John Mackenzie
Encyclopedia
John Mackenzie known as "Frenzy Mackenzie", was a British
film director
. Born in Edinburgh
, he worked in British film from the late 1960s, first as an assistant director
and later as an independent director
himself. He has been described by critics as "a solid and reliable filmmaker with... frequent flairs of brilliance", but despite tackling such topics as the Hiberno-British struggle, or the assassination of John F. Kennedy
he was generally not thought of as a political filmmaker. Rather, Mackenzie focused more frequently on narrative, character and plot.
, Scotland
on 22 May 1928 and educated at Holy Cross Academy. He studied History at Edinburgh University. He studied drama and joined Edinburgh's Gateway Theatre Company. He worked as a teacher and moved to London
in 1960.
, acting as the latter's assistant director
on such works as Up the Junction
(1965) and Cathy Come Home
(1966). This training allowed Mackenzie to begin a move into directing himself, as well as teaching him the skills of working on location with non-professional, local actors to a tight budget and schedule.
. His first film was the television drama There Is Also Tomorrow (1969), followed by two feature films One Brief Summer
(1970) and Unman, Wittering and Zigo
, an adaptation of Giles Cooper
's radio play
(1971). Mackenzie still largely worked for television, aside from the independent production Made
(1972), until in 1979 he directed the highly acclaimed A Sense of Freedom
, a BAFTA-nominated film (released on television in the US in 1985). Freedom was surpassed, however, by Mackenzie's next film, the gangster piece The Long Good Friday
, generally accepted as his masterpiece.
The Long Good Friday, starring Bob Hoskins
and Helen Mirren
, opened up opportunities to work in the United States. The Honorary Consul
was adapted from Graham Greene
's novel
by Christopher Hampton
. Also released as Beyond the Limit, the film re-united Mackenzie with Hoskins, as well as giving him the chance to direct Michael Caine
and Richard Gere
. Mackenzie's other films of this period include The Innocent
(1985) and The Fourth Protocol
(1987).
The greatest success that Mackenzie enjoyed in his American period was Ruby
(1992), a biopic of Jack Ruby
, the Texan nightclub owner who assassinated Lee Harvey Oswald
. Ruby starred Academy Award-nominated Danny Aiello
and Twin Peaks
actor Sherilyn Fenn
. Another film of this period was The Last of the Finest
, a UK-US thriller starring Brian Dennehy
. Despite these successes, however, Mackenzie's time in America was an artistic disappointment, and he returned to the UK in 1993.
Mackenzie later directed films such as Deadly Voyage
(1996) and When the Sky Falls
(2000).
As Director: Film
As Director: Television
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
. Born in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, he worked in British film from the late 1960s, first as an assistant director
Assistant director
The role of an Assistant director include tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, maintaining order on the set. They also have to take care of health and safety of the crew...
and later as an independent director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
himself. He has been described by critics as "a solid and reliable filmmaker with... frequent flairs of brilliance", but despite tackling such topics as the Hiberno-British struggle, or the assassination of John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
he was generally not thought of as a political filmmaker. Rather, Mackenzie focused more frequently on narrative, character and plot.
Early life
Mackenzie was born in EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
on 22 May 1928 and educated at Holy Cross Academy. He studied History at Edinburgh University. He studied drama and joined Edinburgh's Gateway Theatre Company. He worked as a teacher and moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1960.
Early career
Mackenzie came at a relatively young age into the formative world of British cinema in the 1960s, with a ready interest in storytelling and narrative devices. Fortuitously for his career, Mackenzie began his career proper with the English director Ken LoachKen Loach
Kenneth "Ken" Loach is a Palme D'Or winning English film and television director.He is known for his naturalistic, social realist directing style and for his socialist beliefs, which are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as homelessness , labour rights and child abuse at the...
