Peter Yates

Director

About

Read More

Birth Place

Aldershot, Hampshire, GB

Born

July 24, 1929

Died

January 09, 2011

Biography

Read More

British director Peter Yates was known in the first half of his career as an action director, but later transitioned into character-driven films such as "Breaking Away" and "The Dresser." Yates made his feature directing debut in 1963 with the Cliff Richard romp "Summer Holiday," but moved on to U.K. television action fare, helming several episodes of "The Saint" and "Secret Agent," as w...

Filmography

Read More

A Separate Peace (2004)

Don Quixote (2000)

Curtain Call (1998)

The Run of the Country (1995)

Roommates (1995)

Year Of The Comet (1992)

Photos & Videos

View All

Dresser, The (1983) -- (Movie Clip) Let Them Know You're Coming

Dresser, The (1983) -- (Movie Clip) Stop That Train!

Family & Companions

Read More

Virginia Pope

Wife

Producer.

Biography

British director Peter Yates was known in the first half of his career as an action director, but later transitioned into character-driven films such as "Breaking Away" and "The Dresser." Yates made his feature directing debut in 1963 with the Cliff Richard romp "Summer Holiday," but moved on to U.K. television action fare, helming several episodes of "The Saint" and "Secret Agent," as well as "Robbery," a 1967 feature version of the "Great Train Robbery." His first Hollywood gig was the Steve McQueen classic "Bullitt," which won two Oscar nominations and was a major box office and critical hit. In the 1970s, Yates added comedy to his repertoire with Robert Redford caper flick "The Hot Rock" and Barbra Streisand screwball farce "For Pete's Sake," but the unlikely 1979 hit "Breaking Away," about a group of "townie" teen boys in an Indiana college town, one of whom is obsessed with bicycle racing, brought Yates new respect and his first Best Director Oscar nomination. Even more acclaimed was 1983's "The Dresser," a character study starring Albert Finney as a doddering actor and Tom Courtenay as the assistant trying to coax his charge through a performance of "King Lear" during the London Blitz. The movie was nominated for five Oscars, five Golden Globes, and seven BAFTA Film Awards. 2004's television movie "A Separate Peace," based on the novel by John Knowles, marked Yates' last outing as a director. He succumbed to a long illness and passed away in 2011.

Filmography

Director (Feature Film)

A Separate Peace (2004)

Don Quixote (2000)

Curtain Call (1998)

The Run of the Country (1995)

Roommates (1995)

Year Of The Comet (1992)

An Innocent Man (1989)

The House On Carroll Street (1988)

The Dresser (1983)

Eyewitness (1981)

Breaking Away (1979)

The Deep (1977)

Mother, Jugs & Speed (1976)

For Pete's Sake (1974)

The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973)

The Hot Rock (1972)

Murphy's War (1971)

John and Mary (1969)

One Way Pendulum (1965)

Summer Holiday (1963)

Immoral Charge (1962)

2d Assistant Director

A Taste of Honey (1962)

Assistant Director

The Guns of Navarone (1961)

Assistant Director

The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1961)

1st Assistant Director

Sons and Lovers (1960)

Assistant Director

A Touch of Larceny (1960)

Assistant Director

Assistant Direction (Feature Film)

The Entertainer (1960)

Assistant Director

Cast (Feature Film)

Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff (Do Not Use) (2011)

Writer (Feature Film)

The Long Day's Dying (1968)

Adapted (see note)

Producer (Feature Film)

The Run of the Country (1995)

Year Of The Comet (1992)

The House On Carroll Street (1988)

The Dresser (1983)

Eyewitness (1981)

Breaking Away (1979)

Mother, Jugs & Speed (1976)

Film Production - Unit (Feature Film)

Strangerland (2015)

Misc. Crew (Feature Film)

Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff (Do Not Use) (2011)

Cast (Special)

Steve McQueen: The E! True Hollywood Story (1998)

Life Events

1963

Film directing debut, "Summer Holiday"

1963

Began directing for TV with "The Saint" (ITV)

1967

First film as writer (also director), "Robbery"

1968

US film directing debut, "Bullitt"

1976

First film as producer (also director), "Mother, Jugs & Speed"

1979

Had success with the sleeper hit "Breaking Away," for which he received Oscar nominations as Best Picture and Best Director

1983

Earned his second Best Picture and Best Director Academy Award nominations for "The Dresser"

1985

Directed the biopic "Eleni," starring Kate Nelligan

1987

Directed "Suspect," which featured Cher as a defense attorney

1995

Produced and directed "The Run of the Country," starring Albert Finney

1999

Helmed the TNT miniseries "Don Quixote," starring John Lithgow

2004

Directed the TV adaptation of "A Separate Peace" for Showtime

Videos

Dresser, The (1983) -- (Movie Clip) Let Them Know You're Coming Backstage at a WWII era English provincial theater, as the end of Othello approaches, Norman (Tom Courtenay, the title character) rushes to support "Sir" (Albert Finney) and company through the curtain call, from the opening scenes of Peter Yates' The Dresser, 1983.

