Stephen Woolley: Difference between revisions

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==Career==

Woolley's first [[film]] as a [[Film producer|producer]] was ''[[The Company of Wolves]]'' (1984), but his career began after leaving [[Dame Alice Owen's School]] in Islington, London.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://shapersofthe80s.com/2018/05/01/2018-➤-spooky-or-what-when-two-bands-went-by-the-name-of-spandau-ballet | title=Spooky or what? When two bands went by the name of Spandau Ballet | publisher=Shapersofthe80s.com | date=1 May 2018 | accessdate=16 January 2022}}</ref> In 1976 he became an usher at the venue [[Quentin Tarantino]] described as “the coolest cinema in London”, [[The Screen On The Green|The Screen on the Green]] in [[Islington]], run by [[Romaine Hart]] ([[Order of the British Empire|OBE]]), at a time when its ushers wore hotpants.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/jan/03/romaine-hart-obituary | work=The Guardian | first=Jane | last=Giles | title=Romaine Hart obituary | date=3 January 2022}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/477663/|title=Woolley, Stephen (1956–) Biography|website=BFI Screenonline|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> He then joined the exhibition arm of film collective [http://www.contemporaryfilms.com/other/other.html The Other Cinema] in [[Charlotte Street]] in the [[West End of London]], before going on to own and run his own repertory cinema, [[Scala (club)|The Scala Cinema]], on the same premises.<ref name="Clarke"/><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/aug/05/scala-cinema-vintage-goodwood|title=Beyond B-movies: Recreating The Scala's movie mecca|last=Woolley|first=Stephen|date=2010-08-05|work=The Guardian|access-date=2019-03-18|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/477663/|title=BFI Screenonline: Woolley, Stephen (1956–) Biography|website=www.screenonline.org.uk|access-date=2019-03-18}}</ref> As part of his programming, Woolley developed Friday evenings for special events which in March and May 1980 included early live gigs by the pop group [[Spandau Ballet]], school pals from Dame Alice's, the second being filmed for [[London Weekend Television]]'s youth series ''20th-Century Box''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://shapersofthe80s.com/revolution/1980-who-was-who-in-spandaus-break-out-year/| title=Who was who in Spandau's break-out year | publisher=Shapersofthe80s.com | date=5 June 2018 | accessdate=16 January 2022}}</ref>

