JOHN SCHLESINGEROne of the most prolific and dedicated directors in Britishcinema history, John Schlesinger, died on 25 July 2003 aged 77.In a career that spanned over 50 years, he was at the heartof the British realist movement of the early sixties, before conqueringHollywood with Midnight Cowboy(1969), for which he won an Oscar forBest Director.Mr Schlesinger was a self-confessed workaholic, something thatmany critics believe led to him being less selective in the films he directed,and thus produced inferior work - especially in the eighties when he workedmore in television and as a commercial director.However, his legacy as a pioneer in the 'golden age' ofBritish film of the sixties and seventies, remains intact thanks to histreatment of challenging themes such as unwanted pregnancy and homosexuality.John Richard Schlesinger was born on 16 February 1926 inLondon, to a well-off Jewish family.After doing national service he studied at Balliol College,Oxford, where he made his first amateur attempts at filmmaking using a 16mmcamera.After Oxford he embarked on an acting career, with roles intheatre, film and TV, before landing a production job with the famous BBC Tonightprogramme – a position that gave him vital technical skills.After directing several TV documentaries, he made his firstfeature film in 1962. A Kind of Lovingcame to define the genre of'gritty' realism, telling the tale of a man trapped in a loveless marriage in anorthern, working class community.Films that followed included Billy Liar(1963), Darling(1965) and Far From The Madding Crowd(1967), and in 1969 he decamped toHollywood where he made Midnight Cowboy, in which Jon Voight and DustinHoffman gave starring performances.Sunday, Bloody Sunday(1971) was based on Mr Schlesinger'sown experiences, telling the story of a homosexual doctor in love with ayounger man, while Marathon Man(1976) was another notable work.His work was erratic over the next three decades, from TheBelievers(1987), widely thought to be abysmal, to the quirky and charming ColdComfort Farm(1995). He also made commercials for Black Magic chocolatesand Danish Bacon, among others.His last film, The Next Best Thing, was released in2000 to poor reviews, but in 2002 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award fromBafta.While several of his films are thought of as classics, hehas been roundly pilloried for making commercials and accepting poor qualitymaterial later in his career.However, he will be remembered for forging excellentrelationships with many esteemed actors who starred in his films, includingAlan Bates, Julie Christie, Tom Courtenay, Glenda Jackson and Terence Stamp.He also paved the way for homosexuality to be directly andrealistically portrayed in UK cinema, and was himself one of the first openlygay directors.The inconsistency of his career is reflected in his approachto the characters he brought to life on screen. He says: "I'm moreinterested in the failures of this world than the successes. I don't believe incharacters in films who haven't got any failings.'
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