David Hemmings
This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2012) |
David Hemmings | |
---|---|
Glyn Grammar School | |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1954–2003 |
Spouses | Genista Ouvry
(m. 1960; div. 1967)Prudence de Casembroot
(m. 1976; div. 1997)Lucy Williams
(m. 2002) |
Children | 6, including Nolan Hemmings |
David Edward Leslie Hemmings (18 November 1941 – 3 December 2003) was an English actor and director.[1] He is best remembered for his roles in British films and television programmes of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, particularly his lead roles as a trendy fashion photographer in the hugely successful avant-garde mystery film Blowup (1966), directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and as a jazz pianist in Dario Argento's Deep Red (1975). Early in his career, Hemmings was a boy soprano appearing in operatic roles. In 1967, he co-founded the Hemdale Film Corporation. From the late 1970s on, he worked mainly as a character actor and occasionally as director.
Early life
David Hemmings was born in Guildford, Surrey, to a biscuit salesman father.[2]
Benjamin Britten
His education at
Although many commentators identified Britten's relationship with Hemmings as based on an infatuation, throughout his life Hemmings maintained categorically that Britten's conduct with him was beyond reproach at all times. Hemmings had earlier played the title role in Britten's
Britten's interest in Hemmings ceased very abruptly from the moment his voice broke, which occurred unexpectedly while singing the aria 'Malo' during a performance of The Turn of the Screw in 1956 in Paris. Britten was furious, waved Hemmings away and never had any further contact with him.[3]
Acting
Child actor
Hemmings then moved on to acting in films. He made his first film appearance in the drama film The Rainbow Jacket (1954). He could also be seen in Saint Joan (1957).[4]
Hemmings had bigger roles in Five Clues to Fortune (1957),[5] The Heart Within (1957) and No Trees in the Street (1959), directed by J. Lee Thompson. He could also be seen in Men of Tomorrow (1959), In the Wake of a Stranger (1959), Sink the Bismarck! (1960) and The Wind of Change (1961).
Teen idol
Hemmings began to be known for playing young men, for example in The Painted Smile (1962) and Some People (1962). His first lead role was in the low budget teen musical Live It Up! (1963),[5] then he had support roles for Michael Winner's The System (1964).[citation needed] After this, he starred in a sequel to Live It Up!, Be My Guest (1965)[5] and in the same year in Two Left Feet with Michael Crawford.
Blowup and stardom
Hemmings’ luck changed when he was cast in the lead of Blowup (1966). It was directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, who detested the "Method" way of acting.[6] He sought a fresh young face for the lead in the film.[7] He found Hemmings, at the time acting in small-stage theatre in London, although at their first meeting Antonioni told Hemmings, "You look wrong. You're too young."[7] Hemmings was offered the part of the protagonist, a London fashion photographer who accidentally photographs evidence of a murder, after Sean Connery turned the role down because Antonioni would not show him the full script but only a seven-page treatment stored in a cigarette packet.[8]
The resulting film was a critical and commercial sensation for
After Blowup Hemmings accepted an offer from
Around 1967 Hemmings was briefly considered for the role of Alex in a film version of Anthony Burgess's novel A Clockwork Orange (1962), which was to be based on a screen treatment by satirist Terry Southern and British photographer Michael Cooper. Cooper and the Rolling Stones were reportedly upset by the move and it was decided to return to the original plan in which Mick Jagger, the lead vocalist of the Rolling Stones, would play Alex, with the rest of the Stones as his droog gang; the production was shelved after Britain's chief censor, the Lord Chamberlain, indicated that he would not permit it to be made.[10]
Hemmings costarred with Richard Attenborough in a comedy, Only When I Larf (1968), then was the sole star of an anti-war film, The Long Day's Dying (1968). Both films flopped. More financially successful was Barbarella (1968), in which Hemmings had a key role. He played the lead in two period films for MGM: a comedy, The Best House in London (1969), and the historical epic Alfred the Great (1969), in which Hemmings had the title role. Neither film did well at the box office, with Alfred the Great being a notable flop.
Hemmings was cast in further lead roles at the start of the 1970s : The Walking Stick (1970) with Samantha Eggar for MGM; Fragment of Fear (1970), a thriller; and Unman, Wittering and Zigo (1971).[5] He went to Hollywood to play a supporting role in The Love Machine (1971). Back in Britain he starred in a horror film, Voices (1973). He went to Spain to appear in Lola (1974) and in Britain supported Richard Harris in Juggernaut (1974).
Hemmings appeared in the Italian
Director
Hemmings first turned to directing with
Hemmings directed David Bowie and Marlene Dietrich in the drama film Schöner Gigolo, armer Gigolo (also known as Just a Gigolo) (1978). The film was poorly received, with Bowie describing it as "my 32 Elvis Presley films rolled into one".[5][12]
Later, after relocating to Hollywood, he directed a number of television films and series episodes.