Dresser, The (1983) -- (Movie Clip) Stop That Train! Norman (Tom Courtenay, title character) leads the way as the aging Shakespearean company led by "Sir" (Albert Finney) attempts a wartime change of trains, in The Dresser, 1983, from Ronald Harwood's play and screenplay.

Dresser, The (1983) -- (Movie Clip) You Scotch-Ass Zulu Having rescued "Sir" (Albert Finney, the lead actor and manager of a WWII English Shakespearean theater company) from a senile episode, Norman (Tom Courtenay, title character) prepares him and supporting actors (Michael Gough, Lockwood West) for their performance, in Peter Yates' The Dresser, 1983.

Bullitt (1968) -- (Movie Clip) Car Chase Just the early part of the famous chase, as cop Steve McQueen (title character) in the Mustang turns the tables the hit men (John Aprea, Paul Genge) in the Dodge Charger, in a geographically incoherent San Francisco, in Bullitt, 1968.

Bullitt (1968) -- (Movie Clip) I Lost My Place Plentiful style, as San Francisco cop Steve McQueen (title character) collects commercial artist girlfriend Cathy (Jacqueline Bisset) at work, proceeding to a jazz club, now the Betelnut restaurant on Union Street, a local combo called Meridian West playing, in Peter Yates' Bullitt, 1968.

Bullitt (1968) -- (Movie Clip) He Put In A Lot Of Change Delgetti (Don Gordon) and Bullitt (Steve McQueen, title character) do the textbook good-cop/bad-cop on a hotel clerk (Al Checco) as they re-trace the steps of their mob witness, leading to a visit with San Francisco cabbie Weissberg (Robert Duvall), in Peter Yates’ Bulllitt, 1968.

Bullitt (1968) -- (Movie Clip) We're Babysitting Delivered by his plainclothes detective crew (Don Gordon, Carl Reindel), Steve McQueen (title character) at the Pacific Heights, San Francisco home of politician Chalmers (Robert Vaughn), who’s hosting a fundraiser and has an assignment, early in director Peter Yates’ Bullitt, 1968.

Breaking Away (1979) -- (Movie Clip) We Are Not Italian In the opening we met Bloomington, Indian townie Dave and buddies, here we meet his parents, Paul Dooley and Barbara Barrie, lamenting his obsession Italy, since he won a bike in a local race, Peter Yates directing from Steve Tesich’s original screenplay, in Breaking Away, 1979.

Breaking Away (1979) -- (Movie Clip) This Quarry Hole Is Mine! Bloomington, Indiana locals Moocher, Dave, Mike and Cyril (Jackie Earle Haley, Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern) at their main hangout, the quarry, since they don’t attend the college, with some resentments apparent, early in Breaking Away, 1979.

Breaking Away (1979) -- (Movie Clip) My Name Is Enrico Gimondi Non-collegiate Bloomington, Indiana bike enthusiast Dave (Dennis Christopher), who’s been enjoying acting like he’s Italian, goes all-in when he sees co-ed Katherine (Robyn Douglass) hopping on a scooter on campus, their first meeting, in Peter Yates’ sleeper hit Breaking Away, 1979.

Bullitt (1968) -- (Movie Clip) Our Man's In The Building Cop Steve McQueen (title character) alerts partner Delgetti (Don Gordon) then pursues the hit man (John Aprea), who's stalking their mob witness, shooting on location in the corridors of San Francisco General, in Bullitt, 1968.

Summer Holiday (1963) -- (Movie Clip) Seven Days To A Holiday First-time director Peter Yates shooting on location at the Aldenham bus works, Hertfordshire, with Don (Cliff Richard) and mates (Melvyn Hayes, Teddy Green, Jeremy Bulloch) leading in Seven Days To A Holiday, then a reprise of the theme, early in Summer Holiday, 1963.

Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone, The - (Original Trailer) A fading star (Vivien Leigh) hires a gigolo (Warren Beatty) in Tennessee Williams' The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1961).

Bullitt - (Original Trailer) Steve McQueen and a souped-up Mustang go roaring after the mob in San Francisco in Bullitt (1968).

For Pete's Sake - (Original Trailer) Barbra Streisand tries everything to make her husband rich in the screwball comedy For Pete's Sake (1974).

John and Mary - (Original Trailer) Two young singles (Dustin Hoffman, Mia Farrow) meet at a bar, sleep together, and spend the next day getting to know each other in John and Mary (1969).

Family

Toby Yates

Son

Editor.

Companions

Virginia Pope

Wife

Producer.

Bibliography

By using this site, you agree to our updated Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use