Biography

Derek Martinus was born on April 4, 1931 in Ilford, Essex, England, UK. He was a director and actor, known for Blake's 7 (1978), Doctor Who (1963) and Emmerdale Farm (1972). He was married to Eivor. He died on March 27, 2014 in the UK.

He became the first person to direct a Doctor Who (1963) serial in colour, which was also shot - uniquely for Doctor Who (1963) - entirely on film (Spearhead from Space: Episode 1 (1970)), broadcast in 1970). It is also the only serial he directed for the series which still exists in its entirety and was the debut for Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor.

He met his Swedish wife while he was working in Swedish theatre.

Took his professional name from his grandfather, Johan Martinus Buitenhuis, a Rotterdam meat trader.

William Hartnell regarded me with great suspicion when I arrived. He knew I was the new boy and he wasn't slow to remind me how many hundreds of films he'd done and how many directors he'd advised on how to get the shots. Bill used to say 'I don't know why you've put the camera there, it'd be much better here. Then I can walk into a big close-up and you'll be fine, you see'. I quite liked the old boy, I respected some of the work he'd done in the past and I remember the dear old man saying 'I have carte blanche on all the casting and all the script alterations, because they can't do the serial without me'. One did have to tread very carefully with him, but he warmed to me and I to him. We sort of found a way of communicating, as one had to do.

[on Spearhead from Space: Episode 1 (1970)] Jon Pertwee was very nervous about "Spearhead from Space", because he'd not done a lot of so-called straight acting before. He also saw himself very much as the big, outdoor kind of guy. He liked to be in control, and was always surrounded by flashy birds and fast cars. He was very particular about his image, which was a good thing. That first one we nearly lost and only saved because Derrick Sherwin, the producer, was a very energetic and determined bloke. He had a tremendous fight to get the go-ahead, but he did and for a while we all had this wonderful fantasy of doing Doctor Who all on film and selling it to America.

The Daleks had to be shot very carefully and from exactly the right angle, because if you shoot them without care they do look rather tame and ordinary. You had to build up a Dalek's entrance. I used to make them lurk in the shadows.

[on The Evil of the Daleks: Episode 1 (1967)] It got a lot easier when Pat Troughton (Patrick Troughton) took over. He lent it an air of respectability. At that time, the programme was beginning to make a big impact and star names were attracted. I do remember being quite nervous about approaching Marius Goring to appear in "The Evil of the Daleks", but he was attracted to the indulgence of the part. He liked to play these great Henry Irving style eccentrics, and we sold it to him on the basis that here was the chance to create a really rich, bizarre character. He seized on that and really went to town.