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Who's There - The Life & Career of William Hartnell
From light musical comedy to a succession of mean crooks and bullying sergeant-majors, William Hartnell’s long and varied career included a number of iconic British films including Carry On Sergeant, This Sporting Life and Brighton Rock. However, it is for his role as a time-travelling eccentric that he is most fondly remembered.
Hartnell played the very first Doctor from 1963 – 1966, pitting his wits again many foes and monsters including the Daleks and the Cybermen, laying the foundations for what was to become a global institution.
Jessica Carney’s closely researched biography of her grandfather includes stories from many of the hundreds of stars of stage and screen with whom he worked, among them Richard Attenborough, Verity Lambert, Bob Monkhouse, Carole Ann Ford, David Langton and Lindsay Anderson.
"A fascinating and very moving account of a complicated and talented actor. William Hartnell rose from the humblest beginnings to become a heavyweight screen star and, ultimately, an unlikely hero to millions of children as the first Doctor Who. In this 50th anniversary year, it's wonderful to see how Jessica Carney pulls together all the threads of a tangled life in such a sympathetic but honest fashion. Bill was no saint but he emerges as a fully-rounded, difficult and fascinating personality in this splendid biography”.
– Mark Gatiss
"Like the character of the Doctor himself, Hartnell went through several different incarnations during his career: light comedian, ruthless gangster, tough professional soldier. These, together with his private life, are the subject of this carefully researched and utterly absorbing biography by Hartnell’s granddaughter"
– Jeffrey Richards, Sunday Telegraph
Updated and available for the first time in over fifteen years, Jessica Carney’s biography is published to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the character that made him immortal – Doctor Who!
Hartnell played the very first Doctor from 1963 – 1966, pitting his wits again many foes and monsters including the Daleks and the Cybermen, laying the foundations for what was to become a global institution.
Jessica Carney’s closely researched biography of her grandfather includes stories from many of the hundreds of stars of stage and screen with whom he worked, among them Richard Attenborough, Verity Lambert, Bob Monkhouse, Carole Ann Ford, David Langton and Lindsay Anderson.
"A fascinating and very moving account of a complicated and talented actor. William Hartnell rose from the humblest beginnings to become a heavyweight screen star and, ultimately, an unlikely hero to millions of children as the first Doctor Who. In this 50th anniversary year, it's wonderful to see how Jessica Carney pulls together all the threads of a tangled life in such a sympathetic but honest fashion. Bill was no saint but he emerges as a fully-rounded, difficult and fascinating personality in this splendid biography”.
– Mark Gatiss
"Like the character of the Doctor himself, Hartnell went through several different incarnations during his career: light comedian, ruthless gangster, tough professional soldier. These, together with his private life, are the subject of this carefully researched and utterly absorbing biography by Hartnell’s granddaughter"
– Jeffrey Richards, Sunday Telegraph
Updated and available for the first time in over fifteen years, Jessica Carney’s biography is published to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the character that made him immortal – Doctor Who!
