NP
Noel Purcell
Actor
Died March 3, 1985 (84 years)
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.
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.
Known For
Filmography
| 1983 | The Irish R. M. (TV Series) |
| 1973 | The MacKintosh Man · as O'donovan |
| 1971 | The Onedin Line (TV Series) · as Hennessy |
| 1971 | Flight of the Doves · as Rabbi |
| 1970 | The McKenzie Break · as Ferry Captain |
| 1969 | Sinful Davey · as Jock |
| 1969 | Where's Jack? · as Leatherchest |
| 1967 | The Violent Enemy · as John Michael Leary |
| 1966 | Arrivederci, Baby! · as Capt. Daniel O'flannery |
| 1966 | Carnaby, M.D. · as O'malley |
| 1965 | I Spy (TV Series) · as Fletcher |
| 1965 | Lord Jim · as Captain Chester |
| 1963 | The Ceremony · as Finigan |
| 1963 | The Running Man · as Miles Bleeker |
| 1963 | The List of Adrian Messenger · as Countryman (uncredited) |
| 1963 | Nurse on Wheels · as Abel Worthy |
| 1962 | The Swingin' Maiden · as Admiral Sir Digby Trevelyan |
| 1962 | Mutiny on the Bounty · as Seaman William Mccoy |
| 1962 | |
| 1962 | Dr. Finlay's Casebook (TV Series) · as Alexander Craig |
| 1961 | Double Bunk · as O'malley |
| 1961 | Johnny Nobody · as Brother Timothy |
| 1961 | The DuPont Show of the Week (TV Series) · as Meager |
| 1961 | The Avengers (TV Series) |
| 1960 | Beware of Children · as Tandy |
| 1960 | The 3 Worlds of Gulliver · as Capt. Pritchard |
| 1960 | Man in the Moon · as Prosecutor |
| 1960 | The Millionairess · as Professor Merton |
| 1960 | Watch Your Stern · as Adm. Sir Humphrey Pettigrew |
| 1960 | Make Mine Mink · as Burglar |
| 1959 | Tommy the Toreador · as Captain |
| 1959 | Ferry to Hong Kong · as Joe Skinner |
| 1959 | Shake Hands with the Devil · as Liam O'sullivan |
| 1958 | Mad Little Island · as Father James |
| 1958 | The Key · as Hotel Clerk |
| 1958 | Merry Andrew · as Matthew Larabee |
| 1958 | Rooney · as Tim Hennessy |
| 1957 | The Rising of the Moon · as Dan O'flaherty (segment 'the Majesty Of The Law') |
| 1957 | Doctor at Large · as Padre |
| 1957 | Emergency-Ward 10 (TV Series) · as Dermot Flynn |
| 1956 | The Buccaneers (TV Series) · as Pat |
| 1956 | The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (TV Series) · as Liam |
| 1956 | Lust for Life · as Anton Mauve |
| 1956 | Moby Dick · as Ship's Carpenter |
| 1956 | Jacqueline · as Mr. Owen, The Parson |
| 1955 | Doctor at Sea · as Corbie |
| 1955 | Dixon of Dock Green (TV Series) · as Thomas |
| 1954 | Mad About Men · as Percy |
| 1954 | Svengali · as Patrick O'farrell |
| 1954 | Land of Fury · as Paddy Clarke |
| 1954 | Doctor in the House · as Padre (uncredited) |
| 1953 | Decameron Nights · as Father Francisco |
| 1953 | Make Room for Daddy (TV Series) · as Francis Daly |
| 1953 | Wicked Wife · as Philip Balfour |
| 1953 | Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Presents (TV Series) · as Willie Hosmer |
| 1952 | The Pickwick Papers · as Roker |
| 1952 | The Crimson Pirate · as Pablo Murphy |
| 1952 | Father's Doing Fine · as Shaughnessy |
| 1951 | Island Rescue · as Trawler Langley |
| 1951 | Encore · as Tom, Captain |
| 1951 | Talk of a Million · as Matty Mcgrath |
| 1950 | Sunday Night Theatre (TV Series) · as 'joxer' Daly |
| 1949 | Saints and Sinners · as Flaherty |
| 1949 | The Blue Lagoon · as Paddy Button |
| 1947 | Captain Boycott · as Daniel Mcginty |
| 1947 | Odd Man Out · as Tram Conductor (uncredited) |
| 1937 | Knight Without Armor · as First Train Driver Trying To Clear Track |