Timothy Burrill obit

“One of the unsung heroes of British and European cinema”: tributes paid to producer Timothy Burrill who has died aged 95

 

He was not on the list.

Tributes have been paid to veteran British producer Timothy Burrill, who died on July 23 aged 95.

Burrill’s career in the industry encompassed everything from superhero movies – he was production supervisor on the 1978 Superman starring Christopher Reeve – to numerous collaborations with Roman Polanski on films such as The Pianist, Tess and The Ghost.

An affable and patrician figure, Burrill began his career in the UK film industry as an assistant director and production manager, working on films including 1960’s On The Fiddle, one of Sean Connery’s early starring roles, and Karel Reisz’s 1964 feature Night Must Fall.

He helped to finance Oscar winner Chariots Of Fire during his time at production company Allied Stars and served as a coproducer or executive producer on several French-UK coproductions, working with such notable figures as Alain Sarde and Claude Berri and on projects ranging from Polanski’s Tess (1979) to Jean-Jacques Annaud’s The Lover (1992) and François Ozon’s Swimming Pool (2003).

Burrill was chair of Bafta between 1981 and 1983, having previously served as vice-chairman for film, and was also head of production at Pathé Pictures UK in 1997 when French major Pathé won one of the three UK government lottery franchises to produce UK films.

“Tim Burrill was unquestionably one of the unsung heroes of both British and European cinema of the 1970s and ’80s,” commented David Puttnam, producer of Chariots Of Fire. “He was a pioneer of Anglo-French coproduction and he helped steer important policy changes through successive governments but with a quiet self-effacing manner that was as effective as it was unusual.

“As production head of Allied Stars in 1980, he played a huge role in the financing of Chariots Of Fire. For that alone I will always remain massively in his debt. Tim was a total gentleman in every respect but in addition a greatly undervalued British filmmaker.”

Other former collaborators also shared tributes.

“He was the consummate gentleman producer,” said Andrea Calderwood of Potboiler Productions, who worked with Burrill at Pathé in the late 1990s and described him as “a trailblazer” in promoting the UK as a European coproduction partner.

“He was very generous to me when I came in. He was an enabler of the talent he worked with and very skilled at bringing people together,” Calderwood continued. “His internationalist outlook was striking. He was passionate about Britain’s ability to make international films and he would always be supportive of that.”

Simon Perry, the former British Screen CEO and producer of White Mischief and 1984, knew Burrill for many years. “He realised there was a business to be had in coproducing films from French producers who wanted to make films in English,” Perry recalled. “He was enormously likeable and very popular – a great collaborator and a very good production manager and line producer.”

Laurent Bouzereau, who directed the 2011 documentary Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir, which Burrill executive produced, said: “Meeting Timothy Burrill throughout my career as a documentary filmmaker was truly an honour. He was first and foremost a gentleman – and he made everything happen without ever complaining about how tough it may have been. He approached everything and everyone with a smile, humour and great respect. He was also a great raconteur of fascinating stories about the films he worked on. He was one of a kind.”

 

Producer

The Butterfly God

executive producer

Script

 

Augustów

executive producer

Pre-production

 

Playmobil: The Movie (2019)

Playmobil: The Movie

4.9

produced by

2019

 

The Engagement (2014)

The Engagement

8.3

Short

executive producer

2014

 

Jackie Stewart in Weekend of a Champion (2013)

Weekend of a Champion

7.5

executive producer

2013

 

Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir (2011)

Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir

7.1

executive producer

2011

 

Pierce Brosnan and Ewan McGregor in The Ghost Writer (2010)

The Ghost Writer

7.2

co-producer

2010

 

Marion Cotillard in La Vie En Rose (2007)

La Vie En Rose

7.5

co-producer

2007

 

Renaissance (2006)

Renaissance

6.6

co-producer

2006

 

Oliver Twist (2005)

Oliver Twist

6.8

executive producer

2005

 

