View source for Roddy McDowall

'''Roddy McDowall''', born Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude McDowall (17 September 1928 London – 3 October 1998 Los Angeles), British-born actor (His name is frequently misspelled Roddy McDowell with an 'e'.)

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==Roddy McDowall==
Born in London in 1928, Roddy McDowall had already been in several British films when his family moved to the United States in 1940 to escape the war. (see [http://books.google.com/books?id=OIQumuY6auEC&pg=PA219&dq=Roddy+mcDowall&lr=&sig=ACfU3U0TK1BdpDrU-HW7DSwKSn66PLU8rg here]). His big break came when he was cast in ''[[How Green Was My Valley]]''.

Close on that role, he was cast in ''My Friend Flicka''.  He is also well-known from his childhood for his role opposite, the then unknown  [[Elizabeth Taylor]] in ''Lassie Come Home''.

[[Christopher Isherwood]] writes that Tom Maddox told him, that he was having an affair with the then teen-aged Roddy.  Christopher in a footnote says that Roddy must have been 18 at this time. (''Lost Years: A Memoir, 1945-1951'', by Christopher Isherwood. WSJ, Page 17).

Farley Granger mentions Roddy in his autobiography ''Inside Me Out: My Life'' (see [http://books.google.com/books?id=FKmpeKeSsNAC&pg=PA26&dq=Roddy+mcDowall&lr=&sig=ACfU3U1NfVxJTlHnXUakbjf0TV1XFD3QYQ#PPA29,M1 here]).  He knew Roddy prior to Farley's enlistment in the Navy at age 18, and then much later he remarks, "It was 1953.  I found an apartment on the Upper East Side in Manhattan....My old pal Roddy McDowall and also Monty Clift lived '''on the same block'''" (emphasis mine) (see [http://books.google.com/books?id=FKmpeKeSsNAC&pg=PA26&dq=Roddy+mcDowall&lr=&sig=ACfU3U1NfVxJTlHnXUakbjf0TV1XFD3QYQ#PPA142,M1 page 142])

In addition to Elizabeth, Roddy was a very close friend of [[Montgomery Clift]]. (see [http://books.google.com/books?id=ibv9mfwrMbIC&pg=PA149&dq=Roddy+mcDowall&lr=&sig=ACfU3U1_uvZhc5BLCxal4QkbbMAeOEcLRQ#PPA75,M1 here])  In addition, Virginia, Roddy's sister was once Monty's secretary.  In Capua's book, Roddy is quoted as saying about Monty: "The only thing we can do, Maureen [Stapleton], is hold his hand to the grave." (see [http://books.google.com/books?id=ibv9mfwrMbIC&pg=PA149&dq=Roddy+mcDowall&lr=&sig=ACfU3U1_uvZhc5BLCxal4QkbbMAeOEcLRQ#PPA94,M1 here])

Eddie Fisher, in his autobiography ''Been There, Done That'' mentions Roddy McDowall partly because of the years of hatred Eddie had for Roddy.  They didn't always hate each other, as Eddie had first met Elizabeth at a party that Merv Griffin and Roddy threw in an apartment they were then sharing in the Dakota.  He states, "She spent most of the evening in a corner with her close friend [[Montgomery Clift]]....She was recently divorced from her first husband Nicky Hilton...." (pg 136) (So this must have been 1951 or 1952.)

Right about the time that Liz was having an affair with Richard Burton, while still married to Eddie Fisher, Eddie comments in his autobiography that "...Roddy McDowall and his close friend John Valva..." (page 243) And again, "...my years of hatred for Roddy McDowall were finally going to pay off.  He would never give [[Mia Farrow|Mia]] [Farrow] permission to marry me...." (pg 289)

Roddy McDowall appeared, in a small role in the 1971 [[Walt Disney|Disney]] fantasy film ''[[Bedknobs and Broomsticks]]'', as the village priest.

Lauren Bacall in her memoir ''By Myself and Then Some'' mentions Roddy (page 447). "He was someone I looked forward to &mdash; loved seeing &mdash; loved hearing from."

Roy Moseley who was with Bette Davis the last part of her life, mentions Roddy McDowall in his own autobiography [http://books.google.com/books?id=Xdt_5s7nexoC&pg=PA176&dq=Roddy+mcDowall&lr=&sig=ACfU3U0tLgMJ5C2q7oztS-NLj66cVia2cg#PPA177,M1 here]).  When Julie Andrews asked Roddy why he didn't write a book about his life, he said, "I have too many friends, I know too much, I couldn't." (see [http://books.google.com/books?id=UaoZUunPq_EC&pg=PA222&dq=Roddy+mcDowall&lr=&sig=ACfU3U2tIDWcpWrjMkJHNhnOqj-F4Zf0Rw here])

===Primary sources for 1===
*[http://newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=92514865&firstvisit=true&src=search&currentResult=6 ''Daily Herald'', 4 Oct 1998, page 10] "'Planet of the Apes' actor Roddy McDowell dies at 70" transcribed [[RoddyMcDowall1|here]]

Boze Hadleigh states ([http://books.google.com/books?id=kdCGAAAAIAAJ&q=Roddy+mcDowall&dq=Roddy+mcDowall&lr=&pgis=1 here]) that Roddy was gay, but very closeted.

===Secondary sources for 2===
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roddy_McDowall "Roddy McDowall"] on Wikipedia
*[http://www.actorsofhollywood.com/roddy_mcdowall.html "Roddy McDowall"] on Actors of Hollywood

===Further reading===
*[http://www.tvguide.com/detail/tv-show.aspx?tvobjectid=191411&more=ucepisodelist&episodeid=941965 "Roddy McDowall"], on ''Biography'', A&E Channel. 1987

[[Category:Child Actors]]
[[Category:Famous Men]]
[[Category:Movies and Television]]
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