Ronan O'Casey obit

Ronan O'Casey obituary

 He was not on the list.

My father, Ronan O'Casey, known as Case to family and friends, has died aged 89. He was a distinguished actor, producer and writer who enjoyed a picaresque life and career to the full.

He was born in Montreal, Canada, to a poet father, Michael Casey, and actor mother, Margaret Sheehy, from Dublin, who had co-starred with the young James Joyce in his first stage role. Ronan began acting in his mother's company in Montreal at the age of eight and, following theatrical and vaudeville touring, moved to Dublin and then to London.

He found early success as a stylish character actor in such postwar films as The Mudlark (1950), Talk of a Million (1951) and Norman Wisdom's Trouble in Store (1953), going on to play the prisoner of Room 101 in 1984 (1956) and the sergeant in Nicholas Ray's war film Bitter Victory (1957). While starring in the West End in Detective Story he met my mother, the actor and singer Louie Ramsay, whom he married in 1956.

Case's comedy talents then brought him his best known role, as Jeff Rogers, Canadian son-in-law of Peggy Mount, in the sitcom The Larkins (1958-64). He also became host of ITV's charades gameshow Don't Say a Word (1963), before being cast as Vanessa Redgrave's lover, the "blow-up" of Antonioni's Blow-Up (1966).

He went behind the lens and as literary head of the production company Commonwealth United associate-produced Terry Southern's The Magic Christian (1969) with Ringo Starr, Peter Sellers and an Apple records soundtrack by Badfinger. Case and Louie divorced in 1979. After moving to the US in 1980 and marrying the writer Carol Tavris, he had roles in many US television shows, including LA Law, Easy Street, Falcon Crest and Dallas, and, with some irony for a lifelong atheist, became the Bishop of Santa Barbara in the soap of the same name.

In later years he wrote and staged a one-man play in Los Angeles on the poetry of William Butler Yeats, Yeats by O'Casey. Never short of a sparkling anecdote or spectacular profanity, Case became an evergreen feature of West Hollywood poker games, dog parks and farmers' markets, where he found choice ingredients for his superb cooking. He turned his acting skill to perfect use as a reader at the local Third St elementary school, where children joyously greeted him as "Mr Ronan".

He is survived by his beloved Carol, me, and his grandchildren, Jack, Conor and Ruby.

Writer

The Double Exposure of Holly (1976)

The Double Exposure of Holly

5.9

written by

1976

 

Actor

Erika Eleniak, Dabney Coleman, Cloris Leachman, Jim Varney, Lily Tomlin, and Diedrich Bader in The Beverly Hillbillies (1993)

The Beverly Hillbillies

5.1

Man at Party

1993

 

The Nutt House (1989)

The Nutt House

7.2

TV Series

Suited Guest

1989

1 episode

 

Falcon Crest (1981)

Falcon Crest

6.2

TV Series

Elroy Higgins

Ambassador

1987–1989

2 episodes

 

Robin Wright, Judith Anderson, Valorie Armstrong, Melissa Reeves, Robert Alan Browne, Paul Burke, Ismael 'East' Carlo, Margarita Cordova, Nicolas Coster, Lane Davies, Richard Eden, Gina Gallego, Linda Gibboney, Andrea Howard, Ava Lazar, A Martinez, Todd McKee, John Allen Nelson, Rupert Ravens, Julie Ronnie, Kerry Sherman, Louise Sorel, Jonna Leigh Stack, Marcy Walker, and Dane Witherspoon in Santa Barbara (1984)

Santa Barbara

5.7

TV Series

Bishop

Psychiatrist

1986–1989

10 episodes

 

Anne-Marie Martin, Harrison Page, and David Rasche in Sledge Hammer! (1986)

Sledge Hammer!

