Jon Pertwee
Jon Pertwee | |
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Royal Academy of Dramatic Art | |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1938–1996 |
Known for | Third incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who |
Notable work |
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Spouses |
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Children | 2, including Sean |
Parents |
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Relatives |
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John Devon Roland Pertwee (
On television, Pertwee starred as the third incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running British science fiction series Doctor Who (1970–1974), hosted the game show Whodunnit? (1974–1978) and played the title character in Worzel Gummidge (1979–1981 and 1987–1989). Towards the end of his life he maintained a close association with Doctor Who by appearing at many fan conventions related to the series and giving interviews.
Biography
Early life and education
Born in
Pertwee was educated at
Early career
While still at school, Pertwee worked as a circus performer riding the Wall of Death on a motorcycle with a toothless lion in the sidecar. He then worked in repertory theatre before being contracted with the BBC at 18 as an actor.[11][12][7]
During the
Later, he was attached to the top secret Naval Intelligence Division,[4] working alongside future James Bond author Ian Fleming, and reporting directly to Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Deputy Prime Minister Clement Attlee. In an interview conducted in 1994 and published in 2013, he said, "I did all sorts. Teaching commandos how to use escapology equipment, compasses in brass buttons, secret maps in white cotton handkerchiefs, pipes you could smoke that also fired a .22 bullet. All sorts of incredible things."[14]
In 1942, as a
During his time in the Navy, Pertwee woke up one morning after a drunken night out while in port to find a tattoo of a cobra on his right arm.[18]
After the war, Pertwee worked as a stage comedian, which included performing at the Glasgow Empire Theatre and sharing a bill with Max Wall and Jimmy James.[19] He began to work as a comedy actor on radio, becoming known for being able to do a variety of comedic voices and accents.[20] He featured Waterlogged Spa, alongside Eric Barker, and Puffney Post Office in which he played a hapless old postman with the catch-phrase "It doesn't matter what you do, as long as you tears them up."
On 15 November 1948, at the Wood Green Empire, he was billed as "The Most Versatile Voice in Radio – Jon ('Tear 'em Up') Pertwee from the Radio Shows Merry-go-Round and Up the Pole". From 1959 to 1977, he performed the role of the conniving
Pertwee did not appear in the 1959 film version of The Navy Lark. In his 1996 memoir he attributed this to producer Herbert Wilcox refusing to employ his co-star Dennis Price on the grounds that "he was gay", a decision Pertwee made clear that he thought "was ridiculous". Shortly after voicing his support of Price he found out he had been dropped from the film's cast and replaced by Ronald Shiner.[23]
He was known as a Danny Kaye look-alike, and his impersonation of Kaye can be seen in the film Murder at the Windmill (1949).[24] He played Charlie Sterling in Will Any Gentleman...? (1953). Future Doctor Who actor William Hartnell was also in the film; he played Inspector Martin.
On stage, he played the part of Lycus in the 1963 London production of
His television career had started off with small parts in children's shows featuring
Doctor Who
In 1969, shortly before leaving the series, producer Peter Bryant cast Pertwee as the Third Doctor in Doctor Who.[27] Pertwee had asked his agent to apply for the role for him and was surprised to find he was already on the shortlist. He was the second choice for the role; Ron Moody was the first but was unavailable.[28]
In a departure from the Doctor's first two incarnations, Pertwee's era was influenced by the
Pertwee credited his performance as the Doctor with helping him work out exactly who he really was when he was not resorting to comedic disguises or voices.[20] This was because the BBC's Head of Drama, Shaun Sutton, had advised him to act the Doctor as himself: in effect, to "play Jon Pertwee".[4] Pertwee's interpretation of the Doctor was described as "a man of action, supremely confident, articulate, yet also warmly reassuring".[30] This incarnation was credited with being more action-oriented and scientifically minded than early versions of the Doctor.[31] In The Making of Doctor Who, Pertwee himself said "Doctor Who is me – or I am Doctor Who. I play him straight from me."[7]
On 14 April 1971, Pertwee was the subject of Thames Television's This Is Your Life.
