Silvio Narizzano (8 February 192726 July 2011) was a Canadian film and television director and producer, long based in the United Kingdom. He was best known for directing the acclaimed 1966 comedy-drama film Georgy Girl, which is considered a classic of the Swinging London era. He was also a prolific director of television dramas.
Over the course of his career, he won two British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Series, with two additional nominations for Best Single Drama. He was also nominated for the Golden Bear, the Palme d'Or, and a Directors Guild of America Award.
Early life and education Narizzano was born in Montreal, Quebec to Italian American parents and was educated at Bishop's University. After graduation, he worked at the Mountain Playhouse in Montreal, and before joining the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as an assistant to Norman Jewison, Arthur Hiller and Ted Kotcheff. During this time, he directed a documentary about Tyrone Guthrie.
Narizzano's cinematic influences included Richard Lester, Tony Richardson, John Schlesinger, and the French New Wave.
Career
Television Narizzano was a director on the CBC programmes Tales of Adventure and General Motors Theatre. In the mid-1950s, he and many other Canadian creatives (including Jewison and Kotcheff) moved to the United Kingdom at the recommendation of Sydney Newman, the former CBC chief-turned-head of drama for ITV. Narizzano directed episodes of ITV Play of the Week and ITV Television Playhouse. He also directed the West End plays Breakfast for One (1961, Arts Theatre) and License to Murder (1963, Vaudeville Theatre).
He directed The Glass Menagerie for Granada TV (1963), and the made-for-television films Staying On (1980, adapted from Paul Scott's novel of the same name), Young Shoulders for BBC's Play for Today (1985) from John Wain's novel, and The Body in the Library (1984, adapted from the Agatha Christie murder mystery). His Come Back, Little Sheba (1977), a television version of the play by William Inge, was broadcast as part of the anthology series Laurence Olivier Presents. In 1966, he won a BAFTA TV Award for Best Drama Series.
In 1990, Narizzano directed a pilot for a British detective series: Inspector Alleyn Mysteries based on the novels by Dame Ngaio Marsh written in the 1930s. The pilot, titled "Artists in Crime", was first aired 23 December 1990 on BBC1.
His last directing credit was a 1995 episode of Space Precinct.
Film He made his film directorial debut in 1965, with Hammer Horror's Fanatic (1965), starring Tallulah Bankhead (in her final film), Stefanie Powers, and an early role for Donald Sutherland.
Narizzano's most successful film was the comedy-drama Georgy Girl (1966), which received four Academy Award nominations as well as a BAFTA nomination for Best British Film, and was entered into the 16th Berlin International Film Festival.
In 1968, he directed his only Hollywood film Blue, a Western starring Terence Stamp and Karl Malden. He followed this with Loot, the 1970 film of Joe Orton's play of the same name, which was entered into the 1971 Cannes Film Festival. He then directed Redneck (1973); a British-Italian crime thriller starring Franco Nero and Telly Savalas, and The Sky Is Falling (1975); an off-beat Spanish folk horror film with Dennis Hopper and Carroll Baker.
His other work included the comedy-drama Why Shoot the Teacher? (1977), his only film made in his native Canada; and Demi Moore's debut film Choices (1981).
Personal life Narizzano was bisexual and was in a longtime relationship with screenwriter Win Wells.
From the 1960s, Narizzano divided his time between London and Mojácar, Spain. He suffered from recurring depression in adulthood, which worsened in the 1980s following the death of Wells in 1983. He spent time with a Buddhist retreat in southeast London and Bible study in Greenwich with a life in semi-reclusion.
Toward the end of his life, Narizzano was referred to a psychiatric unit which was part of a voluntary inpatient facility for complex depression and anxiety which provided practical and emotional support as part of St. Pancras Hospital.
Death Narizzano died in London on July 26, 2011, aged 84.
Filmography Film Year Title1965Fanatic1966Georgy Girl1968Blue1970Loot1973Redneck1975The Sky Is Falling1977Why Shoot the Teacher?1978The Class of Miss MacMichael1981Choices
Television Year Title Notes1952Tales of Adventure6 episodes1952-55General Motors Theatre8 episodes1953Playbill Episode: "The Apple"1956-64ITV Play of the Week16 episodes1956-59ITV Television Playhouse5 episodes1959DuPont Show of the MonthEpisode: "The Fallen Idol"1960On TrialEpisode: "Oscar Wilde"1961Play of the WeekEpisode: "No Exit/The Indifferent Lover"Family SolicitorEpisode: "The Meeting"1962-65Zero One5 episodes1962Saki4 episodes1963Maupassant2 episodes1964Drama 61-67Episode: "Studio '64: Better Luck Next Time"Paris 19006 episodes1965Story ParadeEpisode: "The Old Boys"The Wednesday ThrillerEpisode: "The Babysitter"1966Court MartialEpisode: "All Is a Dream to Me"Thirteen Against FateEpisode: "The Widower"1971-84Play for Today2 episodes1973Country MattersEpisode: "The Little Farm"1974BBC2 PlayhouseEpisode: "The Cafeteria"1986Mystery!Episode: "Agatha Christie's Miss Marple: The Body in the Library 1"1990-93The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries2 episodes1995Space PrecinctEpisode: "Smelter Skelter"
TV films and miniseries Year Title1958Doomsday for Dyson1963The Glass Menagerie1961Twenty-Four Hours in a Woman's Life1971Poet Game1978Come Back, Little Sheba1980Staying On1984The Body in the Library
Awards and nominations InstitutionYear CategoryWork ResultRef.Berlin International Film Festival1966Golden BearGeorgy GirlOCIC AwardBritish Academy Film Awards1967Best British FilmBritish Academy Television Awards1958Best Drama Production 1965 Best Drama Series Play of the Week , Story Parade , Paris 1900, The Wednesday Thriller 1974Best Single DramaCountry Matters 1981Staying OnCanadian Film Awards1977Best DirectorWhy Shoot the Teacher?"Who's up for what". The Globe and Mail, November 19, 1977.Cannes Film Festival1971Palme d'OrLootChicago International Film Festival1981Gold HugoChoicesDirectors Guild of America Awards1967Outstanding Directing – Feature FilmGeorgy GirlValladolid International Film Festival1967Best Film
References
Bibliography The Macmillan International Film Encyclopedia Halliwell's Who's Who in the Movies
External links