Like Blazes

Love for the works of Patrick McGoohan goes here! And whatever else too. 

[number48]

“Son of a bitch ..”

[krissymyers]

RIGHT?

[greatmuldini]

Far more poignantly, to my mind, than the iconic “bubbling” sequence from the opening (and end) credits of The Prisoner, these pictures captured quite by accident during the shooting of Arrival, are a perfect illustration of the creative process - or progress - behind the birth of Rover.

On a more metaphorical level, perhaps, they also depict the growing intimacy between the two adversaries as Rover takes on a life of his own, and they begin to move as one. The irony - and the symbolism - of this image surely must have been inescapable.

[fleetstreetpauline]

beautiful scenery….

[fantascientificamentevintage]

“ I am not a number….. I am a free man ! ”

“ I am not a number….. I am a free man !! ”

“ I am not a number….. I am a free man !!! ”

“ I am not a number….. I am a free man !!!! ”

( Patrick McGoohan ) The Prisoner (1967-1968) Il Prigioniero

[fleetstreetpauline]

looks as though the Appeals sub-committee just had their way with him…..

[greatmuldini]

And a pony……………..or colt 45

[fleetstreetpauline]

WET……

[greatmuldini]

Markstein’s Office. (17/05/15)

I was very much intrigued to learn that the famous opening sequence of the P arriving in his Lotus, parking the car, walking down the dark, narrow corridor, and delivering his resignation was filmed entirely within the - tightly-spaced - confines of the entrance to the Park Lane Car Park underneath Marble Arch.

By a happy coincidence, the location is clearly identified in the original footage: as the P approaches the double doors marked “way out,” the sign on the ceiling reads “Slow Ahead for Park Lane” (1). We see him push (2) through those doors (and into the corridor beyond), but when he enters what is supposedly his superior’s office (at the other end of the corridor), he has in fact turned around and is stalking back into the parking garage (3, 4).

And as if by magic, the area has been transformed into the claustrophobic little room we know so well and which contains, crucially, a large desk and George Markstein behind it - where just moments ago we say the P climb from his Lotus (6). Note that the doors have to be pulled open from the corridor side (3). The “way out” is now hidden under a black coating, but the brick-and-metal frame around the door remains visible - as does the vertical pipe behind the P (4), which is still in place today (5).

Looking at the sterile steel-and-glass design of the exact location as it appears in 2015 (7), I can only marvel at the ingenuity of the people involved in the creation of this sequence nearly 50 years ago and, of course, in the making of the series as a whole.

[galadrielles]

Get to Know Me Meme:

[8/10] Favourite films: Mary Poppins (1964)

[fleetstreetpauline]

preparing for the role of Joss….Jamaica Inn….this photo is from 1982….

[fleetstreetpauline]

The Prisoner….Fallout…..     just look    ……..   credit and appreciation to a dear friend for these beautiful pictures….i just had to share them……the bluray offers such wonderful detail…enjoyed even more frame by frame….takes great patience to do this  …but the reward is evident…

[bettedavis111-deactivated201703]

[aloneinthedark]

from the above photos left to right, you can see that in his illustrious career the paddy has:

learned to play the drums, all night long

rocked the seventies hair

caused leo mckern to have a nervous breakdown or a heart attack (reports vary)

forced a lot of actresses to fall in love with him due to proximity alone

had broody headshots taken

sported charming hats

driven me personally insane and caused me to take many, many screenshots of awful films like trespasses AKA omen of evil aka finding katy (please don’t look at my wow nonsense on the left)(i did get skoll btw)(but i left facebook)

indulged in goofy press conferences

acted in terrible films that howard hughes loved

driven round on back roads

etc.

JUST SO YOU KNOW IS ALL

[aloneinthedark]

haha

[fleetstreetpauline]

“potential”

[greatmuldini]

Nobody wants to play with Cousin Johnny. 

Poor Johnny. His life is spared but he may have no reason to be grateful: by denying him the dignity of a dramatic exit, by not finishing him off in a grand theatrical gesture of rage and revenge, Rex is refusing to play along with Johnny’s fantasy version of events, the - largely improvised - production he has staged, with himself cast in the starring role. 

Far from being magnanimous, Rex has simply lost interest – the worst possible outcome for Johnny after he has pushed every conceivable button, has done everything he could possibly imagine to launch his sparkling solo career, which we can now be certain has very little chance of becoming a reality. Left abandoned in mid-attack - and there is no reason to think he would have been a match for Rex in any kind of confrontation - Johnny has just been condemned to spend the rest of his life in misery and obscurity. Which he knows he cannot endure. 

The life sentence is a fate Johnny shares with his Shakespearean ancestor. Unlike Iago, however, Johnny is not a villain for villainy’s sake. Nor is he consumed with jealousy - as we learn from his wife and, indeed, from Johnny’s own admission, he has no burning passions, sexual or otherwise, that are focused on any other person. The mystery with Johnny is not his motivation - why he is doing what he is doing - but how he intends to get what he wants by doing what he does. What he is doing is ultimately suicidal; it cannot lead to success. In the real world. 

With no explanation or justification forthcoming from the man himself, we must draw our own conclusions - and the most obvious one is that he needs his fantasy: it is the only place where he can feel in control, where he can perform his part and play the lead without having to betray his insecurities. Reality pales by comparison. It is this fundamental failure, on Johnny’s part, to face up to the real-life consequences of his actions that makes Johnny a flawed, a tragic character - rather than an evil one.

[fleetstreetpauline]

D23.com - From the Jaws of Hell: The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh - From the Archives

[likeblazes6-blog]

October 30, 2014 - One of the strangest and most fascinating Disney productions ever to gallop across the screen, this elaborate action-adventure was first presented on Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color in 1964.

[flammentanz3]

Patrick McGoohan als “Nummer Sechs” (“The Prisoner”)