Alexis Kanner
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Alexis Kanner (born Henri Alex Kanner; 2 May 1942 – 13 December 2003) was a French born-Canadian film and television actor, based in England. His most notable role was the " Living in Harmony" episode of ''
The Prisoner ''The Prisoner'' is a 1967 British television series about an unnamed British intelligence agent who is abducted and imprisoned in a mysterious coastal village, where his captors designate him as Number Six and try to find out why he abruptl ...
''.


Biography

Henri Alex Kanner was born in
Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
-occupied
Bagnères-de-Luchon Bagnères-de-Luchon (; oc, Banhèras de Luishon), also referred to as just Luchon, is a commune and spa town in the Haute-Garonne department in the Occitanie region of south-western France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Lucho ...
, France, to a
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
family. In April 1944, shortly before his second birthday, he escaped with his family to
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
, Canada, on the Portuguese ship ''
Serpa Pinto Alexandre Alberto da Rocha de Serpa Pinto, Viscount of Serpa Pinto (aka Serpa Pinto; 20 April 184628 December 1900) was a Portuguese explorer of southern Africa and a colonial administrator. Early life Serpa Pinto was born at the Quinta das Pol ...
''. Kanner attended the Montreal Children's Theatre under the tutelage of Dorothy Davis and Violet Walters. Kanner made his first impression as an actor in the role of Alex, among a French Canadian cast, in the television drama series ''
Beau Temps, Mauvais Temps {{unref, date=July 2016 ''Beau temps, mauvais temps'' is a Québécois television series that ran from 1955 to 1958. Synopsis Radio-Canada presented 96 episodes of this series, which is set in the small town of Villeneuve. The series tells the sto ...
'' (1955–1958). He moved to England in the late 50s to join the
Birmingham Repertory Theatre Birmingham Repertory Theatre, commonly called Birmingham Rep or just The Rep, is a producing theatre based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England. Founded by Barry Jackson, it is the longest-established of Britain's building-based theatre ...
to further his acting career. This led to the
Royal Court A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word "court" may also be appl ...
and the Royal Shakespeare Company where he played in '' The Tempest'' in 1961 and the lead role in ''
Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
'' under the direction of
Peter Brook Peter Stephen Paul Brook (21 March 1925 – 2 July 2022) was an English theatre and film director. He worked first in England, from 1945 at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, from 1947 at the Royal Opera House, and from 1962 for the Royal Sha ...
in 1965. His earliest UK television appearance appears to have been as Peter in the ''
Sunday Night Theatre ''Sunday Night Theatre'' was a long-running series of televised live television plays screened by BBC Television from early 1950 until 1959. The productions for the first five years or so of the run were re-staged live the following Thursday, pa ...
'' play ''Echo From Afar'' in 1959. He appeared as Stephen in the film ''
Reach for Glory ''Reach for Glory'' is a 1962 British film adaptation of John Rae's 1961 novel, '' The Custard Boys'', directed by Philip Leacock. It received a United Nations Award. Plot A group of boys, evacuated during World War II from London to a coas ...
'' (1962) about the brutal war games of evacuated teenage boys during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
. This led to him first meeting the film's assistant director David Tomblin, who would a few years later be the producer of ''
The Prisoner ''The Prisoner'' is a 1967 British television series about an unnamed British intelligence agent who is abducted and imprisoned in a mysterious coastal village, where his captors designate him as Number Six and try to find out why he abruptl ...
'' series. He had a small role in the comedy film '' We Joined the Navy'' (1962) playing Gerrett. The only real notable thing about the film was the number of future British small screen comedy stalwarts who were acting in either similar small roles or uncredited cameos. Other plays in which he performed were: * ''
ITV Play of the Week ''Play of the Week'' is a 90-minute British television anthology series produced by a variety of companies including Granada Television, Associated-Rediffusion, ATV and Anglia Television. Synopsis From 1955 to 1967 approximately 500 episodes ...
'': ''Birds in the Wilderness'' as Peter (1962) and ''The Facing Chair'' (1963) as Clem Goodwin * '' Television Playhouse'': ''The Interview'' as The Young Man (1962) and ''Along Came A Spider'' as Brian (1963) * '' Drama '63'': ''The Freewheelers'' as Jeremy (1963) * ''
Armchair Theatre ''Armchair Theatre'' is a British television drama anthology series of single plays that ran on the ITV network from 1956 to 1974. It was originally produced by ABC Weekend TV. Its successor Thames Television took over from mid-1968. The Canad ...
'': ''Living Image'' (1963) as John Manders playing a son who wonders if he can love his father even though he violently disapproves of everything he stands for He appeared on British television in an episode of ''
The Saint The Saint may refer to: Fiction * Simon Templar, also known as "The Saint", the protagonist of a book series by Leslie Charteris and subsequent adaptations: ** ''The Saint'' (film series) (1938–43), starring Louis Hayward, George Sanders an ...
'', "The Ever Loving Spouse" (1964) as Alec Misner and in the first of three episodes in ATV's '' Love Story'', ''A Future Holiday'' as Frank Watkins. His other appearances in that series were in the following year in ''Briefly Kiss The Loser'' as Big Silver Gardner and in 1967 as Colin Turner in ''Cinéma Vérité''. He appeared as Detective Constable Matt Stone in 9 episodes of '' Softly, Softly'' (
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
, 1966), a spin-off series from ''
Z-Cars ''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by the BBC, it debut ...
''. He claimed in interviews later that he left not wanting to be typecast. Only one complete ''Softly, Softly'' episode featuring Kanner survives in the BBC archives, 'A-Z' (broadcast 30 March 1966), and another partially. His film career continued with an appearance in ''
The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders ''The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders'' is a 1965 British historical comedy film directed by Terence Young and starring Kim Novak, Richard Johnson, and Angela Lansbury. It is based on the 1722 novel '' Moll Flanders'' by Daniel Defoe. ...
'' (1965) as part of a
Mohocks The Mohocks were allegedly a gang of violent, well-born criminals that terrorized London in the early 18th century, attacking men and women alike. Taking their name from the Mohawks, they were said to kill or disfigure their male victims and sexual ...
gang. In 1967 he returned to Montreal to star as the lead character Ernie Turner in the film '' The Ernie Game'' which was written and directed by Don Owen for the
National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary f ...
.


