Barney Platts-Mills (15 October 1944 – 5 October 2021) was a British film director, best known for his award-winning films, ''
Bronco Bullfrog
''Bronco Bullfrog'' is a 1969 British black-and-white kitchen sink drama film directed by Barney Platts-Mills. It was Platts-Mills' first full-length feature film.
Plot
The film follows the fortunes of a 17-year-old, Del, and his group of frien ...
'' and ''
Private Road
A private road is a road owned or controlled by a private person, persons or corporation rather than a road open to the public and owned by a government. Private roads can be on private land or can be constructed on government land for use by gov ...
''.
Biography
Platts-Mills was born in 1944 in Colchester, England, a son of barrister
John Platts-Mills
John Faithful Fortescue Platts-Mills, (4 October 1906 – 26 October 2001) was a British barrister and left-wing politician. He was the Labour Party Member of Parliament for Finsbury from 1945 to 1948, when he was expelled from the party effect ...
(who was briefly a Labour MP),
and was educated at
University College School
("Slowly but surely")
, established =
, closed =
, type = Public schoolIndependent day school
, religion =
, president =
, head_label = Headmaster
, head = Mark Beard
, r_head_label =
, r_hea ...
, London, and at
Bryanston School
Bryanston School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) located next to the village of Bryanston, and near the town of Blandford Forum, in Dorset in South West England. It was founded in 1928 ...
, Blandford, Dorset.
He entered the film industry in 1960, as 3rd assistant editor at Shepperton Studios and worked on
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, his films, almost all of which are adaptations of nove ...
's ''
Spartacus
Spartacus ( el, Σπάρτακος '; la, Spartacus; c. 103–71 BC) was a Thracian gladiator who, along with Crixus, Gannicus, Castus, and Oenomaus, was one of the escaped slave leaders in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprising ...
'',
Lewis Gilbert
Lewis Gilbert (6 March 1920 – 23 February 2018) was an English film director, producer and screenwriter who directed more than 40 films during six decades; among them such varied titles as '' Reach for the Sky'' (1956), ''Sink the Bismarck!' ...
's ''
The Greengage Summer
''The Greengage Summer'' (called ''The Loss of Innocence'' in the U.S.) is a 1961 British drama film directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring Kenneth More and Susannah York (in her first leading role). It was based on the novel ''The Greengage Su ...
'' and
John Schlesinger
John Richard Schlesinger (; 16 February 1926 – 25 July 2003) was an English film and stage director. He won the Academy Award for Best Director for ''Midnight Cowboy'', and was nominated for the same award for two other films ('' Darling'' an ...
's ''
A Kind of Loving'' among other films, for editors including
Peter R. Hunt and Reggie Beck. Platts-Mills worked as editor for
Anglia TV
ITV Anglia, previously known as Anglia Television, is the ITV franchise holder for the East of England. The station is based at Anglia House in Norwich, with regional news bureaux in Cambridge and Northampton. ITV Anglia is owned and operated by ...
's ''
Survival
Survival, or the act of surviving, is the propensity of something to continue existing, particularly when this is done despite conditions that might kill or destroy it. The concept can be applied to humans and other living things (or, hypotheti ...
'' and
Granada TV
ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire but only on weekdays as ABC Weekend Television was it ...
's ''
World in Action
''World in Action'' was a British investigative current affairs programme made by Granada Television for ITV from 7 January 1963 until 7 December 1998. Its campaigning journalism frequently had a major impact on events of the day. Its producti ...
''.
In 1966, he established Maya Films with
James Scott, Adam Barker-Mill and Andrew St. John. Platts-Mills produced and edited ''Love's Presentation'', a 30-minute documentary on the work of
David Hockney
David Hockney (born 9 July 1937) is an English painter, draftsman, printmaker, stage designer, and photographer. As an important contributor to the pop art movement of the 1960s, he is considered one of the most influential British artists o ...
