Advanced search

Ian Marter left university in 1969 and joined the Bristol Old Vic as an acting stage manager. In 1970, producer Barry Letts considered him for the role of Captain Mike Yates in Terror of the Autons: Episode One (1971), but it ultimately went to Richard Franklin. However, Letts remembered him and two years later cast him as John Andrews in Carnival of Monsters: Episode One (1973).

When Jon Pertwee decided to leave the series during the following year, Letts considered casting an older actor in the part of the Doctor. This meant that any physical action sequences might have to be performed by a younger actor (in the role of a companion to the Doctor) and Marter was thus cast as Surgeon Lieutenant Harry Sullivan. When 40-year-old Tom Baker landed the role of the Doctor, Marter became surplus to requirements and was written out in Baker's second season by the new production team of Philip Hinchcliffe and Robert Holmes, who felt the Doctor only needed one companion.

Marter spent much of the rest of his life novelising Doctor Who (1963) stories for Target Books. He died suddenly and prematurely in 1986.

In early 1957 he was earning £12 a week in a Bradford public library but in June that year he was able to give up his job because he was making a small fortune from the sales of a book mostly written while he was in Grassington sanatorium recovering from TB. By 1960 Room at the Top had sold half a million copies. In October 1985 he published his 13th book 'These Golden Days' and commenced a Saturday column 'Share My Life' for the Yorkshire Post which continued until he died in the Autumn of 1986

Eddie Waring was born on 21 February 1910 in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Goodies (1970), It's a Knockout (1966) and Grandstand (1958). He died on 28 October 1986.

Robert Arthur was born on 1 November 1909 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a producer and writer, known for The Big Heat (1953), Father Goose (1964) and The Golden Horde (1951). He died on 28 October 1986 in Beverly Hills, California, USA.

Anatoliy Ignatyev was born on 22 July 1926 in Smolensk, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. He was an actor, known for Ne stavte Leshemu kapkany... (1981), Kapitan 'Staroy cherepakhi' (1956) and Metel (1965). He died on 28 October 1986 in Moscow Oblast, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia].

Maurice Spitalny was born on 27 February 1893 in Tetieff, Russia. Maurice died on 28 October 1986 in Hollywood, Florida, USA.

Janusz Kuzniarski was born on 10 December 1929 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland. Janusz was a cinematographer, known for Wroclawski eksperyment (1966) and Przywrócony do zycia (1984). Janusz died on 28 October 1986 in Poland.

Harry Rydberg was born on 21 October 1906 in Ösmo, Stockholms län, Sweden. He was an actor, known for Loffe som miljonär (1948). He died on 28 October 1986 in Spånga, Sweden.

Quincy Frazer was an actor, known for Forgotten Warrior (1986). He died on 28 October 1986 in Sacramento County, California, USA.