Doctor Who Vs. William Hartnell at the Cinema, Part 6: Private's Progress

Shown again on the Talking Pictures TV channel today, this British wartime
comedy was based on the novel of the same name by Alan Hackney. The
Boulting brothers produced and directed this satire for Charter Film, their
own production company. Hackney's sequel, I'm Alright Jack, followed in
1959.

Released by British Lion in 1956, the film featured Ian Carmichael, Richard Attenborough, William Hartnell (in another military role), and ten future

Doctor Who cast connections:

• Victor [Jack] Maddern (Blake) was Chief John Robson in Fury from the Deep
• George [Alexander] Coulouris (Padre) was Arbitan in (episode 1 of) The Keys of Marinus
• Maurice [Edward] Bush (German Officer) was an Ogron in Day of the Daleks
• John Harvey (RAF Officer) was Professor Brett in The War Machines, and Officia in The Macra Terror
• [Manfred] Frederick Jaeger (Sentry) was Elder Jano in The Savages, Sorenson in Planet of Evil, and Professor Frederick Marius in The Invisible Enemy
• Glyn [born Glyndwr Desmond] Houston (Corporal) was Professor Owen Watson in The Hand of Fear, and Colonel Ben Wolsey in The Awakening
• Roy [Douglas] Purcell (Colonel) was CPO Powers in The Mind of Evil, and the President in The Three Doctors
• [Walter] Llewellyn Rees (Expert) was the President in The Deadly Assassin
• Charles Rayford (Fake Soldier) was a Kaled Scientist in Genesis of the Daleks
• Peter Stephens (Lench) was Cyril/the Knave of Hearts/Kitchen Boy in The Celestial Toymaker, and Lolem in The Underwater Menace