Norman Hartley (Boom Swinger in The Dummy)

 

Hartley, one of four brothers, was born in 1932 as Norman Snazelle and trained at PARAD, the now defunct Preparatory Academy for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts based in Highgate, London. After this training he then attended RADA. On graduation undertook work in local rep theatre before he was offered a small role as a groom in the film The Gay Lady AKA Trottie True (1949). This also acted as an audition for a Rank Organisation contract but was unable to accept the offer due to having to undertake National Service in the army. Though he never achieved leading man status Hartley was able to have a long career in television with small and supporting roles. Director Douglas Camfield frequently cast Hartley in productions including Doctor Who, Out of the Unknown, Paul Temple and several other programmes.

He was first seen on television in The Shop At Sly Corner (8th April 1948), a live transmission by the BBC of a performance direct from the Intimate Theatre in Palmers Green, London. Hartley played the role of Steve Hubbard. It was in the latter half of the 1950s that Hartley started getting regular television work starting with small uncredited roles in such productions as 'The Great Bluff' (24th August 1957), an episode of the BBC series Escape which dramatized prisoner of war or concentration camp escapes during World War Two. This was followed by an uncredited role as a new recruit in the comedy film Carry on Sergeant (1958).More uncredited roles followed in episodes of the BBC’s drama Love and Mr Lewisham (10th April and 1st May 1959), an episode of a BBC adaptation of H G Wells The History of Mr Polly (8th September 1959), an airport official in 'A Flame in the Sky' (31st October 1959), an episode of Garry Halliday, and playing a sentry in an episode of the period drama St Ives - A La Belle Flora (19th June 1960). It was in the series Gary Halliday that Hartley played the first in a long line of policemen with his role as a Swiss police officer in two episodes – 'The Outcast' (30th January 1960) and 'On The Run' (6th February 1960). His next role as a policeman was in 'Process of Elimination' (9th June 1961), an episode of the police drama No Hiding Place. His first role for the BBC’s rival came with an episode of the ITV Play of the Week with an uncredited role in 'Gilt and Gingerbread' (5th September 1961). In between television appearances Hartley also continued to act in theatre productions as well as take on other jobs to make ends meet such as a bookmaker’s clerk.

Film wise he had an uncredited role in the British crime thriller Stranglehold (1962) and was credited as a “Desk Man” in the tense thriller Tomorrow at Ten (1963). Back on television the police roles kept coming with Hartley playing Detective Constable Miller in the No Hiding Place story 'Play on Letters' (6th April 1964) and billed as a motorcycle policeman in 'The Pleasure of Your Company' (29th July 1964) an episode of the comedy series Our Man At St Marks.

He could be seen as an ambulance man in the Doctor Finlay’s Casebook episode 'The Old Indomitable' (31st May 1964), but it was back to playing a policeman in 'The Doctor Cried' (28th June 1964), the second Doctor Finlay episode he appeared in. Hartley varied his repertoire a little with appearances as a fashion photographer in a couple of episodes of Compact – 'Testing Time' (4th May 1965) and 'Plots, Plans and A Party' (7th May 1965) – as well as a radiologist in 'The Draper of Dumfries' (5th December 1965) his third and final Doctor Finlay appearance. The same year he made his first appearance in Doctor Who playing Ulf in 'The Time Meddler' (3rd July – 24th July 1965).

1966 would see Hartley finally get a series of roles with a character name, albeit only a Christian name, starting with Andre in 'If I Can’t Win, I Don’t Complain' (9th April 1966), an episode of The Spies which featured future 'The Dummy' co-star Simon Oates in a leading role. Next was Harry in the Mrs Thursday episode 'Honesty Is the Best Policy' (12th April 1966) followed by Nicky in the Adam Adamant Lives episode 'Allah Is Not Always with You' (21st July 1966). His final role of 1966 came courtesy of director Douglas Camfield who had cast Hartley in the Doctor Who story 'The Time Meddler'. Hartley would work for Camfield several times over the coming years and for the BBC thriller series Breaking Point he appeared as Detective Constable Miller in the first episode (22nd October 1966). 1967 would be a quiet year for Hartley television appearances wise. He had only one role, another police character – Detective Sergeant Murphy, in 'The Pilgrim Man' (9th August 1967) an episode of Vendetta. He was still in uniform for the role of Constable Martin in The Man in a Suitcase instalment 'Why They Killed Nolan' (1968). 

Douglas Camfield gave Hartley two roles during the year – an officer in 'Crime of Passion' (11th August 1968), an episode of Detective, and as Sergeant Peters in episodes seven (14th December 1968) and eight (21st December 1968) of 'The Invasion' which saw Patrick Troughton’s Doctor Who in an epic face-off against the Cybermen. Camfield then went on to cast Hartley in a tiny role as 'Contact Commercial Person number 2' in his Out of the Unknown episode 'The Last Lonely Man' (21st January 1969). Beasts cohort Peter Halliday had a lead role in the story. The director was also responsible for casting Hartley as a vicar in his Paul Temple episode 'The Guilty Must Die' (4th August 1971).

Around this time Hartley moved to France and lived in Paris for a while. He was able to acquire an agent and continued with acting roles for radio and television advertisements. After a few years he returned to the UK and his appearance in 'The Dummy' was amongst his first television roles when he returned. Post-Beasts Hartley was cast as Rankin in the Softly Softly: Task Force story 'A Shot in the Dark' (1st December 1976). Hartley settled into a regular pattern of three to four appearances on television per year and this pattern would see him comfortably employed into the late 1980s. Other notable appearances include anthology series Jubilee playing Bill Dawson in the episode 'Street Party' (3rd April 1977). He made his first appearance in an episode of The Onedin Line playing Mr Minns in 'The Hostage' (14th August 1977).