394 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 5, 2014
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2356497.html[return][return]In 1958, William Hartnell, riding off his success in the military TV sitcom The Army Game, played the title role and got top billing in the first installment of a franchise that was to last for decades, though it went into hiatus around 1990; later stars of the series included Jon Pertwee, Bernard Cribbins, Peter Butterworth and Bernard Bresslaw, and Windsor Davies and Alexei Sayle made appearances too. Carry On Sergeant, in retrospect, was the peak of his cinematic career, with the really big breakthrough on the big screen never quite coming; his usual form was to be super-effective, and yet not quite scene-stealing, supporting the bigger names.[return][return]Jessica Carney was his granddaughter - she's the basis for the little girl character in An Adventure In Time And Space - and has made a good honest effort to get under the skin of the grandfather she knew only as a stressed elderly man, who turned into a hero on television. The 180 pages of narrative reach Doctor Who only on page 154, which actually shows a rather admirable sense of proportion; Hartnell's life was much more than Who.[return][return]And it was a tough life. His father is unknown, and his unmarried mother was pretty much absent. (His birth family were not completely estranged - he remained in touch with his second cousin Norman Hartnell throughout their lives.) As a boy he eked out a life of expulsions from numerous schools and petty crime. In his teenage years the good-looking rough lad was adopted by the art connoisseur Hugh Blaker, who sent him to acting school and got him onto an upward track generally.[return][return]And from then on Hartnell steadily carved out a line in serious supporting parts (see eg here, esp from 1:22:00, or here with Jon Pertwee and George "Minder" Cole) with occasional glimpses of greater things as mentioned above (though even in Carry On Sergeant he had to fight for top billing with the young Bob Monkhouse). He remained very insecure, pursuing younger women, fussing about food and cooking, drinking when he wasn't working (which was more often than he liked). His wife Heather, who had grown up next door to John Masefield in Oxford, was a serious creator in her own right, both as actress and playwright; one of her plays was filmed.[return][return]Doctor Who was much the best thing that ever happened to William Hartnell professionally, and reading this second hand account is irresistibly reminiscent of reading the first-hand account of that other intriguingly flawed character, Tom Baker, for whom Doctor Who was a redemptive experience, enabling him to be reincarnated from sinner to hero. Hartnell, who was never religious as far as we can tell, lapped up his new connection with his young audience, and perhaps soldiered on longer than he should have because he was loving it too much.[return][return]Doctor Who now goes back almost 51 years, but in 1963 it had no history at all; and its future rested on Hartnell's own 38 years as an actor. I would have liked Carney to dig a little more into, say, how and why Hartnell's career differed from those of his contemporaries - he was born in the same year as John Mills, Rex Harrison, Michael Redgrave and Robert Morley (all of whom started acting professionally after he did, but came from more privileged social backgrounds). But I think this book is quite a good explanation of how and why he ended up in the role for which he is best known, and how and why he played it the way that he did, setting up the programme for a longevity he could not have imagined.
November 18, 2014
William Hartnell played the very first Doctor Who for three years in the mid 1960s. His biography reveals a man who was very different in reality from the character that he portrayed and went on to inspire a television series now over 50 years old. Born illegitimate in 1908, he was rejected by his mother, became a street kid and petty thief, trained as a boxer and a jockey, and eventually ended up in the theatre. He appeared in dozens of plays and movies, and worked with many illustrious actors, including Richard Attenborough, James Cagney and Peter Sellers, and was quite a well-established and reasonably famous actor himself when cast as the Doctor. Written by his real-life granddaughter Jessica Carney, this short book lacks objectivity, and she meanders between calling him "my grandfather" and "Bill" (as he was usually known to his colleagues and friends). As such, it only briefly touches on his drinking, gambling, philandering and bad temper, as if that kind of detail was too sordid for a family record. Nevertheless, Hartnell comes across as a warm, talented and generous man with flaws, and in this way, it is a well-written, concise account of his life. I enjoyed reading about the man who breathed life into the first version of the on-screen character I have been following since my childhood.
February 28, 2022
Got a copy of this second-hand and it was part of my lockdown reading - an indispensable guide to the man behind the First - yes, FIRST - Doctor. Some lovely anecdotes, a few shocking moments and first-hand memories from Hartnell's granddaughter. Well worth rediscovering.
May 9, 2017
Combines honesty with affection
Like the biography of Patrick Troughton which I reviewed before, this benefits enormously from being written by a relation - in this case his granddaughter. It combines honesty with affection and puts the Dr Who years in their proper perspective, following on from an impressive career in theatre, film and TV. Those who saw the excellent docudrama "An Adventure in Space and Time" will find echoes here, but with more emphasis on the man himself. Definitely a five-star tribute.
Like the biography of Patrick Troughton which I reviewed before, this benefits enormously from being written by a relation - in this case his granddaughter. It combines honesty with affection and puts the Dr Who years in their proper perspective, following on from an impressive career in theatre, film and TV. Those who saw the excellent docudrama "An Adventure in Space and Time" will find echoes here, but with more emphasis on the man himself. Definitely a five-star tribute.
