Great Fan Myths of Who No.5

During a recent conversation, I was suddenly reminded of this old chestnut. I can't remember where I first heard it, but I really must sit down one day and go through old Matrix Data Bank columns in back issues of Doctor Who Monthly...

TRUE OR FALSE? William Hartnell had an uncredited cameo in Jon Pertwee's debut story, "Spearhead From Space".

 

Well, I think it's safe to say that this is utterly false. But looking at the scene in question, you can see how the misunderstanding could have arose.

 

It would have been bloody cool if it were true, though...

 

 

Of course, "Spearhead From Space" does genuinely feature one notable uncredited guest cameo, which is probably the point where people started getting their wires crossed.

 

So here's series Producer Derrick Sherwin, who bravely stepped in after he sacked the original actor for presumably not being able to perform a comedy car park attendant well enough...

 

 

Publicity Shots From Hell No.105

Being a self=professed legitimate actor, surely William Hartnell would never have been expected to perform alongside pantomime ants. 

So it's a good thing that Richard Martin and John Wood didn't have any of that sort of thing lined up for "The Web Planet", isn't it?

So far, posterity has not revealed what Hartnell's initial reaction was to the Zarbi. (Or if it has, I was drunk and have forgotten it).

I do hope he insisted that the Zarbi should at least have their legitimate legs fitted before he carried on any further...

Great Fan Myths of Who No.2

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?

 

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...

Publicity Shots From Hell No.86

Down the years, many members of the cast and production crews associated with William Hartnell's tenure on Yer Who have commented on how he maintained a fixed idea as to which controls on the TARDIS console were assigned to particular functions.



Which is very handy, when you are called upon to explain the workings of a time machine to a comedy cowboy, while dressed in your Rehearsal Jumper...

"I Would Like a Hat Like That!" No.21 - Hairpiece Special

Right. While the usual harvest mayhem and a poorly laptop have both contributed to the recent stretch of inactivity on these pages, I have finally managed to commemorate the recent rediscovery of what is so far the only existing on-screen interview with William Hartnell.

 

And what's it all about, then?

 

Well, that would be Buskin the Fairy Cobbler, and Hartnell's dismissal of pantomime as a valid theatrical form, of course!

"I Would Like a Hat Like That!" No.16 - Revolution Special

To commemorate the DVD release of Serial H, here for your delight is a very fine hat indeed.

 

 

Not the best shot of it, I will admit. But even glorious black and white could not convey the full grandeur of that plume...

Publicity Shots from Hell No.13

It's become usual at this stage for me to introduce this installment's photograph with some well-chosen bon mot or other, or offer some personal anecdote about what it represents.   

Not this time though, since I haven't got a bloody clue as to what is going on here. My eyes are seeing it, but the words are failing to make any sense no matter how prettily you arrange them.

Or maybe I used to know and have just forgotten due to the ravages of time and gin.

Either way, if anybody can shed any light on this image, I would be very grateful...

Publicity Shots from Hell No.6

A picture is worth a thousand words, some say.

Some might also say that the expressions on the faces of the two main protagonists are priceless in themselves.

And I bet the girls in the back are whispering that he smells of wee...