RiglerWrites: Remembering Patrick McGoohan

RiglerWrites: Remembering Patrick McGoohan:      March 19th is the anniversary of the birth of the compelling and charismatic actor, director and writer Patrick McGoohan.  Interestin...

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.
        

Saint Patrick's Pet Peeves.

It takes a saint to keep a calm head with the way things are in the world today.  But as March 17 approaches, I wonder what might even get on the nerves of a certain saint...

1. Late night prank calls from drunks claiming to have seen a snake in Ireland.
2. Publicists insist on green garb for photo ops despite a preference for slimming black.
3. Leprechauns.
4. Constant debate with Saint Nicholas over whose holiday has the cooler customs.

HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY!

Summoned Secrets

from Summoned Secrets...


The Midnight Wind

The midnight wind
chills to the bone
and will not leave
your soul alone,
so stay in bed
throughtout the night
and you just might
remain all right.



The Haunting Hour

At midnight its dark
and time for a lark
from spirits who wave
and moan from their grave
so please be afraid
and the ghosts get paid.


Order your copy of W.P. Rigler's Summoned Secrets at http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/wrigler


18 strange stories of science fiction, dark fantasy, suspense, and horror.
12 poetic creations.
1 book.

Learn the secrets of...
An alien world where hunters test their skills and dragons dwell.
A library whose biographies hold the key to life and death.
History's most infamous serial killer's gambling habits.


"With a cast that includes dimension-hopping murderers, extraterrestrial monsters, and even the shade of Poe himself, Rigler's dark imagination will populate your nightmare for days to come."
Nathan Rosen, editor at microhorror.com

Havre de Grace - Historic & Haunted

     Nestled at the point where the Susquehanna River meets the Chesapeake Bay, Havre de Grace is a small Maryland town with a French name (meaning harbor of grace).  Its history dates back to colonial days.  And anyone raised in the town can tell you that the city missed out on being the U.S. capital by one vote.  Instead it has had to make due with the title of decoy capital of the country.  To attest to this fact is the decoy museum and a Spring sponsored decoy event.

     The town offers the richness of small town life.  Its waterfront is beautiful.  Parks provide superb scenery that shift with the seasons. 

The town's waterfront promenade offers a spectacular view year round.

Parades mark various holidays, from Halloween to the Fourth of July.  Its quaint main street is brimming with antique shops designed to trap the interest of tourists.  The town has supposedly trapped numerous ghosts as well, if tales from its haunted tours are to be believed.

     An alley way which played host to a gangster's murder during the age of prohibition is supposedly marked by mysterious red blotches that will not fade away from the street's pavement.  The town's old Opera house still holds ghosts that make unexplained noises on the upper floor.

     Other historic links concern a resturaunt where Al Capone once dined during a visit to the town and Lafayette trip to the town during the Revolutionary War.

Terror's Taste

     Oh the splendid spooky chills offered by October amid falling leaves of brilliant colors.  My favorite thing about October has always been Halloween.  As a kid it was the appeal of dressing in costume and pillaging for yummy treats. As an adult I like to celebrate the holiday more simply by watching some frightening films or reading a good horror tale.

     I'm very proud that this Halloween I have out my own horror tale from DonnaInk Publications called Terror's Taste.  Between its covers readers encounter such classic mysteries as Jack the Ripper and the disappearence of Atlantis while the plot unfolds concerning a vampire feud that descends through the ages.  I hope you'll check it out and enjoy.  You can order it from amazon or directly from my publisher at DonnaInk.org

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Charlton Heston - An Actor for All Seasons!

     Today in 1923 actor Charlton Heston was born.  His roles tended toward that of the classical man of action in a wide variety of films.  You could most often find him in movies that looked to the past or future.  His acting resume included such historic characters as Moses, John the Baptist, El Cid, and Michelangelo. 
     Charlton Heston was the title character of the sound/color version of Ben Hur.  Heston brought humanity to a towering figure that fought through numerous challenges including an escape from a ship's rowing galley amidst an epic battle and a fierce chariot race that has taken its iconic place in film history.  It's impossible to think of any other actor in the role, but it is rumoured that the first choice to play Hur in that version was Rock Hudson.  Hudson passed and Heston got the best actor Oscar for Ben Hur.  Much of the movie's success can be placed on Heston's mighty shoulders.  The film is tied with Titanic and Return of the King for most Oscar wins.   
     For sci-fi fans, Heston entered a number of chilling futuristic scenerios.  Heston fought for man's dignity as an astronaught stranded on The Planet of the Apes in the 1968 classic version.  He was a scientist trying to survive in a city over run by the mutated survivors of war in The Omega Man based on the novel I Am Legend.  In Soylent Green, Heston was a police man who discovered a terrible secret in an overpopulated world.     
     Heston's work was primarily restricted to the cinematic big screen.  Yet later in his career Charlton Heston appeared in several TV productions including A Man for All Seasons and Treasure Island, which was directed by his son, Frazier Heston.
     Charlton Heston was no stranger to the political arena.  He was a staunch advocate of civil rights while being known for his conservative views.  However it his acting legacy that shines brightly and is ready to entertain countless new viewers via TV reruns or DVDS.