May 10, 2019
This was an interesting autobiography that bogs down in the middle and is quite short, I thought, in the "Doctor Who" ending. There is a surprising story about the early life and career of Billy/Bill Hartnell. An "illegitimate" child who grew up as almost a street kid - eventually coming under the wing of an art-inspired benefactor. From there, the author (Hartnell's granddaughter) talks about his acting career, meeting his wife, and his his life on stage, movies, and TV. It's in the middle part where in his decades or show of movies and stage works bogs down. Since I'm not at all familiar with his work from the 40s and 50s, the listing of movies, their stories, and stars really don't mean as much - I feel like I'm expected to know who these folks are. There are small stories connected to these works, but it's mostly just a listing. It's certain impressive how much Bill worked. When we finally get to his time on Doctor Who, it lasts two chapters, which seemed a bit sad. I think it's because his granddaughter is not looking to write a Doctor Who book, but a Bill Hartnell biography. Obviously there are sources from this author not found in other books, but I wonder if this is the most exciting telling of his story.
March 10, 2020
I have read a lot of books about the cast and crew of Doctor Who - and not just this month - and this is one of the better ones. Perhaps because it was written by Hartnell's granddaughter. A lot of this kind of book get the balance between the person and the career wrong and just became a list of things they appeared in and the person disappears in a sea of credits. This is especially annoying if there's no real information - as there often isn't with theatre performances or older TV. These things are frustratingly ephemeral, especially if the actor was in minor roles and doesn't get a mention in reviews.
With Carney's book though the career and the man are both there in this a 'warts and all' portrait. Hartnell doesn't seem to have been an easy man to work with, especially as he got older but Carney helps you to understand why.
I would highly recommend this. Obviously, if you're a Doctor Who fan this would be worth reading to help contextualize Doctor Who in Hartnell's career and life but if you're interested in theatre and television before, during and after World War Two I suspect you'll get some pleasure from it.
Carney's done her grandfather a service here. She hasn't painted him to be a saint but I think she has made him into a human being.
With Carney's book though the career and the man are both there in this a 'warts and all' portrait. Hartnell doesn't seem to have been an easy man to work with, especially as he got older but Carney helps you to understand why.
I would highly recommend this. Obviously, if you're a Doctor Who fan this would be worth reading to help contextualize Doctor Who in Hartnell's career and life but if you're interested in theatre and television before, during and after World War Two I suspect you'll get some pleasure from it.
Carney's done her grandfather a service here. She hasn't painted him to be a saint but I think she has made him into a human being.
August 1, 2020
This was a good book going into William Hartnell's life and career through many of his movies, plays, and television shows.
For those wanting a totally Doctor Who novel, this is not for you.
It is full of great detail, but some of which goes a bit too deep in areas. Not being from the U.K., I'm sure some of the luster is lost on my part.
It is still very enjoyable for any fan knowing of Hartnell's childhood, growing up, and how he became the man he did.
Written through his granddaughter's words, it's an interesting read.
For those wanting a totally Doctor Who novel, this is not for you.
It is full of great detail, but some of which goes a bit too deep in areas. Not being from the U.K., I'm sure some of the luster is lost on my part.
It is still very enjoyable for any fan knowing of Hartnell's childhood, growing up, and how he became the man he did.
Written through his granddaughter's words, it's an interesting read.
July 7, 2021
This was an interesting, if slow, read. William Hartnell is, and will forever be, known as the first actor to play "The Doctor" in Doctor Who. But he was so much more than that. He did so much theater and and was in lots of early British films. He was also grandfather to the author. The book is interesting, just kinda slow reading. I ended up skimming through a lot and then reading the Doctor Who bits because I was running out of time. It's still a good read and fans of both Doctor Who and early- to mid-20th Century British film will probably enjoy this.
June 6, 2017
A wonderful insight into the life and career of William Hartnell. To many he will be forever the First Doctor. But he had a long career on screen and on stage. To also learn of his womanising ways throughout his marriage to Heather. A tough start in life, being born to an unmarried mother in Edwardian London would have been very difficult. Something that he struggled to deal with throughout his life. This book was beautifully written by his own Granddaughter.
July 21, 2018
An excellent read, can highly recommend it, very comprehensive filmography at the back of you want to check out more of his work.
May 13, 2019
The definitive biography of William Hartnell, revealed he was much more complicated than the time lord he portrayed.
