Noel Purcell

Noel Purcell

Known for: Acting
Biography: 1900-12-23
Deathday: 1985-03-03 (84 years old)

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Biography

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.

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Filmography

all 60

Movies 54

TV Shows 6

The Irish R.M.

The Irish R.M. (1983)

TV
O'Donovan
The MacKintosh Man

The MacKintosh Man (1973)

Movie
Hennessy
The Onedin Line

The Onedin Line (1971)

TV
Rabbi
Flight of the Doves

Flight of the Doves (1971)

Movie
Ferry Captain
The McKenzie Break

The McKenzie Break (1970)

Movie
Never Say Die

Never Say Die (1970)

TV
Leatherchest
Where's Jack?

Where's Jack? (1969)

Movie
Jock
Sinful Davey

Sinful Davey (1969)

Movie
John Michael Leary
The Violent Enemy

The Violent Enemy (1967)

Movie
Capt. Daniel O'Flannery
Arrivederci, Baby!

Arrivederci, Baby! (1966)

Movie
O'Malley
Doctor in Clover

Doctor in Clover (1966)

Movie
4.76
Captain Chester
Lord Jim

Lord Jim (1965)

Movie
1
Finigan
The Ceremony

The Ceremony (1963)

Movie
Miles Bleeker
The Running Man

The Running Man (1963)

Movie
Admiral Sir Digby Trevelyan
The Iron Maiden

The Iron Maiden (1963)

Movie
Countryman (uncredited)
The List of Adrian Messenger

The List of Adrian Messenger (1963)

Movie
Abel Worthy
Nurse on Wheels

Nurse on Wheels (1963)

Movie
Seaman William McCoy
Mutiny on the Bounty

Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)

Movie
Brendan Cullin / Mike Kelly
The Saint

The Saint (1962)

TV
5
Sir Hubert
Three Spare Wives

Three Spare Wives (1962)

Movie
Brother Timothy
Johnny Nobody

Johnny Nobody (1961)

Movie
O'Malley
Double Bunk

Double Bunk (1961)

Movie
The Avengers

The Avengers (1961)

TV
6
Tandy
No Kidding

No Kidding (1960)

Movie
6
Prosecutor
Man in the Moon

Man in the Moon (1960)

Movie
Professor Merton
The Millionairess

The Millionairess (1960)

Movie
Adm. Sir Humphrey Pettigrew
Watch Your Stern

Watch Your Stern (1960)

Movie
Burglar
Make Mine Mink

Make Mine Mink (1960)

Movie
Captain
Tommy the Toreador

Tommy the Toreador (1959)

Movie
Joe Skinner
Ferry to Hong Kong

Ferry to Hong Kong (1959)

Movie
Liam O'Sullivan
Shake Hands with the Devil

Shake Hands with the Devil (1959)

Movie
Father James
Rockets Galore

Rockets Galore (1958)

Movie
Hotel Clerk
The Key

The Key (1958)

Movie
Tim Hennessy
Rooney

Rooney (1958)

Movie
Matthew Larabee
Merry Andrew

Merry Andrew (1958)

Movie
Dan O'Flaherty (1st Episode)
The Rising of the Moon

The Rising of the Moon (1957)

Movie
6
Padre
Doctor at Large

Doctor at Large (1957)

Movie
1.8
Pat
The Buccaneers

The Buccaneers (1956)

TV
Anton Mauve
Lust for Life

Lust for Life (1956)

Movie
Ship's Carpenter
Moby Dick

Moby Dick (1956)

Movie
10
Mr. Owen
Jacqueline

Jacqueline (1956)

Movie
Corbie
Doctor at Sea

Doctor at Sea (1955)

Movie
3.5
Percy
Mad About Men

Mad About Men (1954)

Movie
Patrick O'Farrell
Svengali

Svengali (1954)

Movie
Paddy Clarke
The Seekers

The Seekers (1954)

Movie
Padre (uncredited)
Doctor in the House

Doctor in the House (1954)

Movie
5.21
Philip Balfour
Grand National Night

Grand National Night (1953)

Movie
Father Francisco
Decameron Nights

Decameron Nights (1953)

Movie
Roker
The Pickwick Papers

The Pickwick Papers (1952)

Movie
Pablo Murphy
The Crimson Pirate

The Crimson Pirate (1952)

Movie
6
Shaughnessy
Father's Doing Fine

Father's Doing Fine (1952)

Movie
Trawler Langley
Appointment with Venus

Appointment with Venus (1951)

Movie
Tom, Captain
Encore

Encore (1951)

Movie
Matty McGrath
Talk of a Million

Talk of a Million (1951)

Movie
Garda Mannigan
No Resting Place

No Resting Place (1951)

Movie
Flaherty
Saints and Sinners

Saints and Sinners (1949)

Movie
Paddy Button
The Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon (1949)

Movie
Daniel McGinty
Captain Boycott

Captain Boycott (1947)

Movie
Tram Conductor (uncredited)
Odd Man Out

Odd Man Out (1947)

Movie
5.6
Garda Sergeant Hogan
Ireland's Border Line

Ireland's Border Line (1938)

Movie

Ratings

Average 5.94
Based on 131 Thousand movie and tv ratings over time
1938
1954
1959
1956
1983
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Information

Known For
Acting

Gender
Male

Birthday
1900-12-23

Deathday
1985-03-03 (84 years old)

Birth Place
Dublin, Republic of Ireland

Citizenships
Republic of Ireland

Also Known As
Ноэль Пёрселл


This article uses material from Wikipedia.
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