Photo and info courtesy of William Hartnell's excellent biography, Who's There? The Life and Career of William Hartnell, by his granddaughter Jessica Carney (Virgin: 1996). The book is probably out-of-print by now, but Doctor Who-related books have a tendency to turn up at conventions and in specialty shops. Hartnell's quotes come from The Handbook: The First Doctor by Howe, Stammers, and Walker (Virgin: 1994). None of this site would've been possible if I didn't have these books as references.
He spent much of his early life in the foster care of the Harris family while his mother took a nursing job in Belgium. Growing up in poverty, Hartnell was a self-professed "street urchin," proficient at shop-lifting and sneaking into movie theaters. He soon developed a passion for acting, inspired by his favorite performer, Charlie Chaplin. "My real guiding star was Charlie Chaplin," Hartnell later said. "He influenced me more than any other factor in taking up acting as a career."
While boxing at a boy's club, Hartnell met Hugh Blaker, a prominent art collector and amateur poet. Blaker acted as a combination father figure and benefactor to Hartnell. He fostered Hartnell's interest in the arts, and paid the aspiring actor's tuition at the respected Italia Conti drama school.
In 1925, Blaker arranged for Hartnell to join Sir Frank Benson's acting company. Benson was best known as a Shakespearan actor who laid the groundwork for the Royal Shakespeare Company; acting alongside Benson was a great honor for Hartnell. After leaving Benson's company, Hartnell continued his career in theatre. In 1928, he joined Gordon McLeod's company for a tour in Canada. During the trip, Hartnell met his future wife, Heather McIntyre. They married the following year.
Upon returning to England, Hartnell embarked on a career in the cinema. He starred in dozens of "Quota Quickie" films - movies that were made fast and cheap to compete with the swarm of Hollywood imports that threatened to smother British cinema. Although he played a number of comic parts, Hartnell became best known for his hard-edged, criminal roles.
"I'm tired of being the eternal 'tough guy' of British films," he later complained. "It's not generally realised that 45 of my 60 films are comedies and that I was a leading Quota Quickie funny man."
Despite his problems with typecasting, Hartnell did enjoy a number of excellent roles. In 1947's Odd Man Out, directed by Carol Reed, Hartnell played a bartender who lent temporary shelter to a wounded IRA man played by James Mason. Ten years later, Hartnell won acclaim for his performance as a naval officer in Yangtse Incident. In 1963's This Sporting Life, his role as Johnson, a washed-up former athlete, caught the eye of Doctor Who producer Verity Lambert and led to his casting in the BBC's new science fiction series.
Doctor Who revitalized Hartnell's career and won him a new generation of fans. He wanted to remain in the role for at least five years, but failing health and disagreements with the production team led to his departure from the show in 1966. Once noted for his precision in delivering lines, the ailing Hartnell found himself struggling to remember his dialogue while filming his final episodes of the show.
Hartnell did return to the role once, in the tenth anniversary special The Three Doctors. He died shortly afterwards, in April of 1975. Twenty-five years later, his impressive legacy as a film and television star continues to win him fans and admirers.
William Hartnell was born in London on January 8, 1908, the illegitimate son of Lucy Hartnell. Perhaps embarrassed by his background, Hartnell later claimed that he was born on a farm in Devon and raised by both of his parents. This "sanitized" account of his childhood has appeared in a number of publications, including Peter Haining's Doctor Who: A Celebration.