In 1981 under Woolley's management the Scala relocated to near [[London King's Cross railway station|King's Cross railway station]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name="huffpost" /> At the same time he established [https://www.discogs.com/label/52661-Palace-Video Palace Video] in partnership with [[Nik Powell]], in the early 1980s to distribute the types of cult cinema and international art films that had been the core of his cinema programmes.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{cite news|last1=Clarke|first1=Donald|title=How a cinema ticket-tearer teamed up with Neil Jordan and helped save an industry|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/how-a-cinema-ticket-tearer-teamed-up-with-neil-jordan-and-helped-save-an-industry-1.658666|newspaper=The Irish Times|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite news|last1=Woolley|first1=Stephen|title=Beyond B-movies: Recreating The Scala's movie mecca|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/aug/05/scala-cinema-vintage-goodwood|website=The Guardian|date=5 August 2010 |access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref><ref name=huffpost>{{cite web|title=Stephen Woolley|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-woolley/|website=[[The Huffington Post]]|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref> Palace Video titles included [[David Lynch]]'s ''[[Eraserhead]]'' (1977), [[Derek Jarman]]'s ''[[The Tempest (1979 film)|The Tempest]]'' (1979), and [[Werner Herzog]]'s ''[[Fitzcarraldo]]'' (1982).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/588228/index.html|title=BFI Screenonline: Letter to Brezhnev (1985)|website=www.screenonline.org.uk|access-date=2019-03-18}}</ref> It later grew into a theatrical distribution company, retitled [https://web.archive.org/web/20170426093221/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b96a23030 Palace Pictures], where Woolley was behind the UK releases of French cult film [[Diva (1981 film)|''Diva'' (1981)]], [[Sam Raimi]]'s ''[[The Evil Dead]]'' (1981), [[Nagisa Oshima|Nagisa Ōshima]]'s ''[[Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence]]'' (1983), [[Wim Wenders]]’ ''[[Paris, Texas (film)|Paris, Texas]]'' (1984), [[Coen brothers|the Coen brothers]]' ''[[Blood Simple]]'' (1984), [[Rob Reiner]]'s ''[[When Harry Met Sally...|When Harry Met Sally]]'' (1988) – as well as films by [[John Cassavetes]], [[John Waters]], [[Mike Leigh]], [[Ken Loach]], [[Peter Greenaway]], [[Rainer Werner Fassbinder|Fassbinder]], and [[Bernardo Bertolucci|Bertolucci]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/588228/index.html|title=BFI Screenonline: Letter to Brezhnev (1985)|website=www.screenonline.org.uk|access-date=2019-03-18}}</ref> Palace Pictures moved into film production in 1984 with its first feature ''[[The Company of Wolves]]'' – directed by [[Neil Jordan]] (the first of many films Woolley and Jordan would later make together).<ref name="express.co.uk">{{cite web|url=http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/films/400847/Box-office-success-in-Stephen-Woolley-s-undead-end-jobs|title=Box office success in Stephen Woolley's undead end jobs|last1=Fitzherbert|first1=Henry|website=Daily Express|date=19 May 2013 |access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metropolefilms.com/data/ftp/Byzantium/BYZANTIUM%20metropole%20press%20kit.pdf|title=Byzantium Metropole Press Kit|website=Metropole Films|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/may/18/cannes-film-festival-producers-guide|title=How to close a movie deal at Cannes: a producer's guide|last1=Woolley|first1=Stephen|website=The Guardian|date=17 May 2009 |access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref> Palace Pictures would eventually expand their operations, opening an office in Los Angeles by 1986.<ref>{{Cite news|date=1986-06-18|title=London's Palace Prods. Opening In L.A.; Boyle Named Director|page=7|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> Many of Palace Pictures projects were first supported by [[Channel 4]], and Woolley also helped establish many first-time directors including [[Michael Caton-Jones]] and [[Richard Stanley (director)|Richard Stanley]].<ref>{{cite web|title=VIP GUESTS & SCHOOLS|url=http://nahemi.org/eatourshorts_2006/vips.html|website=National Association for Higher Education in the Moving Image|access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref> In 1987, the company decided to set up making American-based films, starting with ''[[Shag (film)|Shag]]'', which was funded by [[Hemdale Film Corporation]] with a $4.6 million budget, as well as the first miniseries and its horror picture, which became the "firsts" for the entire Palace Pictures organization.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Adams |first=Mark |date=1987-05-20 |title=First U.S.-Based Film On Sked For Revved Up Palace Prods. |page=47 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> Woolley established an association with [[Miramax Films|Miramax]], which distributed a number of Palace films in the [[United States]], including ''[[Scandal (1989 film)|Scandal]]'' (1989), ''[[A Rage in Harlem]]'' (1991), ''[[Hardware (film)|Hardware]]'' (1990) and ''[[The Crying Game]]'' (1992).<ref>{{cite news|last1=Woolley|first1=Stephen|title=British producer Stephen Woolley says independents have a powerful friend called Harvey|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/jan/18/features.review1|newspaper=The Observer|date=18 January 2004 |access-date=13 July 2016}}</ref>

*''[[High Spirits (film)|High Spirits]]'' (1988)

*''[[Absolute Beginners (film)|Absolute Beginners]]'' (1986)

*''[[The Company of Wolves]]'' (1984) – also executive producer

*''[[The Worst of Hollywood]]'' (1983) – TV series

|title = Awards for Stephen Woolley

|list =

{{BAFTA Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award}}

}}

[[Category:British film production company founders]]

[[Category:Film directors from London]]

[[Category:English television directors]]

[[Category:English theatre directors]]

[[Category:English male stage actors]]

[[Category:English male Shakespearean actors]]