ABSTRACT
It was only natural that the daring sword fights and fisticuffs seen in Hollywood would make its way into the theatre. As the new art form of the cinema gained in popularity, theatre had to keep pace. Due to the adventure on screen, audiences would demand no less in excitement and truthfulness than they saw in their favorite movies. It could be argued that one of the most significant individuals to meld the art of the cinema and the art of the stage, giving rise to much of the techniques currently used in the theatre today, was Patrick Crean, or “Paddy” as he was called by his students, friends, and colleagues. While his name may not be widely known, anyone who has enjoyed a fight in the theatre has been indirectly exposed to this giant of the stage combat industry. Paddy spent his illustrious career working with the likes of Errol Flynn, Alec Guinness, Alan Bates, Christopher Plummer, Oliver Reed, and countless others, taking him across several continents and making his influence known in the stage combat world as an innovator, champion, and above all else, a gentleman. The vast majority of the biographical information in this chapter is taken from Crean’s autobiography More Champagne Darling .
