Michael Klinger (1 November 1920 – 15 September 1989) was a British film producer and distributor. After

Tony Tenser Samuel Anthony Tenser (10 August 1920 – 5 December 2007)Gavin Gaugha"Obituary: Tony Tenser" ''The Guardian'', 13 March 2008 was an English-born film producer of Lithuanian-Jewish descent. He began as the producer of low budget exploitation fi ...

, then a publicist became his business partner, the two men created the Compton cinema chain and distribution company and financed '' Repulsion'' (1965) and ''

Cul-de-sac A dead end, also known as a cul-de-sac (, from French for 'bag-bottom'), no through road or no exit road, is a street with only one inlet or outlet. The term "dead end" is understood in all varieties of English, but the official terminology ...

'' (1966) both directed by

Roman Polanski Raymond Roman Thierry Polański , group=lower-alpha, name=note_a (né Liebling; 18 August 1933) is a French-Polish film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, two ...

. After their association ended, Klinger produced '' Get Carter'' (1971), starring Michael Caine, and ''

Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

'' (1974), with

Roger Moore Sir Roger George Moore (14 October 192723 May 2017) was an English actor. He was the third actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond in the Eon Productions film series, playing the character in seven feature films between 19 ...

in the lead, and was the executive producer of the 'Confessions' series of sex comedies with

Robin Askwith Robin Mark Askwith (born 12 October 1950) is an English actor and singer who has appeared in a number of film, television and stage productions. Making his film debut as Keating in the film '' if....'' (1968), a role he would reprise in ''Brita ...

Early life

Klinger was born in London to Polish-born Jewish parents. His father was a tailor by trade.Brian MacFarlane ''The Encyclopedia of British Film'', London: Methuen/BFI, 2003, p.367 During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Michael worked for the

British Government ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_es ...

as an

inventor An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition, idea or process. An invention may be an improvement upon a machine, product, or process for increasing efficiency or lowering cost. It may also be an entirely new concept. If an ...

. He devised a machine to test

bomb A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the Exothermic process, exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-t ...

s without the need to

detonate Detonation () is a type of combustion involving a supersonic exothermic front accelerating through a medium that eventually drives a shock front propagating directly in front of it. Detonations propagate supersonically through shock waves with s ...

them; however, because he was a government employee, he earned no money for the invention except for a six

shilling The shilling is a historical coin, and the name of a unit of modern currencies formerly used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, other British Commonwealth countries and Ireland, where they were generally equivalent to 12 pence o ...

pay increase. After the War, Klinger worked on the market in the

East End 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 ...

of London, before being offered the opportunity to invest in a

Soho Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century. The area was develop ...

cinema.

Partnership with Tony Tenser

Klinger was initially the owner of a strip club, but began a business association with

in 1960 after they had met following a publicity stunt organised by Tenser at a cinema Klinger managed.Obituary: Tony Tenser
''The Times'', 17 December 2007 The two men opened a private members cinema, the Compton Club that year, apparently with John Trevelyan, then head of the British Board of Film Censors, as a founder member.Matthew Swee
"The lost worlds of British cinema: The horror"
''The Independent'', 29 January 2006 A distribution firm Compton Cameo Films was established. Both enterprises were originally dedicated to imported exploitation films, but undertook its own films in the 'nudie' genre, though their first, ''

Naked as Nature Intended ''Naked as Nature Intended'' (released in the United States under the title ''As Nature Intended'') is a 1961 British nudist film produced and directed by George Harrison Marks and starring Pamela Green. It was the first film from producers Tony ...

'' (1961), directed by

Harrison Marks George Harrison Marks (6 August 1926 – 27 June 1997) was an English glamour photographer and director of nudist, and later, pornographic films. Personal life Born in Tottenham, Middlesex in 1926, Marks was 17 when he married his first wife ...

and starring

Pamela Green Phyllis Pamela Green (28 March 1929 – 7 May 2010) was an English glamour model and actress, best known at the end of the 1950s and early 1960s. She modeled for Zoltán Glass and his brother Stephen, Horace Roye, Jean Straker, Bill Brandt, ...

