Cavan native who starred in The Royal Tenenbaums
This week's Times Past column by Jonathan Smyth recalls the time that Philip Denning of Denning Construction, New York, acted in a Gene Hackman movie. Philip is originally from Virginia...
Gene Hackman, the academy award winning actor who retired in 2004, has remained out of the spotlight for many years, until recently when he made a public appearance. One article I read informed me that Hackman, now aged 92 years, lives in New Mexico, and ‘goes bike riding every day and remains active’ and stays ‘engaged with hobbies, and friends’. Reading about him, reminded me of a story I heard about a movie he was in called The Royal Tenenbaums, which featured a Cavan man in a debut acting role.
For any actor, movies are an uncertain profession. Years of demanding work, attempting to climb the ladder and to get noticed by the major studios, or perhaps finding the perfect role, sadly means that not everyone will make it in ‘Tinseltown’. To an extent, success in the movies is dependent on good fortune. Philip Denning unexpectedly experienced one such auspicious moment in the early 2000s that saw him cast alongside some of Hollywood’s biggest names.
Virginia
Mr Denning was born in the townland of Enagh East, Virginia, Co Cavan, and as a boy he attended the national school at Ardlow. His early working life began in Dublin. Later, he worked for John Fox of Quilca and then, in 1962, Philip emigrated to the city of New Rochelle, in Westchester County, New York, where for three years he lived with his aunt and uncle.
In 2012, he recalled for the Daily Voice, how he left his native Cavan with $300 in his pocket and a one-way ticket to Idlewild (Kennedy airport).
He told the paper, ‘If I had enough money in my pocket, I would have turned right around and gone back.’ Denning recalled of his first day in America: ‘In those days, you got off the plane in the middle of the landing strip and then I had to walk about a mile to the building carrying my suitcase. It was eight degrees below zero.’
During the 1960s, Mr Denning met and fell in love with Mary Farrell, an Irish lady from Co Offaly and they got married. He recalled in 2012: ‘We only wound up having six children, three boys and three girls, and only 17 grandchildren.’
During the 1960s, he joined the workforce of ‘Local 53 Carpenters’, in White Plains, and then in 1975, he formed the Denning Construction company. In 2008, his service to the Irish community received acknowledgement from the Cavan P & B Association, New York, when he attended an event as the evening’s ‘Guest of Honor’.
I was very lucky to receive from Concepta McGovern at Cavan Genealogy Centre a copy of the programme produced for the evening celebrating Philip’s contribution to the Irish communities in New York. For example, at Tara Circle Inc, he served as vice-president and he was on the Board of Directors of the American Irish Association of Westchester, New York. But it was his work at Tara Circle Inc. that brought him to the attention of a moviemaker named Wes Anderson.
The Tara Circle Inc website asks members to: ‘Do something satisfying with your free time… help make our community a better place.’
The organisation funds programmes, around Irish music including traditional and its fusion ‘with rock and roll, punk rock and other genres’, as well as supporting various Irish organisations within the community. During the 2020 pandemic they raised funds to help the vulnerable with basic needs.
Tenenbaums
In 2001, Philip Denning was asked if he would stand-in for a friend to do a talk for Wes Anderson, director, and writer of The Royal Tenenbaums movie, and a group of film professionals about the Tara Circle site in Yonkers. Writing for the Bronxville Review Press, reporter Gerald C. McKinstry wrote: ‘While showing the location, Anderson known for directing films such as “High Fidelity,” “Rushmore” and “Bottle Rocket,” asked Denning to walk up the stairs and say a few words.’ Anderson was impressed and asked if Denning would audition for the role of Fr Peterson in the Tenenbaums film. Denning agreed, jokingly telling Anderson: ‘If you have the money, I have the time.’
Philip got the part and appeared in numerous scenes alongside Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Bill Murray, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, and Luke Wilson. Impressed with Denning’s white hair, Anderson told him not to dye it therefore making Fr Peterson more memorable.
According to McKinstry, The Royal Tenenbaums ‘chronicles’ the shenanigans of a dysfunctional family of geniuses and their father Royal Tenenbaum, played by Hackman. Philip Denning called it a ‘wonderful experience’ and found the movie-making process fascinating, and he became a member of the Screen Actors Guild.
At Immaculate Conception Church, Tuckahoe, Fr Walsh the local priest, was impressed and praised Philip’s acting.
However, to my shame, I must confess to not having seen the movie and therefore next weekend, I am making time to watch The Royal Tenenbaums, and I will be looking forward to the performance of a particular Irish actor who played a priest in the movie.
CATHOLIC BANDS LEND DRUMS
On September 8, 1927, The Catholic Telegraph spoke of the tolerance amongst Monaghan people prior to a demonstration of the Royal Black Preceptory in Cootehill. The Killyfargy Orange Hall near Clones was broken into, and the refreshments prepared for the big day in Cootehill were stolen. Those responsible for the robbery were believed to be disaffected Orange Order members opposed to the Cootehill march for some unspecified reason. Not only had they raided the cuisine but took all the drums too. An Orange gathering without instruments would be a silent affair, noted the Telegraph.
In their hour of need, the Orange Order made an appeal to local Catholic bands around Newbliss who generously supplied a loan of their drums. The newspaper commented, that in 1927, ‘there is not the same bitterness amongst members of societies of opposite political views in Monaghan as there is in most parts of the North.’
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