The Life Magazine site certainly qualifies as a visual treasure trove. I think I’ll start mining it a bit.

“Dr Who (Tom Baker) meets one of the monsters from his new series.”

2 Responses to “Rummaging Through Life #1”

1. Ryan says:

   May 2, 2009 at 7:45 am

   This surely is from the UK version of “Life,” since nobody outside of Britain would have heard of “Dr Who.” But look at the date! February 1974! This must have been taken just as he was cast (notice his non-Doctorish clothing). “Planet of the Spiders” (his first appearance in the role) wasn’t broadcast until May 1974, presumably it was filmed a few months previously. I still remember the first publicity photo I ever saw of Tom, it was in “Starlog” where he was surrounded by Daleks and looking goggle-eyed into the camera. I decided then and there, that whoever this fellow was, he definitely was an alien.

2. Darrell says:

   May 2, 2009 at 11:05 am

   Yeah I’m sure you’re right – either there was a UK Life, or else it’s part of some larger photo rights acquisition along the way.

   I sometimes think these pub photos before they’ve settled on costumes are better than the eventual costume choices – certainly Colin Baker would have been better off in the black/white leisure suit he had his first publicity shots in, and this isn’t such a bad look for Tommy B.