, acting as the latter's assistant director
Assistant director
The role of an Assistant director include tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, maintaining order on the set. They also have to take care of health and safety of the crew...
on such works as Up the Junction
Up the Junction
Up the Junction is a 1963 novel by Nell Dunn that depicts contemporary life in the industrial slums of Battersea near Clapham Junction.The book uses colloquial speech, and its portrayal of petty thieving, sexual encounters, births, deaths and back-street abortion provided a view of life that was...
(1965) and Cathy Come Home
Cathy Come Home
Cathy Come Home is a 1966 BBC television play by Jeremy Sandford, produced by Tony Garnett and directed by Ken Loach, about homelessness. An industry poll rated it as the best British television drama ever made. Filmed in a gritty, realistic drama documentary style, it was first broadcast on 16...
(1966). This training allowed Mackenzie to begin a move into directing himself, as well as teaching him the skills of working on location with non-professional, local actors to a tight budget and schedule.
Directing, film and television
Initially, Mackenzie worked on television plays, following his apprenticeship with Loach. During this period he directed episodes of The Jazz Age and ITV Saturday Night TheatreITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
. His first film was the television drama There Is Also Tomorrow (1969), followed by two feature films One Brief Summer
One Brief Summer
One Brief Summer is a 1970 British drama film directed by John Mackenzie. It stars Felicity Gibson and Clifford Evans. It was made at Twickenham Studios.-Cast:* Felicity Gibson as Susan Long* Clifford Evans as Mark Stevens* Jennifer Hilary as Jennifer...
(1970) and Unman, Wittering and Zigo
Unman, Wittering and Zigo (film)
Unman, Wittering and Zigo is a 1971 British thriller film directed by John Mackenzie and starring David Hemmings, Douglas Wilmer and Tony Haygarth. It is adapted from the 1950s radio play Unman, Wittering and Zigo...
, an adaptation of Giles Cooper
Giles Cooper
Giles Stannus Cooper was an Anglo-Irish playwright and prolific radio dramatist, writing over sixty scripts for BBC radio and television. He was awarded the OBE in 1960 for "Services to Broadcasting"...
's radio play
Unman, Wittering and Zigo
Unman, Wittering and Zigo is a 1958 radio play by the Anglo-Irish playwright Giles Cooper.-Plot:The play is a thriller set in a traditional boys boarding school where a senior form master has just been killed in a tragic accident. The main character is John Ebony, a teacher in his first job,...
(1971). Mackenzie still largely worked for television, aside from the independent production Made
Made (1972 film)
Made is a 1972 film directed by John Mackenzie. It stars Carol White and Roy Harper.-Cast:*Carol White as Valerie Marshall*Roy Harper as Mike Preston*John Castle as Father Dyson*Margery Mason as Mrs. Marshall*Doremy Vernon as June...
(1972), until in 1979 he directed the highly acclaimed A Sense of Freedom
A Sense of Freedom
A Sense of Freedom is a 1979 Scottish crime film directed by John Mackenzie for Scottish Television. The film starred David Hayman and featured Hector Nicol & Fulton Mackay, is a based on the autobiography of Glasgow gangster Jimmy Boyle, who was reputed to be Scotland's most violent man...
, a BAFTA-nominated film (released on television in the US in 1985). Freedom was surpassed, however, by Mackenzie's next film, the gangster piece The Long Good Friday
The Long Good Friday
The Long Good Friday is a British gangster film starring Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren. It was completed in 1979 but, because of release delays, it is generally credited as a 1980 film...
, generally accepted as his masterpiece.
The Long Good Friday, starring Bob Hoskins
Bob Hoskins
Robert William "Bob" Hoskins, Jr. is an English actor known for playing Cockney rough diamonds, psychopaths and gangsters, in films such as The Long Good Friday , and Mona Lisa , and lighter roles in family films such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Hook .- Early life :Hoskins was born in Bury St...
and Helen Mirren
Helen Mirren
Dame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:...
, opened up opportunities to work in the United States. The Honorary Consul
The Honorary Consul (film)
The Honorary Consul is a 1983 British drama film directed by John Mackenzie and starring Michael Caine, Richard Gere, Bob Hoskins and Elpidia Carrillo. It is based on the novel The Honorary Consul by Graham Greene...
was adapted from Graham Greene
Graham Greene
Henry Graham Greene, OM, CH was an English author, playwright and literary critic. His works explore the ambivalent moral and political issues of the modern world...
