Jack MacGowran
Encyclopedia
John Joseph "Jack" MacGowran (October 13, 1918 – January 31, 1973) was an Irish character actor, whose last film role was as the alcoholic director Burke Dennings in The Exorcist
. He was probably best known for his work with Samuel Beckett
.
in Dublin, while he achieved stage renown for his knowing interpretations of the works of Samuel Beckett
. He appeared as Lucky in Waiting For Godot
at the Royal Court Theatre
, and with the Royal Shakespeare Company
in Endgame
at the Aldwych Theatre
. He released an LP record, MacGowran Speaking Beckett, to coincide with Samuel Beckett's 60th birthday in 1966, and won the 1970-71 Obie
for Best Performance By an Actor in the off-Broadway play MacGowran in the works of Beckett.
He also specialised in the work of Sean O'Casey
, creating the role of Joxer in the Broadway
musical Juno
in 1959, based on O'Casey's 1924 play about The Troubles
, Juno and the Paycock
. Fittingly, he played O'Casey's brother Archie in Young Cassidy
(1965), one of John Ford
's last films (which the director had to abandon due to ill health).
In 1954 he moved to London
, where he became a member of The Royal Shakespeare Company. There he struck up a lasting friendship with Peter O'Toole
, whom he later appeared alongside in Richard Brooks
' Lord Jim
(1965).
However he apparently had a somewhat fractious relationship with Royal Shakespeare Director Peter Hall. He was Old Gobbo in The Merchant of Venice
and when the set arrived Hall called all the cast into the theatre to view it. MacGowran was not there, still in his dressing room. An assistant was sent to fetch him. He returned alone: "Mr MacGowran says, Mr. Hall, that if you had read the play you would know that Old Gobbo was blind."
Jack MacGowran played the title role of "Gandhi" in the Broadway play written by Gurney Campbell in 1971, directed by Jose Quintero.
(1952), The Gentle Gunman
(1952), Rooney
(1958) and Darby O'Gill and the Little People
(1959).
In 1966 Roman Polanski
cast him as the gangster Albie in Cul-de-sac, before creating Professor Abronsius in The Fearless Vampire Killers
(1967) especially for him. Other notable film appearances include the Ealing
comedy The Titfield Thunderbolt
(1953), Tony Richardson
's Tom Jones
(1963), David Lean
's Doctor Zhivago
(1965), Richard Lester
's How I Won the War
(1967), Peter Brook
's King Lear
and the leading role of Professor Collins in Wonderwall
(1968). Also appeared in "The Happening", an episode of The Champions
. His last film was The Exorcist
(1973).
and Senator of the Irish Free State
, Sir Walter Nugent, Bt.
Shortly after completing work on The Exorcist
, while in New York City
appearing as Fluther in Seán O'Casey's
The Plough and the Stars, MacGowran died of complications resulting from the recent London flu epidemic. He was 54 years old. His daughter is actress Tara MacGowran.
The Exorcist (film)
The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her...
. He was probably best known for his work with Samuel Beckett
Samuel Beckett
Samuel Barclay Beckett was an Irish avant-garde novelist, playwright, theatre director, and poet. He wrote both in English and French. His work offers a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human nature, often coupled with black comedy and gallows humour.Beckett is widely regarded as among the most...
.
Stage career
MacGowran was born on October 13, 1918 in Dublin, Ireland. He established his professional reputation as a member of the Abbey PlayersAbbey Theatre
The Abbey Theatre , also known as the National Theatre of Ireland , is a theatre located in Dublin, Ireland. The Abbey first opened its doors to the public on 27 December 1904. Despite losing its original building to a fire in 1951, it has remained active to the present day...
in Dublin, while he achieved stage renown for his knowing interpretations of the works of Samuel Beckett
Samuel Beckett
Samuel Barclay Beckett was an Irish avant-garde novelist, playwright, theatre director, and poet. He wrote both in English and French. His work offers a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human nature, often coupled with black comedy and gallows humour.Beckett is widely regarded as among the most...
