A life time fan and Prisonerologist of the 1960's series 'the Prisoner', a leading authority on the subject, a short story writer, and now Prisoner novelist.
Friday, 9 September 2011
Once Upon A Time
Is an episode which is semi-biographical on part of Patrick McGoohan's life. His school days, where he was certainly good at woodwork, and as Captain of the boxing team, he would have worn a piped blazer, and certainly a straw boater. In the episode No.6 was interviewed for a job in a Bank, and one of McGoohan's jobs was working in a Bank. But as for the war, well obviously Patrick McGoohan was far too young to have been enlisted. But there was an RAF airfield next to Ratcliffe Collage where the young McGoohan spent his schooling during WWII. As for being recruited into British Intelligence, for secret confidential work, which No.6 saw as being above the law, well might that not be part of McGoohan's life when he was acting the role of John Drake in Danger Man? BCNU
McGoohan joined the wartime ATC at Ratcliffe Aerodrome, which was next-door to the school............ the curious coincidence that: ....Ratcliffe started a new career as No 6 Ferry Pool for the ATA........
ReplyDeletehttp://numbersixwasinnocent.blogspot.com/2010/03/mcgoohan-and-rehearsed-mind-it-was.html
Hi David,
You mentioned elsewhere recently that Ratcliffe utilised the term Unmutual to highlight to pupils their unsociable behaviours. This makes more than just one episode seem to have biographical overtones. The influence of Ratcliffe seems very important.
Moor
Hello Moor,
ReplyDeleteWell that's school for you. They say that one's school days remain with you all your life, and in Patrick McGoohan's case, that would seem so. And I agree with you, that Ratcliffe does seem to have had a very strong influence on the young McGoohan, and demonstrates it in at least two episodes. In fact generally speaking, there is a certain amount of childishness running throughout the entire series!
David
BCNU
The piped blazer ia a typical school uniform stylisation and most schools back then would have the *prefect* system where senior pupils kept an eye on the younger ones on behalf of the teachers...... Who are the warders?
ReplyDeleteHello Moor,
ReplyDeleteYes you are right of course. Only the young Patrick McGoohan would never have been a Prefect, always a Prisoner, because he didn't stay on at Ratcliffe after he was sixteen.
At Ratcliffe a piped blazer did not necessarily denote a Prefect, as Patrick wore one as Captain of the school boxing team.
Regards
David
BCNU
McGoohan would never have been a prefect,but he would have been subject to them, which might be more to the point...... :-D
ReplyDeleteHis boxing prowess seems exalted by repetition. I read the section of Roger Langley's book where "this author" quotes from some 'Old Ratcliffian' magazines he had access to, and I gained the impression from his quotes that McGoohan only won his boxing by default; as the opponent didn't turn up. I must check it out again. I know I gained that impression at the time, although the implication seemed lost on Langley.
Hello Moor,
ReplyDelete'I shared the general astonishment at Ratcliffe when, in my first bout, I knocked out the Vice-Captain of the boxing team. Later I went on to become Captain myself.'
{From an interview with Patrick McGoohan Woman magazine 1965}
I've never even seen a copy of Roger Langley's book, let alone read it, so I can't help you on this particular quote. But knowing Langley, he's not the sharpest knife in the box.
All I can give you is the above quote from 'Woman' magazine 1965, having not seen the 'Old Ratcliffian' magazines myself.
Regards
David
BCNU
@ But as for the war, well obviously Patrick McGoohan was far too young to have been enlisted. @
ReplyDeleteIt's odd isn't that this is *obvious* and yet many Prisoner histories, including the supposedly authoritative official ones by White & Ali and Fairclough say that George Markstein had been involved in "Wartime Intelligence" and yet George was a year YOUNGER than McGoohan was!! Sometimes it seems arithmetic was a weak subject at the schools of fans of the prisoner.... ;-D
http://numbersixwasinnocent.blogspot.com/2009/08/mcgoohan-on-my-mind-ladies-and.html
Hi Moor,
ReplyDeleteI'd never considered the age of George Markstien before, I just took him for being old, because he looked old. But of course you are quite right about him not being old enough to have taken part in Wartime intelligence. He does mention the SOE, Special Operations Executive in an interview, but I don't think Markstein ever claimed to have worked for the SOE, he would have been far too young, unless it was as a tea boy!
I have read the stories about George Markstein being involved with British Intelligence in the 1950's, but the stories are historically unfounded. Personally I don't think George Markstein had anything to do whatsoever with British Intelligence.
Regards
David
@ I'd never considered the age of George Markstien before, I just took him for being old, because he looked old. @
ReplyDeleteI had an amusing conversation online once with someone who was drawing all manner of conclusions about McGoohan and older women, from his co-stars. The example given at the time was Patsy Rowlands in that Danger Man episode, 'The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove." It did make me laugh when I pointed out to them that Patsy was actually two years YOUNGER than Patrick McGoohan..... they were baffled and said but she *looks* so old........ :-D
Hello Moor,
ReplyDeletePoor Patsy Rowlands, but in that regard, she was not the first, and would not be the last.
Many woman found Patrick McGoohan to be very attractive, and perhaps it was his unattainability which made him so attractive.
With the women in 'the Prisoner,' they were made up to look unattractive, save for Justine Lord, who's make-up was highly exaggerated. With Zena Walker as Janet Portland, she was made up very unattactively, she looked dowdy, her hair still in the fashion of the 1950's. But later, when Zena Walker appeared in an episode of 'Callan,' a few years later Zena she looked much younger and attractive. Maybe working with Paddy aged his female co-stars!
As ever
David
BCNU