Johnny Drake

I make no apologies here, because I simply couldn't resist this one. In a previous blog about the identity of the Prisoner, it was suggested in one comment that Patrick McGoohan blatantly used his John Drake stills from his previous role in Danger Man, as picturd on the placards held by citizens during the election parade in the episode Free For All. The same picture is also used for The tally Ho newspaper, and in Do Not Forsake me Oh My Darling, and yes, as a 12 year old boy, having grown up with Danger Man, I too thought that the man plastered on those placards was John Drake. But in later years I discoverd that I had been wrong. Because that's not John Drake pictured on those placards, it's actually Patrick McGoohan. So what's the difference I hear you say? Well I can't recall that particular picture having been used in any episode of Danger Man, that's probably because it's Patrick McGoohan's personal publicity photograph, which was placed on publicity cards such as this.

All good actors and actresses had such publicity cards, Tommy Gander for one. And yes, admittedly Patrick McGoohan does look like his character John Drake in this picture, but then how would you expect Patrick McGoohan to look at that time? Besides, it's Patrick's signature on the card not John Drake! Here is a Patrick McGoohan publicity card produced while the Prisoner was in production.

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