, directed by James Scott, and also produced and directed ''St Christopher'', a 45-minute documentary on children in the care of St Christopher's School,
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
, and the Camphill Village Trust, Botton,
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...
. He wrote, produced and directed ''The War'', a cinema short, starring
Colin Welland
Colin Welland (born Colin Edward Williams; 4 July 1934 – 2 November 2015) was an English actor and screenwriter. He won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance as Mr Farthing in '' Kes'' (1969) and the Academy Aw ...
and
Eric Burdon
Eric Victor Burdon (born 11 May 1941) is an English singer. He was previously the lead vocalist of R&B and rock band the Animals and funk band War. He is regarded as one of the British Invasion's most distinctive singers with his deep, powe ...
(15 minutes, B&W 35 mm Panavision). He wrote and directed ''Everybody's an Actor, Shakespeare Said'', a documentary on the work of
Joan Littlewood
Joan Maud Littlewood (6 October 1914 – 20 September 2002) was an English theatre director who trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and is best known for her work in developing the Theatre Workshop. She has been called "The Mother of M ...
, with young people in the
East End of London
The East End of London, often referred to within the London area simply as the East End, is the historic core of wider East London, east of the Roman and medieval walls of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It does not have uni ...
(35 minutes, 16 mm Eastmancolor).
In 1969, he wrote and directed ''Bronco Bullfrog'' with young people from the East End (83 minutes, 35 mm B&W) Selectione a l'Unanimite pour Semain de la Critique,
Festival de Cannes
The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...
. The film won a Screenwriters' Guild award for Best Original Screenplay.
In 1971, he wrote and directed ''
Private Road
A private road is a road owned or controlled by a private person, persons or corporation rather than a road open to the public and owned by a government. Private roads can be on private land or can be constructed on government land for use by gov ...
'' (86 minutes, 35 mm Eastmancolor), starring
Bruce Robinson
Bruce Robinson (born 2 May 1946) is an English actor, director, screenwriter and novelist. He wrote and directed the cult classic ''Withnail and I'' (1987), a film with comic and tragic elements set in London in the late 1960s, which drew on hi ...
,
Susan Penhaligon
Susan Penhaligon (born 3 July 1949) is a British actress and writer known for her role in the drama series '' Bouquet of Barbed Wire'' (1976), and for playing Helen Barker in the sitcom '' A Fine Romance'' (1981–1984).
She appeared in the s ...
and Michael Feast. It was awarded the Golden Leopard at the Locarno Festival for Best Film.
In 1972, Platts-Mills was made a Governor and Honorary Life Member of the
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
and Director of the Prodigal Trust, Inner London School's video project. He took piano lessons with Trevor Fisher.
Platts-Mills' screenplay ''Double Trouble'' was published as a novel by
Duckworth Duckworth may refer to:
* Duckworth (surname), people with the surname ''Duckworth''
* Duckworth (''DuckTales''), fictional butler from the television series ''DuckTales''
* Duckworth Books, a British publishing house
* , a frigate
* Duckworth, W ...
in 1976. The following year, he wrote screenplays for ''The Scotsman'' and ''
Hero
A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ...
''. After two years' preparation he directed ''Hero'' (82 minutes, 16 mm Eastmancolor) for
Film Four
Film4 is a British free-to-air television network owned by Channel Four Television Corporation launched on 1 November 1998, devoted to broadcasting films. While its standard-definition channel is available on Freeview and Freesat platforms, it ...
in ancient
Gaelic
Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...
with actors drawn from a
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
youth gang. ''Hero'' was an official entry at the
Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival he ...
.
In 1983, Platts-Mills wrote the screenplay for ''Ebb Tide'' by
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll a ...
, to be filmed for Film Four in
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
starring
Harry Dean Stanton
Harry Dean Stanton (July 14, 1926 – September 15, 2017) was an American actor, musician, and singer.
