Surviving Footage of William Hartnell Interview (circa. 1967)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 ต.ค. 2021
- The only known surviving footage of William Hartnell being interviewed on video gives a rare insight into his personality and life post-Doctor Who. This interview was shot whilst he was doing his make-up for a pantomime. He seems to get rather angsty when asked about his time as the Doctor and overall a rather grumpy person (the interviewer acknowledges the latter), but at the same time has a natural charm and old man sweetness to him as any other old-fashioned grandfather would. An interesting bloke
Video is not monetised as it is the property of the BBC. For educational purposes only
If any Dr Who fans fancy seeing William Hartnell in a couple of great movies, I can recommend 'The Way Ahead' which can be found free on TH-cam and where he plays a no-nonsense and initially intimidating sergant who earns the respect of his men, and Hell Drivers, where he plays a complete scumbag in charge of a hilariously dangerous haulage company.
Carry On Sergeant is great too, even if he's not the star. I often wondered why he didn't appear in later Carry On films. But seeing this interview when he talks about not liking blue or suggestive humor, it makes total sense why he didn't return (after a point, i'd argue the early Carry Ons were a lot less rude. But hey, maybe he really disliked working on Sergeant. If so, it's a shame, because he's wonderful in it.)
In "This Sporting Life" he plays a gritty manager. A great movie, thoroughly recommended.
Wasn't he the guy in charge of testing the new drivers (assessment)? Or was he the main head honcho?
@@LandersWorkshop He was the head honcho, lording it over everyone else from his super-villain lair of a small portacabin.
@@PeterEvansPeteTakesPictures lol
I have TREMENDOUS appreciation for William Hartnell. Doing Doctor Who 48 weeks a year must have been a nightmare for the entire team.
That's MY Doctor!
I think it insane they worked so many weeks of the year back then making Dr Who. It would have been exhausting.
@@Noycey64 Yes, and again to Bill's credit he did it for 3 and a bit series even though he was shattered after a day's work.
A tough old shift, right enough
@@paulohagan3309 and yet Troughton complained and wanted to go after his first year and yet it had gone from 48 to 42 weeks. Just shows you.
I recall when given the option to leave Doctor Who, he said that he would rather stay "for the children." What a champion.
Now this is an interview. No bullshit, no sales pitches, just an actor being his authentic self without giving a shit about what people think of him. The real William Hartnell didn't have the charm of the First Doctor but the poor guy was typecast as basically himself for a long time. When he finally had a chance to do something different, he jumped at it and excelled. According to William Russel AKA Ian Chesterton, Hartnell deliberately flubbed some of his lines, presumably to differentiate the Doctor from his other characters as well as convey that he was "wearing a bit thin" (I love that Steven Moffat repeats that line with John Hurt 47 years later). When you see the First Doctor get bubbly and excited you can just disconnect him from the grumpy, short tempered guy who played him.
What a wonderful glimpse at Mr. Hartnell. He was a treasure.
He flubbed lines? I've seen plenty examples of him slurring his words, stumbling with some words, but that's probably because they filmed long takes and it was a lot like filming theater because of the limits of their camera technology.
you're wrong. he had all the charm of the first Doctor. he was wonderful with children; they adored him. he would stay in character and dress as Doctor Who while visiting schools.
It's unbelievable that he's only 59/60 years old in this. People aged very differently back then.
How so?
they certainly did, although hartnell was quite sick at this point and so looks even rougher, certainly from behind you can see he looks unhealthily underweight due to his conditions :(
If you watch movies when he's in his 30s he already looks old. I think that's probably one of the reasons he was cast.
@@jhibbitt1I've studied this for years. Most of the stuff about him being ill at this time is just a myth. He was fired from Doctor Who because he didn't get along with the producer. Back in those days they were much more polite in interviews so they didn't say he was fired but instead said he left because he was ill.
@@kennethraymondmoore i'll admit i'm a little sceptical of that. where did you hear it and how do you know it's true?
It just shows how much of a performance he was putting on as the doctor. A lot of people probably assumed he was just an old man being an old man.
RIP William Hartnell (January 8, 1908 - April 23, 1975), aged 67
You will be remembered as a legend.
