tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221166855984701161.post6006004446652056930..comments2011-02-25T11:13:28.077+00:00Comments on Johnny Prisoner: Patrick McGoohan - The Man Behind The BarsDavid Stimpsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15196038086564981619noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221166855984701161.post-23445920043645813842011-02-25T11:13:28.077+00:002011-02-25T11:13:28.077+00:00What you write about McGoohan knowing all the time...What you write about McGoohan knowing all the time who No.1 is, and the reason why he didn't tell anyone, seems sound reasoning. I cannot put up an argument against it.<br /> As for No.6 and No.1 being one and the same....well of course No.1's the boss. And should No.6 win the election of 'Free For All,' which he did, then No.1 would no longer be a mystery to him, if you know what No.2 meant, I don't. Because as far as I am aware, no No.2 ever met No.1, only perhaps speaking to him on the telephone. Because it's never made clear who No.2 speaks to on the telephone. Afetr all No.2 uses the address of 'Sir' and not No.1!<br /><br /> By the use of the words "I am in command, obey me and be free" I've always seen No.6 as the new No.2 addressing the citizens, not as No.1.<br /><br /> If No.6 is No.1, then who is Curtis? Because there was the suggestion several years ago now, that Curtis could have been No.1. Or at the very least Curtis, having not been killed by Rover in 'The Schizoid Man,' but was put on ice, and brought out again in one last ditch attempt to break No.6. 'Fall out' being the final manipulation of No.6. They tried to break No.6 by facing him with himself, Curtis. After all, even if Curtis did die in 'The Schizoid Man' what's stopping them from resuscitating Curtis in the same way as they did No.2 in 'Fall Out?' I'll stand for two No.6's in the village, but I'm blowed if I'll stand for three!<br />Why three? Well if Curtis did die, and was not resuscitated, then there had to have been a third No.6 in the village. No.1 and No.6 may very well have been the alter ego of the other. But the two egos can never physically meet, not as they did in 'Fall Out.' And it's impossible for No.6 to physically be in two given places at the same time. So when No.6 is in the Green Dome, having broken No.2 in 'Hammer Into Anvil,' who is it No.2 is reporting himself to on that over-sized red telepohone, when No.6 is in the room at the same time? <br />JPDavid Stimpsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15196038086564981619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221166855984701161.post-62217083034139983132011-02-24T12:04:43.520+00:002011-02-24T12:04:43.520+00:00Quotes from the first script, Free For All.
TWO:...Quotes from the first script, Free For All. <br /><br />TWO: Oh, you’re the boss.<br />SIX: Number One is the boss.<br /> <br />TWO: If you win, Number One will no longer be a mystery to you – if you know what I mean…..<br /><br />Later after he had won the election, Number Six shouts: "I AM IN COMMAND ! OBEY ME AND BE FREE!!"<br /><br />I=1 Aye! Aye! Aye!<br /><br />One of the unused scripts has a quote from a character saying to No6, who do you think you are? Number One? I daresay that was a bit of a clue too far and one of the reasons it never made the cut. That's just a couple of things straight off the top of my head. McGoohan clearly knew all along, but simple answers to a gossiping crew? That would be telling.Moor Larkinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05275057917684784541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221166855984701161.post-17247021284670618002011-02-24T10:37:08.730+00:002011-02-24T10:37:08.730+00:00Hello Moor Larkin,
We are all our own worst en...Hello Moor Larkin,<br /> We are all our own worst enemy, and make a prison for oneself by what we say and write! At the outset of the production of 'the Prisoner,' there was no knowledge of who No.1 was. In fact members of cast and crew asked who No.1 was. And it couldn't possibly have ben known before 'Fall Out' who No.1 was, because McGoohan didn't know until he'd written the script, locked away in his office for 48 hours, or however long it was.<br /><br />As for the opening dialogue of the opening sequence, I've been thinking about that.<br /><br />"Who is Number One?"<br />"You are Number Six."<br />I, like so many of my contempories, have thought the answer is in the way the emphasis is placed on the word "are.' Making it seem that No.6 is No.1. But of course this is with having the hindsight of 'Fall Out.' When I first watched 'the Prisoner' as a twelve year old boy, I recall the meaning of the answer to "Who is Number One?" Being simply "You are Number Six,' meaning that the Prisoner has been told who he is. Having been given the number Six.<br />The only person I have ever met, who understood at first hearing of these words, who realised No.6 was No.1, was someone who's first language was not English. And they were simply listening to the words, and not the emphasis.<br />J.P.David Stimpsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15196038086564981619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7221166855984701161.post-33268717796661645642011-02-23T11:57:08.142+00:002011-02-23T11:57:08.142+00:00I think you misinterpret McGoohan's confusion ...I think you misinterpret McGoohan's confusion about the ending. The issue he seems to have had was the exact mechanic of making #1 turn out to be #6. After all, his message was that each of us contains our own worst enemy - ourselves. <br /><br />His predicament was how exactly to put that across. There are many examples of dialogue within the episodes that tease at the *real* identity of Number One. <br /><br />The most amazing thing is that every week the dialogue at the start says, <br />"Who is Number One?"<br />"You are Number Six"<br />and none of us watching noticed because of the misdirection in the way the dialogue is delivered.Moor Larkinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05275057917684784541noreply@blogger.com