''The Prisoner''

Kanner's performances in the 1967–1968 British television series ''
The Prisoner ''The Prisoner'' is a 1967 British television series about an unnamed British intelligence agent who is abducted and imprisoned in a mysterious coastal village, where his captors designate him as Number Six and try to find out why he abruptl ...
'' brought lasting recognition for his acting. When he was first enrolled, Patrick McGoohan, the star and co-creator of the series, was planning the final four episodes. There was some opposition to the choice, but McGoohan was looking to cast the rebellious and maverick qualities that Kanner displayed. His first guest-star role was in the mock Wild West episode " Living in Harmony", in which he portrayed the "Kid" (the alter-ego of Number Eight), a violent mute dressed in circus pants and a top hat, who is eventually shot in a duel by McGoohan's character, Number Six. McGoohan was impressed by his acting skills and perfectionism (to prepare the duel scene, both actors practised quick-draw assiduously). As a result, McGoohan wrote for Kanner the role of Number Forty-eight, who is made to stand trial as the representative of rebellious youth in " Fall Out", the final episode of the series. Additionally, Kanner gave an uncredited performance as the photographer in the fairy tale episode "
The Girl Who Was Death "The Girl Who Was Death" is an episode of the allegorical British science fiction TV series, ''The Prisoner''. It was written by Terence Feely and directed by David Tomblin and was the sixteenth produced. It was broadcast in the UK on ITV (S ...
", in which he performed a number of stunts on a roller coaster.