It is shocking to me to now be older than he was when he first played The Doctor.
It's so interesting how it reminds me of Christopher Ecclestons take on the show once it was done (even though we all know the circumstances for that were very different). No bullshit, no lip service, being in the state of mind that progresses their careers so as to not get typecast. Both love their craft and approached it with the seriousness such a thing demands. Absolute respect.
i guess they both had similar circumstances that they weren't replacing a different doctor to continue a show that was already running and successful. it seems like the doctor actors that did that had the benefit of knowing more about what they were getting into.
While it may well have been true, I don't think it fair to paint Hartnell as a "grump". He was a good man who had been through some hard things in his life. And I absolutely resonate and appreciate his "no nonsense/get the hell out of my face" attitude. I understand from stories that he could be difficult to work with sometimes. But I also absolutely believe that his original companions, especially, those actors loved Bill. I'm glad that Patrick Troughton came along, because he's my 2nd fav. Doctor. And if they hadn't been forced to come up with the "regeneration" idea, Who wouldn't have lasted, and I'd have never gotten my TOP favorite, Pertwee.
But it also saddens me that Hartnell was basically forced to step down from a role he reportedly enjoyed, because of his declining health/memory. I love that he personally recommended Troughton to replace him. But I'm sure it still broke his heart, and was more than a bit humbling/humiliating to be told he was getting too old/sick to play the role he basically created. So I'm sure he was a bit bitter/raw about that, and plus I'm sure people wouldn't stop asking him about Who, which I'm sure could get very annoying.
I sincerely hope that it was consolation to him in his last years of life to know that he was absolutely pivotal - crucial - in the creation of an iconic British character and institution. That kind of legacy is extraordinary. He _must_ have known . . .
Made some good films,
we all age, if we are lucky. we all have many experiences that we want to continue, but we all pass to an unknown. coming to grips with mortality, to me is better comfort than it being a surprise...
You can still see glimmers of the Doctor in Bill's replies.
A cross between the Wizard of Oz and Santa Claus might be the best description of the First Doctor, and most of the following ones too!
Father Christmas.
i believe peter capaldi was inspired by that quote when he got the part
The very last second of this film, he gives us a great smile! A shame that shot couldn't have been held a little longer.
It's astonishing. And painful, and desperately sad. But still somehow awe-inspiring.
William Hartnell was extremely talented. (he was also very modest) He always used to come across as rather too serious. (mind you - many actors did in those days) He was extremely good-looking; women fancied him.(I did!) He looked much older when doing Dr. Who; one because of the make-up they used (because he was supposed to be an old man in the series) the other his health - he wasn’t old, though being in your fifties (for those young babes of today) you were knocking on a bit! He could pretty much do anything. Very underestimated as an actor. See some of his old movies. I think someone once called him ‘sexy’ when he was younger - but he didn’t like it!
I can’t blame him for being irritated at this interviewer. When he says pantomime isn’t his future, the interviewer immediately assumes that Hartnell “lacks” some sort of skill for doing pantomime, when he’s clearly saying the opposite… he’s too overqualified as an actor to make a living in pantomime. And of course he’s right, pantomime isn’t the “legitimate” theatre, it’s just a lark.
now *THIS* is an interview.
What a grumpy bugger eh. Love it. Never thought David Bradley captured the 1st Dr well, no Mmms & ahhs and Chesterfields lines. Thanks for uploading this.
Agreed. I’ve heard some brilliant impersonations of other actors to play the Doctor, but no one has ever really been able to master a spot-on First Doctor.
He did good impression of William Hartnell, but he could never get his Doctor. William always spoke differently when he was acting and while he was in interview. It was all about character to him.
Bradley sounds slow and the words a little empty, like a ponderous old man. Hartnell never played it that way. He was much more exuberant, giggly and fun. A shame that many fans feel Bradley nailed it. Hurndell wasn't that great either. Sour and grumpy. Still waiting for a take-off that is curious, gruff and yet fun-loving.
Now THIS, this right here, is very interesting indeed.
