The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Renowned movie director Sir Alan Parker, aged 76
Director Sir Alan Parker, whose work included Bugsy Malone and Midnight Express, has died aged 76.
A statement from a spokeswoman, sent on behalf of the family, said Sir Alan died yesterday morning.
His career included films such as Fame, Evita and The Commitments – and his works won a total of 19 Baftas, 10 Golden Globes and 10 Oscars.
Sir Alan was born in Islington, London, on February 14 1944 and began his career in advertising as a copywriter.
He graduated to writing and directing commercials, and in 1974 moved into long form drama when he directed the BBC film, The Evacuees, written by Jack Rosenthal.
Sir Alan wrote and directed his first feature film, Bugsy Malone, in 1975 – a musical pastiche of Hollywood gangster films of the 1930s with a cast of children.
Parker’s second film, 1977’s Midnight Express, won two Oscars, six Golden Globes and four Baftas.
In 1981, he directed Pink Floyd – The Wall, the feature film adaptation of the band’s successful rock album, which became a cult classic among music fans.
In November 1995, he was made a CBE for services to the British film industry and he received his knighthood in 2002.
Sir Alan received the Bafta Academy Fellowship Award, the body’s highest honour, in 2013.
Sir Sean Connery, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Olivier, Vanessa Redgrave, Sir Christopher Lee, Martin Scorsese and Mike Leigh have been awarded the fellowship.
In 2018, Parker donated his significant private collection of scripts and working papers to the BFI National Archive.
He is survived by his wife Lisa Moran-Parker, his children Lucy, Alexander, Jake, Nathan and Henry, and seven grandchildren.