Free Republic

Patrick Macnee, who has died age 93, was indelibly associated with the bowler hat he wore in The Avengers. Why is this headgear so evocative, asks Mario Cacciottolo. As gentleman secret agent John Steed in The Avengers and the New Avengers, Patrick Macnee was synonymous with his character's trademark Savile Row suits, umbrella and, of course, his bowler hat. The hat wasn't just for show. It was, along with his sword-concealing umbrella, Steed's main weapon of choice and was regularly lobbed at villains. Lined with chainmail, at various times it also served as a flashlight, a place to conceal a...

Actor Patrick Macnee, star of The Avengers TV series, has died in California at the age of 93. The Briton, best known for playing John Steed in the 1960s television spy show, died at home with his family at his bedside, his son Rupert said. Macnee, who served in the Royal Navy during World War Two, also played roles in theatre, appearing on Broadway. Avengers co-star Dame Diana Rigg paid tribute, saying: "Patrick was a very dear man and I owe him a great deal". A statement on Mcnee's website read: "Wherever he went, he left behind a trove of...

Patrick Macnee, the British-born actor best known as dapper secret agent John Steed in the long-running 1960s TV series "The Avengers," has died. He was 93. Macnee died Thursday of natural causes with his family at his bedside in Rancho Mirage, his son Rupert said in a statement. The clever spy drama, which began in 1961 in Britain, debuted in the United States in 1966.

Patrick Macnee has died at the age of 93. Here Dick Fiddy pays tribute to the TV series that made his name

Patrick Macnee, star of the 1960s TV series “The Avengers,” has died. He was 93. His son Rupert said in a statement that Patrick Macnee died Thursday at his home in Rancho Mirage. The British-born actor was best known as dapper secret agent John Steed in the long-running television series. …