Character actor
From the mid-1970s on, Hemmings's acting work was mainly in supporting roles. In 1977 he appeared as Eddy in the film
Australia and New Zealand
Hemmings received an offer to play a supporting role in an Australian vampire film, Thirst. He starred in a TV film, Charlie Muffin then returned to Australia to feature in Harlequin.
Hemmings then received an offer from
While in New Zealand Hemmings played roles in
Hollywood
Hemmings then moved to Hollywood. He played supporting roles in Man, Woman and Child (1983) and Airwolf (1984).
He also worked extensively as a director of television programmes, including the action-adventure drama series Quantum Leap (e.g. the series’ premiere); the crime series Magnum, P.I. (in which he also played characters in several episodes); and two action-adventure series, The A-Team and Airwolf (in which he also played the role of Doctor Charles Henry Moffet, twisted creator of Airwolf, in the pilot and the second-season episode "Moffett's Ghost" – a typographical error by the studio's titles unit). He once joked "People thought I was dead. But I wasn't. I was just directing The A-Team."
Hemmings also directed the puzzle-contest video
He directed the drama film Dark Horse (1992) and as an actor returned to the voyeuristic preoccupations of his Blowup character with a plum part as the Big Brother-esque villain in the series-three opener for the television horror anthology series Tales From the Crypt.
Later years
In later years he had roles that included Cassius in the
His last screen appearances included the science-fiction action film Equilibrium (2002),[citation needed] , the superhero film The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003), with Sean Connery,[4] and as Frank Sinatra's attorney in the 2003 Australian film The Night We Called It a Day, a comedy based on true events.[citation needed] He also appeared in the horror film Blessed (2004) with Heather Graham, which was dedicated to his memory after a fatal heart attack while on set.[4]
Recording career
In 1967, Hemmings recorded a pop single, "Back Street Mirror" (written by Gene Clark), and a studio album, David Hemmings Happens, in Los Angeles. The album featured instrumental backing by several members of the Byrds, and was produced by Byrds' mentor Jim Dickson.
In the 1970s, he was jointly credited with former
Hemmings also later provided the narration for
He starred as
Autobiography
After his death his autobiography, Blow Up... and Other Exaggerations – The Autobiography of David Hemmings, was published in 2004.
Personal life
Hemmings was married four times: to Genista Ouvry (1960–1967), actress
During his subsequent marriage to de Casembroot, Hemmings continued to have extra-marital relationships with, among others, Tessa Dahl.[13]
Hemmings had six children altogether; he and Ouvry had a daughter, he and Hunnicutt had a son (actor Nolan Hemmings), while he and de Casembroot had three sons and a daughter.
Hemmings was an active supporter of liberal causes, and spoke at a number of meetings on behalf of the UK's Liberal Party.[citation needed]
Death
Hemmings died in 2003 at age 62 of a heart attack, in Bucharest, Romania, on the film set of Blessed (working title: Samantha's Child) after he had performed his scenes for the day.[14]
His funeral was held at St Peter's Church, in the hamlet of Blackland near Calne, Wiltshire, where he had lived in his final years. He was buried in the graveyard of the church.
Filmography
- The Rainbow Jacket (1954)
- Saint Joan (1957) as Minor Role
- Five Clues to Fortune (1957) as Ken
- The Heart Within (1957) as Danny Willard
- No Trees in the Street (1959) as Kenny
- Men of Tomorrow (1959) as Ted
- In the Wake of a Stranger (1959) as Schoolboy
- Sink the Bismarck! (1960) as Seaman on Ark Royal
- The Wind of Change (1961) as Ginger
- Play It Cool (1962)
- The Painted Smile (1962) as Roy
- Some People (1962) as Bert
- West 11 (1963) as Bit Role
- Two Left Feet (1963) as Brian
- Live It Up! (1963) as Dave Martin
- The System (1964) as David
- Be My Guest (1965) as Dave Martin
- Out of the Unknown – The Counterfeit Man (1965) as Westcott
- Blowup (1966) as Thomas
- Eye of the Devil (1966) as Christian de Caray
- Camelot (1967) as Mordred
- The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968) as Captain Nolan
- Only When I Larf (1968) as Bob
- The Long Day's Dying (1968) as John
- Barbarella (1968) as Dildano
- The Best House in London (1969) as Benjamin Oakes / Walter Leybourne
- Alfred The Great (1969) as Alfred
- The Walking Stick (1970) as Leigh Hartley
