Malcolm McDowell is no stranger to happening cities. He grew up in Liverpool back when the Beatles played The Cavern Club, moved to London at the height of the swinging ’60s and, after rocketing to fame in ’70s films like A Clockwork Orange, O Lucky Man! and Time After Time, has called both New York City and Los Angeles home. So it says something that, after spending the last four summers living in St. John’s, he’s absolutely smitten with “The Rock.”
Malcolm McDowell in 1971’s ‘A Clockwork Orange’. Photo: Bettmann/Getty Images
“I’m in love with it,” says the 81-year-old actor, who plays “Pop” on the Newfoundland-set CBC comedy Son of a Critch. “St. John’s is a unique experience and everybody should put it on their bucket list.” Of course, McDowell has had a top-notch tour guide. His co-star Mark Critch, beloved East Coast comedian and This Hour Has 22 Minutes veteran, has helped the Hollywood star soak up as much local charm as possible.
McDowell with Son of a Critch co-stars Mark Critch, Colton Gobbo and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth. Photo: Courtesy of Malcolm McDowell
First stop was the Crow’s Nest Officers’ Club, a private dining and social establishment in the heart of the city. “A delightful little club, a quirky place, but so many steps,” says McDowell of the 59-step climb to get to its front door. “And it’s run by this super lady named Margaret [Morris, a retired naval officer].”
With a view of the harbour, the club opened in 1942 as a place where officers could gather and unwind in the darkest days of the Second World War. Today, the landmark doubles as a museum filled with artifacts from the Allied war efforts, including a periscope removed from a German submarine. “It just brings back thoughts about the brave people who were on those ships and convoys,” says McDowell, now a card-carrying member of the club.
the Crow’s Nest Officers’ Club; the Merchant Tavern’s seafood spread. Photo: Courtesy of The Merchant Tavern
St. John’s is famous for its many pubs along Water Street, but for McDowell and his 16-year-old co-star and fellow Brit, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, the Duke of Duckworth is the place to be. “It has the best fish and chips in the city in my opinion. We go there on Saturdays and watch the [Liverpool football] match, and everybody from the set has got kind of involved in it. We know all the regulars there.”
As for restaurants, McDowell singles out the Merchant Tavern, a contemporary gastropub, and India Gate on Duckworth. “It’s the best place for Indian food on the planet,” he says.
When it comes to taking in local history, McDowell recommends checking out The Rooms, an art gallery and cultural museum. “You can go as many times as you like because you’ll always find something new,” he says, before weighing in on what really makes Newfoundland feel like home. “It reminds me a lot of my childhood in England. I can relate to it very well because a lot of the settlers are from the British Isles. People here move at their own pace – I guess because they are really isolated from the rest of Canada and from the rest of the world. They have to make their own entertainment, and they still have a wonderful sense of family.”