8.1

TV Series

Milo Tieup

1987

1 episode

 

ABC Afterschool Specials (1972)

ABC Afterschool Specials

7.1

TV Series

1987

1 episode

 

Anne Baxter, James Brolin, and Connie Sellecca in Hotel (1983)

Hotel

6.4

TV Series

Owner

1987

1 episode

 

James Cromwell, Loni Anderson, Jack Elam, Dana Ivey, and Lee Weaver in Easy Street (1986)

Easy Street

6.9

TV Series

Ross Chamberlain

1987

1 episode

 

Shell Game (1987)

Shell Game

6.5

TV Series

Nathan Thayer

1987

1 episode

 

L.A. Law (1986)

L.A. Law

7.1

TV Series

Gregory Northrop

1986

1 episode

 

George Peppard, Mr. T, Dirk Benedict, and Dwight Schultz in The A-Team (1983)

The A-Team

7.5

TV Series

Ambassador Moore

1986

1 episode

 

Victoria Principal, Barbara Bel Geddes, Patrick Duffy, Larry Hagman, Charlene Tilton, Jim Davis, Linda Gray, and Steve Kanaly in Dallas (1978)

Dallas

7.1

TV Series

Andrew Bates

1986

1 episode

 

Faye Dunaway in Beverly Hills Madam (1986)

Beverly Hills Madam

5.4

TV Movie

1986

 

Jackie Chan in The Protector (1985)

The Protector

5.7

Police Commissioner

1985

 

Guiding Light (1952)

Guiding Light

6.6

TV Series

Rev. Daly

1984

2 episodes

 

Kate Mulgrew, Bernard Barrow, Helen Gallagher, Malcolm Groome, and Michael Hawkins in Ryan's Hope (1975)

Ryan's Hope

7.2

TV Series

Chip Willard

1980–1981

2 episodes

 

The Double Exposure of Holly (1976)

The Double Exposure of Holly

5.9

Lee

1976

 

Kate O'Mara, Paul Freeman, and Edward Judd in Whose Child Am I? (1976)

Whose Child Am I?

5.6

John Roberts

1976

 

Life with Cooper (1966)

Life with Cooper

7.0

TV Series

1967

1 episode

 

David Hemmings and Veruschka von Lehndorff in Blow-Up (1966)

Blow-Up

7.4

Jane's lover in park (uncredited)

1966

 

The New Forest Rustlers

TV Series

The Chief

1966

6 episodes

 

Julie Christie in Darling (1965)

Darling

7.0

Party Guest (uncredited)

1965

 

The Larkins (1958)

The Larkins

7.3

TV Series

Jeff Rogers

1958–1963

27 episodes

 

Louis Hayward in The Pursuers (1961)

The Pursuers

7.3

TV Series

Maxton

1961

1 episode

 

Rendezvous (1957)

Rendezvous

7.4

TV Series

Mickey Shean

1961

1 episode

 

Patrick McGoohan in Danger Man (1960)

Danger Man

7.9

TV Series

Pilot

1960

1 episode

 

Bob Dylan, David Warner, Ursula Howells, Reg Lye, and Maureen Pryor in The Madhouse on Castle Street (1963)

BBC Sunday-Night Play

8.6

TV Series

Hannify

1960

1 episode

 

International Detective (1959)

International Detective

6.8

TV Series

Ralph Barnaby

1960

1 episode

 

Inn for Trouble (1960)

Inn for Trouble

5.8

Jeff Rogers

1960

 

The Four Just Men (1959)

The Four Just Men

7.1

TV Series

Joe

Dexter

1959–1960

2 episodes

 

Armchair Theatre (1956)

Armchair Theatre

7.5

TV Series

Slim Murray

William R. Rush

1958–1959

3 episodes

 

White Hunter (1957)

White Hunter

6.5

TV Series

Dick Goodwin

Harvey Benson

1958

2 episodes

 

Robert MacKenzie in Blind Spot (1958)

Blind Spot

5.2

Rushford

1958

 

ITV Play of the Week (1955)

ITV Play of the Week

6.7

TV Series

Frank Lubey

Glenn

Private O'Hara ...