. He appeared as Lucky in Waiting For Godot
Waiting for Godot
Waiting for Godot is an absurdist play by Samuel Beckett, in which two characters, Vladimir and Estragon, wait endlessly and in vain for someone named Godot to arrive. Godot's absence, as well as numerous other aspects of the play, have led to many different interpretations since the play's...
at the Royal Court Theatre
Royal Court Theatre
The Royal Court Theatre is a non-commercial theatre on Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is noted for its contributions to modern theatre...
, and with the Royal Shakespeare Company
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...
in Endgame
Endgame (play)
Endgame, by Samuel Beckett, is a one-act play with four characters, written in a style associated with the Theatre of the Absurd. It was originally written in French ; as was his custom, Beckett himself translated it into English. The play was first performed in a French-language production at the...
at the Aldwych Theatre
Aldwych Theatre
The Aldwych Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Aldwych in the City of Westminster. The theatre was listed Grade II on 20 July 1971. Its seating capacity is 1,200.-Origins:...
. He released an LP record, MacGowran Speaking Beckett, to coincide with Samuel Beckett's 60th birthday in 1966, and won the 1970-71 Obie
Obie Award
The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given by The Village Voice newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City...
for Best Performance By an Actor in the off-Broadway play MacGowran in the works of Beckett.
He also specialised in the work of Sean O'Casey
Seán O'Casey
Seán O'Casey was an Irish dramatist and memoirist. A committed socialist, he was the first Irish playwright of note to write about the Dublin working classes.- Early life:...
, creating the role of Joxer in the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
musical Juno
Juno (musical)
Juno is a Broadway musical with music and lyrics by Marc Blitzstein and book by Joseph Stein, based closely on the 1924 play Juno and the Paycock by Sean O'Casey. The original Broadway production opened at the Winter Garden Theatre, New York, on March 9, 1959.Despite light moments, the musical,...
in 1959, based on O'Casey's 1924 play about The Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
, Juno and the Paycock
Juno and the Paycock
Juno and the Paycock is a play by Sean O'Casey, and one of the most highly regarded and oft-performed plays in Ireland. It was first staged at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in 1924...
. Fittingly, he played O'Casey's brother Archie in Young Cassidy
Young Cassidy
Young Cassidy is a 1965 film directed by Jack Cardiff and John Ford, and starring Rod Taylor. The film is a biographical drama based upon the life of the playwright Sean O'Casey.-Plot:...
(1965), one of John Ford
John Ford
John Ford was an American film director. He was famous for both his westerns such as Stagecoach, The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath...
's last films (which the director had to abandon due to ill health).
In 1954 he moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where he became a member of The Royal Shakespeare Company. There he struck up a lasting friendship with Peter O'Toole
Peter O'Toole
Peter Seamus Lorcan O'Toole is an Irish actor of stage and screen. O'Toole achieved stardom in 1962 playing T. E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia, and then went on to become a highly-honoured film and stage actor. He has been nominated for eight Academy Awards, and holds the record for most...
, whom he later appeared alongside in Richard Brooks
Richard Brooks
Richard Brooks was an American screenwriter, film director, novelist and occasional film producer.-Early life and career:...
' Lord Jim
Lord Jim
Lord Jim is a novel by Joseph Conrad originally published as a serial in Blackwood's Magazine from October 1899 to November 1900.An early and primary event is Jim's abandonment of a ship in distress on which he is serving as a mate...
(1965).
However he apparently had a somewhat fractious relationship with Royal Shakespeare Director Peter Hall. He was Old Gobbo in The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...
and when the set arrived Hall called all the cast into the theatre to view it. MacGowran was not there, still in his dressing room. An assistant was sent to fetch him. He returned alone: "Mr MacGowran says, Mr. Hall, that if you had read the play you would know that Old Gobbo was blind."
Jack MacGowran played the title role of "Gandhi" in the Broadway play written by Gurney Campbell in 1971, directed by Jose Quintero.
Film career
MacGowran's film career started in Ireland with the film No Resting Place (1951), and many of his earlier films were set in Ireland. Notably The Quiet ManThe Quiet Man
The Quiet Man is a 1952 American Technicolor romantic comedy-drama film. It was directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Victor McLaglen and Barry Fitzgerald. It was based on a 1933 Saturday Evening Post short story by Maurice Walsh...
(1952), The Gentle Gunman
The Gentle Gunman
The Gentle Gunman is a black-and-white 1952 Ealing Studios drama film, directed by Basil Dearden and starring John Mills and Dirk Bogarde.-Plot:...
