Centenary documentary on Tyrone Power
A new documentary, which is directed by RoseAnn Foley and presented by her sister, Catherine, recalls Tyrone Power’s matinée star status in film in this the centenary year of his birth. The film explores his allure, the tragedy of his short life and his strong connections to Waterford. The Hollywood heart-throb, who was born in 1914, had strong ancestral ties with Waterford. In this programme, presenter Catherine Foley, examines his life and times, his links with Ireland and the notion that she might be related to him, since her paternal grandmother was also a Power from the same area and the story of Tyrone Power being a cousin has been in her family for years. In the programme, Catherine sets out to unravel the story of Power’s ancestors.
When the star came to Dublin for the making of the film 'The Rising of the Moon' in 1957, he took time out to visit the Co Waterford village. It’s said he was disappointed that no-one recognised him apart from the local postman Michael Murphy who came out to get his autograph. Tyrone went back to Dublin to finish the film. The postman’s son Seán Ó Murchú recalls the meeting in this new documentary. He also recalls the exuberant reaction to the local screening of The Rising of the Moon, where Power announces proudly that his folk came from a small village in Southern Ireland called Kilmacthomas.
During the programme Catherine talks to Romina Power, Tyrone Power’s daughter, who also visited Kilmacthomas some thirty years later during a trip to Ireland. Sadly, she recalls that she was away at boarding school when news of her father’s death came through.
Catherine meets with Dr Gwenda Young, from the UCC’s Film Studies School, to learn about his place in film and his talent. She talks to the Dublin-based arts consultant Tony Ó Dálaigh, who remembers Power performing in the Olympia Theatre in the 1950s in Dublin. And Catherine meets with Waterford historian and broadcaster, Julian Walton, who remembers the impact Power had on cinema goers generally and in particular, he recalls one night in Waterford when The Rising of the Moon was shown in the late 1950s.
The programme recalls Power’s star status, his charisma, his short life and his connections to Waterford and the story of his ancestors. Catherine consults a genealogist about the Power line. She searches parish records in and around Kilmacthomas, and she talks to relations, including her cousin Richard Power, a Wexford man, about the story that Tyrone Power might be a distant cousin. The presenter’s great grandfather was a Richard Power from the same area: hence the programme’s title 'Tyrone Power: Gaol Eile ag an bPaorach', which means Power has to have another relation, a play on the old Irish saying that promises Power will have his day.
Catherine discovers that one of her ancestors was a William Power, the very same name as one of Tyrone Power’s ancestors. This William Power was a young man in the area at the time of the conception of Tyrone Power’s great grandfather in 1797. This baby was named William Power also, but when he grew up to become a famous actor, he changed his name to a stage name and he became William Grattan Tyrone Power.
Tyrone Power, a great Hollywood star who was born in 1914 in the U.S, always knew that his ancestors came from Kilmacthomas in Co Waterford. Tyrone’s father was also in films, in particular in silent films, and his mother was an actor also. The young Tyrone got several small walk-on parts as a child. As a young man, his break came when he was cast in 'Lloyds of London', a film made in 1937. He went on to reach dizzying heights of fame and stardom, featuring in over fifty films. He played the leading role in many romantic films and he also excelled in swashbuckling roles. Although he never won an Oscar, he was highly regarded as an actor. Among his best films was his portrayal of the villainous, Leonard Vole in Witness for the Prosecution, which garnered many plaudits. Also Nightmare Alley, made in 1947, saw him play against type allowing him to win over critics and get great reviews. The Mark of Zorro and Jesse James were probably his most famous films.
He was married three times during his career. Sadly, he died suddenly at a young age when he collapsed on set half-way through the making of Solomon and Sheba in Spain. It was 1958 and he was only 44 years of age.
The documentary is directed and researched by RoseAnn Foley. It is presented by her sister, Catherine Foley, who is a full-time writer and a former staff journalist with The Irish Times. Over the past three years, the two have worked in partnership to produce documentaries for TG4, creating a range of programmes, including a number about famous Waterford people such as photographer Annie Brophy, the singer Tom Clancy, the tenor Frank Ryan, and the journalist Donal Foley. This documentary is their tenth for the Irish language station.
'Tyrone Power: Gaol Eile ag an bPaorach', which is a Forefront production, will be screened on TG4 on Sunday, 13 October at 9.30pm and repeated on Monday, 14 October at 7.30pm.