This footage was shot in Taunton, Somerset for BBC Points West I believe, whilst he was coming to the end of his pantomime run in January 1967. There was actually an earlier interview he did the previous month for BBC Look East while he was in Ipswich, Suffolk for the tour. However, for some unknown reason the team has since disposed of the footage.
Do you know what part he played?
Buskin the Cobbler.
I think no matter how much I enjoyed playing a role, if I kept getting asked the same questions about it, I'd get a little grumpy too--especially if a) I'd been asked to leave before I was ready, b) the show I'd starred in for three years was doing perfectly well without me, despite my misgivings about its direction, and c) I was trying to put it behind me and move on to something else. Fascinating footage; thanks for posting!
Unless you're Tom Baker.
Wow. He’s so skinny. This is priceless 😊. I’m sure after 3 years he was bitter he was asked to leave. Plus the show was so new he couldn’t care less. Little did he know it’s still on 60 years later.
You can see where an Adventure in Space and Time got their inspiration from certain lines: "the Wizard of Oz mixed with Father Christmas" "talk turkey"
also the entire bit about variety vs legitimate character acting is paraphrased almost exactly
Gosh Bill was straight talking no nonsense
To be fair, the interviewer, as poor interviewers are often want to do, was asking a few fairly dumb questions.
@@Retrorevelations to be honest I think the questions posed by the interviewer succeeded in drawing out the real Hartnell, maybe unintentionally so.
@@colinmcdonough4034 I think Hartnell was just irritated by stupid people asking stupid questions and rightly so.
@@tl1110 going by the testimony of his co stars in the last 18 months of his reign working with Hartnell was like walking on eggshells. As his Doctor's character softened over time he became more irascible in real life.
"Would you ever consider returning to the roll of The Doctor?" "No. They've replaced me with a clown, and who knows who they'll cast after him? Probably some sort of dandy type character I shouldn't wonder. No, I wouldn't come back to all that nonsense."
More lost footage... "And what would you say if the BBC decided to keep recasting, perhaps even giving the role to a woman eventually?" "They can do whatever they like. If the BBC want to ruin the show with silly gimmicks, well that's on them I suppose. I would feel bad for the children though, if the BBC turned the show into something it wasn't supposed to be. You see, it's the children that are the ones that will ultimately suffer as the show is loved so much by them. You must understand that the idea was carefully crafted, and that's why they chose me. I did the best I could to uphold those ideas, and the show was a serious drama back then. That's all I know. Now I've moved on, so I can't speak to any of those things."
@@chrise7359Great comment 👍
I thoroughly agree with the sentiment.
Great interview. Good questions, especially the oone about pantomime. As an actor, one uses all physical and vocal abilities to get the job done. Pantomime is restrictive in that it limits the actor's arsenal of things they can use, and this might not be up Hartnell's tree. Playing the Doctor might have been a reflection of Hartnell himself to a degree. A big "what if..", playing mind games, would have been to imagine someone like Ecclestone playing the first Doctor, and Hartnell playing the War Doctor. Switching Tom Baker and Matt Smith's Doctors is also an interesting mind exercise. But Hartnell was the perfect choice for the role he played.
This is amazing footage of Hartnell . Thank you so much for posting this golden piece of film !
He is saying that the legitimate theater and the variety theater are two different skillsets, which is correct. They were adjacent worlds, and he was a guest of the performers who specialized in variety.
If you say that television requires different skills than movies or the stage, that is not an insult. If you say that comedy and tragedy are not the same, there is no insult.
Being able to "code switch" back and forth between acting dialects is a very nice display of skill.
Very well worded. 👏
I didn't realize how skinny he was until I watched The Romans.
In some ways he does sound a little bitter about his time in Doctor who even though he had said many times that it was the best time of the life, which I would imagine is down to him still feeling a little upset that he was in a way forced out of the show due to his own poor health which must have hurt him a lot. Much as I'm sure he was fine with someone else coming along and playing the doctor I imagine it must have been at least a little upsetting to see someone else playing a role in a show that you once had and loved doing, as well the fact that anytime the media talked to you they only ever wanted to talk about Doctor who
Yeah, that had to have been a hard experience. From this interview I also get the sense he very much saw himself as a traditional actor, and anything less than traditional acting as being artistically illegitimate. And even by 1967 it was probably pretty clear that his career and life had become defined by Doctor Who, a cheesy sci-fi show for kids. I'd imagine that probably stung his ego on some level, even if he loved the experience of working on the show as well(what actor woudn't love being the lead?).