May 25, 2015
Review of the physical book
So having listened to the audio version in Dec 2013 I went back and actually read the actual book. There was a lot I didn't remember. It was very good, it had a list of plays and television and film appearances at the back. It really gave a sense of Bill's life, and the people in it. I liked that while the focus was on Bill Jessica still spent a lot of time discussing Heather's career and how she affected their life together rather than just giving everything from one perspective. It made for a much fuller and more rounded picture. It did get a little bogged down in places with descriptions of picture after picture that Bill was in but I'm not sure how that could be avoided. The only real criticism was that the end seemed too short. He seemed to have done Doctor Who and then the panto then died a few years later with nothing about the later part of his life included. Still a recommended read for people interested in the man behind the first Doctor.
Review of the audio book
This was wonderful. I listened to the audio book read by Anneke Wills which was just superb. At first it was a little disconcerting to hear Anneke talking in the first person as someone else but quickly I got absorbed in the story. I knew very little about William Hartnell's life before listening to this. I think the most interesting part was hearing about how he'd grown up quite poor and under such difficult circumstances. It really gave a feeling for the character he became. Likewise the biography paints a very vivid picture of his wife who sounded like a most remarkable woman and a good actor herself.
Despite being written by his granddaughter the biography paints a very realistic portrait of this complicated man. Jessica talks about both the good and bad parts of her grandfather's character. This book really does give you a glimpse into this interesting man. Unlike a lot of actor's biographies this doesn't dwell entirely on his career but balances out his acting with his personal life. It is full of stories from the people who worked with him or were his friends.
Now I've finished the audio version I'm looking forward to reading the hard cover, especially seeing all the old photos. This book has been very expensive for the past decade and it is great that fantom films have republished it with a new edition. For those of you who watched An Adventure in Space and Time I highly recommend this for learning the real story about the man who played the first Doctor.
So having listened to the audio version in Dec 2013 I went back and actually read the actual book. There was a lot I didn't remember. It was very good, it had a list of plays and television and film appearances at the back. It really gave a sense of Bill's life, and the people in it. I liked that while the focus was on Bill Jessica still spent a lot of time discussing Heather's career and how she affected their life together rather than just giving everything from one perspective. It made for a much fuller and more rounded picture. It did get a little bogged down in places with descriptions of picture after picture that Bill was in but I'm not sure how that could be avoided. The only real criticism was that the end seemed too short. He seemed to have done Doctor Who and then the panto then died a few years later with nothing about the later part of his life included. Still a recommended read for people interested in the man behind the first Doctor.
Review of the audio book
This was wonderful. I listened to the audio book read by Anneke Wills which was just superb. At first it was a little disconcerting to hear Anneke talking in the first person as someone else but quickly I got absorbed in the story. I knew very little about William Hartnell's life before listening to this. I think the most interesting part was hearing about how he'd grown up quite poor and under such difficult circumstances. It really gave a feeling for the character he became. Likewise the biography paints a very vivid picture of his wife who sounded like a most remarkable woman and a good actor herself.
Despite being written by his granddaughter the biography paints a very realistic portrait of this complicated man. Jessica talks about both the good and bad parts of her grandfather's character. This book really does give you a glimpse into this interesting man. Unlike a lot of actor's biographies this doesn't dwell entirely on his career but balances out his acting with his personal life. It is full of stories from the people who worked with him or were his friends.
Now I've finished the audio version I'm looking forward to reading the hard cover, especially seeing all the old photos. This book has been very expensive for the past decade and it is great that fantom films have republished it with a new edition. For those of you who watched An Adventure in Space and Time I highly recommend this for learning the real story about the man who played the first Doctor.
August 23, 2014
A biography of the actor best known as the originator of the role of Doctor Who (yes, purists, he WAS known in that fashion in the early days). Written by his real-life granddaughter, it's nicely balanced between her misty golden memories of "Sampa" and clear-eyed reportage of his misdeeds and triumphs. A complicated and fascinating man but aren't we all...
April 8, 2013
I was not as familiar with William Hartnell as I was with Tom Baker's Doctor Who so I found this book to be a joy.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews