Excerpt from “Luck and Circumstance”
From the 1970’s for about ten years, I had a good run. On British television, mostly for the BBC, I was working with the stars of the time on dramas written by equally stellar playwrights: Trevor Griffiths (who went on to write Reds with Warren Beatty), Simon Gray, and then Tom Stoppard’s Professional Foul, his only play written for television. Several BAFTA nominations. Videos for the Rolling Stones, The Who, Elton John, Paul McCartney’s Wings. A movie, Nasty Habits, which I was not happy with but with a cast of brilliant women, Glenda Jackson, Sandy Dennis, Melina Mercouri, and Geraldine Page, who became my dearest friend and confidante from then till the end of her too short life. Pauline Kael saw what I’d call “my” cut of Nasty Habits and gave it a terrific review in The New Yorker. Alas, that was not the cut that played in movie houses. And in the theatre, John Webster’s crazy Jacobean The White Devil at the Old Vic, also with Glenda Jackson (such an interesting work life: two Oscars and later a ministry in Tony Blair’s Labour government.
Then another play, Whose Life Is It Anyway?
The central character is a witty talented artist who suffers an injury which leaves him a quadriplegic and who wishes to legally be allowed to die.
Tom Conti played the part and won the Tony Award for his performance.
In 1982, I directed Agnes of God on Broadway, with the combustible beauty Elizabeth Ashley, my heroine Geraldine Page, who was nominated for a Tony, and a singular Amanda Plummer, who won the Tony.
That same season my mother directed Mass Appeal on Broadway. She and the playwright Bill C. Davis had nurtured it through rewrites and an off-Broadway production.
I was on vacation in Mexico with a new girlfriend, and we went to the only public telephone we could find, which was on a wall outside a dentist’s office, for me to call my agent at William Morris in New York. The Tony nominations had been announced that day, and I was expecting one for me. After all, I had received one for Whose Life Is It Anyway?, and Agnes of God was playing to excited audiences and settling in to what would be a run of a year and a half.
“Nope. Sorry,” Johnnie Planco said before I’d even ask the question. He was straightforward with tenderness underneath.
“Well, who was nominated?” I asked somewhat querulously.
He named the directors of three plays. I knew there were four in the category.
“Okay, and who’s the fourth? Some jerk, I suppose.”
He paused then said, “No. Not a jerk. Your mother.”
Film, Television and Video
2015 - 2016
Many episodes of ‘Tinsel’s Town’, created by David Christopher Barry.
Tinsel (Aimee Lynn Chadwick), a v’logger, hoping to influence her fans, if she can find any. In its category, nominated for 16 Awards, won 12.
2001 ‘Waiting for Godot’. The acclaimed series of all of the Beckett plays - filmed - won many Awards.
2000 ‘Two of Us’ (TV movie). Aiden Quinn and Jared Harris playing McCartney and Lennon meeting again after the bust up. Chosen to be part of the Taormina Film Festival.
1997 ‘Alone’ (TV movie), by Horton Foote.
1996 ‘The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus’, finally released 28;years after it was made, at The New York Film Festival, to ecstatic reviews and audience reaction.
1996 ‘Guy’, with Vincent D’Onofrio and Hope Davis. Screened at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Czech Republic and at the Venice Film Festival.
1996 ‘For Love Alone’, from the novel by Ivana Trump.
1995 ‘Marsalis on Music’ (4 part TV Special). Peabody Award winner.
1995 ‘Frankie Starlight’. Anne Parrilaud, Matt Dillon, Gabriel Byrne, Corbin Walker, Alan Pentony.
1994 ‘The Music of Pete Townshend and The Who’. At Carnegie Hall. (TV Special).
1992 ‘Running Mates’ (HBO). Diane Keaton, Ed Harris.
1992 ‘The Habitation of Dragons’ (TV movie), by Horton Foote
1991 ‘The Object of Beauty’, written and directed. John Malkovich, Andie McDowell.
1989 Nightmare Classics. ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’. Anthony Andrews, Laura Dern.
1989 Trying Times. ‘The Hit List’. Geena Davis. Peter Reigert.
1989 ‘Murder by Moonlight’. Brigette Nielsen, Julian Sands, Brian Cox
1988 ‘Graceland: The African Concert’. Paul Simon, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, shot in Zimbabwe.
1987 Trying Times. ‘Bedtime Story’. Spalding Gray, Jessica Harper, Louie Anderson
1987 ‘The Little Match Girl’ (TV Movie)
1986 ‘ Nazi Hunter: the Beate Klarsfeld Story’ (TV movie). Farrah Fawcett, Tom Conti, Geraldine Page.
1986 ‘As Is’ (TV movie). From the play by William M. Hoffman.
1985 ‘Annie Oakley’ (TV movie). Jamie Lee Curtis, Brian Dennehy.
1985 Great Performances. ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ (TV Special) Dame Wendy Hiller as ‘Lady Bracknell’.