Animal (2005)

Animal

4.8

co-producer

2005

 

Gérard Depardieu and Gérard Lanvin in San Antonio (2004)

San Antonio

3.5

co-producer

2004

 

Double zéro (2004)

Double zéro

4.1

co-producer

2004

 

Guy Pearce, Freddie Highmore, Kumal, and Sangha in Two Brothers (2004)

Two Brothers

7.0

co-producer

2004

 

Renegade (2004)

Renegade

5.2

co-producer (as Thimothy Burril)

2004

 

Ludivine Sagnier in Swimming Pool (2003)

Swimming Pool

6.7

co-producer

2003

 

Adrien Brody in The Pianist (2002)

The Pianist

8.5

executive producer

2002

 

Uma Thurman, Gérard Depardieu, and Tim Roth in Vatel (2000)

Vatel

6.6

co-producer

2000

 

Daniel Auteuil and Liza Walker in The Escort (1999)

The Escort

6.2

co-producer

1999

 

Sweet Killing (1993)

Sweet Killing

5.3

producer

1993

 

Emmanuelle Seigner in Bitter Moon (1992)

Bitter Moon

7.2

co-producer (uncredited)

1992

 

The Lover (1992)

The Lover

6.8

co-producer

1992

 

Ed Harris and Christopher Lambert in To Kill A Priest (1988)

To Kill A Priest

6.1

co-producer

1988

 

Pierce Brosnan and Michael Caine in The Fourth Protocol (1987)

The Fourth Protocol

6.5

producer

1987

 

Helen Slater in Supergirl: The Making of the Movie (1985)

Supergirl: The Making of the Movie

6.0

Video

executive producer

1985

 

Peter O'Toole, Helen Slater, Hart Bochner, Faye Dunaway, Mia Farrow, Peter Cook, Marc McClure, Brenda Vaccaro, and Simon Ward in Supergirl (1984)

Supergirl

4.4

produced by

1984

 

Another Time, Another Place (1983)

Another Time, Another Place

6.4

executive producer

1983

 

Kevin Kline, Angela Lansbury, Linda Ronstadt, George Rose, and Rex Smith in The Pirates of Penzance (1983)

The Pirates of Penzance

7.1

co-producer

1983

 

Brad Davis, Ben Cross, Yves Beneyton, Colin Bruce, Ian Charleson, Dennis Christopher, Patrick Doyle, Nicholas Farrell, Daniel Gerroll, Stephen Mallatratt, Alan Polonsky, Struan Rodger, Edward Wiley, Benny Young, and David John in Chariots of Fire (1981)

Chariots of Fire

7.1

producer

1981

 

Tess (1979)

Tess

7.3

co-producer

1979

 

Roger Moore in That Lucky Touch (1975)

That Lucky Touch

4.8

associate producer

1975

 

The Canterville Ghost (1974)

The Canterville Ghost

6.9

TV Movie

producer

1974

 

Albert Finney and Rachel Roberts in Alpha Beta (1974)

Alpha Beta

7.5

TV Movie

producer

1974

 

The Reprieve

10

Short

supervising producer

1972

 

Fairport Convention: Maidstone 1970

7.3

producer

1972

 

Macbeth (1971)

Macbeth

7.4

associate producer

1971

 

Three Sisters (1970)

Three Sisters

6.3

associate producer

1970

 

Colosseum and Juicy Lucy

Short

producer

1970

 

Oedipus the King (1968)

Oedipus the King

6.4

associate producer

1968

 

Privilege (1967)

Privilege

6.8

associate producer

1967

 

Production Management

Gene Hackman, Terence Stamp, Ned Beatty, Christopher Reeve, Jackie Cooper, Sarah Douglas, Jeff East, Margot Kidder, Jack O'Halloran, Valerie Perrine, and Susannah York in Superman (1978)

Superman

7.4

production supervisor: North America

1978

 

A Severed Head (1971)