's novel
The Honorary Consul
The Honorary Consul is a British thriller novel by Graham Greene, published in 1973. It was one of the author's favourite works.- Plot summary :...
by Christopher Hampton
Christopher Hampton
Christopher James Hampton CBE, FRSL is a British playwright, screen writer and film director. He is best known for his play based on the novel Les Liaisons dangereuses and the film version Dangerous Liaisons and also more recently for writing the nominated screenplay for the film adaptation of...
. Also released as Beyond the Limit, the film re-united Mackenzie with Hoskins, as well as giving him the chance to direct Michael Caine
Michael Caine
Sir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
and Richard Gere
Richard Gere
Richard Tiffany Gere is an American actor. He began acting in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and a starring role in Days of Heaven. He came to prominence in 1980 for his role in the film American Gigolo, which established him as a leading man and a sex symbol...
. Mackenzie's other films of this period include The Innocent
The Innocent (1985 film)
The Innocent is a 1985 John Mackenzie film, starring Andrew Hawley, Liam Neeson and Miranda Richardson, and is set in the Yorkshire Dales just after World War I....
(1985) and The Fourth Protocol
The Fourth Protocol (film)
The Fourth Protocol is a 1987 Cold War spy film starring Michael Caine and Pierce Brosnan, based on the novel The Fourth Protocol by Frederick Forsyth.- Plot :The plot centres on a secret 1968 East-West agreement to halt nuclear proliferation...
(1987).
The greatest success that Mackenzie enjoyed in his American period was Ruby
Ruby (film)
Ruby is a feature film, released in the United States on March 27, 1992, about Jack Ruby, the Dallas, Texas nightclub owner who shot and killed Lee Harvey Oswald in the basement garage of a Dallas city police station in 1963. The film was directed by John Mackenzie and stars Danny Aiello , Sherilyn...
(1992), a biopic of Jack Ruby
Jack Ruby
Jacob Leon Rubenstein , who legally changed his name to Jack Leon Ruby in 1947, was convicted of the November 24, 1963 murder of Lee Harvey Oswald, the alleged assassin of President John F. Kennedy. Ruby, who was originally from Chicago, Illinois, was then a nightclub operator in Dallas, Texas...
, the Texan nightclub owner who assassinated Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald was, according to four government investigations,These were investigations by: the Federal Bureau of Investigation , the Warren Commission , the House Select Committee on Assassinations , and the Dallas Police Department. the sniper who assassinated John F...
. Ruby starred Academy Award-nominated Danny Aiello
Danny Aiello
Daniel Louis "Danny" Aiello, Jr. is an American actor who has appeared in numerous motion pictures, including Once Upon a Time in America, Ruby, The Godfather: Part II, Hudson Hawk, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Moonstruck, Léon, Two Days in the Valley, and Dinner Rush...
and Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks is an American television serial drama created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. The series follows the investigation headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper , of the murder of a popular teenager and homecoming queen, Laura Palmer...
actor Sherilyn Fenn
Sherilyn Fenn
Sherilyn Fenn is an American actress and filmmaker. She came to international attention for her performance as Audrey Horne on the 1990 cult TV series Twin Peaks...
. Another film of this period was The Last of the Finest
The Last of the Finest
The Last of the Finest is a 1990 film directed by John Mackenzie. It stars Brian Dennehy and Joe Pantoliano.-Plot:An elite group of narcotics cops quit from the L.A.P.D. after facing investigation for being over-zealous in their war against drugs. It is immediately apparent that some of their...
, a UK-US thriller starring Brian Dennehy
Brian Dennehy
Brian Mannion Dennehy is an American actor of film, stage and screen.-Early years:Dennehy was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the son of Hannah and Edward Dennehy, who was a wire service editor for the Associated Press; he has two brothers, Michael and Edward. Dennehy is of Irish ancestry and was...