1985 ‘Master Harold …and the Boys’ (TV movie) by Athol Fugard with Matthew Broderick, Zakes Mokai, John Kani.
1985 Whitney Houston (Music Video) ‘ You Give Good Love’
1984 ‘Dr Fischer of Geneva’ (BBC) James Mason, Alan Bates, Greta Scaachi. BAFTA nomination Best Film, Best Director.
1984 Fairy Tale Theatre. ‘Thumbelina’ Carrie Fisher, Burgess Meredith.
1984 ‘Berlin’ Neil Young Concert Film.
1983 ‘Loving’ (TV pilot) Lloyd Bridges, Geraldine Page, Bryan Cranston
1982 ‘The Sound of Murder’ (TV movie)
1982 ‘The Concert in Central Park’ (HBO) The Simon and Garfunkel Reunion Concert.
1981 ‘Brideshead Revisited’ Co-Director. BAFTA Award winner.
1981 The Rolling Stones (Music Videos) including ‘Start Me Up’, ‘Waiting on a Friend’
1979 Roxy Music (Music Video) ‘Dance Away’.
1979 ‘Ladies in Waiting’ (TV movie), written by Pat Resnick, with Elizabeth Wilson, Ronee Blakley, Susan Tyrell, Sally Kirkland, Annie Potts.
1978 The Rolling Stones (Music Videos). ‘Miss You’, ‘Respectable’ and ‘Far Away Eyes’
1978 Paul McCartney and Wings. (Music Videos). ‘With a Little Luck’ and ‘London Town’
1978 Elton John (Music Video) ‘Ego
1978 BBC Play of the Month. ‘The Seagull’
1977 Paul McCartney and Wings. (Music Video). ‘ Mull of Kintyre’, shot on location in Scotland
1977 BBC Play of the Week. ‘Professional Foul’ by Tom Stoppard.
BAFTA nomination Best Director
1977 ‘Nasty Habits’ with Glenda Jackson, Geraldine Page, Melina Mercouri, Sandy Dennis
1976 ‘Bill Brand (TV Series) by Trevor Griffiths
1975 BBC Play for Today.
‘Through The Night’ by Trevor Griffiths.
‘Two Sundays’ and ‘Plaintiffs and Defendants’, both by Simon Gray and starring Alan Bates
1974 The Rolling Stones (Music Videos) ‘It’s Only Rock and Roll But I Like It’.
‘Ain’t Too Proud to Beg’, ‘Till the Next Good-Bye’
1974 Play of the Month. ‘Electra’ with Eileen Atkins
1974 ‘Occupations’ ( Granada TV), by Trevor Griffiths, starring Donald Pleasence
1974 Seven Faces of Woman (TV Series)
1974 ‘Fall of Eagles’ (BBC), starring Patrick Stewart as Lenin
1973 ‘Touch of Eastern Promise’ (BBC Movie), by Tara Prem
1973 Play For Today, ‘All Good Men’ by Trevor Griffiths
1973 The Rolling Stones (Music Videos) ‘Angie’ plus 3 more
1973 ‘The Protectors’ (TV Series), with Robert Vaughn
1973 Second City Firsts (BBC) ‘Patrons’, starring Max Wall
1973 ITV Sunday Night Theatre - Three episodes
1973 Play For Today. ‘Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont’, starring Celia Johnson.
BAFTA nomination Best Director
1973 Producer ‘Russell Harty Plus’, TV talk show. Guests included David Bowie, Rudolph Nureyev, Rita Hayworth
1971-1972 ‘Budgie’ (TV Series), starring Adam Faith, Iain Cuthbertson, Georgina Hale.
Twelve episodes
1970 Diamond Crack Diamond (TV Series). ‘Not For Sale’
1970 Somerset Maughm Series (BBC) ‘Footprints in the Jungle’
1970 ‘Let It Be’, final Beatles film, a documentary. Academy Award for Best Song Score
1968 Journey to the Unknown (TV Movie) ‘Matakitis is Coming’, starring Vera Miles
1968 The Rolling Stones (Music Videos) ‘Jumpin Jack Flash’ and ‘Child of the Moon’
1968 The Beatles (Music Videos) ‘Revolution’ and ‘Hey Jude’
1968 The Company of Five (TV Series)
- This Isn't Just One of Those Physical Things
- Arthur Gifford Is Alive and Well in Stoke Newington
1968 The Ronnie Barker Playhouse (TV Series) All six episodes
1968 A Man of our Times (TV Series) with George Cole
1966-1967 The Informer (TV Series). Ian Hendry, Heather Sears, Jean Marsh. Five episodes
1967-1968 Half Hour Story. Seven episodes
1966 Blackmail (TV Series) (2 episodes)
- The Man Who Could See
- The Sound of Distant Guns
1966 The Beatles (Music Videos) ‘Paperback Writer’ and ‘Rain’
1965-1966 ‘Ready Steady Go’. 57 episodes of the best TV Rock and Roll show ever
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