Friday, 26 February 2016

The Prisoner John Drake!

    Why the Lotus 7? John Drake didn’t drive a Lotus 7, he drove a Austin Mini Cooper ‘S’, registration 703 HOP, its paintwork smoke grey, and old English, white roof. Perhaps by having an Austin Mini as the Prisoner’s car would have drawn too much attention to the character being John Drake. And besides perhaps the Austin Mini wouldn’t stand out like the Lotus 7 does in the opening sequence. It might be accused of looking a bit ordinary. But then what’s wrong with that? I should have thought, considering the kind of work the Prisoner used to do, he wouldn’t want to be seen driving a car which, although representing quickness, agility, and independence, with a touch of the rebel thrown in for good measure, he wouldn’t want to drive a car that “stood out from the crowd.” He’d wish to blend in, and not draw attention to himself. Perhaps it would have been more natural to have had the Prisoner, driving the Austin Mini Cooper ‘S’ in the series. But I suppose that would never have done, not having the visual, and dramatic impact of KAR 120C in her British racing green, and yellow nose livery, especially during the opening sequence. But then even the Lotus 7 hadn’t been the first choice car, Patrick McGoohan originally asked for a Lotus Elan. Which he would eventually drive in ‘The Girl Who Was Death’ However the first time he saw KAR 120C he said “It sort of looked me straight in the eye.” Perhaps the Lotus 7 winked at him. Somehow I can imagine it doing that.

Be seeing you
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10 comments:

  1. Unknown21 May 2016 at 23:46

    Number Six driving a Lotus 7...makes perfect sense to me..as the number 7 was not depicted on anything else in The Prisoner...6 is the number of man..and 7 is the number for perfection.
    BCNU

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    1. David Stimpson24 May 2016 at 09:08

      Hallo Karen,
      Actually the Village is not completely without the number 7, there is;
      Shakespeare's Seven Ages of Man
      No.58 slaps Number 6, 7 times.
      No.6 enjoys a 7 move checkmate win against the General.
      The digit 7 appears in the number 73.
      There are 7 observers in the Control room.
      7 persons are involved in the Prisoner's trial in 'Dance of The Dead.'
      And in 'the Prisoner' itsef.
      Mister X goes to booth 7 in Magnum Record shop.
      As a secret agent The Prisoner's number was ZM73.
      And the bars which cross the Prisoner's face at the end of each episode number 7.
      And there are other such examples. What's more someone, an extra in 'the Prisoner' has to be wearing the number 7 badge. I've not found that person yet, well its difficult to make out the number of many badges. I have found a guy wearing the number 117.
      7 being the number of perfection yes, and some have said of Number 6 and 1 that together they make 7. But then so does 2 and 5, 3 and 4!

      Best regards
      David
      Be seeing you

      Delete
  2. Unknown24 May 2016 at 14:24

    Hi David . .
    Wow...guess I need to be more observant !
    I've seen the muddy footprints in Number 6's cottage in A,B and C . ..
    the light swaying in Arrival
    and other little things . .but hadn't ever thought to count the bars across his face in the end scenes EVERY EPISODE . ...DUH !!!

    BCNU
    Karen Marshall

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  3. David Stimpson28 May 2016 at 11:50

    Dear Karen,
    You see its just as I’ve said so many times, there is still much to be seen in ‘the Prisoner.’ When I think how many times I’ve watched ‘A B and C,’ I’ve never observed those muddy footprints before. Perhaps because my attention is always on Number 6! I shall use your observation for a piece of blog, crediting you with this find.
    It looks as though the two men who took Number 6 through the woods to the laboratory, and told to remove their wet macs and boots, were not so careful when they took Number 6 back to his cottage!

    Best regards
    David

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  4. Unknown28 May 2016 at 20:11

    Hi David . .
    I think it's interesting that the muddy footprints were either deliberately put in that scene . ..or not caught by continuity department .
    If deliberately put into the scene . ..wow...that was really paying attention to detail that might have been overlooked by most people anyway .
    I can hardly believe that you didn't spot it...because you have pointed out a lot of things that I didn't see...because I was watching Patrick McGoohan !