During his tenure as the Doctor, Pertwee appeared in the Amicus horror anthology The House That Dripped Blood (1971), which was filmed in the summer of 1970 between his first and second Doctor Who seasons. Pertwee played the lead in the last segment of the film as Paul Henderson, an arrogant horror film star who meets his doom thanks to a genuine vampire cloak. In 1973, Pertwee endorsed the Co-op's Baking Your Cake and Eating It, a recipe book written by Sarah Charles.[32] It has been given the unofficial title of The Jon Pertwee Recipe Book.
In early 1974, Pertwee announced he would step down as the Doctor to resume his stage career in The Bedwinner, also citing potential typecasting in the role as the reason for leaving, though he later said that the catalyst for his departure was the death of his good friend and co-star Roger Delgado (The Master) and the departures of co-star Katy Manning, producer Barry Letts and scriptwriter Terrance Dicks.[33] Also, according to Elisabeth Sladen in an interview on the DVD release of Invasion of the Dinosaurs, Pertwee asked for a substantially increased fee for another year on the series, which was turned down, and he subsequently resigned from the role. Pertwee was also dealing with chronic back pain at the time, and was becoming less interested in the character of the Doctor.[9] His last full-time appearance in the series was in the story Planet of the Spiders in June 1974, which finished with Tom Baker replacing him in the role.
Pertwee later reprised the role in the 20th anniversary story
Worzel Gummidge
After a stint between 1974 and 1978 as the host of the Thames Television murder-mystery game show
The series saw Pertwee as a scarecrow, as well as using several comedic voices. The show was an immediate hit, with Pertwee describing it as "becoming something of a cult" after only four episodes had been broadcast.[citation needed] Press interest in the series was high, and it ran on the channel until 1981. Keen to continue beyond this, Pertwee campaigned for the series and it was picked up by a New Zealand network, TVNZ, in 1987.[34][35] Worzel Gummidge Down Under aired for the next two years and was screened in the UK on Channel 4. In 1995, Pertwee played the role one last time in a one-off special for ITV, which celebrated 40 years of the channel. Pertwee played the title character in Worzel Gummidge, the Musical, book and lyrics by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall, music by Denis King, which opened at London's Cambridge Theatre in December 1981, co-starring Una Stubbs and Geoffrey Bayldon. Pertwee also recorded an album, Worzel Gummidge Sings,[36] as well as a Christmas single.
Other roles
Pertwee played the role of The Colonel in the
Writing shortly before his death in 1996, Pertwee stated that while he enjoyed his association with Doctor Who, he had perhaps spent too long in the title role. He believed that this led to the "ridiculous situation of people turning me down for parts because, they say, I am too well known as the Doctor."[37] He observed that after he left the show he only ever worked in a BBC drama on one occasion. This was in the role of "an aging Basque arsonist and pornographer" in an episode of Virtual Murder titled "A Torch for Silverado". He considered this to be one of "the best things I've ever done"[38]
Later life
He returned to the role of the Doctor in 1983 for the 20th-anniversary television special
In 1993, Pertwee was featured in the unofficial 30th anniversary VHS release entitled 30 Years of Time Travel and Beyond. When asked in an interview for this documentary if the show should be brought back he simply replied with "No, no", but believed if it did come back a lot more money would need to be spent on the series, along with a new production team. Pertwee would continue to act in films and television as well as make appearances worldwide in support of Doctor Who. Ultimately, Pertwee was successful in seeing the Third Doctor return to the airwaves with two audio productions for BBC Radio, The Paradise of Death and The Ghosts of N-Space.
In April 1995, he appeared in
Pertwee's final film role was in a short film entitled Cloud Cuckoo for Scottish Screen, released on 18 June 1994. His last formal television appearance was on
Personal life
Pertwee married twice. His first marriage was in 1955, to Jean Marsh,[40] whom he divorced in 1960; later that same year he married Ingeborg Rhoesa (born 1935).[41] Together they had two children,[42] both of whom became actors: a daughter, Dariel, in 1961, and a son, Sean, in 1964.