- Fragment of Fear (1970) as Tim Brett
- Simon, Simon (1970) as Man in car with posters
- Unman, Wittering and Zigo (1971) as John Ebony
- The Love Machine (1971) as Jerry Nelson
- Voices (1973) as Robert
- Lola (1974) as Juan
- Juggernaut (1974) as Charlie Braddock
- Deep Red (1975) as Marcus Daly
- The Old Curiosity Shop; 1975) as Richard Swiveller
- Islands in the Stream (1977) as Eddy
- The Squeeze (1977) as Keith
- The Prince and the Pauper (US title Crossed Swords) (1977) as Hugh Hendon
- The Heroin Busters (1977) as Hamilton
- The Disappearance (1977) as Edward
- Squadra antitruffa (1977) as Robert Clayton
- Blood Relatives (1978) as Armstrong
- Power Play (1978) as Colonel Narriman
- Just a Gigolo (1978) as Captain Hermann Kraft
- Murder by Decree (1979) as Inspector Foxborough
- Thirst (1979) as Dr. Fraser
- Charlie Muffin (US title: A Deadly Game) (1979) as Charlie Muffin
- Harlequin (1980) as Nick Rast
- Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde(1980) as Dr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Edward Hyde
- Swan Lake (1981) as Rothbart (voice)
- Beyond Reasonable Doubt(1981) as Insp. Bruce Hutton
- Prisoners(1981) as Wilkens
- Man, Woman and Child (1983) as Gavin Wilson
- Airwolf (1984) (television film and two subsequent episodes) as Dr. Charles Henry Moffett
- Magnum, P.I. (1985/87) (two episodes) as Lord Smythe-White / Danny
- The A-Team (1983/1987) (one episode) as captain of the boat (episode 2 season 4)
- The Rainbow (1989) as Uncle Henry
- Tales from the Crypt, "Loved to Death" (1991) as Mr. Stronham
- Northern Exposure (1992) as Viktor Bobrov
- Kung Fu: The Legend Continues (1995) as Durham
- Gladiator (2000) as Cassius
- Last Orders (2001) as Lenny
- Spy Game (2001) as CIA Agent Harry Duncan
- Mean Machine (2001) as Governor
- Waking the Dead: "Deathwatch" (2002) (television episode in 2 parts) as Ex-DCI Malcolm Finlay
- Slap Shot 2: Breaking the Ice (2002) as Martin Fox
- Equilibrium (2002) as Proctor
- Gangs of New York (2002) as Mr. Schermerhorn
- The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003) as Nigel
- The Night We Called It a Day (2003) (a.k.a. All the Way) as Mickey Rudin
- Blessed (2004) as Earl Sydney
- Romantik (2007) as Dr. Sadun
Director
- Running Scared (1972)
- The 14 (1973)
- Just a Gigolo (1978)
- Race for the Yankee Zephyr (1981)
- The Survivor (1981)
- A-Team (9 episodes) (1983/1987)
- The Key to Rebecca (1985)
- Down Delaware Road (1988)
- In the Heat of the Night (1988)
- Dark Horse (1992)
- Passport to Murder (1993)
- Christmas Reunion (1994)
- Lone Justice: Showdown at Plum Creek (1996)
Bibliography
- Hemmings, David (2004). Blow Up... and Other Exaggerations – The Autobiography of David Hemmings. ISBN 978-1-86105-789-1.
See also
- List of British actors
- List of British film directors
- List of film producers
- List of singer-songwriters
References
- ^ Erickson, Hal. "David Hemmings – About This Person". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 13 July 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
- ^ Catterall, Alf; Wells, Simon (2002). Your Face Here: British Cult Movies Since the Sixties. Fourth Estate. p. 30.
- ^ Bridcut, John (5 June 2006). "The end of innocence, extract from Britten's Children". The Independent. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f "David Hemmings". The Times. No. 67938. London. 5 December 2003. p. 45.
- ^ doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/93009. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- ISBN 978-0814330791.
- ^ ISBN 978-0520266865.
- ISBN 978-0571238088.
- ^ Blow-Up' Role Blew Hemmings Sky High Norma Lee Browning. Chicago Tribune 11 June 1967: g14.
- ISBN 978-0-7475-5835-4.
- ^ "Berlinale 1973: Prize Winners". Berlin International Film Festival. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
- ^ MacKinnon, Angus (13 September 1980). "The Future Isn't What It Used to Be". NME. pp. 32–37.
- ^ a b c d "David Hemmings". The Daily Telegraph. 5 December 2003. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- ^ Staff (5 December 2003). "David Hemmings, 62, a Film Star in 'Blowup'". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
External links
- David Hemmings at AllMovie
- David Hemmings at the BFI's Screenonline
- David Hemmings at IMDb
- David Hemmings at the TCM Movie Database
- A collection of pictures taken on the set of Blowup at the Wayback Machine (archived 5 April 2004)
- Pulleine, Tim (5 December 2005). "David Hemmings – Gifted Actor, Director and Producer Who Successfully Outgrew His Iconic '60s Image in Antonioni's Blow Up". The Guardian