Friday 27 January 2017

B is for... Bell, Corporal


Corporal Bell was a UNIT member, who was based at UNIT HQ. Her role was administrative, acting as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart's personal secretary. She first appeared during the period when UNIT was supervising security at an international peace conference in London, which coincided with the operation to dump a banned nerve gas missile at sea. The Master intended to hijack the weapon and use it to destroy the conference. She was later on hand when an alien spacecraft landed near the Nuton Power Complex on England's south coast. She relayed the information to the Brigadier that the craft's arrival had resulted in freak weather conditions in the area.

Played by: Fernanda Marlowe. Appearances: The Mind of Evil, The Claws of Axos (both 1971).

  • Yes, Bell's most famous moment is when she tells everyone about the weather down at Nuton. This line had to be added in studio after the film crew had experienced wildly varying weather conditions whilst shooting at Dungeness in Kent. A similar thing happened with The Daemons the year after, but it wasn't quite so apparent on screen and so Corporal Bell wasn't called upon again.
  • No, Fernanda Marlowe was never married to actor William Marlowe (convict Harry Mailer in her first story). He did however marry Catherine Schell (Countess Scarlioni), and later Kismet Delgado, widow of Roger (the Master) Delgado.
  • Fan fiction has given Corporal Bell the first name of Carol. Might be something to do with the 1914 Christmas Carol of the Bells, by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych. Or maybe not.

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