In Memoriam: William Nicholas Stone Courtney, 1929-2011

[thatcrazycajun]

It is with the heaviest of hearts that I must report that one of the most beloved members of the Doctor Who family is gone from us over three weeks now...and I only just found out today, thanks to archiver_tim. British actor Nicholas Courtney, known to Whovians of all ages and the world over as Brigadier Sir Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart (Ret.), former unflappable leader of the UK branch of UNIT*, passed away last month at 81 of causes as yet unreported. His obituary is here.

I have no words adequate to pay proper tribute to the memory of this great talent and genial man. I have firsthand knowledge of the latter; I was a staff member of a New Orleans, LA convention for Who fen in 1985 called Panopticon New Orleans, at which Nick was one of the principal guests, along with the late former show producer John Nathan-Turner, Sixth Doctor Colin Baker and Nicola "I Am NOT A Fizzy Drink!" Bryant (Perpugilliam "Peri" Brown, AKA "the Cleavage Companion"). I have a photo with him in it that is among my most treasured possessions, taken after the con officially ended and the staff took the guests out to the legendary French Quarter boîte Pat O'Brien's and introduced them to that establishment's claim to fame, the original Pat O's Hurricane. Still have my souvenir glass, too. (if you've never had one, you can buy the mix in many stores or through their website...but it's only advisable if your alcohol tolerance is fairly high!)

Nick actually served in the real-life British Army as a younger man, though never rising beyond the rank of private. But to all of us who know and love the show (both classic and the recent revival, plus the latter's spinoffs, in one of which—The Sarah Jane Adventures—Nick made his final appearance), he will always and forever be "the Brig." To never see that proud British/Scot face again or hear that sonorous baritone snapping, "Sgt. Yates! Chap with wings, five rounds rapid!" save in reruns brings me more sadness than I can possibly describe.

Deepest of sympathies to his family, friends, colleagues and his many, many fans. One of the Brig's real-life US equivalents, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, famously said that "old soldiers never die; they just fade away." This old soldier—and the warm, wonderful man who played him—will never, ever fade from our memory...and I thank whatever God or gods there be that I had the tremendous good fortune to meet him at least once in person and to enjoy his company. Rest well, good sir, and thanks for decades of entertainment and inspiring (if only make-believe) heroism.

*Back then, the acronym was for "United Nations Intelligence Taskforce"; the real UN wouldn't give New Who's producers permission to use their name, so it's now "Unified Intelligence Taskforce."

Comments

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

I shouldn't do this, becuase it's a terrible thing to nitpick a lovely a touching tribute to a man I admire greatly, but we correct because we care.

*Five* rounds rapid. :)

(Also, it wasn't Sgt. Benton who got the order. But that's neither here nor there. *grin*)

I was sorry that Courtney didn't manage to keep up his streak of working with every doctor. He appeared in at least one episode opposite the first seven Doctors. (He was in a Hartnell episode, but not as the Brig.)

[thatcrazycajun.livejournal.com]

Not Sgt. Benton? Who was it, then? Yates? I was sure it was Benton and six. Oh, well, thanks for the correction. And I, too, wish he'd at least been able to work with Tennant's 10th Doc a time or two before he went.

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

Going to do some lookup, it was a character named Jenkins. It wasn't one of the Big Three UNIT soldiers.

Here's the clip, from the 1971 serial "The Daemons"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqK6LnXmK0k

[archiver-tim.livejournal.com]

Thanks to the que of Classic Doctor Who to be released on DVD, we can be sure/hope that there are commentaries that were recorded, to be used in the future. I am sure one of those will also give us a trib to Nick and to The Brig.