Patrick McGoohan died yesterday, aged 80. The star, writer, director , figurehead and co-creator of the absolute classic British 60's t.v. show THE PRISONER was a man who strived to make projects he felt a connection too, that he thought would stand the test of time . He once even turned down the role of James Bond, just before Sean Connery was cast and became a worldwide icon in DR NO. This was a man who wasn't out to become famous or rich. He knew he had higher aspirations that to become a Hollywood "star". McGoohan starred alongside Connery in the late 50's movie HELL DRIVERS. They were constantly compared but one went one way and the other a completely different route. McGoohan became a cult icon. His show THE PRISONER found him as a former spy who was held captive in a small, mysterious village whose spirit was constantly broken as he failed time and time again to escape. It ran on ITV between 1967 and 1968 and is now regarded as one of the more perfect mini-series in the history of television...
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It blended the conventions of a spy thriller, a great science fiction yarn, sometimes a horror story and always had deep psychological and philosophical themes at play. It became a cult classic and is soon to be remade by AMC and ITV with Jim Caviezel playing McGoohan's part and the last we heard, Christopher Nolan holds the feature rights to the series and at one point was ready to make an adaptation his next film after THE DARK KNIGHT. You can see much of McGoohan and THE PRISONER, in Nolan's work and perversely, I want to see what Nolan could do with it. Maybe with Hugh Jackman in the leading role? Before THE PRISONER, he came to prominence as the spy lead in DANGER MAN, a 60's show which many in this post-modern world feel has an unintentional direct link to THE PRISONER. His film roles in John Sturges' ICE STATION ZEBRA, SILVER STREAK and memorably later in David Cronenberg's SCANNERS, showed a versatile actor who could transform himself on screen. In ironic but perfect casting, he played the Warden in the Don Siegel/Clint Eastwood prison movie ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ As I say, McGoohan always pursued personal projects, which took him to write, produce, act, direct and win Emmy's for his work on the great t.v. show COLUMBO. A show which of course links him with another fallen actor yesterday, Ricardo Montalban who also played a villain in the show. Who, so many talented people appeared on that great show. In his late career, I remember being replused by his performance as King Edward Longshanks in Mel Gibson's BRAVEHEART. The moment when he slits the throat of William Wallace's love, well it made him a screen villain I just wanted to rip apart. What a great late performance, he knew how to play a cold and ruthless aging tryant whose world was now passing him by. You can read full obituary of McGoohan HERE. Yesterday we lost two truly great cult icons of screen and whose work they never compromised. They will both be missed.