Maybe that’s why they are trying to rewrite this or him out as the first doctor
He will always be the first actor to play The Doctor. Show writers come and go, and meddle with and add to continuity, but they can't change that.
He was a little bit pulled out of Dr Who too if I understand it correctly, his wife wanted him to slow down due to health issues. I think you can even see him struggle a bit with his words in this interview. The life he had in childhood might have made him want to push himself to work as much as he could, to not be poor again.
One of his granddaughters, Judith "Jessica" Carney, wrote a book about him and it seems he like the fact that the girls would watch Dr Who. It allowed him to bond with them.
I will say, though I have my own personal reservations about Hartnell as a person, I don't anybody deserves to have their career so preemptively ended by a horrible disease right when he was finally getting to show his full range, as had happened to him. It's sad considering that he spent about 90% of his career getting typecast, and when he finally scored a role that allowed him to really flex his full potential he almost immediately had to give up acting for good.
What a lovely accent he has when he's not laying on the RP (as they all did).
it would be nice if one day they somehow do a machine learning version of a Hartnell episode with a Hartnells regional accent option instead of the rp
Yeah noticed here his voice is a little bit different and accent his real one
@@DaveTravelsinTime Though there is one silly little line of his from his Doctor Who performance I can't forget: very deliciously RP and old-fashioned: something like: "look at all these telly-vision eyes rrrround about" referring to closed-circuit TV on (I think) a dalek space ship.
There are lots of those funny little things he says that make you wonder whether or not people ever did speak like that.
THIS IS TERRIFIC! THANK YOU!
Fascinating. Thanks
Great find!
Glad he was able to shake it off.
What excellent casting.
He must be in a dressing room. Looks like he is putting a little makeup on.
I love the way he sounds and talks.
The sad thing is how he talks about how he will make a success at something else. My understanding, from his granddaughters biography of him, this pantomime was the last work he did in the theatre. She says he wasn’t great in this panto and forgot lines. But it didn’t matter because the kids in the audience loved him. He was still Dr Who as far as they were concerned and they loved every moment. But it was far away from his best work. He had but a few roles afterwards, making one-off appearances in other series, and he never had another major role until his brief and final performance in The Three Doctors.
This is awesome
Love this❤
16mm footage he shot in 1972 for The Three Doctors would be nice to see...
Maybe one day it’ll turn up, could be tucked away in someone’s collection
@@geordiewalker2102 found out it was junked in 1976
@@philward2538 I suppose nothing from that serial survives so I guess so.
@@geordiewalker2102 when the 3 Doctors were having their photos taken.Barry Letts sidestepped William Hartnell and got the single shot of him in front of the flowers..which was shot Mon 6th Nov 1972 in the grounds of Ealing Film Studios..The same day he shot all his monitor scenes..The same time Pertwee was filming his scenes with Omegas champion..Shame Barry Letts didnt get a short scene of the 3 actors just eyeing each other up..Just a 10 second scene..After all the 3 were having photos taken the same day
Bill didn't take any crap!
Now that's the Doctor!
Watch William Hartnell in Brighton rock , Some actor.
He has that alien quality doesn't he in this interview.
Worth chasing down the old B-movie "Hell Drivers." It stars Hartnell and a very young Sean Connery.
Stanley Baker! Herbert Lom! Patrick McGoohan!!!! Be seeing you...
Bloody hell, I'd have got annoyed at that interviewer as well. Seems he didn't like Hartnell and wanted to provoke him. Perhaps there'd been a curt exchange before the cameras started rolling but in any case the interviewer was tremendously disrespectful.
I thought he was a bit of a wanker too
Very disrespectful interviewer to Mr Hartnell .
what is britspeak for 'a real dick'?
@@jonnyq680 'A bit of a bad hat' or, if incandescent with uncontrollable rage, 'I say old man, that was not on.'
