Patrick McGoohan: March 19, 1928 -- January 13, 2009

[Glenn Anders]

Wellesnetters may wish to note the passing in LA of Patrick McGoohan, best known as Number Six in THE PRISONER, the Internationally popular Television series of the 1960's, and before that as DANGER MAN in another successful TV venue. But further back still, McGoohan, New York-born but reared in England and Ireland, had starred as Starbuck in Orson Welles' legendary 1955 production of Moby Dick Rehearsed.

As a teenager, McGoohan had gone into repertory theater in the big English steeltown of Shefield, and subsequently acted for a number of provincial theaters, eventually migrating to London's West End. When McGoohan starred in Serious Charge, a (then) controversial drama about a vicar accused of homosexual advances toward a teenager, Orson Welles signed him for Moby Dick Rehearsed. According to McGoohan's obituary in the London Telegraph, "Welles was to call him 'one of the big actors of his generation, tremendous, with all the required attributes, looks, intensity, unquestionable acting ability and a twinkle in his eye'"

At the risk of infuriating Todd Baesen and keats, by indulging in a "you had to be there" moment, I must testify to the truth of that evaluation, as I have in a memoir here on Wellesnet, and more recently in a slightly revised version which you may find on my Author Page (under another alias) at The Red Room:

http://www.redroom.com/author/alex-fraser

It was a memorable evening, and I followed Patrick McGoohan's career from that time on, though I never thought that he did anything to equal his Starbuck after the movie version of Brendan Behan's THE QUARE FELLOW.

Glenn

[tonyw]

A thoughtful obituary, Glenn, as always.

If I might add to your comments, McGoohan was also the Ibsen BRAND of his generation in a play directed by Michael Elliot and shown on BBC TV. I don't know if this broadcast still survives since it does not appear in the Ibsen DVD collection although Ingrid Bergman as Hedda Gabler does.

Fate prevented me seeing McGoohan play Ahab in the Manchester Royal Exchange Theatre Company's production of MOBY DICK which Elliot also directed. He was signed to appear but backed out at the last moment to Elliot's annoyance as a sign outside the theatre made no bones about. The one and only real Dr. Lector Brian Cox took over the role.

In certain ways, McGoohan's career paralleled Welles. Both began in the theatre and were associated with successes that dominated their later careers. For McGoohan it was DANGER MAN and THE PRISONER. Although, he attempted to diversify in different roles in the COLOMBO series, he also was trapped by the past. However, his role as Red in Cy Endfield's British noir HELL DRIVERS is another different type of role.

Again, you were lucky to be present at this time.