(1952), Rooney
Rooney (film)
Rooney is a 1958 British comedy film directed by George Pollock and starring John Gregson, Muriel Pavlow and Barry Fitzgerald. The film depicts the life of James Ignatius Rooney, a Gaelic sportsman at the weekends, and a Dublin rubbish collector during the week...
(1958) and Darby O'Gill and the Little People
Darby O'Gill and the Little People
Darby O'Gill and the Little People is a 1959 Walt Disney Productions feature film starring Albert Sharpe, Janet Munro, Sean Connery and Jimmy O'Dea, in a tale about a wily Irishman and his battle of wits with leprechauns. The film was directed by Robert Stevenson and its screenplay written by...
(1959).
In 1966 Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski is a French-Polish film director, producer, writer and actor. Having made films in Poland, Britain, France and the USA, he is considered one of the few "truly international filmmakers."...
cast him as the gangster Albie in Cul-de-sac, before creating Professor Abronsius in The Fearless Vampire Killers
The Fearless Vampire Killers
The Fearless Vampire Killers is a 1967 comedy horror film directed by Roman Polanski, written by Gérard Brach and Polanski, produced by Gene Gutowski and co-starring Polanski with future wife Sharon Tate...
(1967) especially for him. Other notable film appearances include the Ealing
Ealing
Ealing is a suburban area of west London, England and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Ealing. It is located west of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically a rural village...
comedy The Titfield Thunderbolt
The Titfield Thunderbolt
The Titfield Thunderbolt is a 1953 British comedy film about a group of villagers trying to prevent British Railways from closing the fictional Titfield branch line. The film was written by T.E.B...
(1953), Tony Richardson
Tony Richardson
Cecil Antonio "Tony" Richardson was an English theatre and film director and producer.-Early life:Richardson was born in Shipley, Yorkshire in 1928, the son of Elsie Evans and Clarence Albert Richardson, a chemist...
's Tom Jones
Tom Jones (film)
Tom Jones is a 1963 British adventure comedy film, an adaptation of Henry Fielding's classic novel The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling , starring Albert Finney as the titular hero. It was one of the most critically acclaimed and popular comedies of its time, winning four Academy Awards...
(1963), David Lean
David Lean
Sir David Lean CBE was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor best remembered for big-screen epics such as The Bridge on the River Kwai , Lawrence of Arabia ,...
's Doctor Zhivago
Doctor Zhivago
-Original creation:*Doctor Zhivago, by Boris Pasternak, published in 1957**Yuri Andreyevich Zhivago, a fictional character and the main protagonist of the book Doctor Zhivago-Adaptations:There are several adaptations based on the Doctor Zhivago book:...
(1965), Richard Lester
Richard Lester
Richard Lester is an American film director based in Britain. Lester is notable for his work with The Beatles in the 1960s and his work on the Superman film series in the 1980s.-Early years and television:...
's How I Won the War
How I Won the War
How I Won the War is a black comedy film directed by Richard Lester, released in 1967. The film stars Michael Crawford as bungling British Army Officer Lieutenant Earnest Goodbody, with John Lennon , Jack MacGowran , Roy Kinnear and Lee Montague as soldiers under his command...
(1967), Peter Brook
Peter Brook
Peter Stephen Paul Brook CH, CBE is an English theatre and film director and innovator, who has been based in France since the early 1970s.-Life:...
's King Lear
King Lear
King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological...
and the leading role of Professor Collins in Wonderwall
Wonderwall (film)
Wonderwall is the title of a 1968 film by first-time director Joe Massot that starred Jack MacGowran, Jane Birkin, Richard Wattis, Irene Handl, and Iain Quarrier, and featured cameos by Anita Pallenberg and Dutch designers The Fool...
(1968). Also appeared in "The Happening", an episode of The Champions
The Champions
The Champions is a British espionage/science fiction/occult detective fiction adventure series consisting of 30 episodes broadcast on the UK network ITV during 1968–1969, produced by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment production company...
. His last film was The Exorcist
The Exorcist (film)
The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her...
(1973).
