Duncan Macrae
John Duncan Macrae | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 20, 1905 Glasgow, Scotland |
| Died | 23 March 1967 (aged 61) |
| Nationality | Scottish |
John Duncan Macrae (20 August 1905 – 23 March 1967) was one of the leading Scottish actors of his generation. He worked mainly as a stage actor, with only a limited number of screen appearances, the most famous of which was his leading role in BBC Scotland's Para Handy — Master Mariner. He was also a comedian, with a 'glaikit' mannerism. His Wee Cock Sparrer turn on TV each New Year's Eve became a Scottish national institution.
Background
Macrae was, in fact, a Lowlander, born and bred in Glasgow.
He was a teacher of history and geography in a Glasgow school, but spent all his spare time in amateur dramatics.
He started at repertory in Perth. He then worked with Unity Theatre and gravitated to the Citizens' Theatre, Glasgow, where the author James Bridie wrote plays specifically for him and he built-up a tremendous following. The Citizens' artistic director, John Casson, regarded as one of the best actors of his generation.
He later toured in Scottish plays, then took 'Dame' parts in pantomime, working alongside another Citizens' regular Stanley Baxter.
He was awarded honorary officer status when he agreed to a stint in ENSA in 1945.
His wife and two daughters had a small cottage on the island of Cumbrae in the Clyde.
He was compere of the BBC-tv network revue show, Better Late, from 28 October to 16 December 1958, for which he commuted down to London.
In the minds of millions of listeners, viewers, and filmgoers, Duncan Macrae epitomises the lanky, bony Highlander. Only whisper Whisky Galore, Kidnapped, Para Handy... and there again are the crooning voice, those eyes like Northern Lights, the chin of pure granite.[1]
He was said to be highly nationalistic, once declaring: "My life is devoted to the abomination of English domination." Although he had to travel to London for work, he preferred to stay in Scotland. In his role with Equity he championed the cause of Scottish actors. It was said that if Macrae could unfurl his own banner it would include a crest inscribed "Scottish actors for Scotland".[2]
His last television play was A Black Candle for Mrs Gogarty broadcast on 25 October 1967.
Criticism
Macrae's biographer Priscilla Barlow said he was horrid to young amateurs once he became famous. He could be a delight to work with and yet capable of telling an entire theatre company — as he once did in Ireland — that they were all rotten. Macrae also didn't have much time for young acting hopefuls, unless they were attractive and female.[3]
The Scottish comedian, Jimmy Logan, wrote that while Macrae was "a great artiste" he discovered that "he could be a pain to work with at times", deliberately upstaging his fellow performers and killing their punchlines:
What he did was wrong. I feel he could have been another artiste who wrote a great page in our book of theatre history, but he lacked the generosity of spirit that, in the end, stopped him scaling the tremendous heights he could so easily have reached. That generosity of spirit that allows others to get laughs on the stage was missing. He wanted all the laughs, and that was to a certain degree his downfall.[4]
Logan also claimed that Andy Stewart told him that when he came out of college and joined up with Macrae for a tour of Scotland, he got great laughs on the opening night but that Duncan was far from happy, telling him: "I get the laughs round here, son. You just do your part."[5]