. Despite these successes, however, Mackenzie's time in America was an artistic disappointment, and he returned to the UK in 1993.
Mackenzie later directed films such as Deadly Voyage
Deadly Voyage
Deadly Voyage is a 1996 television film directed by John Mackenzie and written by Stuart Urban. Produced by Union Pictures and John Goldschmidt's Viva Films for joint distribution to BBC Films and HBO Films, it tells the true story of Kingsley Ofosu, the sole survivor of a group of nine African...
(1996) and When the Sky Falls
When the Sky Falls
When the Sky Falls is a 2000 film à clef directed by John Mackenzie and filmed in Ireland, starring Joan Allen. The story is based on that of Veronica Guerin, a crime reporter writing about drugs for the Sunday Independent, her investigations and murder.-Cast:*Joan Allen as Sinead Hamilton*Patrick...
(2000).
Death
Mackenzie died on June 8, 2011 at the age of 83. He is survived by his three daughters by Wendy Marshall, whom he married in 1956 and who predeceased him.Filmography
As Assistant Director- Up the Junction: "The Wednesday Play"Up the JunctionUp the Junction is a 1963 novel by Nell Dunn that depicts contemporary life in the industrial slums of Battersea near Clapham Junction.The book uses colloquial speech, and its portrayal of petty thieving, sexual encounters, births, deaths and back-street abortion provided a view of life that was...
, directed by Ken LoachKen LoachKenneth "Ken" Loach is a Palme D'Or winning English film and television director.He is known for his naturalistic, social realist directing style and for his socialist beliefs, which are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as homelessness , labour rights and child abuse at the... - Cathy Come HomeCathy Come HomeCathy Come Home is a 1966 BBC television play by Jeremy Sandford, produced by Tony Garnett and directed by Ken Loach, about homelessness. An industry poll rated it as the best British television drama ever made. Filmed in a gritty, realistic drama documentary style, it was first broadcast on 16...
, directed by Loach
As Director: Film
- One Brief Summer (1969)
- Unman, Wittering and ZigoUnman, Wittering and Zigo (film)Unman, Wittering and Zigo is a 1971 British thriller film directed by John Mackenzie and starring David Hemmings, Douglas Wilmer and Tony Haygarth. It is adapted from the 1950s radio play Unman, Wittering and Zigo...
(1971) - MadeMade (1972 film)Made is a 1972 film directed by John Mackenzie. It stars Carol White and Roy Harper.-Cast:*Carol White as Valerie Marshall*Roy Harper as Mike Preston*John Castle as Father Dyson*Margery Mason as Mrs. Marshall*Doremy Vernon as June...
(1972) - A Sense of FreedomA Sense of FreedomA Sense of Freedom is a 1979 Scottish crime film directed by John Mackenzie for Scottish Television. The film starred David Hayman and featured Hector Nicol & Fulton Mackay, is a based on the autobiography of Glasgow gangster Jimmy Boyle, who was reputed to be Scotland's most violent man...
(1979) - The Long Good FridayThe Long Good FridayThe Long Good Friday is a British gangster film starring Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren. It was completed in 1979 but, because of release delays, it is generally credited as a 1980 film...
(1980) - The Honorary ConsulThe Honorary Consul (film)The Honorary Consul is a 1983 British drama film directed by John Mackenzie and starring Michael Caine, Richard Gere, Bob Hoskins and Elpidia Carrillo. It is based on the novel The Honorary Consul by Graham Greene...
, also released as Beyond the Limit (1983)
- The InnocentThe Innocent (1985 film)The Innocent is a 1985 John Mackenzie film, starring Andrew Hawley, Liam Neeson and Miranda Richardson, and is set in the Yorkshire Dales just after World War I....
(1985) - The Fourth ProtocolThe Fourth Protocol (film)The Fourth Protocol is a 1987 Cold War spy film starring Michael Caine and Pierce Brosnan, based on the novel The Fourth Protocol by Frederick Forsyth.- Plot :The plot centres on a secret 1968 East-West agreement to halt nuclear proliferation...
