This Is Your Life: John Schlesinger

John SCHLESINGER CBE (1926-2003)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - John Schlesinger, film director, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews in Covent Garden, having been led to believe he was being filmed for a documentary about the Opera House.

John, who was born in London, began making short films and performing in Army review shows while serving with the Royal Engineers during the Second World War. After studying at Oxford University, where he was a member of the dramatic society, John found small supporting roles in films and on television, including The Adventures of Robin Hood.

He began his directorial career with documentaries for the BBC's Monitor arts programme, before making his feature film debut with A Kind of Loving in 1962. His subsequent films include Darling in 1965, Far From the Madding Crowd in 1967 and Midnight Cowboy in 1969, which won him the Academy Award for Best Director.

"Shit!"

programme details...

Edition No: 553
Subject No: 549
Broadcast date: Wed 19 Nov 1980
Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
Recorded: Tue 23 Sep 1980
Venue: Royalty Theatre
Series: 21
Edition: 6
Code name: Midnight

on the guest list...

Michael York
Thora Hird
June Ritchie
Alan Bates
Jo Janni
Winifred - mother
Bernard - father
Roger - brother
Hilary - sister
Sue - sister-in-law
Coral Browne
Geoffrey Sharp
John Marples
Robert Hardy
Richard Greene - live link
Huw Wheldon
Agnes Roberts
Julie Christie
Richard Gere
Vanessa Redgrave
Jon Voight

production team...

Researcher: unknown
Writers: Tom Brennand, Roy Bottomley
Directors: Stuart Hall, Terry Yarwood
Producer: Jack Crawshaw

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

Reel Life

cinematic celebrations

Thora Hird

Screenshots of John Schlesinger This Is Your Life

William J Mann recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in his book, edge of midnight: The Life of John Schlesinger...

Later, John would muse that he thought his father eventually became "really quite pleased with the way things were going - at least I hope he was."

In 1980, when John was profiled on television for This Is Your Life, Schlesinger's parents were part of the programme. Their pride in their son is quite apparent on the telecast.

John wrote to a friend: "It was so wonderful that both my parents were able to be part of it, and I know how much it meant to them. They have now become celebrities themselves and fan mail reaches my father from ex-patients from long ago, and my mother seems to be recognised whenever she goes shopping in London or Newbury, so I think that must give them some extra pleasure."

Series 21 subjects