Where is John Ronane?

[kelp]

Hi it's me again, sorry if I'm hogging the page. Talking of actors, and how they disappear....does anyone know what happened to the fine British actor "John Ronane"? I did try to trace him a couple of years ago, and had a reply from his niece, who had lost track of him also. He seems to have just disappeared. I have looked on IMDB but not much info there. Anyone help?

[Harbottle]

I spotted him in Bordon, Hampshire a few times, must have been 8 or 9 years ago now though.

[kelp]

Funny isn't it he really does seem to have left it all behind, and dropped off the scene. I used to have a drink with him in the green room at ATV up in Brum, but lost touch.....ah well. Thanks anyway.

[Actor]

For Kelp--



John Ronane is alive and well and living in the U.S.



He has taught at a couple of universities and colleges and has also acted--he has 'played in Peoria'!



Additionally, he has 2 books published--Hank Goes Dancing, a nostalgic romp through National Service back in the 1950s, and Gone For a Soldier, a romantic action-adventure set in the Midwest. Both are available at Amazon.com and bn.com (Barnes & Noble) if not in a local bookstore.



He remembers having a few drinks at ATV, but without a name, can't recall you--.



Best wishes!

[Harbottle]

An underrated actor I always thought, particularly memorable in King Rat and also the Out of the Unknown episode Deathday. Glad to hear he is still busy.

[dixwimby]

For Kelp--



John Ronane is alive and well and living in the U.S.



He has taught at a couple of universities and colleges and has also acted--he has 'played in Peoria'!



Additionally, he has 2 books published--Hank Goes Dancing, a nostalgic romp through National Service back in the 1950s, and Gone For a Soldier, a romantic action-adventure set in the Midwest. Both are available at Amazon.com and bn.com (Barnes & Noble) if not in a local bookstore.



He remembers having a few drinks at ATV, but without a name, can't recall you--.



Best wishes!

Actor,

you seem to be a person that maybe a family member or close friend. when you next see john would you give him my regards. he probably wont remember me [george dickson] but john stayed at our "digs" in monks road lincoln, when he was in rep at the theatre royal where my mother worked [jean dickson]. john was always one of our favourites. whilst in lincoln bought a bungalow in north hykeham which he took me and an other actor tony carrick to see. this was like a day out in the country though it is only a few miles from lincoln. today they are almost joined up. john then moved to london and kept in touch fopr a few years but when we moved back to scotland lost track. though i did send a few letters to his agent in london through the spotlight books.

as a young boy he gave me a hola hoop that was all the rage in britain at the time. he had a nasty time at panto one year when a young boy came up on stage and had not been there long with other kids when he just fell to the floor next to john, doctor was called for when he got to the steps the kid jumped up and shouted fooled you. donot think john enjoyed panto after that. any way all the very besy and thank you for lettings us know were John is. strange but this week i should as every year be in urbana-champaign for the tennis tournament but a knee op keeps me away.

[kelp]

Hi Actor, this is indeed excellent news. If you see or talk to John, remind him of when Jack Woolgar and Gerry Taylor, Fiona Curzon and a few others would all gather in the bar at ATV in Holiday Street in Brum after "Crossroads". I have some very happy memories of those days.

[tali122]

Can't seem to locate actor in film It's Your Funeral -i've accounted for the others so i can only assume it is John Ronane - - but google image appears not to fit.

It is a major part of the movie (one of the undertakers) - anyone got good pic of John Ronane , esp in It's Your Funeral

[Chevyman]

Do you mean "That's Your Funeral?



That's Your Funeral (1972)

[tali122]

Yes , obviously difficult to pick out right film with such general words as "John Ronane" and "Your Funeral"

[Chevyman]

Yes , obviously difficult to pick out right film with such general words as "John Ronane" and "Your Funeral"

Hope the link helped you

[cornershop15]

I was thinking of starting a thread for John Ronane but found this one during a search and have just read some interesting posts. As always, I'm sad when someone who used to appear regularly on our TV screens apparently disappears, but if he's still in America and doing well then that's good news. It's an ongoing concern of mine when I see a last credited appearance goes back a long time, in John's case 1990 with an episode of the CITV series Press Gang. On a personal note, I remember my mother saying she liked him - this was about 30 years ago - but when I mentioned him not long ago she'd forgotten who he was, similarly my father. Is it because they're both elderly or have simply lost track of stars who, as I said, left our screens long ago and are never mentioned?



