Cliff Twemlow

Cliff Twemlow (14 October 1937 – 5 May 1993) was an English actor, film screenwriter, producer, composer and novelist. He is notable for pioneering, in the early 1980s, the production of independently-made low-budget films made for the home video market.

Early life

Twemlow was born in Hulme, Manchester, the son of a merchant seaman. In the early 1950s he worked as a nightclub bouncer in Morecambe.

Career

In 1962 Twemlow began his acting career as an extra in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street.''

Music

In the early 1960s Twemlow began a successful career composing library music under the names Peter Reno and John Agar. His music was used in TV programmes (e.g., '' Public Eye'', Rutland Weekend Television, '' The Benny Hill Show'', ''Queenie's Castle'', ''The Sweeney''), feature films (e.g., '' Zeta One'' (1970), ''Secrets of Sex'' (1970), '' Deathdream'' (1974)'', A Touch of the Sun'' (1979), '' Dawn of the Dead'' (1978)) and TV commercials. He wrote "Distant Hills", the end credit theme of the ITV programme ''Crown Court'' (1972–1984), which was issued as the B-side to the '' Van der Valk'' theme " Eye Level" (Columbia DB 8946).

In 1973 he encountered legal problems with his song "Live and Let Die", recorded by Salena Jones. Although released shortly before Paul McCartney recorded his song with the same title for the film ''Live and Let Die'' (1973), McCartney took out an injunction against Twemlow and won the case.

In the mid-1970s,Twemlow returned to work as a nightclub bouncer at Peter Stringfellow's Manchester "Millionaire Club".

Writing

In 1980 Twemlow published his autobiography ''The Tuxedo Warrior'', which documented his career in the music industry and as a bouncer.

He wrote two novels: ''The Pike'' (1982), for which he failed to secure funding for a film version, and ''The Beast of Kane'' (1983).

Film

His autobiography inspired the film ''Tuxedo Warrior'' (1982); however the film ignores his life and instead uses him as a character in a fictional narrative.

In 1983 Twemlow wrote, produced and starred in ''G.B.H.: Grievous Bodily Harm'', one of the earliest British films to be shot on video, which sold over 10,000 copies in its first month of release.

This was followed by ''Target Eve Island'' (1983), co-produced with director David Kent-Watson and filmed in Grenada and Barbados, and ''The Ibiza Connection'' (1994) with Steve Powell and Brian Sterling-Vete.

In 1986, Twemlow produced and starred in ''Predator: The Quietus'' (aka ''Moonstalker''), with David Tattersall as Director of Photography, later to be cinematographer on '' The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles'' and three episodes of the ''Star Wars'' franchise.

The films ''Firestar: First Contact'' and ''GBH 2'' followed, and a television series pilot ''Bad Weekend''.

Twemlow appeared in several special interest films produced by Brian Sterling-Vete on the MajorVision label including''The Power to Win'', ''The Ultimate Self Defense'' and ''Fitness Over Forty''.

Death

Twemlow died from a heart attack on 9 May 1993, aged 55.

Documentary

Twemlow is the subject of the 2023 documentary ''Mancunian Man: The Legendary Life of Cliff Twemlow'' by Jake West ( Severin Films).

Filmography

Discography

All albums credited to Peter Reno, and released by De Wolfe Music, except where noted.

* ''Z-Patrol'' (1967, with Reg Tilsley)
* ''Inter City'' (1967, with John Reids and Jack Trombey)
* ''Bossalena'' (1967, with Keith Papworth and Edward Ward)
* ''Mini-Skirt'' (1967, with Les Reed and Reg Tilsley)
* ''There's a World Going On'' (1967, with Reg Tilsley and others)
* ''Lucky Me'' (1967, track "Intimate")
* ''Travelling Light'' (1967)
* ''Polaris'' (1967)
* ''For the Young'' (1967, with John Reids)
* ''Big City Story'' (1968)
* ''More Electric Banana'' (1968) (songs "Street Girl" and "Love, Dance and Sing")
* ''Inherit the Wind'' (1968)
* ''Colours'' (1969)
* ''Blue Pacific'' (1969)
* ''Loony Tunes'' (1969)
* ''TV Suite Vol 2'' (1970, with Johnny Hawksworth)
* ''Sweet Chariot and Friends'' (1970)
* ''Key Largo'' (1970)
* ''Tilsley Orchestral 9'' (1970, De Wolfe, with Reg Tilsley and Dick Bradford)
* ''Sunspots'' (1971, with Johnny Hawksworth)
* ''Sit Back'' (1971, Hudson Music)
* ''Illinois'' (1971)
* ''Alibi'' (1971, with Johnny Hawksworth)
* ''Restless Woman'' (1971)
* ''Times Two'' (1971, with Keith Papworth)
* ''Afro-Rock'' (1971, as Vecchio)
* ''Native Rhymes'' (1972)
* ''Here and there'' (1972)
* ''Meatball Jack'' (1972)
* ''Wheel of Fortune'' (1972, with Reg Tilsley)
* ''Great Day'' (1972, with Simon Haseley)
* ''Quartet of Modern Jazz Vol.2'' (1972)
* ''Tete a Tete'' (1972, with Reg Wale, and Simon Haseley)
* ''City Scene'' (1972, with Keith Papworth and Jack Trombey)
* ''Junction'' (1973)
* ''Synthesizer Contact'' (1973)
* ''Syndrome'' (1973, with Reg Tilsley)
* ''Hot Breath'' (1974, Hudson Music, with Reg Tilsley)
* ''Super Ride'' (1974, with Barry Stoller)

References

External links

*

British video cover of G.B.H.

Steve Powell's Cliff Twemlow page
* ''Mancunian Man: The Legendary Life of Cliff Twemlow''
official trailer
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Twemlow, Cliff
1933 births
1993 deaths
Male actors from Manchester
Writers from Manchester
English male film actors
People from Hulme
20th-century English male actors
Security guards