    BCNU
    Karen

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    1. David Stimpson1 June 2016 at 14:20

      Hello Karen,
      Well one cannot spot everything you know. There are times when somethings have slipped through the net, but I don’t generally miss much.
      I like to think that the muddy boot marks were put on the carpet deliberately by continuity, because that would make a pleasant change. Because there are moments throughout ‘the Prisoner’ when it seems those responsible for continuity were either out to lunch, or on a teabreak! Like the time the shopkeeper in ‘Arrival’ who one moment is wearing a number 19 badge, the next its number 56! And in the same episode three people wear the same numbered 66 badge! One moment Nadia’s badge is upside down, the next it’s the right way up! And there are times when Number 6 is wearing a blazer with joined up piping at the lapel, and the next moment he’s wearing a blazer with broken piping on the lapel! And they are but the tip of the iceberg.

      Best regards
      David
      Be seeing you

      Delete
  5. Unknown1 June 2016 at 19:31

    Hi David ,
    I've noticed most of the errors you mentioned . I wonder how much of the errors were caused by the way the Prisoner was filmed ...with many scenes of different episodes being shot concurrently and then edited together later.

    I remember seeing an interview with one of the continuity ladies...where she said that Patrick McGoohan wanted to re-shoot a scene . ..but that the set had been torn down and reset for another episode .
    Many of the cast and crew reported that people were asking Pat questions many times a day in between his shooting scenes, about what HE wanted done about this or that.

    Many people talked about how the scripts were usually very late, making it difficult for the crew to co-ordinate all the production details .

    I also have seen where people are divided about the exact details of Patrick McGoohan's quitting Danger Man. Patrick McGoohan was quoted in a U.S. magazine as saying that if the U.S. market wanted more episodes they HAD to notify ITV by a certain date or there would be no more.

    I'm thinking that the wait for that decision affected the production of The Prisoner. I can't recall the date that Patrick McGoohan and David Tomblin formed their production company "Everyman Films."

    I doubt that McGoohan would have went to Lew Grade with his Prisoner project until he KNEW that Danger Man was a wrap...gone...finito.

    Also , it sounds like Markstein and McGoohan were odds about the scripts from the beginning . ..slowing down the process even more .
    Thank goodness McGoohan had made that 40 page outline to show Jack Shampan's set design team.

    BCNU
    Karen

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    1. David Stimpson9 June 2016 at 08:01

      Hello Karen,
      A good many errors were made due to the way ‘the Prisoner’ was filmed I should imagine. Also continuity wasn’t helped by having so many different scriptwriters, it would have been better if there had been only two or three.

      I have always understood the reason why Patrick McGoohan quit ‘Danger Man’ was because he was fed up with the repetitiveness of the scripts, and that ideas had dried up. And besides he wanted to do something else…..the Prisoner!

      There has always been the question of who came up with the original idea for ‘the Prisoner’ Patrick McGoohan always claimed it was him, and George Markstein claimed that it was him. I think the truth lies somewhere in between, that they both came up with the idea! Certainly later in the production of the series George Markstein wasn’t happy with the direction McGoohan was taking ‘the Prisoner,’ and eventually left the series.

      I’ve got a copy of a 40 page outline of ‘the Prisoner’ in my archive somewhere.

      Best regards
      David
      Be seeing you

      Delete
  6. Unknown10 June 2016 at 13:06

    Hi David ,
    I was amazed at how they filmed scenes for multiple episodes concurrently ...that had to have been tough for everyone involved . ..especially when scripts weren't even written yet!
    I think perhaps that might have led to Patrick's remark about some things being a "happy accident."

    I agree with you that it seems like Patrick McGoohan , David Tomblin and George Markstein may have been talking about what happened to spies who resigned . ..and their discussion(s) were the foundation for The Prisoner .

    The Village actually does fit in with the original idea...and nd the show could have been a basic drama as George Markstein wanted .

    I have wondered if Patrick added all the futuristic touches as a disorientation technique . ..not only for Number 6 . ..but for the viewing audience too.

    I think he was trying to get the audience to FEEL how Number 6 was feeling . ..in other words . ..I can IMAGINE something without FEELING any emotional response , but in watching The Prisoner one can almost get a sense of disorientation . ..especially back when the show first was shown.

    Rover and all of the other futuristic touches helped to take The Prisoner to a new dimension for the viewing audience ...and I believe that's one of the reasons that the show is still being debated and discovered by new fans 50 years after it's premier .

    Best Regards ,
    BCNU
    Karen

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  7. Unknown10 June 2016 at 16:47

    Hi David ,
    I would like to see your 40 page outline of The Prisoner and what Patrick McGoohan had originally thought about the Village design .

    Maybe someday I'll see it in a book ? ?!!!???!!

    Best Regards ,
    BCNU
    Karen

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