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Jon Pertwee
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John Devon Roland Pertwee (7 July 1919 20 May 1996), better known as Jon Pertwee, was an English actor. Pertwee is best known for his role in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, where he played the third incarnation of the Doctor from 1970 to 1974, and as the title character in the series Worzel Gummidge. He also hosted the murder mystery quiz programme Whodunnit! between 1974 and 1978 for Thames Television. Pertwee also voiced the character of "Spotty" in the 1980s cartoon series SuperTed.
in Chelsea, London, the son of noted screenwriter and actor Roland Pertwee and cousin of actor Bill Pertwee who played Chief Warden Hodges in the comedy Dad's Army (coincidentally, Jon Pertwee was the writers' first choice for the role of Captain George Mainwaring in Dad's Army).
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John Devon Roland Pertwee (7 July 1919 20 May 1996), better known as Jon Pertwee, was an English actor. Pertwee is best known for his role in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, where he played the third incarnation of the Doctor from 1970 to 1974, and as the title character in the series Worzel Gummidge. He also hosted the murder mystery quiz programme Whodunnit! between 1974 and 1978 for Thames Television. Pertwee also voiced the character of "Spotty" in the 1980s cartoon series SuperTed.
Biography
Early life
Born in Chelsea, London, the son of noted screenwriter and actor Roland Pertwee and cousin of actor Bill Pertwee who played Chief Warden Hodges in the comedy Dad's Army (coincidentally, Jon Pertwee was the writers' first choice for the role of Captain George Mainwaring in Dad's Army). Pertwee was educated at Frensham Heights School, an independent school in Rowledge, near Farnham in Surrey, and at some other schools from which he was expelled. After school, he went to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), from which he was also expelled after he wrote rude words in the lavatory.
Pertwee was an officer in the Royal Navy, spending some time working in naval intelligence during the Second World War. He was a crew member of HMS Hood and was transferred off the ship shortly before she was sunk, losing all but three men. It was during his time in the Navy, that Jon woke up one morning after a drunken night out while in port finding a tattoo on his right arm, which was occasionally seen during his time in Doctor Who.
After the war he made a name for himself as a comedy actor, notably on radio in Waterlogged Spa 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". From the late 1950s, he had a long-running role as the conniving Chief Petty Officer Pertwee in The Navy Lark on BBC Radio. He was known as a Danny Kaye look-alike, and his impersonation of Kaye can be seen in the 1949 film Murder at the Windmill.
On stage, he played the part of Lycus in the 1963 London production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum with Frankie Howerd and appeared in the smaller role of Crassus in the 1966 film version. He appeared in four Carry On films: Carry On Cleo (1964, as the soothsayer), Carry On Screaming (1966, as Dr. Fettle), Carry On Cowboy (1965, as Sheriff Earp) and Carry On Columbus (1992, as Duke of Costa Brava). On television, he started off with small parts in children's shows like Mr Pastry. Later he made an appearance in The Avengers episode "From Venus with Love" as Brigadier Whitehead, and in the 1970s, he guest starred as a Vicar in The Goodies' episode "Wacky Wales".
He was married twice, first in 1955 to Jean Marsh (1955–1960), whom he divorced, and then, on 13 August 1960, to Ingeborg Rhoesa, by whom he had two children, Sean and Dariel.
Doctor Who (19701974)
In 1969, Pertwee was selected by producer Peter Bryant to take over as the Doctor from Patrick Troughton in the television series Doctor Who. Pertwee had already applied for the role and was surprised to find he had been shortlisted for it. Prior to becoming Doctor Who Pertwee had had relatively little interest in the programme. In a departure from the Doctor's first two incarnations, Pertwee played the character as an active crusader with a penchant for action and fancy clothes, even while the character was exiled on Earth and serving with UNIT. He played the Doctor for five seasons from 1970 to 1974, at the time the longest stint of any of the actors who played the part, surpassing predecessors William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton's three years each in the role. Only his immediate successor, Tom Baker, would play the Doctor for longer (seven years from 19741981). In early 1974, Pertwee announced he would step down as the Doctor in order to resume his stage career in The Breadwinner, also citing typecasting in the role as a reason for quitting. His final regular appearance in the series was in the story "Planet of the Spiders"' in June 1974. On 14 April 1971, Pertwee was the subject of Thames Television's This Is Your Life which featured the first television appearance of his son Sean Pertwee, who went on to become an actor.
Worzel Gummidge
After a stint as the host of the TV game show "Whodunnit", Pertwee took the starring role in "Worzel Gummidge". First aired in 1979 on ITV, the series saw Pertwee as a scarecrow as well as utilising several comedic voices. The show was an immediate hit and 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 in 1987. "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.
Later life
He returned to the role of the Doctor in the 1983 20th anniversary television special The Five Doctors and in the 1993 charity special Dimensions in Time. He also portrayed the Doctor in the stage play Doctor Who The Ultimate Adventure which toured theatres in the United Kingdom from March to June 1989. During the 1990s, he made a guest appearance in the "Lords and Ladies" episode of the BBC Radio 4 comedy series Harry Hill's Fruit Corner, playing a Time Lord and also spoofed the role in the Radio 4 comedy The Skivers.
In 1993, Pertwee was featured in the unofficial 30th anniversary VHS release of Doctor Who 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'. Pertwee would continue to act in films and television as well as make appearances world-wide 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.
His last television appearance was on Cilla's Surprise Surprise, broadcast on 21 April 1996. His last film role was in a short film, 'Cloud Cuckoo' for Scottish Screen, released 18 June 1994.
Death and legacy
Pertwee continued on the convention circuit and with his voice and television acting until his death from a heart attack in Connecticut on 20 May 1996 at the age of 76. (some reports, however, place the location of his death in New York). Coincidentally, his friend and Doctor Who predecessor, Patrick Troughton, had also died of a heart attack in the United States, while a guest at a science fiction convention. He was cremated at Putney Vale Crematorium with a toy Worzel Gummidge affixed to the casket, following the instructions in his will.
He died only days after the American broadcast of the Doctor Who television movie which used in its opening credits a logo based on the one from his era of the television series. The BBC broadcast of the television movie featured a dedication to Pertwee at its end.
His last association with the series was posthumous. With the approval of his widow, Ingeborg, his voice was utilised as part of the plot of the Big Finish Productions 40th Anniversary Doctor Who audio drama, Zagreus. Pertwee's voice was culled from a fan-produced Doctor Who film , portions of which were recorded prior to his death.
Pertwee wrote two autobiographies: Moon Boots and Dinner Suits (published in 1984), which primarily covers his life and career prior to Doctor Who and the posthumously published Doctor Who: I Am the Doctor Jon Pertwees Final Memoir (published in 1996 by Virgin Publishing Ltd and co-written with David J. Howe) which covered his life during and after the series. In 2000, a biography about Pertwee's life was written. Jon Pertwee: The Biography (ISBN 0-233-99831-4) was published by Andre Deutsch Ltd and written by Bernard Bale. This biography was produced with approval from Ingeborg, who herself also wrote a few chapters of her past with Jon in the book.
Discography
In 1972, while still in the role of Doctor Who, he released a vocal version of the Doctor Who theme music entitled "Who is the Doctor".
In 1980 he released a single based on Worzel Gummidge entitled "Worzel's Song" from the album "Worzel Gummidge Sings". The single reached No.33 on the UK Charts in March. A second single was released in 1987 when the series was revived, but this met with less success.
Other chart action came in 1993 when an audio release of the Radio play "The Paradise of Death" reached No.48 in the album charts.
External links
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- Jon Pertwee reminisces, including time serving on the Hood - streaming audio
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