Pertwee wrote two autobiographies: Moon Boots and Dinner Suits (published in 1984),
Death
Pertwee continued on the Doctor Who convention circuit, and with his voice and television acting, until his death; he died in his sleep from a
His death came six days after the American broadcast of the Doctor Who television film, which used in its opening credits a logo based on that from his era of the television series. The BBC broadcast of the film, on 27 May 1996, featured a dedication to Pertwee at its end.[46]
Legacy
His last association with Doctor Who was posthumous. With the approval of his widow, Ingeborg, his voice was used as part of the plot of the
Archival footage of Pertwee has been used several times in the revived Doctor Who. Footage appears in "
A star was nicknamed after him in 1986.[47] In 2016, his work was honoured with a blue plaque at the New Wimbledon Theatre, which was arranged by the Doctor Who Appreciation Society.[48]
Discography
- In 1962, Pertwee released an album entitled Jon Pertwee Sings Songs For Vulgar Boatmen.[49]
- In 1966, Pertwee contributed to the children's album Children's Favourites (Froggy Went A-Courtin'", "My Grandfather's Clock", "Three Little Fishes" and "I Know An Old Lady". The recordings were produced by Norman Newell, with a synopsis written on the back by Roger St. Pierre. On the front cover is the picture of a glove puppet by Carol Patmore & Rima Reed. At least one of the songs, "The Runaway Train" (b/w "The Ugly Duckling"), was released as a single on Music for Pleasure (catalogue FP 10).
- In 1972, he recorded with June Whitfield, Wonderful Children's Songs on the Contour label (catalogue 2870191)
- In 1972, Pertwee performed a vocal narration over the Doctor Who theme music entitled "Who is the Doctor", on Purple Records.
- In 1976, he starred in the EMI original cast recording (EMC 3139) of the West End musical Irene, in which he had enjoyed a long run, playing 'Madame Lucy' at the Adelphi Theatre, London.
- In 1976, he recorded a promotional flexi-disc for Heinz called "The Noodle Doodle Man", a song that accompanied a television commercial to which Pertwee contributed the vocal performance.[50]
- In 1980, he released "Worzel's Song", from the album Worzel Gummidge Sings.When I'm 64", in the guise of Worzel Gummidge. This record was intended to aid the Liverpool Children's Hospital.
- In 1993, an audio release of the radio play The Paradise of Death reached No.48 in the album charts.[53]
- In 1984, he featured in the computer game audio tape of Deus Ex Machina by Automata UK, released for the ZX Spectrum in 1984,[54] and later on the MSX and Commodore 64.[55]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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1938 | A Yank at Oxford | Minor Role | Uncredited |
1939 | The Four Just Men | Rally Campaigner | Uncredited |
1948 | Trouble in the Air | Truelove | |
William Comes to Town | Circus Superintendent | ||
A Piece of Cake | Mr. Short | ||
1949 | Murder at the Windmill | Detective Sergeant | (as Jon Pertwer) |
Helter Skelter | Headwaiter / Charles II | ||
Dear Mr. Prohack | Plover | ||
Miss Pilgrim's Progress | Postman Perkins | ||
1950 | The Body Said No! | Watchman | |
1951 | Mister Drake's Duck | Reuben | |
1953 | Will Any Gentleman...? | Charley Sterling | |
1954 | The Gay Dog | A Betting Man | |
1955 | A Yank in Ermine | Slowburn Jenks | |
1956 | It's a Wonderful World | Conductor | Uncredited |
1959 | The Ugly Duckling | Victor Jekyll | |
1960 | Just Joe | Prendergast | |
Not a Hope in Hell | Dan | ||
1961 | Nearly a Nasty Accident | Gen. Birkinshaw | |
1963 | Ladies Who Do | Sidney Tait | |
1964 | Carry On Cleo | Soothsayer | |
1965 | How to Undress in Public Without Undue Embarrassment | Uncredited | |
I've Gotta Horse | Costumier's assistant | ||
You Must Be Joking! | Storekeeper (Hare Factory) | ||