1956–1958

4 episodes

 

Bitter Victory (1957)

Bitter Victory

6.7

Sergeant Dunnigan

1957

 

The Buccaneers (1956)

The Buccaneers

7.2

TV Series

Understandable Perkins

1957

1 episode

 

Jack Benny in The Jack Benny Program (1950)

The Jack Benny Program

8.5

TV Series

American Tourist

1957

1 episode

 

The Trollenberg Terror

6.6

TV Series

Albert

1956–1957

6 episodes

 

Belinda Lee in The Big Money (1956)

The Big Money

5.4

Gang Member (uncredited)

1956

 

Satellite in the Sky (1956)

Satellite in the Sky

5.2

Reporter

1956

 

Kenneth More in Reach for the Sky (1956)

Reach for the Sky

7.2

Canadian Pilot

Coltishall II (uncredited)

1956

 

Norman Chappell and Tony Hancock in The Tony Hancock Show (1956)

The Tony Hancock Show

7.8

TV Series

Various Characters

1956

1 episode

 

Jan Sterling, Edmond O'Brien, and Michael Redgrave in 1984 (1956)

1984

6.9

Rutherford

1956

 

The Vise (1954)

The Vise

6.8

TV Series

Archie

Thompson

Paul ...

1954–1955

4 episodes

 

Norman Wisdom in Man of the Moment (1955)

Man of the Moment

6.3

American Delegate (uncredited)

1955

 

Tom Conway in Murder on Approval (1955)

Murder on Approval

5.8

Stefan Gordoni

1955

 

The Gilded Cage (1955)

The Gilded Cage

5.3

Charles Liddell

1955

 

BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950)

BBC Sunday-Night Theatre

7.1

TV Series

McAllister

Frank Bonaparte

1953–1955

2 episodes

 

Cross-Up (1954)

Cross-Up

5.8

Nick

1954

 

Willie the Squouse

TV Movie

Richard

1954

 

Tonight's the Night (1954)

Tonight's the Night

6.2

Reporter

1954

 

Double Exposure (1954)

Double Exposure

5.8

Jones

1954

 

Bonar Colleano, Sidney James, Andrew Ray, and Simone Silva in Escape by Night (1953)

Escape by Night

5.7

Pietro

1953

 

Trouble in Store (1953)

Trouble in Store

6.6

Eddie

1953

 

Top of the Form (1953)

Top of the Form

5.5

Brother of boy

1953

 

Scott Brady and Mary Castle in White Fire (1953)

White Fire

6.4

Crawson

1953

 

Talk of a Million (1951)

Talk of a Million

5.2

Derry Murnahan

1951

 

The Mudlark (1950)

The Mudlark

6.9

Slattery (uncredited)

1950

 

Give Us This Day (1949)

Give Us This Day

7.3

Bastian (uncredited)

1949

 

The Front Page

TV Movie

Besinger

1948

 

The Monkey's Paw

TV Movie

Herbert White

1948

 

Death at Newtownstewart

TV Movie

Moncrieff

1948

 

The Soul of Anthony Nero

TV Movie

Jimmy

1947

 

Rotten Row

TV Movie

Captain Collins

1947

 

The Man Who Came to Dinner

TV Movie

Richard Stanley

1947

 

Producer

The Rub

Short

executive producer

2012

 

The Double Exposure of Holly (1976)

The Double Exposure of Holly

5.9

producer

1976

 

Gayle Hunnicutt and Ian McShane in Freelance (1970)

Freelance

6.8

executive producer

1970

 

Self

Don't Say a Word

TV Series

Self - Host

1963–1964

29 episodes

 

The Girls In My Life

TV Short

Self - Presenter

1964

 

The Celebrity Game (1964)

The Celebrity Game

TV Series

Self

1964

1 episode

 

Michael Aspel in This Is Your Life (1955)

This Is Your Life

6.5

TV Series

Self

1958

1 episode

 

Archive Footage

Heroes of Comedy (1992)

Heroes of Comedy

6.7

TV Series

(archive footage)

1998

1 episode

Stage

Play      Year            Role            Theatre            Notes

Detective Story            1950            Warren Stanhope            Prince's Theatre

Louise  1950                The Q 

Kiss Me Kate            1951            Ralph            New Theatre, Oxford

Coliseum, London           

The Shrike            1953            Don Gregory            Theatre Royal, Brighton

Queen of Hearts  1954            Knave of Hearts            Bournemouth Ice Rink

Desire Under the Elms            1955            Simeon            Embassy Theatre         

The Kidders            1957            Steve Bucknell            Arts Theatre

The First Fish            1964                Savoy  

Harvey 1965                Palace Theatre, Southend         

The Rivals            1965            Sir Lucius  Theatre Royal, Windsor           

They Shoot Actors, Don't They?   1970            EQUITY Charity Event            Roundhouse, London