Meeting prisoner people

By Isobel Smith 

I have, since being a member of (Six of One), been very lucky to meet actors, actresses and backstage crew of ‘the Prisoner’. Many of these I have been able to meet several times and know them on a first-name basis and vice-versa.  This friendship has helped me develop my ideas and thoughts on ‘the Prisoner’ and get remarkable insight into one of, if not, the finest piece of television.  There is not one particular person who is my favourite but I have special reasons why I like them. 

Top of my list must be James Bree (Villiers in ‘Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling’).  I have met this gentleman (I must class him as such as he has always been this towards me and everyone who meets him) three times.  The first time was at the ‘Priz Conference’ and it was a day I shall always remember and I am sure that Mr Bree remembers me this way!  We (the society had been given special permission to visit the GEC Buildings where they had filmed a major part of ‘Do Not Forsake Me....’ which includes the infamous paternoster lift. Mr. Bree very gamely agreed to ride in turn with any member who was willing to ride the lift.  Much against my better judgment, I decided to go for a ride. I got on to the lift with a little assistance and rode the lift with no problem.  Then came my ‘downfall’.  Mr Bree stepped off with great care and offered me his hand.  At that point I fell out!! - slid across the floor and landed at Mr Bree’s feet!  Very red faced!  Later that same day I felt a tap on my shoulder - it was Mr Bree who asked me how I was.  Mega embarrassed! 

The rest of the afternoon we chatted about the theatre and how he had seen Patrick McGoohan in ‘Brand’!  The next time I saw Mr. Bree was at the 25th Anniversary and he promptly introduced me to Kenneth Griffith as the lady who fell out of the lift!  When this year I attended the 30th Anniversary, I sat opposite Mr Bree as he was being interviewed by Dave Jones, who asked him about the dreaded lift. Mr Bree spotted me in the audience and proceeded (with much embarrassment) to retell my experiences.  Later on we met and had a good long chat.

 Kenneth Griffith (Schnipps and The President) is always one of my favourites as I could listen to him tell tales of his experiences with his delightful Welsh accent (perhaps I am rather biased when it comes to that accent) for ages.  He was the first person I met involved with ‘the Prisoner’ and I have met him three times - the second and third times he remembered me and put words to a similar effect in my autograph book.  I have always admired him and enjoyed his films and documentaries (always controversial and like Patrick McGoohan, wanting to do something ‘different’ and it is not surprising that Patrick McGoohan has funded several of Mr Griffith’s film projects).  Recently I have bought a copy of his autobiography ‘A Fool’s Pardon’ and one can almost hear that famous voice telling the stories, many of which he has told at various Prisoner events.

Rachel Herbert (Number 58) I have been able to meet twice and we have been able to have discussions about her enigmatic character which is my own favourite female role in ‘the Prisoner’.  When I mentioned to her that I have portrayed her role at various conventions, to my utter amazement she told me she would love to attend one (what about it co-ordinators?) so she could watch me re-enact her role.  I would (even though it would make me even more nervous) love to perform the part as a tribute to her. 

The late Len Harris, who was one of the chief camera operators remains very special as he had time to talk to everyone and to speak about his experiences on ‘the Prisoner’ and his time with Hammer Films.  I know Dave Lally agrees with me, he was a unique person and even though when we last saw him, he was very frail, he was still able to give an interview in French to a visiting camera crew at the convention he attended.

Speaking of frailties, Harold Berens (the referee in ‘The Girl Who Was Death’ and Number 113A in ‘Free For All’) discharged himself from hospital, where he was a patient, to attend the 25th do’, still wearing his hospital Identity bracelet.  He sat and was interviewed by Dave Jones and then entertained the people including me and also Bettine Le Beau who sat at his table for lunch with rather saucy jokes and singing ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’!  At the end of the event, a nurse came to collect Mr. Berens and he walked out still singing to his waiting taxi!!

Tony Sloman (the film librarian), with and without his beard, has always been interesting to talk to, not only about ‘the Prisoner’, but also about his vast, almost encyclopaedic, knowledge of films.  I have been lucky enough to meet Mr Sloman three times and each time we end up talking about films which (apart from the theatre) is one of my favourite subjects to talk about.  I will always remember that the year Mr Sloman attended the convention and just before the showing of ‘The Schizoid Man’, he came on the stage to say that one of Patrick McGoohan’s favourite films was ‘The Prisoner of Zenda’ whose star, Stewart Granger (one of my own favourites) had died that week and Mr Sloman paid tribute to him.

These are just a few of the ‘Prisoner people’ I have met and there are many, many more I could have mentioned and if Alan lets me, I may write about them in another article.  There are sadly, many people who are no longer with us, who I would love to have met and many others who, one day, I may get the chance to meet including our honorary president. I will have to wait and see. 

Alan comments :

It is always nice to hear from Prisoner fans who have met some of their heroes and heroines and it is particularly gratifying that lsobel has written about some of the Prisoner people that she has met - I remember being fascinated by her account of her meetings with some of the actors and actresses in ‘the Prisoner’ when we chatted at last year’s convention. 

At a number of society events and at each convention, many of us get to meet people who appeared in the series or worked behind the scenes and we all have our tales to tell afterwards.  Some of these are related in this very magazine in our PortmeiriCon review issue each year and one of the nicest things that comes across is how very amiable and indeed, accessible, many of these ‘Prisoner people’ are.  Alexis Kanner made a particularly favourable impression on just about everyone he met at PortmeiriCon ‘96, as did Norma West that same year.