Thursday, January 15, 2009

Patrick McGoohan, R.I.P.

Mom didn't let me watch "The Prisoner" when I was a kid. It was, she believed, too adult in nature for us sensitive wee ones. It wasn't until I was in my thirties and actually certified insane that I watched the series, via a boyfriend's video collection.

I also wasn't allowed to watch Secret Agent when it made its first run. That had to wait, again, until I was out from under my parents' roof. Funny, the folks really did know what was good for their fragile offspring, but I still enjoyed the work of Patrick McGoohan in both those dark series. And I actually remember his performances in the episodes of Columbo, from the first time around.

He was brilliant.

I know that word gets bandied about overly much, these days. It's easy to toss it out one's mouth, off one's keyboard, when describing a creation or a performance by some spoiled, callow artiste of the day, but McGoohan was the real thing.

The world of entertainment was enriched by his contributions, and he will be missed.

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