William Hartnell

William Hartnell: The First Doctor Who

Biography:

William Hartnell was spotted by Verity Lambert who was a producer setting up a new science-fiction television series for the BBC, Doctor Who, who then offered him the title role. Although he was initially uncertain, 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 widely remembered. Hartnell came to relish particularly the attention and affection playing the character brought him from children, and he became very fond of the role which also earned him a regular salary of £315 per episode by 1966 (equivalent to £4000 today). In comparison, his co-stars Anneke Wills and Michael Craze earned £68 and £52 per episode respectedly.

Whilst working on The Myth Makers in 1965 his Aunt Bessie, who had looked after him during his troubled childhood, died. The tight production schedules prevented him from taking time off to attend her funeral.

According to some colleagues on Doctor Who, he could be a difficult person to work with, although others, notably actors Peter Purves and William Russell, and producer Verity Lambert, speak glowingly of him after more than forty years. His poor health (arteriosclerosis) as well as poor relations with the new production team on the series following the departure of Lambert, ultimately led him to leave Doctor Who in 1966.

Some commentators now contend that reports of Hartnell’s illness were subsequently exaggerated by Lambert’s successors in the role of producer, John Wiles and Innes Lloyd, to justify removing the expensive actor from the series. Others suggest that it was a mutual decision between Hartnell and the production team that he should leave the programme. However, Hartnell claimed that he did not want to leave the series, writing, in an often quoted letter, “I didn’t willingly give up the part” and it does seem that suggestions that Hartnell’s health was failing him are contradicted by his return to demanding theatre work almost immediately upon leaving Doctor Who.

William Hartnell did reprise the role of the Doctor in the 10th Anniversary story The Three Doctors (made in 1972, broadcast 1972-3) , but appeared only in pre-filmed inserts seen on video screens. His appearance in this story was his last work as an actor as his health had grown progressively worse in the early 1970s and in December 1974 he was admitted to hospital permanently. In early 1975 he suffered a series of strokes and died in his sleep of heart failure on April 23, 1975 at the age of 67. His death was reported on the BBC News and a clip of the Doctor in the TARDIS from the end of The OK Corral, the final episode of The Gunfighters, was shown.

A clip of his scene from the end of the serial The Dalek Invasion of Earth (1964) was used as a pre-credits sequence for the 20th anniversary story The Five Doctors (1983), although another actor, Richard Hurndall, played the role of the First Doctor for the rest of the episode.

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~ by onlydrwho on May 18, 2007.