Tony Williams (film executive)

Tony Williams was an executive best known for his long association with the Rank Organisation, including a stint as head of production in the late 1970s. This ended when Rank decided to cease funding films altogether.[1][2]

Williams joined Rank as a trainee in the late 1960s and worked in theatre management and exhibition. He was appointed head of production for Rank in 1977. According to film writer Alexander Walker, "his enthusiasm was boundless; his knowledge of boardroom politics and organisation rivalries was narrower. Like Bryan Forbes at EMI, he now found his own company's distribution outfit was not always the most eager taker for many of the pictures he put into production".[3]

In his time at Rank the company produced eight films at a cost of £10 million, resulting in a loss of £1.6 million.[4] The films were:

Walker later wrote of Williams' slate that "they were in truth an odd lot: the overriding formula seemed to be 'something for everyone' - the predictable end result was 'nothing for anyone'."[3] He added that, "apart from Bad Timing all these Rank films were determinedly 'clean-faced'."[5]

Films he announced but did not make include:

Williams went to work for the Rank film archive, then briefly attempted a career as an independent producer.[7]

References

  1. ↑ FILM CLIPS: Harvey: Movies Back to Back KILDAY, GREEGG. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 12 Apr 1978: f8.
  2. ↑ Tony Williams Interviewed by Andrew Spicer London, 18 March 2011, Michael Klinger Papers accessed 16 April 2014
  3. 1 2 Walker p 207
  4. ↑ John Huxley. "Losses of £1.6m sound the knell for cinema production." Times [London, England] 7 June 1980: 17. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.
  5. ↑ Walker p 208
  6. ↑ KILDAY, G. (12 April 1978). FILM CLIPS. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/158462705
  7. ↑ Occupied British forces The Guardian (1959-2003) [London (UK)] 24 Apr 1982: 11.
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