Private life
In 1963, he married Aileen Gloria Nugent, daughter of the Irish MP for South WestmeathSouth Westmeath (UK Parliament constituency)
South Westmeath was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland, returning one Member of Parliament 1885–1918.Prior to the 1885 general election and after the dissolution of Parliament in 1918 the area was part of the Westmeath constituency....
and Senator of the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
, Sir Walter Nugent, Bt.
Sir Walter Nugent, 4th Baronet
Sir Walter Richard, 4th Baronet , was an Irish baronet, politician and Member of Parliament in the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland 1907-1918....
Shortly after completing work on The Exorcist
The Exorcist (film)
The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her...
, while in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
appearing as Fluther in Seán O'Casey's
Seán O'Casey
Seán O'Casey was an Irish dramatist and memoirist. A committed socialist, he was the first Irish playwright of note to write about the Dublin working classes.- Early life:...
The Plough and the Stars, MacGowran died of complications resulting from the recent London flu epidemic. He was 54 years old. His daughter is actress Tara MacGowran.
Partial filmography
- No Resting Place (1951)
- The Quiet ManThe Quiet ManThe Quiet Man is a 1952 American Technicolor romantic comedy-drama film. It was directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Victor McLaglen and Barry Fitzgerald. It was based on a 1933 Saturday Evening Post short story by Maurice Walsh...
(1952) - The Gentle GunmanThe Gentle GunmanThe Gentle Gunman is a black-and-white 1952 Ealing Studios drama film, directed by Basil Dearden and starring John Mills and Dirk Bogarde.-Plot:...
(1952) - Time BombTime Bomb (1953 film)Time Bomb is a 1953 British-made MGM post-war thriller film written by Kem Bennett and directed by Ted Tetzlaff. It starred Glenn Ford and Anne Vernon.-Plot:...
(1953) - The Titfield ThunderboltThe Titfield ThunderboltThe Titfield Thunderbolt is a 1953 British comedy film about a group of villagers trying to prevent British Railways from closing the fictional Titfield branch line. The film was written by T.E.B...
(1953) - Raiders of the River (1956)
- JacquelineJacqueline (film)-Cast:* John Gregson as Mike McNeil* Kathleen Ryan as Elizabeth McNeil* Jacqueline Ryan as Jacqueline McNeil* Noel Purcell as Mr. Owen* Cyril Cusack as Mr. Flannagan* Tony Wright as Jack McBride* Maureen Swanson as Maggie* Liam Redmond as Mr. Lord...
(1956) - Sailor Beware!Sailor Beware! (1956 film)Sailor Beware! is a 1956 British comedy film directed by Gordon Parry.-Cast:* Peggy Mount ... Emma Hornett* Shirley Eaton ... Shirley Hornett* Ronald Lewis ... Albert Tufnell* Cyril Smith ... Henry Hornett* Esma Cannon ... Edie Hornett...
(1956) - ManuelaManuela (1957 film)Manuela is a 1957 British drama film directed by Guy Hamilton. It was entered into the 7th Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:* Trevor Howard - James Prothero* Elsa Martinelli - Manuela Hunt* Pedro Armendáriz - Mario Constanza...
(1957) - The Rising of the MoonThe Rising of the Moon (film)The Rising of the Moon is a 1957 anthology film directed by John Ford. It consists of three episodes all set in Ireland:*"The Majesty of the Law", based on the short story of that title by Frank O'Connor in Bones of Contention...
(1957) - She Didn't Say No! (1958)
- RooneyRooney (film)Rooney is a 1958 British comedy film directed by George Pollock and starring John Gregson, Muriel Pavlow and Barry Fitzgerald. The film depicts the life of James Ignatius Rooney, a Gaelic sportsman at the weekends, and a Dublin rubbish collector during the week...
(1958) - Behemoth the Sea Monster (1959)
- The Boy and the BridgeThe Boy and the BridgeThe Boy and the Bridge is a 1959 British drama film directed by Kevin McClory. It featured Ian Maclaine, Liam Redmond, James Hayter, Geoffrey Keen and Arthur Lowe...
(1959) - Darby O'Gill and the Little PeopleDarby O'Gill and the Little PeopleDarby O'Gill and the Little People is a 1959 Walt Disney Productions feature film starring Albert Sharpe, Janet Munro, Sean Connery and Jimmy O'Dea, in a tale about a wily Irishman and his battle of wits with leprechauns. The film was directed by Robert Stevenson and its screenplay written by...
