Reverse the Polarity

Highly recommended 1992 Jon Pertwee interview.

One of the aspects that made Jon Pertwee such a great convention guest was his rapport with a large audience whose enthusiasm he in turn would feed with a raconteur’s skill. Rarer are one to one interviews outside of chat shows and `Reverse The Polarity` is probably the best I’ve seen. It features a lengthy interview with the actor as well as some fans’ memories of him, additional comments from Richard Franklin plus some behind the scenes footage of the third Doctor as he meets and greets fans at a video signing.

Shot in 1992 and edited into an hour long feature in 1999 it takes place in Edinburgh during Jon’s tour promoting the video `The Pertwee Years`. Liam Michael- Rudden interviews him in a hotel room about various aspects of his career. He seems to have caught JP on a good day as I don’t think I’ve ever seen him quite so casual in his observations. Sure some of the familiar tales are present yet the interview comes across as more of a chat than a formal question and answer session and is all the more revealing for it. Jon talks about Doctor Who, Worzel Gummidge, theatre and even wanting to play Miss Marple!
Bonuses include little seen footage from the proposed Starwatch project, which seems a bit talky for a promo but shows potential. There’s also the behind the scenes footage which includes a photo session outside one of the city’s actual police boxes and relaxing before the signing. It’s a lovely portrait of a man often presented as larger than life but also a natural conversationalist and someone very protective of the things he’s done and people he’s worked with.

It’s well worth a look and is on YouTube to see…