Later career

In 1969, he starred as Graham Baird in the little-known short feature film ''Twenty Nine'', a story of a promiscuous young husband's night out in swinging London. It was only 26 minutes long and co-starred
Yootha Joyce Yootha Joyce Needham (20 August 1927 – 24 August 1980), known as Yootha Joyce, was an English actress best known for playing Mildred Roper opposite Brian Murphy in the sitcom ''Man About the House'' (1973–1976) and its spin-off ''George and ...
. This was shown as the
B film A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feature ...
in Britain with the feature film '' If....''. The band Tuesday's Children, who had a cameo role in a nightclub scene, released the song "She" that they played in it as a single soon afterwards. He starred in a number of feature films soon after, including '' Crossplot'' (1969) with Roger Moore, ''
Connecting Rooms ''Connecting Rooms'' is a 1970 British drama (film and television), drama film written and directed by Franklin Gollings. The screenplay is based on the play ''The Cellist'' by Marion Hart. The film stars Bette Davis, Michael Redgrave, and Leo ...
'' (1970) with
Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her pe ...
and
Michael Redgrave Sir Michael Scudamore Redgrave CBE (20 March 1908 – 21 March 1985) was an English stage and film actor, director, manager and author. He received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''Mourning Becomes Elec ...
, and ''
Goodbye Gemini ''Goodbye Gemini'' (also released as ''Twinsanity'') is a 1970 British psychological horror film directed by Alan Gibson and starring Judy Geeson, Michael Redgrave, and Martin Potter. Based on the novel ''Ask Agamemnon'' by Jenni Hall, it conce ...
'' (also 1970). He is wrongly credited with appearing in ''Invasion:UFO'' in 1972, a
compilation film A compilation film, or compilation movie is a film composed of scenes and shots taken from two or more prior films and edited together so as to make a new film, whether on the same or a different subject. The most common example would be a docum ...
made up of the episodes from the TV series ''
UFO An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are id ...
'' made in 1970. He had appeared in an episode called '' The Cat with Ten Lives'' but no footage of this was used in the feature film. He moved back to Canada and his next film was '' Mahoney's Last Stand'' (released in the US as ''Mahoney's Estate'', 1972) with
Sam Waterston Samuel Atkinson Waterston (born November 15, 1940) is an American actor. Waterston is known for his work in theater, television and, film. He has received a Primetime Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award, and has receive ...
and
Maud Adams Maud Adams (born Maud Solveig Christina Wikström; 12 February 1945) is a Swedish actress and model, known for her roles as two different Bond girls, first in '' The Man with the Golden Gun'' (1974) and then as the eponymous character in ''Oct ...
, which he also co-wrote and co-directed. The original motion picture soundtrack of the same name was recorded by
Ronnie Lane Ronald Frederick Lane (1 April 1946 – 4 June 1997) was an English musician and songwriter who is best known as the bass guitarist and founding member of Small Faces (1965–69) and subsequently Faces (1969–73). Lane formed Small Faces ...
(who was a friend of Kanner) and
Ron Wood Ron is a shortening of the name Ronald. Ron or RON may also refer to: Arts and media * Big Ron (''EastEnders''), a TV character * Ron (''King of Fighters''), a video game character *Ron Douglas, the protagonist in '' Lucky Stiff'' played by Joe ...
, then of
The Faces Faces are an English rock band formed in 1969 by members of Small Faces after lead singer and guitarist Steve Marriott left to form Humble Pie. The remaining Small Faces—Ian McLagan (keyboards), Ronnie Lane (electric bass, vocals), and Kenn ...
. Other famous names who worked on the album included
Pete Townshend Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (; born 19 May 1945) is an English musician. He is co-founder, leader, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s. Townsh ...
and
Kenney Jones Kenneth Thomas "Kenney" Jones (born 16 September 1948) is an English drummer best known for his work in the groups Small Faces, Faces, and the Who. Jones was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 as a member of Small Faces/Faces ...
. He worked again with Patrick McGoohan on the Canadian hostage drama film '' Kings and Desperate Men'', in which he starred as well as writing, producing and directing. He apparently spent two years editing the film which, although filmed in December 1977, did not premiere until the 1981
Montreal World Film Festival The Montreal World Film Festival (WFF; french: le Festival des Films du Monde) was one of Canada's oldest international film festivals and the only competitive film festival in North America accredited by the FIAPF (although the Toronto Interna ...
. During the late 80s Kanner sued the producers of the film ''Die Hard'' claiming that they stole the idea for that movie from this film (he lost). His final known acting role was in ''Nightfall'' (released in 1988), a science-fiction film based on the Isaac Asimov story of the same name. He settled back in
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
in 1996 and was working on a new film project called ''J R Profitt'' that never came to fruition.


Death

He died of a
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...
at his London home on 13 December 2003, aged 61. He had requested that his body be flown to and buried in
Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
, Israel, at the Mount of Olives.


Filmography

* ''
Reach for Glory ''Reach for Glory'' is a 1962 British film adaptation of John Rae's 1961 novel, '' The Custard Boys'', directed by Philip Leacock. It received a United Nations Award. Plot A group of boys, evacuated during World War II from London to a coas ...
'' (1962) * '' We Joined the Navy'' (1962) * ''
The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders ''The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders'' is a 1965 British historical comedy film directed by Terence Young and starring Kim Novak, Richard Johnson, and Angela Lansbury. It is based on the 1722 novel '' Moll Flanders'' by Daniel Defoe. ...
'' (1965) * '' The Ernie Game'' (1967) * '' Crossplot'' (1969) * ''
Connecting Rooms ''Connecting Rooms'' is a 1970 British drama (film and television), drama film written and directed by Franklin Gollings. The screenplay is based on the play ''The Cellist'' by Marion Hart. The film stars Bette Davis, Michael Redgrave, and Leo ...
'' (1970) * ''
Goodbye Gemini ''Goodbye Gemini'' (also released as ''Twinsanity'') is a 1970 British psychological horror film directed by Alan Gibson and starring Judy Geeson, Michael Redgrave, and Martin Potter. Based on the novel ''Ask Agamemnon'' by Jenni Hall, it conce ...
'' (1970) * '' Mahoney's Last Stand'' (1972) * '' Kings and Desperate Men'' (Shot in 1977, released in 1981) * '' Nightfall'' (1988)


References


External links

*
Alexis Kanner obituary
''
The Stage ''The Stage'' is a British weekly newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry and particularly theatre. It was founded in 1880. It contains news, reviews, opinion, features, and recruitment advertising, mainly directed at those wh ...
'' (copy archived 30 June 2015) {{DEFAULTSORT:Kanner, Alexis 1942 births 2003 deaths English male stage actors English male television actors English male film actors Jewish English male actors Royal Shakespeare Company members