, was marketed as a documentary. For about eighteen months, Klinger and Tenser's company owned the Windmill Theatre, after its nude reviews had ended, and reverting the auditorium into its earlier use as a cinema, and using it as a setting for ''

Secrets of a Windmill Girl ''Secrets of a Windmill Girl'' is a 1966 British exploitation film directed by Arnold L. Miller. It recounts the road to ruin of a young woman (Pauline Collins) who becomes involved with the striptease scene after becoming a dancer at the Windmill ...

'' (1966). It was Klinger though who persuaded Tenser to back the first English language feature films of Polish director

. Despite the success of '' Repulsion'' (1965) and ''

Cul-de-Sac A dead end, also known as a cul-de-sac (, from French for 'bag-bottom'), no through road or no exit road, is a street with only one inlet or outlet. The term "dead end" is understood in all varieties of English, but the official terminology ...

'' (1966), Klinger and Tenser ended their business connection in 1967.

Klinger's solo career

Klinger sent the Ted Lewis novel ''

Jack's Return Home ''Jack's Return Home'' is a 1970 novel by British writer Ted Lewis (writer), Ted Lewis. It was adapted into the 1971 film ''Get Carter'', starring Michael Caine as Jack Carter. The novel portrays a subsection of society living on the borderline ...

'' to director

Mike Hodges Michael Tommy Hodges (29 July 1932 – 17 December 2022) was a British screenwriter, film and television director, playwright and novelist. His films as writer/director include ''Get Carter'' (1971), ''Pulp'' (1972), ''The Terminal Man'' (1974 ...

, asking whether he would be interested in adapting and directing a film version. Hodges agreed. The result, starring Michael Caine, '' Get Carter'', was released early in 1971. Klinger, Hodges and Caine formed a production company to make ''

Pulp Pulp may refer to: * Pulp (fruit), the inner flesh of fruit Engineering * Dissolving pulp, highly purified cellulose used in fibre and film manufacture * Pulp (paper), the fibrous material used to make paper * Molded pulp, a packaging material * ...

'' which followed in 1972. Klinger was the executive producer of the ''Confessions'' series of sex comedies (''

Window Cleaner Window cleaning, or window washing, is the exterior cleaning of architectural glass used for structural, lighting, or decorative purposes. It can be done manually, using a variety of tools for cleaning and access. Technology is also employed and ...

''/'' Pop Performer''/'' Driving Instructor''/'' Holiday Camp'') during the period 1974-78. He continued with big budget action films, such as ''

'' (1974) and '' Shout at the Devil'' (1976), both starring

and with Lee Marvin in the later. The two films were based on novels by Wilbur Smith, and aimed an international market.Andrew Spice
"The Creative Producer – The Michael Klinger Papers"
He died in Watford. His son, Tony Klinger, has had a career in the film and television industry.

Filmography

Produced by Michael Klinger and Tony Tenser *''

'' (documentary, uncredited executive producer, 1961) *'' That Kind of Girl'' (executive producer, 1963) * '' The Yellow Teddy Bears'' (US: ''Gutter Girls'', 1963) * ''

London in the Raw ''London in the Raw'' is a 1964 British documentary about London nightlife.John Hamilton, ''Beasts in the Cellar: The Exploitation Film Career of Tony Tenser'', Fab Press, 2005 p 40-41 It was inspired by the success of '' Mondo Cane''.Simon Sheri ...

'' (documentary, 1964) * ''

The Black Torment ''The Black Torment'' (a.k.a. ''Estate of Insanity'') is a 1964 British gothic horror film directed by Robert Hartford-Davis and starring John Turner, Heather Sears and Ann Lynn. The film is set in 18th-century Devon and was scripted by broth ...

'' (1964) * ''

Saturday Night Out ''Saturday Night Out'' is a 1964 British comedy-drama film directed by Robert Hartford-Davis and starring Heather Sears, John Bonney, Bernard Lee, Erika Remberg, Francesca Annis, Margaret Nolan and David Lodge. The screenplay concerns a trio of ...

