| John Richard Schlesinger CBE (/ˈʃlɛsɪndʒər/ SHLESS-in-jər; 16 February 1926 – 25 July 2003) was an English film and stage director, and actor. He emerged in the early 1960s as a leading light of the British New Wave, before embarking on a successful career in Hollywood, often directing films dealing frankly in provocative subject matter, combined with his status as one of the only openly-gay directors working in mainstream films.
Schlesinger started his career making British dramas A Kind of Loving (1962), Billy Liar (1963), and Far from the Madding Crowd (1967). He won the Academy Award for Best Director for Midnight Cowboy (1969) and was Oscar-nominated for Darling (1965) and Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971). He gained acclaim for his Hollywood films The Day of the Locust (1975), and Marathon Man (1976). His later films include Madame Sousatzka (1988), and Cold Comfort Farm (1995). He also served as an associate director of the Royal National Theatre.
Over his career he received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, and four BAFTA Awards as well as nominations for three Golden Globe Awards. In 1970, he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1970 Birthday Honours for services to film, and in 2002, he was made a BAFTA Fellow. Four of Schlesinger's films are on the British Film Institute's Top 100 British films.
AN ANECDOTE: John Schlesinger visited my old school in 1959 or so in connection with a production of" Noye's Fludde" by Benjamin Britten, who was a friend of my music teacher there. I mentioned this on my Old Boys website and someone posted this:
"Richard Myles and I were hitching back from Oxford, after visiting Dick Palmer in Oxford. I think it was '66, certainly it was the day that the 70mph limit first came in. We got to Maidenhead on the new M4 and were picked up by a sports car that had come from Heathrow.
I struck up a conversation with the driver about theatre. I was working at The Royal Court Theatre at the time. (my girlfriend's sister was was dating the stage manager). Conversation came to Pinter, and the driver asked if we knew who he (the driver) was?
Of course I said I didn't - somewhat surprised. "Have you heard of the movie "Darling?" It was John Schlesinger! He was on his way to The Kensington Garden Hotel to pitch "The Accident". I remember the bit about the 70 limit because when we told him it had come in that day - he was doing 90 he just smiled and waved his hand. Lovely fellow."
COMMENT: John was instrumental in catapulting Julie to stardom - and is therefore a Hero of the Universe! GOTO TOP
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