McGoohan Man
As sorry as I am about the passing of Patrick McGoohan, I wasn't that taken with his internals on-screen. I loved, of course, the magnificent snap, crack and timbre of his voice -- what an instrument! -- blended with that purring Irish-English accent. But McGoohan always -- almost always -- played creepy obsessives with cold eyes and cold souls, and I can't say I ever liked him all that much.
I respected him, naturally, for his chops, for that undercurrent of whatever, for that well pedigreed quality. He was a first-rate actor.
I loved the metaphor of The Prisoner, the '60s TV series, but I never watched more than a couple of episodes -- sorry. McGoohan, for me, was defined by his series of twisted and malevolent big-screen pricks in Silver Streak, Escape From Alcatraz, Scanners, Braveheart, etc. Yes, he was very good at putting out this particular mood and color.
What kind of actor in his right mind would turn down the James Bond role over moral grounds? He once stipulated "no kissing" in his contract for Danger Man, the British TV action series. I seem to recall reading way back when that he was a bit of a conservative prig, an old-school moralist, etc.
And why, with his British theatre background and that awesome voice, didn't he appear on Broadway more often? In 1985 he was nominated for a Drama Desk Award played a British spook in a stage production of Hugh Whitemore's Pack of Lies, opposite Rosemary Harris.
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on January 14, 2009 at 9:51 PM
comment #1
BurmaShave
says ...
I mean, it's been like 12 hours. Why did you even write this? It's not like we were clamoring for your reaction, especially if it was this. And I think for what it's worth the man was typecast and very good at playing hateful people.
Posted by BurmaShave
at January 14, 2009 10:18 PM
comment #2
D.Z.
says ...
Found out from some guy on crooksandliars.com that you can watch the show legally online for free at http://www.amctv.com/videos/the-prisoner-1960s-video/
.
Posted by D.Z.
at January 14, 2009 10:24 PM
comment #3
Jason
says ...
You're not supposed to like the guy playing the villain! He played oily snakes as well as anybody else in the George Sanders character actor slot. Couldn't you at least praise his measured voice? Dude had a wickedly saturnine tongue.
Posted by Jason
at January 14, 2009 11:15 PM
comment #4
frankbooth
says ...
Why did you do it, Darryl? Why did you drill the hole? You wanted to let something out of your head?
Posted by frankbooth
at January 15, 2009 12:06 AM
comment #5
berg
says ...
the Scarecrow of Romney Marsh owns ....
Posted by berg
at January 15, 2009 12:12 AM
comment #6
Wiggumx
says ...
At least Jeff is honest. And, if honesty gets posters riled up and boosts traffic for a day... so be it.
Posted by Wiggumx
at January 15, 2009 12:19 AM
comment #7
Marty Melville
says ...
He didn't always play creepy obsessives... many times he played compelling obsessives, like John Drake, No. 6, Dr. Syn, and perhaps most memorably, Andrew McDhui, the mightily conflicted father in The Three Lives of Thomasina.
A completely unique actor and I'll really miss him.
Posted by Marty Melville
at January 15, 2009 12:27 AM
comment #8
NDH
says ...
It's true that he often played creepy obsessives, but damn if he wasn't great at it! The first time I saw McGoohan was in THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK (the Richard Chamberlain version) and even then I was struck by the measured way in which he delivered his lines. A great actor, and he'll certainly be missed.
Posted by NDH
at January 15, 2009 12:51 AM
comment #9
arturobandini2
says ...
frankbooth, we're on the same wavelength again. McGoohan will always be 'Dr. Ruth' to me.
Posted by arturobandini2
at January 15, 2009 2:28 AM
comment #10
JohnCope
says ...
And let's not forget how very different things might have been had he actually been cast as Bond instead of Connery, which would have happened if he had accepted the offer.
Posted by JohnCope
at January 15, 2009 2:59 AM
comment #11
lazarus
says ...
The Prisoner is one of the five best things to ever air on television, anywhere, ever.
For that alone, McGoohan is a god.
Posted by lazarus
at January 15, 2009 3:14 AM
comment #12
Markj74
says ...
McGoohan was magnificent in 'Braveheart'. A sad loss, along with Ricardo Montalban.
Posted by Markj74
at January 15, 2009 5:11 AM
comment #13
Movie Watcher
says ...
Vaya Con Dios, Mr. Montalban. You will be missed.
Posted by Movie Watcher
at January 15, 2009 5:55 AM
comment #14
Rich S.
says ...
True, Jeffrey is honest, but I don't see what is to be gained at taking shots so soon after a man's passing.
Personally, I was a big McGoohan fan. I got the Dr. Syn: Scarecrow of Romney Marsh for Christmas, and it was every bit as good as I remembered. It's sad that Disney saw fit to release it in such a limited edition.
I also loved The Prisoner. It could be wildly uneven, but I would say at least five of the episodes, including Arrival and Hammer into Anvil, are among the best things television has ever produced.
It is curious that McGoohan never played Bond, as I understand he was offered the role both before and after Connery. And McGoohan looked more like the description of Bond given in Casino Royale than any of the actors that have played him.
But McGoohan always had an independent streak. His fights with the creative team of The Prisoner are legendary. I think Bond would have pigeonholed him too much.
Can't wait to read Jeffrey's carpet bombing of Montalban.
Posted by Rich S.
at January 15, 2009 6:01 AM
comment #15
actionman
says ...
Can't wait to see the new Prisoner mini-series that's coming out on AMC next year. I have yet to see any of the original but have always wanted too.
And I was a huuuuge fan of The Three Lives of Thomasina when I was a kid. We even named our family cat Thomasina.
Posted by actionman
at January 15, 2009 6:14 AM
comment #16
btwnproductions
says ...
Love the picture (which is Roberts Blossom's cockeyed portrait of his warden character in Escape from Alcatraz.
Posted by btwnproductions
at January 15, 2009 6:27 AM
comment #17
Daviddb
says ...
No one's mentioned (so I will) McGoohan's terrific performances on 2 classic "Columbo" episodes which he won 2 Emmys for. Going toe to toe with Peter Falk...awesome.
Posted by Daviddb
at January 15, 2009 8:05 AM
comment #18
scooterzz
says ...
fwiw....on the second day of tca last week, we had a chance to talk with cast and creative staff of the upcoming amc remake of 'the prisoner'...in direct response to questions re: mc goohan's involvement, trevor hopkins said that mc goohan had been offered a cameo role and wanted to take it but was unable to travel....hopkins also said that, even though mc goohan tended to be pretty possevive when it came to his original role, he liked the new script and had given his blessing.....
Posted by scooterzz
at January 15, 2009 10:31 AM
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