'' (1964) * ''

Primitive London ''London in the Raw'' is a 1964 British documentary about London nightlife.John Hamilton, ''Beasts in the Cellar: The Exploitation Film Career of Tony Tenser'', Fab Press, 2005 p 40-41 It was inspired by the success of ''Mondo Cane''.Simon Sherid ...

'' (documentary, 1965) * ''

A Study in Terror ''A Study in Terror'' is a 1965 British thriller film directed by James Hill and starring John Neville as Sherlock Holmes and Donald Houston as Dr. Watson. It was filmed at Shepperton Studios, London, with some location work at Osterley Hou ...

'' (executive producer, 1965) *'' Repulsion'' (executive producer, 1965) * ''

The Projected Man ''The Projected Man'' is a 1966 British science fiction film directed by Ian Curteis, written by Peter Bryan, John C. Cooper, and Frank Quattrocchi, and starring Bryant Haliday, Mary Peach, Norman Wooland, Ronald Allen, and Derek Farr. It was r ...

'' (executive producer, 1966) *''

'' (1966) *''

'' (executive producer, 1966) Produced by Michael Klinger * '' The Pleasure Girls'' (1965) *'' Muhair'' (1967) * ''

The Penthouse Penthouse most often refers to: *Penthouse apartment, a special apartment on the top floor of a building *Penthouse (magazine), ''Penthouse'' (magazine), a British-founded men's magazine *Mechanical penthouse, a floor, typically located directly u ...

'' (executive producer, 1967) * '' Baby Love'' (executive producer, 1968) *'' The London That Nobody Knows'' (1969) *'' Get Carter'' (1971) * ''

Something to Hide ''Something to Hide'' (in the U.S. also reissued as ''Shattered''), is a 1972 British thriller film, written and directed by Alastair Reid, based on a 1963 novel by Nicholas Monsarrat. The film stars Peter Finch, Shelley Winters, Colin Blakely ...

'' (US: ''Shattered'', 1972) *''

'' (1972) *'' Barcelona Kill'' (executive producer, 1973) *''

Confessions of a Window Cleaner ''Confessions of a Window Cleaner'' is a 1974 British sex comedy film, directed by Val Guest.Leach, p.132 Like the other films in the ''Confessions'' series; ''Confessions of a Pop Performer'', ''Confessions of a Driving Instructor'' and ''Con ...

'' (executive producer, 1974) *''

'' (1974) *''

Rachel's Man Rachel's were an American chamber music group that formed in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1991. Former Rodan guitarist Jason Noble played music individually and referred to himself as Rachel's but then began collaborating with core members violist Chr ...

'' (1975) *'' Confessions of a Pop Performer'' (executive producer, 1975) *'' Shout at the Devil'' (1976) *''

Confessions of a Driving Instructor ''Confessions of a Driving Instructor'' is a 1976 British sex-farce film. This was the third instalment of the ''Confessions'' sequence on the erotic adventures of Timothy Lea, based on the novels published under the name by Christopher Wood. ...

'' (executive producer, 1976) *'' Confessions of a Summer Camp Councillor'' (executive producer, 1977) *''

Blood Relatives ''Blood Relatives'' (original French title: ''Les Liens de sang'') is a 1978 Canadian-French mystery film directed by Claude Chabrol from a screenplay that he and Sydney Banks adapted from the 1975 novel of the same name by Ed McBain. Set in ...

'' (executive producer, 1978) *''

Tomorrow Never Comes ''Tomorrow Never Comes'' is a 1978 British-Canadian crime film directed by Peter Collinson and starring Oliver Reed and Susan George. Plot Coming back from an extended business trip, Frank (Stephen McHattie) discovers that his girlfriend Ja ...

'' (1978) *'' Riding High'' (1981) *'' The Assassinator'' (executive producer, 1988)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Klinger, Michael 1920 births 1989 deaths English film producers English Jews 20th-century English businesspeople