal Armoured Corps as a tank commander, but he was invalided out after 18 months as the result of a nervous breakdown and returned to acting. In 1942, he was cast as Albert Fosdike in Noël Coward's film In Which We Serve. He turned up late for his first day of shooting, and Coward berated him in front of the cast and crew for his unprofessionalism, made him personally apologise to everyone and then sacked him. Michael Anderson, who was the first assistant director, took over the part (and was credited as "Mickey Anderson").

Hartnell continued to play comic characters until he was cast in the robust role of Sergeant Ned Fletcher in The Way Ahead (1944).

His first regular role on television was as Sergeant Major Percy Bullimore in The Army Game in 1957. He left after the first season and returned for the final season in 1961. Again, although it was a comedy series, he found himself cast in a "tough guy" role. He also appeared in a supporting role in the film version of This Sporting Life (1963), giving a sensitive performance as an ageing rugby league talent scout known as "Dad".

Hartnell described himself as "a legitimate character actor of the theatre and film".

Doctor Who Hartnell's performance in This Sporting Life was liked by Verity Lambert, the producer who was setting up a new science-fiction television series for the BBC entitled Doctor Who; mainly on the strength of that performance, Lambert offered him the title role. Although Hartnell was initially uncertain about accepting a part in what was pitched to him as a children's series, in part due to his success in films, Lambert and director Waris Hussein convinced him to take the part, and it became the character for which he gained the highest profile and is now most remembered. Hartnell later revealed that he took the role because it led him away from the gruff, military parts in which he had become typecast, and, having two grandchildren of his own, he came to relish particularly the attention and affection that playing the character brought him from children. An obituary would state how delighted Hartnell was to get the role of the Doctor at the age of 55 after a career of "playing what he called bastards." His first episode of Doctor Who aired on 23 November 1963.

Doctor Who earned Hartnell a regular salary of £315 an episode by 1966 (in the era of 48 weeks per year production on the series). By comparison, in 1966 his co-stars Anneke Wills and Michael Craze were earning £68 and £52 per episode at the same time, respectively. Throughout his tenure as the Doctor, Hartnell wore a wig when playing the part, as the character had long hair.

Hartnell described his character the Doctor as "a wizard", and "a cross between the Wizard of Oz and Father Christmas". According to William Russell, Hartnell deliberately became occasionally tongue-tied and stumbled over words.

According to some of his colleagues on Doctor Who, Hartnell could be a difficult person to work with; among the more caustic accounts, Nicholas Courtney and Wills described Hartnell as being racist and antisemitic. Hussein stated that Hartnell was homophobic, but also said "I never allowed him to think of me as anything other than a director". They enjoyed a good working relationship and Hussein developed a "great affection" for Hartnell; Hussein said Hartnell was upset when Hussein left the show. Hartnell's granddaughter, Jessica Carney, wrote that Hartnell was very bigoted and often made xenophobic comments but that "all those loudly expressed opinions were contradicted by his behaviour on a personal level". Val Speyer said that while Hartnell claimed not to like foreigners, "as one of his greatest friends on the show was half Greek and half Maltese, I didn't see how this could figure. However, if he liked someone, they weren't a foreigner, they were a friend!"

Hartnell's deteriorating health (undiagnosed arteriosclerosis) began to affect his ability to learn his lines, with the problem increasing as his time on the series progressed. In addition, he had a poor relationship with Lambert's successor John Wiles, who resigned from the role after barely six months. The producer role was then given to Innes Lloyd who, with new story editor Gerry Davis, developed the idea that since the Doctor was an alien, he could transform himself physically, enabling the production to recast the lead role. Hartnell left Doctor Who in 1966. Hartnell himself suggested his successor; "There's only one man in England who can take over, and that's Patrick Troughton." Hartnell departed the show in the serial The Tenth Planet where the First Doctor regenerates into Troughton's Second Doctor.

Hartnell reprised the role in the tenth anniversary story The Three Doctors, broadcast from December 1972 to January 1973. When Hartnell's wife Heather found out about his planned involvement, she informed the show's crew that his failing memory and weakening health would prevent him from starring in the special. An agreement was made between the crew and Heather that Hartnell would sit down during the shoot and read his lines from cue cards. His appearance in the story was his final piece of work as an actor due to his declining health.

Due to BBC archival policy, 42 of Hartnell's 134 episodes are missing from the archives, although audio recordings exist of all episodes.

Personal life Hartnell appeared alongside Scottish-born actress Heather McIntyre (born Amy Heather Miriam Armstrong McIntyre) in a 1928 production of the romantic comedy Miss Elizabeth's Prisoner. They married in the Chelsea Register Office on 9 May 1929, and had one daughter, Heather Anne (December 1929–14 April 2025), and two grandchildren.

Death Hartnell retired after recording The Three Doctors in 1972, due to ill health. Dwindling funds forced Hartnell and his wife Heather to leave Mayfield in 1972 and move to Marden, Kent, to live with their daughter. With his health in serious decline, Heather became his full-time nurse. In August 1974, Hartnell was admitted to Linton Hospital in Coxheath; in December he was admitted there indefinitely. Following a series of strokes, Hartnell died at Linton Hospital on 23 April 1975, aged 67. His strokes were brought on by cerebrovascular disease, and he died in his sleep from heart failure.