From my own point of view, I'm delighted to say that John Ronane appears on several of my DVDs so I'll happily capture more images like the one I did last week from Charlie Bubbles.







He played an old schoolmate of Albert Finney who'd become a local reporter in the North while Albert went on to fame and fortune as a writer in London. I've always remembered his line, used in Channel 4's trailer when they showed the film in 1986: "It seems to me you can get bogged down with a lot of false values living in London". John was only in it for a few minutes, like several other actors in this great film, but I really enjoyed his performance.



A very good-looking actor who should have had at least one leading role we could associate him with, either in a film or with his own TV series. This doesn't appear to have happened, not as far as I know anyway. If only he had his time again and was between 30 and 45 ... My own wish is that he'd have had a career like Barry Foster - a main character in a film (Frenzy), and the star of his own TV series (Van Der Valk), as well as a memorable supporting role in something (as Barry had in The Family Way).



As I said, I'll have more images of John in future posts, starting with his appearance in The Persuaders. In the meantime, please share any memories of this actor and enclose any pictures if you can, especially from Spotlight (or am I asking too much?)!



Found this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ronane

[Fellwanderer]

Funny you should re-open this thread. He played Jenny's father in A War of Children which is right in front of me as I type - here is an image for you:

[cornershop15]

Many thanks! Where did you get that from? This film is totally unknown to me. I thought I recognised Jenny Agutter in the photo and it gets more interesting as IMDB informs me A War Of Children also starred Vivien Merchant! What an interesting cast. A young Anthony Andrews is in it as well apparently.



Coincidentally, John plays a character called Frank Tomelty in that film, and I've just been reading on Wikipedia about his TV series Strangers, where one of his co-stars was Frances Tomelty. I cannot remember watching any episodes of this show, and the title didn't mean anything either when I read Don Henderson's obituaries. And yet I remember Don and an actor called Dennis Blanch being on every week in something I clearly didn't pay much attention to. Furthermore, this must have been the first time I became aware of both John AND Frances (then married to Sting) as I recall them being regular faces around this time. I've never realised the connection between all these actors, apart from Don and Dennis. How strange. Is this series worth getting?

[Fellwanderer]

Many thanks! Where did you get that from? This film is totally unknown to me. I thought I recognised Jenny Agutter in the photo and it gets more interesting as IMDB informs me A War Of Children also starred Vivien Merchant! What an interesting cast. A young Anthony Andrews is in it as well apparently.

It took some finding, I can tell you. Eventually tracked down a copy with good image but some pretty awful sound distortion. Further hunting revealed a second copy which had the misfortune of screen logos but excellent sound.



A bit of magic and a near perfect copy was achieved.



Shame I then misplaced it but I'm still hopeful it will turn up when I finally clear up all my pile of dvds.

[cornershop15]

I hope your copy turns up as that is the personification of RARE. The logos wouldn't distract me at all if I had the chance to see it.

[thatllbetheday]

I will never forget John Ronane's performance in an Armchair Theatre episode in 1965 called "I Took My Little World Away". He played Geoffrey Mather who spends the entire play trying to dissuade Mandy Hope (Susannah York) from committing suicide. He succeeds but in a gut-wrenching ending, kills himself. A strange but very memorable drama.

[cornershop15]

Thanks very much. A pity we can't discuss the play as if it was on last night. In fact, I've just found out this was broadcast NINE DAYS before I was born. God, I've missed out on so much. I'm trying to find out if this still exists...



It looks like I'm in luck:http://whirlgigtv.yuku.com/topic/5598/



If I'd read that had been wiped I might have wanted to kill myself. But will I get to see it? John Ronane AND Susannah York? ARE YOU KIDDING? I'd love to see those two together. That'll be the day, thatllbetheday!

[Harbottle]

A menacing John Ronane seen here with Robert Lang in Out of the Unknown episode Deathday.

[cornershop15]

Good grief! I saw the title among his IMDB credits earlier and wondered if this existed as well. I shall be walking on air (or water) very soon! That show looks very exciting. Did you capture it from a TV showing or what?



What a day I've had with this thread! Thanks to all three of you for your great replies.