William Hartnell Movies

Doctor Who celebrated its 20th anniversary with the 90-minute special "The Five Doctors." The life of the present Doctor (Peter Davison) is jeopardized when his four previous incarnations -- played by William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, and Tom Baker -- are taken out of time by an illegal Time Scoop. Even worse, the five doctors are confronted by a seemingly endless series of past enemies, included Daleks, Cybermen, and Yetis. The climax takes place in the Forbidden Zone on Gallifrey, where the instigator of the aforementioned time-scooping forces the five doctors to engage in the potentially deadly Game of Rassilon. Can any of the doctors save themselves -- and if not, will robot dog K-9 come galloping to the rescue? The late William Hartnell appeared only in clips from the second-season episode "Invasion of Earth: Flashpoint"; he was replaced in the body of the 20th anniversary special by Richard Hurndall. Written by Terrance Dicks, "The Five Doctors" was first presented in America on November 23, 1983, two days before its British TV debut. Since that time, it has been reedited into a four-part cliffhanger for syndication. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of the four-part story "The Three Doctors," the first, second, and third Doctor (played respectively by William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, and Jon Pertwee) are still trapped in Omega's black hole, along with the third Doctor's friends Jo (Katy Manning), the Brigadier (Nicholas Courtney), and Sgt. Benton (John Levene). Using their combined energies, the three Doctors attempt to escape their cosmic prison and to prevent the vengeful time lord, Omega (Stephen Thorne), to carry out his terrible campaign of revenge against his own race. Without giving away the ending, it can be noted that actor William Hartnell retired after the completion of filming. First telecast on January 20, 1973, Doctor Who: The Three Doctors, Episode 4 was written by Bob Baker and David Martin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Doctor Who celebrated its tenth year on television with the epochal four-part adventure "The Three Doctors." Attacked by an unknown entity, the Doctor (Jon Pertwee), Jo (Katy Manning), the Brigadier (Nicholas Courtney), and Sgt. Benton (John Levene) take refuge in the TARDIS. Worried that the vessel will not accommodate the Brigadier, the Doctor contacts his home planet Gallifrey for advice -- only to discover that the power of his fellow Time Lords is being syphoned off by a mysterious black hole in space. It is up to the "third" Doctor and his two previous incarnations (played by William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton) to save their species, and, by extension, the rest of the universe. According to legend, this adventure came into being when former Doctor Who star William Hartnell approached the series' producers, asking for a guest spot; though this is inaccurate, it is unfortunately true that Hartnell's illness prevented him from appearing in the same scenes with his successors Troughton and Pertwee. Debuting December 30, 1972, Doctor Who: The Three Doctors was written by Bob Baker and David Martin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the second episode of the four-part story "The Ark," the Doctor (William Hartnell) continues to trace the origins of a plague that threatens to wipe out the last remaining denizens of Planet Earth. Unfortunately, he need not look any farther than the interior of the TARDIS. It turns out that the Doctor's companion, Dodo (Jackie Lane), has a bad head cold -- and this alone is the cause of all the death and devastation to come. Written by Paul Erickson and Lesley Scott, "The Plague" originally aired on March 12, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of the four-part story "The Ark," the Doctor (William Hartnell) discovers that the space ark upon which the survivors of a plague on Planet Earth are being transported is now under the control of the Monoids, a formerly servile alien race. The only hope for restoring the balance of power is to force the Monoids to wipe out one another. Meanwhile, the Doctor's companion, Steven (Peter Purves), desperately conducts a search for a bomb that threatens to destory the Ark and all its passengers. Written by Paul Erickson and Lesley Scott, "The Bomb" originally aired on March 26, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the first episode of the four-part story "The Gunfighters," the Doctor (William Hartnell) and his companions Steven (Peter Purves) and Dodo (Jackie Lane) decide to take a well-deserved vacation. Unfortunately, the TARDIS crew ends up in Tombstone, AZ, just before the Gunfight at the OK Corral. While waiting to have Doc Holliday (Anthony Jacobs) take care of his aching tooth, the Doctor (William Hartnell) is deputized by Marshal Wyatt Earp (John Alderson); meanwhile, Steven (Peter Purves) is mistaken for a notorious gunslinger, and Dodo (Jackie Lane) is kidnapped by the bad guys. Written by Donald Cotton, "A Holiday for the Doctor" was originally telecast on April 30, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the third episode of the four-part story "The Gunfighters," the plot continues to thicken in the hours just prior to the gunfight at the OK Corral. Rescued from a lynch mob, Steven (Peter Purves) faces a new threat in the form of gunslinger Johnny Ringo (Laurence Payne). The Doctor (William Hartnell) is torn between rescuing Steven and coming to the aid of the still-imperiled Dodo (Jackie Lane). Written by Donald Cotton, "Johnny Ringo" was originally telecast on May 14, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the 11th episode of the 12-part story "The Dalek Masterplan," the Doctor tries to stop the Daleks from destroying the universe without risking the lives of his travelling companions. Captured by the villains, Steven (Peter Purves) and Sara (Jean Marsh) are in for the biggest surprise of their lives. And there's more to come; the Doctor abruptly vanishes without a trace. Written by Dennis Spooner, "The Abandoned Planet" originally aired on January 22, 1966; this episode apparently no longer exists. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the eighth episode of the 12-part story "The Dalek Masterplan," the Doctor (William Hartnell) resumes his efforts to foil the mass-destruction schemes of the mutant Daleks. Unfortunately, he stymied by the unexpected appearance of his old enemy, the renegade Time Lord known as the Meddling Monk (Peter Butterworth). On another front, the Daleks, angrier than ever, step up their campaign of devastation. Written by Dennis Spooner, "Volcano" originally aired on January 1, 1966; this episode apparently no longer exists. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the second episode of the four-part story "The Celestial Toymaker," the title character (Michael Gough) renders himself and the Doctor (William Hartnell) invisible as they play a deadly game of one-upsmanship. The pawns in this game are the Doctor's companions, Steven (Peter Purves) and Dodo (Jackie Lane), who must accumulate a large number of "points" if they ever hope to escape the Toymaker's colorful but sinister domain. Complicating matters is a group of malevolent living dolls, whose mission in life is to hoodwink Steven and Dodo into making disastrous miscalculations. Written by Brian Hayles, "The Hall of Dolls" first aired on April 9, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of the four-part story "The Celestial Toymaker," the title character (Michael Gough) tries to lead "human pawns" Steven (Peter Purves) and Dodo (Jackie Lane) astray with the help of his gregarious henchman, Cyril (Peter Stephens). As for the Doctor (William Hartnell), he must find a way to beat the Toymaker at his own game if he wants to reclaim possession of the TARDIS and escape the villain's weird domain. Fortunately, tricky though the Toymaker may be, the Doctor still has an ace or two up his sleeve. Written by Brian Hayles, "The Final Test" first aired on April 23, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the second episode of the four-part story "The Savages," the Doctor (William Hartnell) wants to learn the secret of the "perfect" advanced civilization which has built huge walls to protect itself against a race of primitive savages. He eventually discovers that the so-called civilized inhabitants have kept themselves mentally and physically vibrant by sapping the life forces from the savages outside their gates. First telecast on June 4, 1966, "The Savages, Episode 2" was written by Stuart Black; this episode apparently no longer exists. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide