Another old favourite, this one.
TRUE OR FALSE: In "The Myth Makers", William Hartnell refused to share any scenes with Max Adrian, because Adrian was homosexual.
This one probably started doing the rounds (or gained considerable momentum) when people like Anneke Wills stopped titting around and started telling anyone who would listen just how difficult and intolerant Hartnell could be at times.
(Personally I'm surprised that by the mid-1990's, allegations that William Hartnell stamped on puppies for fun weren't being printed as truth in some of the more sensationalist fanzines of the time).
In other words, this particular myth is often deemed believable solely due to our urge to think the worst of someone, so it jolly well serves us right.
But is there any truth to it?
But is there any truth to it?
Well, a quick glance over the camera scripts for Serial U reveals a total lack of scribbled notes, and no last-minute rewriting of scenes to accommodate the prejudices of the series' star, if that's of any help.
Hartnell was admittedly rather more "crotchety" (as Doctor Who Monthly used to say) than usual during the production of "The (Fan) Myth Makers", and that was largely due to incoming producer John Wiles.
As if having a new boss wasn't bad enough, Hartnell wasn't well pleased when Wiles refused to give him time off to attend his aunt's funeral. And to compound his ill temper, Hartnell had to cope with another upheaval in the regular cast, when Wiles took Maureen O'Brien at her word when he learned of her frequent mutterings about leaving. (O'Brien found out she had effectively been sacked on her return from a lengthy and expensive foreign holiday, booked on the expectation of ongoing regular work).
So that's that one sorted out.
And besides, if William Hartnell refused to work with every actor who was openly gay, he would have found himself doing an awful lot of one-man shows...
Hartnell was admittedly rather more "crotchety" (as Doctor Who Monthly used to say) than usual during the production of "The (Fan) Myth Makers", and that was largely due to incoming producer John Wiles.
As if having a new boss wasn't bad enough, Hartnell wasn't well pleased when Wiles refused to give him time off to attend his aunt's funeral. And to compound his ill temper, Hartnell had to cope with another upheaval in the regular cast, when Wiles took Maureen O'Brien at her word when he learned of her frequent mutterings about leaving. (O'Brien found out she had effectively been sacked on her return from a lengthy and expensive foreign holiday, booked on the expectation of ongoing regular work).
So that's that one sorted out.
And besides, if William Hartnell refused to work with every actor who was openly gay, he would have found himself doing an awful lot of one-man shows...
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