A Severed Head

5.4

production manager

1971

 

The Heroes of Telemark (1965)

The Heroes of Telemark

6.5

production manager

1965

 

Peter O'Toole in Lord Jim (1965)

Lord Jim

6.7

production manager (uncredited)

1965

 

Ingrid Bergman, Shirley MacLaine, Alain Delon, Rex Harrison, George C. Scott, Omar Sharif, and Jeanne Moreau in The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964)

The Yellow Rolls-Royce

6.4

production manager

1964

 

Albert Finney and Susan Hampshire in Night Must Fall (1964)

Night Must Fall

6.5

production manager

1964

 

Tamahine (1963)

Tamahine

5.9

unit manager (uncredited)

1963

 

Charlie Drake in The Cracksman (1963)

The Cracksman

5.8

production manager

1963

 

Angela Cartwright, Rusty Hamer, Sherry Jackson, Marjorie Lord, and Danny Thomas in The Danny Thomas Show (1953)

The Danny Thomas Show

7.1

TV Series

production manager: Europe

1962–1963

8 episodes

 

Reach for Glory (1962)

Reach for Glory

7.2

unit manager

1962

 

On the Fiddle (1961)

On the Fiddle

5.7

unit manager

1961

 

Second Unit or Assistant Director

Robert Wagner and Shirley Anne Field in The War Lover (1962)

The War Lover

6.6

second assistant director (uncredited)

1962

 

Christopher Lee, Mel Ferrer, Dany Carrel, and Lucile Saint-Simon in The Hands of Orlac (1960)

The Hands of Orlac

5.6

second assistant director (uncredited)

1960

 

The Concrete Jungle (1960)

The Concrete Jungle

6.8

third assistant director (uncredited)

1960

 

Production Department

Charlton Heston, Raquel Welch, Ernest Borgnine, Rex Harrison, Oliver Reed, George C. Scott, David Hemmings, and Mark Lester in Crossed Swords (1977)

Crossed Swords

6.3

production administrator: UK (uncredited)

1977

 

Let My People Go

6.8

Short

production assistant

1961

 

Camera and Electrical Department

The Reprieve

10

Short

grips

1972

 

Thanks

The Making of the Heroes of Telemark

Video

special thanks

2024

 

Amanda Kozlo in Girls for Sale (2016)

Girls for Sale

4.2

special thanks

2016

 

It's a Happy Movie: The Children's Making-of (2006)

It's a Happy Movie: The Children's Making-of

8.9

Video

thanks

2006

 

Twist by Polanski (2006)

Twist by Polanski

5.3

Video

special thanks

2006

 

Hollow Reed (1996)

Hollow Reed

7.2

with special thanks to

1996

 

Brad Davis, Ben Cross, Yves Beneyton, Colin Bruce, Ian Charleson, Dennis Christopher, Patrick Doyle, Nicholas Farrell, Daniel Gerroll, Stephen Mallatratt, Alan Polonsky, Struan Rodger, Edward Wiley, Benny Young, and David John in Chariots of Fire (1981)

Chariots of Fire

7.1

the producer and director wish to specifically acknowledge the help of

1981

 

Self

The Making of the Heroes of Telemark

Video

Self - production manager

2024

 

Il était une fois... (2003)

Il était une fois...

7.2

TV Mini Series

Self

2007

1 episode

 

Twist by Polanski (2006)

Twist by Polanski

5.3

Video

Self

2006

 

Nastassja Kinski in 'Tess': From Novel to Screen (2004)

'Tess': From Novel to Screen

6.3

Video

Self

2004

 

Nastassja Kinski in 'Tess': The Experience (2004)

'Tess': The Experience

6.2

Video

Self

2004

 

Nastassja Kinski in Filming 'Tess' (2004)

Filming 'Tess'

6.7

Video

Self

2004

 

The 35th Bafta Awards

TV Special

Self - Presenter

1982