(1959) - Blind DateBlind Date (1959 film)Blind Date is a 1959 murder mystery film. A police inspector investigates a woman's death, with her lover being the prime suspect...
(1959) - Two and Two Make SixTwo and Two Make SixTwo and Two Make Six is a 1962 film directed by Freddie Francis. It stars George Chakiris and Janette Scott.-Cast:* George Chakiris as Larry Currado* Janette Scott as Irene* Alfred Lynch as Thomas 'Tom' Ernest Bennett* Jocelyn Lane as Julie Matthews...
(1962) - Mix Me a PersonMix Me a PersonMix Me a Person is a 1962 British crime drama film directed by Leslie Norman and starring Anne Baxter, Donald Sinden, Adam Faith, Walter Brown and Carole Ann Ford. A young London criminal is faced with a hanging for murdering a policeman...
(1962) - The BrainThe Brain (1962 film)The Brain is a 1962 film directed by Freddie Francis. It stars Anne Heywood and Janette Scott. A UK-West German production The Brain differs from earlier film versions of the Curt Siodmak novel Donovan's Brain: in this remake, the dead man seeks his own murderer, through contact with the doctor...
(1962) - Captain Clegg (1962)
- Tom JonesTom Jones (film)Tom Jones is a 1963 British adventure comedy film, an adaptation of Henry Fielding's classic novel The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling , starring Albert Finney as the titular hero. It was one of the most critically acclaimed and popular comedies of its time, winning four Academy Awards...
(1963) - The CeremonyThe Ceremonyis a 1971 film from Japanese director Nagisa Oshima. The film takes place in postwar Japan, following a Japanese clan through their wedding and funeral ceremonies, and the lengths the family goes to preserve their traditions in spite of the damage it causes to the younger generations.- Plot summary...
(1963) - Young CassidyYoung CassidyYoung Cassidy is a 1965 film directed by Jack Cardiff and John Ford, and starring Rod Taylor. The film is a biographical drama based upon the life of the playwright Sean O'Casey.-Plot:...
(1965) - Lord JimLord Jim (1965 film)Lord Jim is a 1965 adventure film made by Columbia Pictures. It was produced and directed by Richard Brooks with Jules Buck and Peter O'Toole as associate producers, from a screenplay by Brooks...
(1965) - Doctor Zhivago (1965)
- Cul-de-sac (1966)
- The Fearless Vampire KillersThe Fearless Vampire KillersThe Fearless Vampire Killers is a 1967 comedy horror film directed by Roman Polanski, written by Gérard Brach and Polanski, produced by Gene Gutowski and co-starring Polanski with future wife Sharon Tate...
(1967) - How I Won the WarHow I Won the WarHow I Won the War is a black comedy film directed by Richard Lester, released in 1967. The film stars Michael Crawford as bungling British Army Officer Lieutenant Earnest Goodbody, with John Lennon , Jack MacGowran , Roy Kinnear and Lee Montague as soldiers under his command...
(1967) - WonderwallWonderwall (film)Wonderwall is the title of a 1968 film by first-time director Joe Massot that starred Jack MacGowran, Jane Birkin, Richard Wattis, Irene Handl, and Iain Quarrier, and featured cameos by Anita Pallenberg and Dutch designers The Fool...
(1968) - Age of Consent (1969)
- A Day at the BeachA Day at the BeachA Day at the Beach is a 1970 film based on the 1962 book Een dagje naar het strand by Dutch author Heere Heeresma. The screenplay was written by Roman Polanski, who was originally intended to be the director, although most of the direction was finally done by first-timer Simon Hesera.-Plot:Set in...
(1970) - Start the Revolution Without MeStart the Revolution Without MeStart the Revolution Without Me is a 1970 film directed by Bud Yorkin, starring Gene Wilder, Donald Sutherland, Hugh Griffith, Jack MacGowran, Billie Whitelaw, Orson Welles and Victor Spinetti. The comedy is set in revolutionary France where two peasants are mistaken for the famous swordsmen, the...
(1970) - King Lear (1971)
- The ExorcistThe Exorcist (film)The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her...
(1973)