Lord Richard Attenborough has died aged 90

Warrigal

Warrigal

SF VIP
Location
Sydney, Australia
Older brother of the naturalist David Attenborough, Dickie Attenborough had a remarkable career at the BBC, and as actor, and later a producer and director of films.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-...tenborough-dies-aged-902c-bbc-reports/5693208

As a producer/director he made
The League of Gentlemen (1959)
The Angry Silence (1960)
Whistle Down the Wind (1961)
Oh! What a Lovely War (1969)
Young Winston (1972),
A Bridge Too Far (1977)
Gandhi
A Chorus Line (1985)
Cry Freedom (1987),
Chaplin (1992)
Shadowlands (1993)
Closing the Ring

I've seen and enjoyed almost all of these films.
Attenborough was a talented and dedicated entertainer and film maker.

Beyond his film career Attenborough was engaged in benevolent humanitarian work.

After 33 years of dedicated service as President of the Muscular Dystrophy campaign, Attenborough became the charity's Honorary Life President in 2004. In 2012, the charity, which leads the fight against muscle-wasting conditions in the UK, established the Richard Attenborough Fellowship Fund to honour his lifelong commitment to the charity, and to ensure the future of clinical research and training at leading UK neuromuscular centres.

Attenborough was also the patron of the United World Colleges movement, whereby he contributed to the colleges that are part of the organisation. He was a frequent visitor to the Waterford Kamhlaba United World College of Southern Africa (UWCSA). With his wife, they founded the Richard and Sheila Attenborough Visual Arts Centre. He also founded the Jane Holland Creative Centre for Learning at Waterford Kamhlaba in Swaziland in memory of his daughter who died in the tsunami on 26 December 2004.

He was a longtime advocate of education that does not judge upon colour, race, creed or religion. His attachment to Waterford was his passion for non-racial education, which were the grounds on which Waterford Kamhlaba was founded. Waterford was one of his inspirations for directing the film Cry Freedom, based on the life of Steve Biko.
He was elected to the post of Chancellor of the University of Sussex on 20 March 1998, replacing The Duke of Richmond and Gordon. He stood down as Chancellor of the university following graduation in July 2008. There now hangs a 42 inch by 46 inch portrait of him in the university's library.

A lifelong supporter of Chelsea Football Club, Attenborough served as a director of the club from 1969–1982 and between 1993 and 2008 held the honorary position of Life Vice President. On 30 November 2008 he was honoured with the title of Life President at the club's stadium, Stamford Bridge.

He was also head of the consortium Dragon International Film Studios, which was constructing a film and television studio complex in Llanilid, Wales, nicknamed "Valleywood". However, in March 2008, the project was placed into administration with debts of £15 million and the site is believed to be being considered for breaking-up with a sale of the assets.

He had a life-long ambition to make a film about his hero the political theorist and revolutionary Thomas Paine, whom he called "one of the finest men that ever lived". He said in an interview in 2006 that "I could understand him. He wrote in simple English. I found all his aspirations - the rights of women, the health service, universal education... Everything you can think of that we want is in Rights of Man or The Age of Reason or Common Sense."However, he could never secure the funding to do so. The website "A Gift for Dickie" was launched by two filmmakers from Luton in June 2008 with the aim of raising £40m in 400 days to help him make the film, but the target was not met and the money that had been raised was refunded.
Click to expand...

At 90 we can hardly say that he has gone before his time, still, he will be missed by many.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top