Image of Noel Purcell

Noel Purcell

1900-12-23 Dublin, Ireland

Image of Noel Purcell

Biografia

Patrick Joseph Noel Purcell (23 December 1900 – 3 March 1985) was a distinguished Irish actor on stage, screen, and television. He appeared in the 1956 film Moby Dick and the 1962 film Mutiny on the Bounty. Patrick Joseph Noel Purcell was the son of Dublin auctioneer Pierce Purcell and his second wife Catherine (née Hoban), an antique dealer. He was born at 11a, Lower Mercer Street, one of two houses owned by his mother's family. Purcell was educated at Synge Street CBS. He lost the tip of his right index finger while making cigarette vending machines, and was also missing his entire left index finger due to a different accident while he was an apprentice carpenter, a feature which he exploited for dramatic effect in the film Mutiny on the Bounty (1962). Purcell began his show business career at the age of 12 in Dublin's Gaiety Theatre. Later, he toured Ireland in a vaudeville act with Jimmy O'Dea. Stage-trained in the classics in Dublin, Purcell moved into films in 1934. He appeared in Captain Boycott (1947) and as the elderly sailor whose death marooned the lovers-to-be in the first sound film version of The Blue Lagoon (1949). He played a member of Captain Ahab's crew in Moby Dick (1956), Dan O'Flaherty in episode one, The Majesty of the Law, of The Rising of the Moon (1957), a gamekeeper in The List of Adrian Messenger (1963), and a barman in The Mackintosh Man (1973); the last two films were directed by John Huston. In 1955, he was an off-and-on regular on the British filmed TV series The Buccaneers (released to American TV in 1956). He narrated a Hibernian documentary, Seven Wonders of Ireland (1959). In 1962, he portrayed the lusty William McCoy in Lewis Milestone's Mutiny on the Bounty. He played a taciturn Irish in-law to Lebanese American entertainer Danny Thomas's character Danny Williams in a 1963 episode of The Danny Thomas Show. In 1971, he played the caring rabbi in the children's musical drama Flight of the Doves. He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1958 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the BBC Television Theatre. Purcell also gained some recognition as a singer. Shortly after the Second World War, songwriter Leo Maguire composed "The Dublin Saunter" for him. He performed the song live for many years and later recorded it for the Glenside label. However, the recording was not a hit. As Purcell recalled many years later, "I don't think one person in the world bought it." However, over time it became one of the most favorite songs about Dublin, receiving countless air plays on radio programs. In his later years, Purcell was asked by RTÉ journalist Colm Connolly whether he had received many royalties down the years. Purcell replied: "Not a penny. I recorded it as a favor for a pal, Leo Maguire, who'd written it. No contract or anything, so I never got a fee or any payments." In 1981 (on YouTube it's 1974) he recorded a spoken word version of Pete St. John's "Dublin in the Rare Old Times". In June 1984, Purcell was given the Freedom of the City of Dublin. Nine months later, he died in his native city at the age of 84. On 7 July 1941, Purcell married former child actress Eileen Marmion. They had four sons.

Películas

The MacKintosh Man O'Donovan 1973-11-08
Flight of the Doves Rabbi 1971-04-02
The McKenzie Break Ferry Captain 1970-10-28
Sinful Davey Jock 1969-02-10
Where's Jack? Leatherchest 1969-04-01
The Violent Enemy John Michael Leary 1967-05-01
Doctor in Clover O'Malley 1966-03-08
Arrivederci, Baby! Capt. Daniel O'Flannery 1966-12-28
Lord Jim Captain Chester 1965-02-15
The Running Man Miles Bleeker 1963-10-01
Nurse on Wheels Abel Worthy 1963-01-03
The Ceremony Finigan 1963-12-18
The Iron Maiden Admiral Sir Digby Trevelyan 1963-06-07
The List of Adrian Messenger Countryman (uncredited) 1963-05-23
Three Spare Wives Sir Hubert 1962-01-01
Mutiny on the Bounty Seaman William McCoy 1962-11-08
Johnny Nobody Brother Timothy 1961-10-01
Double Bunk O'Malley 1961-05-06
Make Mine Mink Burglar 1960-08-09
The Millionairess Professor Merton 1960-10-18
No Kidding Tandy 1960-11-01
Man in the Moon Prosecutor 1960-10-31
Watch Your Stern Adm. Sir Humphrey Pettigrew 1960-10-14
Shake Hands with the Devil Liam O'Sullivan 1959-06-24
Ferry to Hong Kong Joe Skinner 1959-10-29
Tommy the Toreador Captain 1959-12-21
Rockets Galore Father James 1958-10-19
Merry Andrew Matthew Larabee 1958-03-20
Rooney Tim Hennessy 1958-03-24
The Key Hotel Clerk 1958-05-28
Doctor at Large Padre 1957-03-26
The Rising of the Moon Dan O'Flaherty (segment 'The Majesty of the Law') 1957-08-10
Jacqueline Mr. Owen, the Parson 1956-06-04
Lust for Life Anton Mauve 1956-09-15
Moby Dick Ship's Carpenter 1956-06-27
Doctor at Sea Corbie 1955-07-12
Svengali Patrick O'Farrell 1954-09-01
Mad About Men Percy 1954-11-16
The Seekers Paddy Clarke 1954-06-22
Doctor in the House Padre (uncredited) 1954-03-23
Decameron Nights Father Francisco 1953-01-13
Grand National Night Philip Balfour 1953-04-15
The Crimson Pirate Pablo Murphy 1952-09-27
Father's Doing Fine Shaughnessy 1952-08-15
The Pickwick Papers Roker 1952-11-14
Encore Tom, Captain 1951-06-11
Talk of a Million Matty McGrath 1951-03-12
Appointment with Venus Trawler Langley 1951-10-08
No Resting Place Guard Mannigan 1951-01-12
The Blue Lagoon Paddy Button 1949-03-01
Saints and Sinners Flaherty 1949-08-15
Odd Man Out Tram Conductor (uncredited) 1947-01-30
Captain Boycott Daniel McGinty 1947-08-26
Ireland's Border Line Garda Sergeant Hogan 1938-04-28