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

Doctor Who Vs. William Hartnell at the Cinema, Part 4: This Sporting Life

This British feature was based on the

debut novel of the same name by

Yorkshire-born writer David Storey,

a former professional rugby league

player who later won the Booker Prize.

The drama (filmed and set in Wakefield)
focused on the story of Frank Machin,

the first lead role for Irish actor Richard

Harris (1930-2002), which earned him

Oscar and BAFTA nominations and the

Best Actor award at Cannes in 1963.
It was his role here as Dad Johnson

that brought William Hartnell to the

attention of Verity Lambert when

casting him in Doctor Who.

Although critically acclaimed, the film

(directed by Lindsay Anderson) was
a commercial flop following its release by Rank in early 1963, and

signalled the end of British 'new wave' cinema. Audiences wanted 

escapism again.

Shown again on the Talking Pictures TV channel last night, This
Sporting Life also featured Rachel Roberts, Colin Blakely, Arthur
Lowe, and seven other Doctor Who cast connections:

• George Sewell (Jeff) was [George] Ratcliffe in Remembrance of the Daleks
• Murray Evans (Hooker) was the Lorry Driver in (episode 1 of) The Invasion
• John Gill (Cameron) was Mr. Oak in Fury from the Deep
• Aileen Lewis (Woman) was an Extra on The Silurians (6)
• Bryan Mosley (Man) and Norman Mitchell (Tenant) both appeared in The Daleks' Master Plan as Malpha/Prop Man and Policeman respectively
• Frank Windsor (Dentist) was Sir Ranulf Fitzwilliam in The King's Demons, and Inspector Mackenzie in Ghost Light