Alan Bridges
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
After studying at RADA and abandoning a career as an actor, Alan Bridges found his calling behind the camera. During the 1960s, he became one of the most prolific and esteemed directors working in British television. In 1964, Bridges jumped to the big screen with "Act of Murder," a modest whodunit that included a love triangle among an actor, his mistress and her husband. Over the course of his career, the director brought a feel for actors and a sophisticated understanding of the English class structure to bear on finely observed dramas. Despite a limited feature output, Bridges directed what some consider as two minor masterpieces. "The Hireling" (1973), which took the Palme d'Or at Cannes and featured strong central performances by Sarah Miles (as an upper-crust woman on the verge of a breakdown) and Robert Shaw as her chauffeur, explored the social barriers between employer and employee. "The Shooting Party" (1984) offered a superbly rendered look at the changes in class structures at the end of the Edwardian era.
Filmography
Director (Feature Film)
Writer (Feature Film)
Director (Special)
Life Events
1961
Began working in British TV
1964
Directorial debut "Act of Murder"
1967
Staged Ibsen's "Ghosts" for Royal Shakespeare Co., London
1970
Directed the first British version of a teleplay by Ingmar Bergman, translated by Paul Britten Austin, "The Lie" (BBC)
1973
Breakthrough feature, "The Hireling"; won Palme d'or at Cannes
1974
Helmed the small screen remake of "Brief Encounter", co-starring Sophia Loren and Richard Burton; aired on NBC as part of "Hallmark Hall of Fame"; aired in London in 1976
1974
US TV directing debut, the "Hallmark Hall of Fame" production of "Crown Matrimonial" (NBC)
1980
Directed the Dennis Potter teleplay "Rain on the Roof" for London Weekend Television
1984
Last feature to date "The Shooting Party"
1985
Helmed the "American Playhouse" production "Displaced Person" (PBS)
Companions
