McGoohan & Montalban

Posted by keelsetter on February 22, 2009

File this under: Better late than never.

Tonight I dislodged from a thick file of other papers a single newspaper page that I had slipped out from a complimentary issue of the Los Angeles Times distributed at a newspaper rack in Park City, Utah, at the Sundance Film Festival. It’s dated Thursday, January 15, 2009 – the opening day of the festival. Front page of section B1 was the announcement of Patrick McGoohan’s death. Back section, B4; the announcement of Ricardo Montalban’s death. Both lived full lives and reached ripe old ages, so it’s not like this should be hitting me like the death of John Lennon did – which is to say; they were not tragically stolen from us all while only halfway through the game. But still, there I was… feeling like some part of my childhood had suddenly evaporated. Am I the only one who thinks it’s a bit weird that two iconic actors who were stuck on islands should escape us within a day of each other?

The Prisoner

Patrick McGoohan: Okay, so I’m a movie-nut and maybe should here take some time to talk about his contributions to Escape from Alcatraz, Scanners, Ice Station Zebra, Braveheart, etc., but, no… sorry. I’m that guy who hears his friends talking about how The Wire is the best thing to ever have been put on television and silently shakes his head and then interrupts the conversation to say, “Hey, I love The Wire too but,… c’mon! Getting something with a unique personal vision onto cable TV when consumers have hundreds of channels to choose from is not quite the same as exerting that same control back in a time when there was no cable and you could surf all available channels with one flick of a knob.”

Then: I launch into that killer opening musical theme-song for The Prisoner and start talking about existentialism and ask my friends to hold on just a few minutes while I grab a couple books to bring back out to the table; The Prisoner (by Alain Carraze and Helene Oswald), and The Official Prisoner Companion (by Matthew White & Jaffer ali). As I come back the women will have left and my remaining “friends” just roll their eyes and change the subject. I’ll stare at them with a dropped jaw, disbelieving eyes, and naked disappointment. Fools! Maybe they’d have been more receptive if listening to Peter Falk (who worked with McGoohan on Columbo) when he said: ” There are many very, very talented people in this business, but there are only a handful of genuinely original people. I think Patrick McGoohan belongs in that small select group of truly original people.” (Hollywood Reporter, 2004)

Ricardo Montalban

Ricardo Montalban: As a small child I learned that he was a distant relative. This was actually pretty huge for me because despite my mixed ethnic origins, I grew up in a predominantly white city and really stuck out thanks to having darker skin tone than most of my classmates. This evoked various xenophobic reactions from neighbors and classmates. Sure, it was well over 30-years-ago, but when you consider a child trying to make sense of racist graffiti spray-painted on his backyard fence or having said slurs tossed into his face as he was getting the daylights pounded out of him, well… it was hard not to get a bit of an inferiority complex. When my aunt told me that Montalban was my grandmother’s cousin that info gave me some bragging rights to hold onto at the school playground – it was the seventies, after all, and most of the kids watched Fantasy Island.

This was also important because most of what popular culture had to offer on both the screen and television didn’t exactly help. People of color were mostly assigned to marginal, subservient, or slimy roles. But Montalban was different; he was central, elegant, suave, and confident. It was a nice contrast to how most of popular culture otherwise presented anyone who wasn’t white. Star Trek was certainly a notable exception, so it makes sense that Montalban would leave his mark there as well. But otherwise:

Although Montalban expressed appreciation for his success, he complained that Hollywood lacked respect for Mexican American actors. He said that while under contract at MGM he portrayed Cubans, Brazilians and Argentines, but almost never Mexicans.

“Mexican is not a nice-sounding word and Hollywood is at fault for this because we have been portrayed in this ungodly manner,” he said. He challenged Hollywood to stop stereotyping Latin actors by casting them only as prostitutes, maids, gang-bangers and bandidos. (Lorenza Muñoz, Actor an activist for Latinos in Hollywood, Los Angeles Times, Thursday, January 15, 2009).

I’ll end with a bow toward Mr. McGoohan for his phenomenal television show. The Prisoner was an oasis in the desert. I’ll bow toward Mr. Montalban for providing me with something equally rare: in a crowded cinematic landscape that seemed to revel in casting Mexicans as dirty, drugged out, or thieves, Montalban, whether he was playing Khan Noonien Singh in Star Trek II or Mr. Roarke in Fantasy Island, defied those trends. By doing so, he made it easier for this kid to raise his head a little higher when confronted by xenophobic bullies, and I know this kid was not alone.

Montalban had all the goods to be a leading man.

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8 Responses McGoohan & Montalban

Posted By medusamorlock : February 22, 2009 9:48 pm

What a lovely recollection of these two unique and memorable actors. I love the personal connection and affection you had for both of them. Especially for those of us with a super love for TV, these guys were the best!

So glad you wrote about them. We usually catch all the important passings here on the Morlocks but we gave these short shrift. Now you have done right by them!