Douglas Camfield cast Hartley as customs officer in his Target episode 'Big Elephant' (23rd September 1977). Hartley demonstrated an ability for comedy with the role of a home owner in 'Going to Be Alright' (3rd March 1978) an episode of Going Straight starring Ronnie Barker. More police work was next with the role of Station Officer Davies in an episode of Angels – 'Casualties' (5th June 1978). Slighter roles as a commissionaire in the third episode of An Englishman’s Castle (19th June 1978) and as a demolition worker in the Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em episode 'Men as Women' (2nd December 1978) followed. Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978) saw Hartley play Douvier’s soldier. This would be his final film appearance. 1979’s television appearances were once more a mixture of drama and comedy. He was a lift attendant in 'A Day at the Metropole' (25th February 1979), an episode of the Upstairs Downstairs spin-off Thomas and Sarah, guest starred as Sid in Strangers in the 'Night' (23rd April 1979) an episode of the comedy series Chalk and Cheese, played a barman in the third episode (11th October 1979) of the sitcom Bloomers and was a garage manager in the Shoestring episode 'The Partnership' (9th December 1979).

Hartley started the 1980s by appearing in sketches for The Dick Emery Show (12th January 1980) before undertaking the role of Phil Hartley in 'The Family Affair' (11th January – 15th February 1980) part of the detective series Breakaway. The role would see him reunited with Glyn Houston, playing Chief Superintendent Bert Sinclair, with whom he had appeared in 'The Dummy'. He appeared twice in the wartime drama Enemy At The Door playing a feldwebel (a German army staff sergeant) in the episode 'No Quarter Given' (26th January 1980) and later on appearing as an unteroffizier (basically an NCO like a staff sergeant) in the episode 'Jealousy' (23rd February 1980). He was Detective Sergeant Howlett for the Juliet Bravo story 'The Draughtsman' (13th September 1980). His second role in an episode of The Onedin Line saw Hartley in another variation of policeman plating Inspector Garrick in 'Vengeance' (12th October 1980). His final television appearance for the year was in the Play for Today production 'Number on End' (25th November 1980) as a film despatch clerk.

London Weekend Television’s Sunday Night Thriller saw Hartley in a tiny role as party guest in the episode “Dark Secrets: Part Two” (25th January 1981) and he was then back in a police uniform for an appearance in “Brendon” (11th February 1981), an episode of the family adventure series Brendon Chase based on the classic children’s novels. Just under a fortnight later he could be spotted in the small role of “1st Man” in the Play for Today production “The Union” (24th February 1981). This was followed by playing a manservant in Love Story – “A Chance to Sit Down” (31st July 1981) and a doorman in the Gentle Touch storyline “The Hit” (20th November 1981). His most notable role of the year was as Captain Kennedy for the Blake’s 7 fourth season episode “Gold” (30th November 1981).

He was a window cleaner in “Dying to Meet You” (16th February 1982), the first episode of the Dick Emery comedy vehicle Legacy of Death. He was then reunited with Peter Halliday once more for his role as Williams in the seventh episode (1st April 1982) of BBC drama series County Hall. For the wartime espionage series The Fourth Arm he was cast as Saunders in the fifth episode (4th February 1983). The following month he was a foreman in “The Asquiths” (13th March 1982) an episode of the series Number 10.

He was a pub customer in an episode (31st July 1983) of the Arthur Lowe starring sitcom Potter, a florist in “The Secret Adversary” (9th October 1983) and a chairman in the Shine on Harvey Moon instalment “Sisters and Brothers” (15th June 1984). He was back in a familiar role for the comedy series Now and Then playing yet another policeman in fourth episode (29th July 1984) of the second season. Next was an uncredited appearance as a commissionaire in “Squealer” (5th October 1984) an episode of political drama Mitch followed rapidly by a small role as a court usher in his second Juliet Bravo production, “Lost and Found” (13th October 1984).

Now in his early sixties Hartley saw the offers and roles starting to lessen due to his age. He could be seen as Dan in the Dempsey and Makepeace instalment “Silver Dollar” (31st August 1985) and was a doctor in the TV movie John and Yoko: A Love Story (2nd December 1985) which starred Mark McGann as John Lennon, Kim Myori as Yoko Ono and Peter Capaldi as George Harrison!

Roles began to slow to a trickle with only a brief part as a reporter for “The Simcox Inheritance” (24th November 1986), an episode of the drama series Paradise Postponed making up his work for the year. He was a doctor in the first episode of A Perfect Spy (4th November 1987) and a probation officer in the sixth episode (22nd February 1988) of Hard Cases.

“Getting It Right” (3rd January 1989) was an episode of The Bill which credited Hartley as playing an usher. Hartley undertook the role of Pascal in a second season (19th February 1989) episode of wartime drama Wish Me Luck. He was seen as a reporter in “Lies” (24th April 1990), the eighth episode of the crime drama Chancer. His penultimate role was in an episode of the Nicholas Lyndhurst starring sitcom The Piglet Files. Hartley portrayed a French politician in the episode “Now You See It” (12th October 1990)

“New Order” (5th October 1993), an episode of the crime drama Between the Lines, saw Hartley make his final television appearance playing a clerk of court. Hartley didn’t make a decision to retire, the phone stopped ringing and the offers simply stopped coming.

Hartley passed away in 2020 aged 89.

Toby Hadoke interviewed Norman about his Doctor Who roles and further career at the link below
https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/toby-hadoke-s-who-s-round-122---normal-hartley-1327