A adventure of space and time was great
Truly. I want a region 1 dvd. And Star Cops! And Blake's Seven! Box sets!
So he's 59 here, which I am now. I always thought he looked much older than his actual age in Dr. Who. Maybe it's just the way they made him up, and the way his character was supposed to act.
Years of heavy drinking took their toll, too...
Geez I thought he was in his 70s here
He was only 67 years old when he passed away
Same as Patrick. It's a tragedy
Pertwee said the same of the Daleks.
I dont think he appeared grumpy. He seemed very honest and articulate
I had no idea he was that thin
Interesting
Hartnell: I don't like anything blue or sidiaous or suggestive....
Torchwood: *coughs*
He lived in a more moral, blessed time. EXCEPT of course for how actors of colour were treated. Oh dearie dear.
Back then there wasn't sex and swearing everywhere. Doctor Who has used the word 'bitch' now. That shouldn't happen. Its a family show! Its not Torchwood!
@@steveandjeanniefrith236 Please provide evidence of the mistreatment of 'actors of colour' if you would, please.
@@rnw2739 I know one instance. He wasn't nice to Earl Cameron during the filming of his final adventure, The Tenth Planet. He was openly racist and dismissive of him, behind his back and to his face. Anneke Wills confirms this and claims she and Michael Craze were 'embarassed of Bill'. Although she specifies she and Michael knew and accepted that Bill was 'of the older generation' and was a bit old fashioned. She even joked that the swinging Sixties must have been shocking to him.
@@steveandjeanniefrith236 Earl Cameron stated that Hartnell was not rude to him on set and that ‘if he was unkind, I wasn’t aware of it.’
William Hartnell was in the first cary on film
Yes, Carry on Sergeant.
Very good actor . I think he is bitter about Dr who here though as he loved the program but his poor health meant he could no longer continue in the role
Blimey! Interview footage with William Hartnell is like gold dust. We see a man that comes across as natural and not like a lot of fellow actors: pretentious and lofty.
If only the remaining part of the interview could be found. I agree with other comments about the interviewer - he was being quite disrespectful and provocative toward William Hartnell.
0:38….SPOILERS…. As of 2022, he has yet to shake it off or make as success of something else.
Well, his non-Who career was actually bigger than what most of the classic Doctors had. But that was all before the show, not after.
I'm hardly as successful a performer as he, but I do know that work is work. Far better to work than sit at home waiting for better tomorrow to be granted him.
There's a very closed mind there. So closed off to learning an new experiences. He's so afraid of being typecast in something he he thinks will pigeonhole him that he's pigeonholed himself. Though he doesn't know he has only 10 years left, he's still holding on to hopes of the past as his today runs through his fingers.
I think that's a function of the social class distinction having yet to fall apart. He's trying to play by rules he hasn't realized are dying.
I am only guessing, but the great war may have hurt his family, and the uncertainty of WWII had the profound effect of making him want to play it safe.
It hurts to watch him do it to himself.
Thank for sharing this!
This interview right here is why I find the idea that Hartnell would be angry with Chibnall for the Timeless Child so ridiculous. Does this sound like a man who would care, even in the slightest, what Doctor Who was doing with its story and lore decades after his death? I think not.
Yes but from the 1967 perspective, the show wasn't institutionalised, like having an international fanbase, Big Finish, doctor who magazine/novels, hardcore fans who campaigned to have the show come back and stuff like that, yes it was a national success but in 1967, it was just a show that wasn't expected to last 10 years nevermind 60. You move 55 years forward from the interview, I think Bill would be astounded but yes 60 years does come with falls and slides, and the fanbase isn't as divided as it was 4 years ago.
William Hartnell is the original doctor who you might say because with out William Hartnell you might no have a doctor for Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee and tom baker and Peter Davidson and Colin baker and Sylvester mcocoy and Paul Mcgann and Christopher Elston and David Tennant and matt Smith and Peter cpolid and Jodi Whittier and any another actor so well done William Hartnell
Jodie who
I can see why Peter Cushing was cast in the movies. They look a lot alike.
When was this footage uncovered?
During or prior to 2013 I believe
It was discovered in 2009 actually, but not released til 2013 with The Tenth Planet DVD.