Wonderful post!

Posted By moirafinnie : February 23, 2009 8:15 am

I loved your tribute to these two artists, Keelsetter.

I think that in his 50 year+ career, Ricardo Montalban‘s dignified and varied presence in film and television accomplished more in altering images of Hispanic people than almost anyone. His work behind the scenes and in his community making it possible for Latinos to imagine a career in the performing arts was just as significant, from helping to establish La Raza to his establishment of a foundation to promote theater in the Latino community, he raised his singular voice and used his talent to make such a difference. How wonderful that his presence gave you the feeling that you were not alone.

As to Patrick McGoohan, I loved the man’s aloofness. Has any actor–other than perhaps Charlton Heston on a different scale–had such an impact by appearing so chronically miffed to find himself in such a plebian world? While he will undoubtedly be remembered for Secret Agent (aka Danger Man) and The Prisoner first of all, as well as the movies you mentioned, I would recommend seeking out his early work in Hell Drivers (1957), Brendan Behan’s The Quare Fellow (1962) and his appearances in Disney’s excellently produced The Scarecrow of Romney March (1963), (several of which were released theatrically). His unique brand of coolness was always there!

Great blog. Thanks so much for writing this.

Posted By Robot Monkey : February 23, 2009 9:52 am

It is criminal to me that I was not aware that McGoohan died. Either was overshadowed and I didn’t hear about it or I forgot in which case, shame on me. To me, he had one of those very recognizable voices. Even worse, on the Oscar’s last night, he didn’t even show up in their “In Memoriam” tribute.

Montalban did show up, though. I enjoyed many of the varied roles he played over the years and was envious of suave nature. But for me, the role I will always think of him first of was in “Star Trek II” (“Khan!!”). He destroyed every other actor in that film, even the usual haminess of Shatner was overshadowed.

Posted By Richard Harland Smith : February 23, 2009 10:49 am

It is criminal to me that I was not aware that McGoohan died

You and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, who stiffed McGoohan in their roster of the departed on last night’s awards ceremony.

To paraphrase Woody Allen in Hannah and Her Sisters (and speaking to the Academy):

“You don’t deserve Patrick McGoohan!”

Posted By saraeg : February 23, 2009 11:23 am

thank you for your lovely memoriam to two very fine actors. mr. montalban was very handsome and suave and a young lady could have ‘fantasies’ about him. i will always tune in to see a movie with him in it. to remember mr. mcgoohan brings up decidely older memories because before he was ‘the prisoner’, he was ‘the scarecrow’. i loved watching this three part tv movie on ‘the wonderful world of disney’ when i was 12 years old and hope i will someday be able to see it again. both actors will be missed.

Posted By Keelsetter : February 23, 2009 12:37 pm

I have to say: “chronically miffed to find himself in such a plebian world” has got to be one of the best descriptions I have ever heard to describe McGoohan – love it!

Thanks also for mentioning Montalban’s activism within the performing arts. His altruism came at a personal cost and probably cost him getting bigger roles.

Here are some choice excerpts from a piece by Bob Thomas in the Huffingon Post regarding Montalban:

“The Spanish-speaking American boy sees Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid wipe out a regiment of Bolivian soldiers. He sees `The Wild Bunch’ annihilate the Mexican army. It’s only natural for him to say, `Gee, I wish I were an Anglo.’”

…

And when asked to play the grandfather in “Spy Kids 2″ and “Spy Kids 3,” Montalban told filmmaker Robert Rodriguez in his self-effacing way: “I’m old. I’m in a wheelchair. And I have a Mexican accent. Three strikes and you’re out,” recalled Joel Brokaw, another of the actor’s spokesmen.

“But Robert Rodriguez idolized Ricardo, and came up to his home in the Hollywood Hills to convince him to do the role,” Brokaw said. He did, and despite his obvious pain while waiting to do a scene, “something miraculous would happen,” Brokaw said. “As soon as Rodriguez said ‘Action,’ his pain would completely disappear, time and time again. I asked him about this. He smiled and said, ‘It’s impossible for my mind to do two things at once.’”

Posted By Robot Monkey : February 23, 2009 2:11 pm

I was reading something else and it occurred to me, they left Harvey Korman out of the tribute thing on the Oscars as well. And what the heck was up with the camera going back forth on the screen displaying the tribute. It was hard to read the names at times which was especially frustrating with some of the behind the scenes folks.

Posted By Linda : March 4, 2009 10:20 pm

I was 15 in 1965 when Patrick McGoohan played TV spy John Drake in “Secret Agent.” I had a huge teenage crush on him. I never missed an episode. I’d sit right in front of the screen watching every moment, waiting and hoping to see him kissing persuasive lips (“Oh don’t let the wrong word slip. While kissin persuasive lips. Odds are you won’t live to see tomorrow.”) But it never happened. Not once.

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