(1987) - The Last of the FinestStreet legalStreet legal or road legal refers to a vehicle such as an automobile, motorcycle, or light truck that is equipped and licensed for use on public roads...
, also released as Blue Heat and Street Legal (1990) - RubyRuby (film)Ruby is a feature film, released in the United States on March 27, 1992, about Jack Ruby, the Dallas, Texas nightclub owner who shot and killed Lee Harvey Oswald in the basement garage of a Dallas city police station in 1963. The film was directed by John Mackenzie and stars Danny Aiello , Sherilyn...
(1992) - When the Sky FallsWhen the Sky FallsWhen the Sky Falls is a 2000 film à clef directed by John Mackenzie and filmed in Ireland, starring Joan Allen. The story is based on that of Veronica Guerin, a crime reporter writing about drugs for the Sunday Independent, her investigations and murder.-Cast:*Joan Allen as Sinead Hamilton*Patrick...
(2000) - QuicksandQuicksand (2003)Quicksand is a 2003 direct-to-video British-French-German co-produced action film starring Michael Keaton and Michael Caine. It was released in Germany, Finland, Sweden and Norway in 2003, in United States on March 16, 2004 and in the United Kingdom on November 1, 2004...
(2003)
As Director: Television
- The Cheviot, the Stag, and the Black Black OilThe Cheviot, the Stag, and the Black Black OilThe Cheviot, the Stag, and the Black Black Oil is a play written in the 1970s by the popular Liverpudlian playwright John McGrath. From 1973, beginning at a venue in Aberdeen, it was performed in a touring production in community centres around Scotland by 7:84 and other community theatre groups...
BBC (1973) - Shutdown BBC (1974)
- Just Another SaturdayJust Another SaturdayJust Another Saturday is a Play For Today about the Orange Walk culture transmitted 7 November 1975 on BBC1. It was directed by John Mackenzie and stars Jon Morrison and Billy Connolly.The film won the Prix Italia for Best Drama.- Synopsis :...
BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
(1975) - Double DareDouble Dare (play)Double Dare is a television play by Dennis Potter, first broadcast on BBC1 on 6 April 1976 as part of the Play for Today series. The play explores the link between author and viewer, one of Potter's major themes, and is referenced several times in his later work...
(BBC 1976) - A Passage to England BBC (1976)
- Red Shift BBC (1977)
- Just a Boys' GameJust a Boys' GameJust a Boys' Game is a 1979 Play for Today written by Peter McDougall and directed by John Mackenzie.It features Frankie Miller, Gregor Fisher, Ken Hutchison and Hector Nicol....
BBC (1985) - Act of VengeanceAct of VengeanceAct of Vengeance is a 1986 television movie starring Charles Bronson, Ellen Burstyn, and Keanu Reeves.-Overview:The movie is based on the book by Trevor Armbrister, Act of Vengeance. It was premiered on April 20, 1986...
HBO (1986) - VoyageVoyage- In music: :* Voyage * Voyage * Voyage , by In Fear and Faith* Voyage , by Ayumi Hamasaki* Voyage , a disco music group** Voyage, an album by the eponymous band...
, also broadcast as Cruise of Fear US (1993) - The InfiltratorThe InfiltratorThe Infiltrator is a film about a Jewish freelance journalist who travels to Germany to write an article about Neo-Nazism, which originally aired on CNN. Among its cast include: Oliver Platt, Arliss Howard, and Tony Haygarth. It is based on the book In Hitler’s Shadow by Yaron Svoray....
, also broadcast as In Hitler's Shadow HBO (1995) - Deadly Voyage HBO (1996)
- Looking After Jo (1998)
- Aldrich Ames: Traitor WithinAldrich AmesAldrich Hazen Ames is a former Central Intelligence Agency counter-intelligence officer and analyst, who, in 1994, was convicted of spying for the Soviet Union and Russia...
Showtime (1998)