From the comments, I learned he was forced to leave the show due to health. I always figured the producers came up with the regeneration concept from the beginning of the series, so they could replace any actor who felt he owned the role and started to demand more money. It would have always been a threat to the actor to not cause trouble or he could easily be replaced. I'm an American and have seen some of the installments, but aren't completely familiar with the series. Since the Dalek appears to have a toilet plunger for one arm and the inside of a paint roller for the other, it always seemed to me the Doctor should follow the distribution of these items to shutdown the Dalek production facility.
you're only incorrect in one area, the producers did not come up with the idea for regeneration right at the start. they had no idea how long the series would last and so assumed hartnell would always play the part. it was only when hartnell started to struggle with health problems really badly. the show was too popular for them to cancel it due to him, so that was when they thought about replacing him and when regeneration was invented
He gives off John Lydon vibes. Is it just me?
GIVEN THAT THERE REALLY ARE TWO STORIES...AS TO WHY WILLIAM HARTNELL LEFT DOCTOR WHO.....1... the ill health story......and 2.. the was awkward to work with ....story.............well.. watching this.....i tend to go along with the latter....!!!!!!
Mark Gatiss...was torn on this issue too....in his dramatisation....in 2013.....so he went with BOTH versions..............in this film.... my suspicions of his personality.....being the reason.....remain strong,..still.................
Poor health and a constant change of companions made William grumpy
He also had a massive falling out with the producer that took over from Verity Lambert after the guy unceremoniously sacked Maureen O'Brien (who Hartnell loved working with). I don't think it was ever really the same for him after Verity left, which no doubt didn't help, coupled with his health issues and the production schedule.
have you heard of Grammarly?
I have to say - I never imagined him doing his own eyeliner…..
I guess that theatre was more the economy-budget territory?
To be fair, in the theatre actors have a tendency to do their own makeup. It’s part of the craft and, in many ways, is part of creating the character.
0:01
So you telling me Hartnell put on a voice to play the first doctor?
Yes
I don't understand how he was able to do pantomime, which is supposed to be very strenuous for an actor, when he was in such poor health.
If anybody is only from the UK and may not know who I am talking about. Hartnell is a real life version of Archie Bunker. A grumpy, dissatisfied, nationalistic Biggot who had dreams that didn’t really come true(be as famous as Sir Laurence Olivier).
Telling it like it is and probably mindfcked from two world wars didn't help either.
We spoke our minds 50 year ago, now people are offended if you say ‘BOO’, to loudly, Bill is being perfectly normal here…
呃呃总是没时间不然我就把老版dw也看了😭老版博士都认不全，好他妈失败
If he thinks pantomime is beneath him then why is he doing it ?!? Grumpy old sod 😂
He’s an actor, gotta go where the work is lol
No-one else would hire him.
What happened to William Hartnell's Doctor Who thanks to Chris Chibnall has totally disrespected the cannon of the series. Thus far the Jodie Whitaker era has been the Woke low that hopefully will not be repeated. Log live Doctor Who.
It can always be fixed I think, think they could try and make out The Master was high as a kite and felt like having a laugh to annoy the Doctor
Man if you hate sci-fi being woke, then you must not watch much sci-fi, given that social progression and societal criticism are the two main themes of all sci-fi.
@@madelinebitts2766 NEVER should a really talented production like is happening with so many TV and movies today be so one sided on social issues and criticisms. Doctor Who has lost it's way and it's once higher standards. It's been hijacked by woke mob just as too many productions have been done.
@@madelinebitts2766 Then it's high-time for a sci-fi backlash against the woke progressive shite.
Loved him in everything... The way ahead/Immortal battalion he was BRILLIANT as regular army...❤❤❤
Wonder what he would think of Ncuti Gatwa doubt he'd be too pleased apparently he was a bit of a racist
It really depends, I saw that in the Tenth Planet DVD documentary the actor who played Polly said he was racist about the casting of one of the astronauts who was black. Nicholas Courtney also said he made a comment about a Jewish extra, but Warris Hussein I think was the first producer and he is Indian and Carol Ann Ford is Jewish and he apparently got on really well with them.