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David Hemmings
Photo: Dario Argento (director), Luigi Kuveiller (cinematographer), Seda Spettacoli (production), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons13

David Hemmings

English actor and director (1941–2003)

David Leslie Edward Hemmings (18 November 1941 – 3 December 2003) was an English actor, director, and producer of film and television. Originally trained as a boy soprano in operatic roles, he began appearing in films as a child actor in the 1950s.2

From Wikipedia’s article on David Hemmings (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Born Nov 18, 1941, died Dec 3, 2003.1

About

He became an icon of Swinging London for his portrayal of a trendy fashion photographer in the critically acclaimed film Blowup (1966), directed by Michelangelo Antonioni.

During the 1960s and 70s, Hemmings played both leading roles and major supporting parts in films like Camelot (1967), The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968), Barbarella (also 1968), Alfred the Great (1969), The Walking Stick (1970), Juggernaut (1974), Deep Red (1975), Islands in the Stream (1977), and The Prince and the Pauper (also 1977). In 1967, he co-founded the Hemdale Film Corporation with John Daly.

From the late 1970s on, Hemmings appeared mainly in supporting roles, and increasingly as a director. His second feature film, The 14 (1973), won the Silver Bear at the 23rd Berlin International Film Festival. He directed the cult horror film The Survivor (1981) in Australia. After moving to the United States in the 1980s, he directed episodes of television series like Magnum, P.I. and The A-Team. He continued acting in major motion pictures, notably Gladiator (2000), Spy Game (2001), and Gangs of New York (2002), until his death in 2003.

From Wikipedia’s article on David Hemmings, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2

Companies

Early life and education

  • Date not recordedGlyn School3
  • Date not recordedAlleyn's School3

David Hemmings was born in Guildford, Surrey, to a father who was a biscuit salesman, and a mother who was a homemaker.

Benjamin Britten

His education at Alleyn's School, Glyn Grammar School in Ewell and the Arts Educational Schools led him to music performance at the start of his career. He sang as a boy soprano in several works by composer Benjamin Britten, who formed a close friendship with him at this time. Most notably Hemmings created the role of Miles in Britten's chamber opera Turn of the Screw (1954). His intimate yet non-sexual relationship with Britten is described in John Bridcut's book Britten's Children (2006).

Although many commentators identified Britten's relationship with Hemmings as based on an infatuation, throughout his life Hemmings maintained categorically that Britten's conduct with him was beyond reproach at all times. Hemmings had earlier played the title role in Britten's The Little Sweep (1952), which was part of Britten's Let's Make an Opera! children's production.

Britten's interest in Hemmings ceased abruptly from the moment his voice broke, which occurred unexpectedly while he was singing the aria 'Malo' during a performance of The Turn of the Screw in 1956 in Paris. Britten was furious, waved Hemmings away, and never had any further contact with him.

From Wikipedia’s article on David Hemmings (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Career

Occupation: director, screenwriter, television actor, film director, television producer, television director, film actor, opera singer.5

Early career

Hemmings then moved on to acting in films. He made his first film appearance in the drama film The Rainbow Jacket (1954). He also appeared in Saint Joan (1957).

Hemmings had bigger roles in Five Clues to Fortune (1957), The Heart Within (1957) and No Trees in the Street (1959), directed by J. Lee Thompson. He also had roles in Men of Tomorrow (1959), In the Wake of a Stranger (1959), Sink the Bismarck! (1960) and The Wind of Change (1961).

Hemmings began to be known for playing young men, for example in The Painted Smile (1962) and Some People (1962). His first lead role was in the low budget teen musical Live It Up! (1963), then he had support roles for Michael Winner's The System (1964). After this, he starred in a sequel to Live It Up!, Be My Guest (1965) and in the same year in Two Left Feet with Michael Crawford.

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In 1967, Hemmings recorded a pop single, "Back Street Mirror" (written by Gene Clark), and a studio album, David Hemmings Happens, in Los Angeles. The album featured instrumental backing by several members of the Byrds, and was produced by Byrds' mentor Jim Dickson.

In the 1970s, he was jointly credited with former Easybeats members Harry Vanda and George Young as a co-composer of the song "Pasadena". The original 1973 recording of this song – the first Australian hit for singer John Paul Young – was produced by Simon Napier-Bell, in whose SNB Records label Hemmings was a partner at the time.

Hemmings also later provided the narration for Rick Wakeman's progressive-rock album Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1974) – an adaptation of Jules Verne's science-fiction novel A Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864) – which was recorded live.

He starred as Bertie Wooster in the short-lived Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Jeeves (1975), for which an original cast album was released.

From Wikipedia’s article on David Hemmings (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Personal life

  • BornNov 18, 1941, Guildford6
  • DiedDec 3, 2003, Bucharest7
  • CitizenshipUnited Kingdom8
  • SpouseGayle Hunnicutt 1968 to 19759
  • Children610

Hemmings was married four times: to Genista Ouvry (1960–1967), actress Gayle Hunnicutt (1968–1975), Prudence de Casembroot (1976–1997), and Lucy Williams (2002 to his death). Hemmings met Hunnicutt while he was in America promoting Blowup, by which time his marriage to Ouvry was over. At their outdoor wedding, Henry Mancini conducted an orchestra and the Mamas and the Papas performed next to a swimming pool filled with doves dyed puce. Of his marriage with Hunnicutt, Hemmings remarked, "We were the poor man's Taylor and Burton". Their marriage ended when Hunnicutt discovered Hemmings's affairs with actress Samantha Eggar (his co-star in The Walking Stick (1970)), and his secretary Prudence de Casembroot.

During his subsequent marriage to de Casembroot, Hemmings continued to have extra-marital relationships with, among others, Tessa Dahl.

Hemmings had six children altogether; he and Ouvry had a daughter, he and Hunnicutt had a son (actor Nolan Hemmings), while he and de Casembroot had three sons and a daughter.

Hemmings was an active supporter of liberal causes, and spoke at a number of meetings on behalf of the UK's Liberal Party.

From Wikipedia’s article on David Hemmings (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Sources

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