Carry On Cowboy | Sheriff Albert Earp | ||
1966 | Carry On Screaming! | Doctor Fettle | |
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum | Crassus | ||
Runaway Railway | Station Master | ||
1969 | Up in the Air | Figworthy | |
Under the Table You Must Go | Himself | Documentary | |
1970 | I Understand | Short, Uncredited | |
1971 | The House That Dripped Blood | Paul Henderson | (Segment 4 "The Cloak") |
1975 | One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing | Colonel | |
1977 | Adventures of a Private Eye | Judd Blake | |
No. 1 of the Secret Service | The Rev. Walter Braithwaite | ||
1978 | The Water Babies | Salmon / Kraken | Voice |
Wombling Free | Womble | Voice | |
1982 | The Boys in Blue | Coastguard | |
1992 | Carry On Columbus | Duke of Costa Brava | |
1994 | Cloud Cuckoo | Grandfather | Short |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1947 | The Wandering Jew | Boemond, Prince of Tarentum | TV movie |
Toad of Toad Hall |
The Judge | TV movie | |
1958 | Ivanhoe | Peter the Peddler | Episode: "The Swindler" |
1959 | Glencannon |
Champagne Charlie | Episode: "Champagne Charlie" |
1963 | The Dickie Henderson Show | Uncredited | Episode: "The Hypnotist" |
1965 | A Slight Case of... | Uncredited | Episode: "The Enemy Within" |
Mother Goose | The Squire | TV movie | |
1966 | David Nixon's Comedy Bandbox |
Guest | 1 episode |
1966-1967 | Jackanory | Storyteller | 10 episodes |
1967 | The Avengers | Brigadier Whitehead | Episode: "From Venus with Love" |
Beggar My Neighbour | Major Henley | 1 episode | |
1970–1974 | Doctor Who | Third Doctor | 128 episodes |
1974–1978 | Whodunnit? |
Presenter | 41 episodes |
1975 | The Goodies | Reverend Llewellyn Llewellyn Llewellyn Llewellyn |
Episode: "Wacky Wales" |
1977 | Four Against the Desert | Staff | TV movie |
1979–1981 | Worzel Gummidge | Worzel Gummidge | 31 episodes |
1982 | The Curious Case of Santa Claus | Dr. Merryweather | |
1983–1986 | SuperTed | Spottyman | Voice; 36 episodes |
1983 | Doctor Who | Third Doctor | Episode: The Five Doctors |
1985 | Do You Know the Milkyway? | Dr. Neuross | TV movie |
1987–1989 | Worzel Gummidge Down Under | Worzel Gummidge | 22 episodes |
1989 | The Further Adventures of SuperTed | Spottyman | Voice; English version; 13 episodes |
1991 | Doctor Who: The Troughton Years | Presenter | Video |
1992 | Virtual Murder | Luis Silverado | Episode: "A Torch for Silverado" |
Doctor Who: The Pertwee Years | Presenter | Video | |
1993 | Doctor Who: Dimensions in Time | Third Doctor | 2 mini episodes |
The Airzone Solution | Oliver Threthewey | Video | |
1994 | The Zero Imperative |
Dr. Jeremiah O'Kane | Video |
Myth Makers Vol. 7: Wendy Padbury | Spottyman | Video | |
1995 | The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles | General Von Kramer | Episode: "Attack of the Hawkmen" |
Video games
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1984 | Deus Ex Machina | The Storyteller | |
1995 | Discworld | Fool / Chucky / Windle Poons | |
1997 | Doctor Who: Destiny of the Doctors | Third Doctor | Archived recording sound |
2015 | Lego Dimensions |
Bibliography
As author
- Pertwee, Jon (1984). Moon Boots and Dinner Suits. Elm Tree Books. ISBN 0-241-11337-7.
- Pertwee, Jon; Howe, David J. (1996). I Am The Doctor - Jon Pertwee's Final Memoir. ISBN 1-85227-621-5.
As contributor
- Pertwee, Jon; Evans, George; Stout, Tim; Welby, Philip; Campton, David; Weiner, Guy; Gleason, Catherine; Chandler, Glenn; Malisson, Roger; Halkin, John (1978). Richard Davis (ed.). The Jon Pertwee Book of Monsters. ISBN 0-416-87190-9.
References
- ^ See, for example, Derek Batey's 1985 interview with Pertwee.
- ^ Jon Pertwee: The Biography, Bernard Bale, André Deutsch, 2000, p. 2
- ^ An Hour with Jon Pertwee, broadcast by BBC7 on 30 March 2009
- ^ a b c d e f "Pertwee, Jon (1919–1996)". BFI Screenonline Biography.