In a career that spanned more than six decades, Stanton played supporting roles in films including '' Cool Hand Luke'' (1967), ''Kelly's Heroe ...
and
Christopher Lee
Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee (27 May 1922 – 7 June 2015) was an English actor and singer. In a long career spanning more than 60 years, Lee often portrayed villains, and appeared as Count Dracula in seven Hammer Horror films, ultimat ...
. The project abandoned when war broke out in that country. Between 1984 and 1988, he was resident in
Sussex
Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...
with his two young children, Roland and Ruby.
In 1989, Platts-Mills wrote and directed ''Blasphemy'' for
Channel Four
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service i ...
's ''
Dispatches''.
In 1990, he worked in The Special Unit at
HMP Barlinnie
HM Prison Barlinnie is the largest prison in Scotland. It is operated by the Scottish Prison Service and is located in the residential suburb of Riddrie, in the north east of Glasgow, Scotland. It is informally known locally as The Big Hoose, ...
, Glasgow, on various projects, including a musical to be staged by prisoners in the jail and the first-ever performance by a circus (
Archaos
Archaos (Cirque Archaos) is a French contemporary circus created by Pierrot Bidon in 1986. It began as an alternative, theatrical circus without animals, featuring dangerous stunts like chainsaw juggling, fire breathing, wall of death, etc. The ...
) in a British jail. He edited John Steele's ''The Bird That Never Flew'', an autobiography of a prison trouble-maker published by
Sinclair-Stevenson
Sinclair-Stevenson Ltd is a British publisher founded in 1989 by Christopher Sinclair-Stevenson.
Christopher Sinclair-Stevenson became an editor at Hamish Hamilton in 1961. Thirteen years later in 1974 he became managing director, establishing ...
in 1992.
Platts-Mills was advisor to the development of Wornington Green Residents' Association Video Project for disadvantaged youth in 1993, and in 1994 he set up and supervised the first year of the
North Kensington
North Kensington is an area of west London. It is north of Notting Hill and south of Kensal Green and in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The names North Kensington and Ladbroke Grove describe the same area.
North Kensington is w ...
Video Drama Project (NKVDP), including work for the
Metropolitan Police
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly known as the Metropolitan Police (and informally as the Met Police, the Met, Scotland Yard, or the Yard), is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and ...
Scam scheme and the Youth Enterprise Scheme.
In 1995, together with students from the NKVDP he established Massive Videos at North Kensington Community Centre and worked on the development of
Courttia Newland's ''
The Scholar''. Between 1996 and 1999, Massive Videos made many short films by and about disadvantaged young people and founded the
Film and Video Festival. In Liverpool they established the Workhaus project in a five-storey building in the city centre and the North X Northwest Film Festival.
In 1999, Platts-Mills met Tunde Olayinka and acted as adviser to ''The Alpha Male'', Olayinka's first film.
Platts-Mills went to
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
in 2000 and lived for a year on a farm near
Larache
Larache ( ar, العرايش, al-'Araysh) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is on the Moroccan coast, where the Loukkos River meets the Atlantic Ocean. Larache is one of the most important cities of the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region.
Many ...
, writing the screenplay for ''Lovesways''.
He built a house in Mejlaou near Assilah in 2004 and wrote the screenplay for ''Zohra: A Moroccan Fairytale''.
''Bronco Bullfrog'' and ''Private Road'' were re-released in 2010 by the BFI and the National Film Theater. Platts-Mills' films were screened in retrospectives at the Edinburgh Film Festival, Gijion Film Festival, BAFICI, Copenhagen Film Festival and the opening night Premiere at the East End Film Festival.
Platts-Mills joined the film production company Miraj Films in 2010 as a producer and completed the production of ''Zohra: A Moroccan Fairytale'', his love poem to Morocco and his comeback after 30 years, which had its world premiere at the 40th International Rotterdam Film Festival.
He died on 5 October 2021, at the age of 76.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Platts-Mills, Barney
1944 births
2021 deaths
British film directors
People educated at Bryanston School
People educated at University College School
People from Colchester