Remembering Patrick McGoohan

 

   March 19th is the anniversary of the birth of the compelling and charismatic actor, director and writer Patrick McGoohan.  Interesting he gave probably his most famous role, Number Six of The Prisoner, the same birthday.
     The Prisoner was a TV show Patrick McGoohan at least co-conceived, starred in, and wrote as well as directed various episodes of, both under his own name and pen names.  The series debuted in the 60's when the spy genre was all the rage, from Bond on the big screen to TV undertakings like The Man From U.N.C.L.E. or The Avengers.  McGoohan himself had starred as super-spy John Drake in two series, Danger Man and Secret Agent.  Allegedly, McGoohan had grown bored of the genre and wanted to do a series more cerebral and thought provoking.  The Prisoner certainly deserved the label thought provoking as well as enigmatic and bizarre, especially by standards set by 60's TV.
     The Prisoner revolved around the resignation of a spy played by McGoohan, which resulted in the character's transportation to an eigmatic village.  The village had a serene and tranquil visage, but was impossible to escape.  Populated by a sinister administration with an ever changing face of authority, McGoohan's character was always referred to as Number Six and he could never be sure who was running the village.  The show had surreal and sci-fi aspects including a balloon referred to as Rover which fetched back with uncanny ease those who attempted escape.  Issues explored in the show remain relevant today - including drug use, government influence and education vs mind control.  These themes were not so easily or ever undertaken by your average spy show, but their exploration appealed to Patrick McGoohan.  Perhaps that's why McGoohan felt such a close bond with the series that he merged himself with the role, even giving Number Six his March 19 birthday.
     Viewers could always expect the unexpected from the series.  It never settled for the simple hero-villain dynamic and many viewers were confused or disappointed by the show's 17th episode finale which failed to offer a tidy conclusion.  Yet the show was hailed by critics - one going so far as to call the series "an oasis in the vast wasteland of television."
     Patrick McGoohan will probably always best be remembered with fans as Number 6, but he had numerous roles of interest.  He played both heroes and villains.  He was memorable as both leading man and character actor.  Some other noteworthy roles include...

     Patrick McGoohan may well have first been noticed by American audiences for the lead role in Disney's 1963 version of The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh.  He portrayed Dr. Syn, a vicar by day and the masked leader of a gang of smugglers by night, who thwarted the wicked efforts of the local British officials.  The series consisted of three one hour episodes.  It was set in the British countryside and featured abundant swashbucking on McGoohan's part amid lavish sets.  And it had one catchy theme song that ended with a chilling laugh!

     Two Emmies were awarded Patrick McGoohan for his work on Columbo.  He played four different murderers, none of whom could best the determined detective in the crumpled overcoat.  McGoohan directed two of the episodes he appeared in, as well as episodes which featured Robert Vaughn and Billy Connelly.  Peter Falk (Coumbo) and McGoohan apparently had a good friendship, as McGoohan's work on the series ranged from the 70's to the dawn of the new millenium.  Falk even authored the forward for a biography about Patrick McGoohan.

     In Ice Station Zebra, Patrick McGoohan played a spy on the big screen.  At the height of the could war, McGoohan's David Jones was in a rush to ice station zebra to retreive a downed satellite with vital secret footage before the Russians could retreive it.  This film was Howard Hughes' favorite and he reportedly viewed it hundreds of times.  I had the chance to chat with actor Ron Masak, who appeared in the movie, and he confirmed the sub used to film on was authentic.   

     Perhaps McGoohan's best known recent role was in Mel Gibson's 1995 Academy Award winning Bravheart.  McGoohan played King Edward Longshanks, the nemesis of Gibson's heroic freedom fighter, Willliam Wallace.

     Patrick McGoohan died on January 13, 2009, leaving behind a plethora of great TV and film roles.


Below top -Patrick McGoohan receives treatment in The Prisoner.
Below bottom - Patrick McGoohan plays a secret agent in Ice Station Zebra with Rock Hudson.