- ^ Interview "Mind of Evil" DVD, released 2013.
- ^ "Essex 11". William1.co.uk.
- ^ ISBN 9781782198246. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
- ^ a b "John Pertwee — RADA Student & graduate profiles". www.rada.ac.uk. Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ a b "Jon Pertwee | A Brief History Of Time (Travel)". www.shannonsullivan.com. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
- ^ Tim Cooper, "Heart attack kills dandy Doctor Who", Evening Standard, 20 May 1996
- ^ Foster, Chuck (29 June 2019). "Jon Pertwee centenary celebration on BBC Radio 4 Extra". Doctor Who News. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
- ^ "Who's Talking: Jon Pertwee". www.dvillage.org. 1984. Archived from the original on 7 July 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
- ^ Smurthwaite, Nick (20 May 1996). "Obituary: Jon Pertwee". The Independent. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
- ^ Cabell, Craig (17 March 2017). "Operation Big Ben: The Anti-V2 Spitfire Missions". Fonthill Media. Retrieved 26 October 2018 – via Google Books.
- ^ Isle of Man Examiner, Friday, March 26, 1943; Page: 6
- ^ Isle of Man Examiner, Friday, July 24, 1942; Page: 3
- ^ "Service Players to thrill the audience as they did in 1942". 23 October 2022.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 30 October 2005. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Cult leader's mission to return to future . The Herald. 15 May 1989. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-77041-166-1.
- ^ Smurthwaite, Nick (21 May 1996). "Obituary: Jon Pertwee". The Independent. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
- ^ Windmill Theatre#Film depictions Windmill Theatre
- ISBN 9-781841-153094.
- ^ Sfx (7 October 2009). "FROM THE ARCHIVE - Jon Pertwee". gamesradar. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
- ^ "Season 7". BBC Online. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
- ^ An Hour with Jon Pertwee, BBC Radio 4
- ISBN 978-0786477937.
- ISBN 978-0-13-933250-0.
- ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
- ^ "Celebrating the Jon Pertwee Recipe Book". Braised Hearts.
- ^ Meszaros, E.L. (26 January 2021). "Doctor Who: Why Third Doctor Jon Pertwee Left the Series". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
- ^ ISBN 1-85227-621-5.
- ^ "Obituary: Jon Pertwee". The Independent. 23 May 1996. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
- ^ "Jon Pertwee Featuring Una Stubbs & Geofrey Bayldon – Worzel Gummidge Sings". Discogs.com. 1980.
- ISBN 1-85227-621-5.
- ISBN 1-85227-621-5.
- ISBN 978-1782194712.
- ^ GRO Register of Marriages: JUN 1955 5f 63 MIDDLESEX S. – Jon D. R. Pertwee = Jeann L. T. Marsh
- ^ GRO Register of Marriages: SEP 1960 6a 1385 WYCOMBE – Jon D. R. Pertwee = Ingeborg R. Rhosa
- ^ Clyde McGarrigle (12 February 2016). "Sean Pertwee: my family values". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
- ^ a b "Former Dr Who, actor Jon Pertwee dies". The Irish Times. 21 May 1996.
- ^ Hewitt, Nik. "Jon Pertwee: Obituary – ThisIsAnnouncements". Lastingtribute.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 August 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
- IMDb
- ISBN 978-1-77041-166-1.
- ISBN 978-0-233-99831-2.
- ^ Mulkern, Patrick (24 October 2016). "Doctor Who's Jon Pertwee is honoured with a blue plaque". RadioTimes. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- ^ Jon Pertwee - Jon Pertwee Sings Songs For Vulgar Boatmen, 1962, retrieved 12 October 2023
- ^ [1] Archived 25 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Worzel Gummidge". Nostalgia Central. 24 June 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
- ^ "Worzel's Song". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
- ^ "The Official Charts Company – BBC cast – Doctor Who the paradise of death". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Deus Ex Machina". World of Spectrum.
- ^ "Media: Deus Ex Machina". SFE: Science Fiction Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
External links
- Jon Pertwee at IMDb
- Jon Pertwee Biography – British Film Institute
- Interview with Jon Pertwee conducted in March 1996 at the Wayback Machine (archived 19 January 2009)