Legacy Hartnell's granddaughter Judith "Jessica" Carney wrote a biography, Who's There? The Life and Career of William Hartnell, published 1996.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, Mark Gatiss wrote the 2013 television film An Adventure in Space and Time, which dramatises the series's production from 1963 to 1966. The film focuses on Hartnell, portrayed by David Bradley. Hartnell's wife Heather is played by Lesley Manville.

A blue plaque marking Hartnell's work in film and television was unveiled at Ealing Studios by Carney on 14 October 2018.

Filmography

Film Year TitleRoleNotes 1932 Say It with Music Film debut 1933 The Lure Billy I'm an Explosive Edward Whimperley Follow the Lady Mike Martindale 1934 Seeing Is Believing Ronald Gibson The Perfect Flaw Vickers Swinging the Lead Freddy Fordum 1935 Old Faithful Minor role Credited as "Billy Hartnell" While Parents Sleep George The Guv'nor Car salesman Uncredited1936 The Crimson Circle Minor role Credited as "Billy Hartnell" The Shadow of Mike Emerald Unknown Uncredited Midnight at Madame Tussaud's Stubbs Credited as "Billy Hartnell" La Vie parisienne Unknown Nothing Like Publicity Pat Spencer Credited as "Billy Hartnell" 1937 Farewell Again Minor role Uncredited 1938 They Drive by Night Bus Conductor Credited as "Billy Hartnell"1939 Too Dangerous to Live Minor role Murder Will Out Dick 1940 They Came by Night Minor role Uncredited 1941 Freedom Radio Radio Location Aerial Operator1942 Flying Fortress Gaylord Parker They Flew Alone Scotty Credited as "Billy Hartnell" Suspected Person Detective Saunders The Goose Steps Out German Officer at Station Uncredited Sabotage at Sea Jacob Digby The Peterville Diamond Joseph Credited as "Bill Hartnell"1943 The Bells Go Down Brookes Credited as "Billy Hartnell" The Dark Tower Jim Powers Credited as "Bill Hartnell" Headline Dell 1944 The Way Ahead Sgt Ned Fletcher Credited as "Billy Hartnell" Strawberry Roan Chris Lowe1945 The Agitator Peter Pettinger Murder in Reverse Tom Masterick 1946 Appointment with Crime Leo Martin 1947 Odd Man Out Fencie Temptation Harbour Jim Brown 1948 Brighton Rock Dallow Escape Inspector Harris 1949 Now Barabbas Warder Jackson The Lost People Barnes 1950 Double Confession Charlie Durham 1951 The Dark Man Police Superintendent 1952 The Magic Box Recruiting Sergeant The Pickwick Papers Irate Cabman The Ringer Sam Hackett The Holly and the Ivy The Company Sergeant-Major (C.S.M.) 1953 Will Any Gentleman...? Detective Inspector (D.I.) Martin 1955 Footsteps in the Fog Herbert Moseby Josephine and Men Detective Sgt Parsons 1956 Private's Progress Sergeant Sutton Doublecross Herbert Whiteway Tons of Trouble Bert 1957 Yangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst Leading Seaman Frank Hell Drivers Cartley The Hypnotist Detective Inspector Ross Date with Disaster Tracey 1958 On the Run Tom Casey Carry On Sergeant Sergeant Grimshawe 1959 Shake Hands with the Devil Sergeant Jenkins The Mouse That Roared Sergeant-at-Arms Will Buckley The Night We Dropped a Clanger Sergeant Bright Strictly Confidential Grimshaw 1960 And the Same to You Walter "Wally" Burton Piccadilly Third Stop Colonel Jackpot Superintendent Frawley 1963 This Sporting Life 'Dad' Johnson Heavens Above! Major Fowler Tomorrow at Ten Freddie Maddox The World Ten Times Over Dad

Television Year TitleRoleNotes1955 Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Presents Christy Season 3, Episode 28: "The Auction" London Playhouse Kenyon Season 1, Episode 7: "The Inward Eye" 1956 The Errol Flynn Theatre Himself Season 1, Episode 13: "The Red Geranium" 1957 A Santa For Christmas Unknown TV movie 1957, 1961 The Army Game Company Sergeant MajorPercy Bullimore 1958–1959 Dial 999 1959 Probation Officer Unknown Season 1, Episode 28 The Flying Doctor Abe McKeller Season 1, Episode 9: "The Changing Plain" 1960 ITV Television Playhouse 1961 Kraft Mystery Theater Smith Season 1, Episode 11: "The Desperate Men" Ghost Squad Fred Rice Season 1, Episode 4: "High Wire"1963 The Plane Makers Wally Griggs Season 1, Episode 15: "One of Those Days"Edgar Wallace MysteriesInspector RobertsSeason 4, Episode 15: "To Have and to Hold" Doctor Who First Doctor 1966 Abbot of Amboise 4 episodes: The Massacre 1967 No Hiding Place Impey Season 10, Episode 2: "The Game" 1968 Softly, Softly Henry Swift Season 3, Episode 13: "Cause of Death" 1969 Life With Johnny Dad Season 1, 2 Episodes inc "Johnny Come Home" 1970 Crime of Passion Henri Lindon Season 1, Episode 6: "Alain"

Theatre