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Niall MacGinnis | |
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.jpg) MacGinnis as thetitle character in the filmMartin Luther (1953) | |
| Born | Patrick Niall MacGinnis (1913-03-29)29 March 1913 Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | 6 January 1977(1977-01-06) (aged 63) Newport,Monmouthshire, Wales |
| Alma mater | Trinity College Dublin |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1935–1977 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 1 |
Patrick Niall MacGinnis (29 March 1913 – 6 January 1977) was anIrish actor and physician.[1] On screen, he was well-known for hischaracter roles with a "poetictimbre,"[1] though he occasionally played leading parts like thetitle character inMartin Luther (1953) and the occultist antagonist of the classic horror filmNight of the Demon (1957). In theatre, he was an accomplishedShakespearean, and a member of theOld Vic Company.[2]
MacGinnis was born in theRanelagh area ofDublin in 1913,[3] the son of Mary Josephine (née Kelly) and Patrick F. MacGinnis.[1] He was educated atStonyhurst College, aJesuitpublic school inLancashire in theNorth of England, where he won prizes forelocution and playedrugby andcricket.[1] He studied medicine atTrinity College Dublin (TCD), qualifying as ahouse surgeon.
He practiced medicine in Dublin andLondon, before deciding to pursue an acting career, and enrolling in the classes at thePeacock Theatre, Dublin and the Sheffield Playgoers Society. He furthered his dramatic education atThe Old Vic, underJohn Gielgud, and became well-versed inShakespeare.[2]
MacGinnis made his professional debut with theSheffield Repertory Theatre, on a tour of Ireland during the summer of 1932.[1] He was a member ofthe Gate Theatre company between 1933 and 1934, and playedthe Ghost inMicheál Mac Liammóir's production ofHamlet, and reprised his role when the production moved to London.[1] He made hisWest End debut in September 1934. His breakthrough as a stage actor came when he was cast as Mat Burke inAnna Christie withFlora Robson andAlexander Knox.
On theWest End, he appeared inVolpone withDonald Wolfit, at theWestminster Theatre, and playedMalcolm inMichel Saint-Denis's production ofMacbeth at the Old Vic, withLaurence Olivier in the title role. In 1938, he played the lead role in the hit comedy playSpring Meeting, directed by John Gielgud. He appeared regularly in Old Vic productions, especially Shakespearean plays, and also performed with the Longford players during their 1937–8 London season,
MacGinnis made his 1935 film debut inTurn of the Tide. His breakthrough role was in the 1937Michael Powell filmThe Edge of the World. In 1941, he worked with Powell and Laurence Olivier again on the war film49th Parallel, playing a German U-boat captain. In 1944, he played Captain MacMorris opposite Olivier inHenry V.
However, that same year he put his acting career on hiatus to join the BritishRoyal Navy as asurgeon.[4] He served through the end ofSecond World War, until 1947, when he returned to acting in the filmCaptain Boycott.
In 1953, MacGinnis played thetitle character in the biographical filmMartin Luther. The film was critically acclaimed and a large commercial success, earning multipleAcademy Award nominations and appearing on theNational Board of Review's Top Ten Films of 1953. One critic called MacGinnis' performance "magnificent... given reverential, straightforward, honest, sincere treatment, as well as eschewing anything savoring of sensationalism."[5]
In 1957, MacGinnis played the villain Dr. Julian Karswell opposite American actorDana Andrews in the classic British horror filmNight of the Demon (initially released in the United States asCurse of the Demon). His role as a sinister-yet-charismatic occultist remains one of his most well-remembered among film fans.[1] Another notable role was asZeus in the 1963 fantasy filmJason and the Argonauts.
On television, he played the arch-criminal A. J. Kent in theDanger Man episode "Battle of The Cameras" and Colonel Probst inThe Saint episode "The Paper Chase".
During the late 1930's, MacGinnis lived on theRiver Thames on a houseboat converted out of a commercial sailer, theHermoine.[1]
In 1942, MacGinnis married Sheila Mcdonald; the couple later divorced. In 1955, he married his second wife Eleanor, with whom he had a daughter. In the mid-1970s, he gave up acting, moved back to his native Ireland, and returned to the medical profession. He lived inAshford,County Wicklow.
MacGinnis died ofcancer inHaverfordwest,Pembrokeshire,Wales, in January 1977,[3] aged 63, where he had been working in a local clinic. At the time of his death, he was considering coming out of retirement to appear to narrate his old friend Michael Powell's filmReturn to the Edge of the World (1978).[1]
His wife Eleanor remained in Ashford until her death in 2013. Their daughter and family still reside on the family property.
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