Alvin Rakoff

Alvin Rakoff is a Canadian film and television director who has spent the bulk of his career in England and directed more than 100 high profile television plays, as well as a dozen feature films and numerous stage productions. Among other awards, he is twice winner of the International Emmy Award, for A Voyage Round My Father, starring Laurence Olivier, and Call Me Daddy, starring Donald Pleasence. In an outstanding career of many highlights, his production of Requiem For A Heavyweight lifted an unknown actor, Sean Connery, from the ranks of walk-ons and gave Connery his first leading role. Also in this production was a young Michael Caine. When BBC2 first broadcast he was asked to direct plays filling the first three Sunday night drama slots (The Seekers). His production of The Adventures Of Don Quixote (Rex Harrison, Frank Finlay) achieved worldwide acclaim. In his Romeo & Juliet he gave an unknown actor his first professional role: the actor was Alan Rickman. In 1997 he produced/directed the award-winning A Dance To The Music Of Time (John Gielgud, Simon Russel Beale, Miranda Richardson). His films include On Friday At Eleven (Rod Steiger); Say Hello To Yesterday, writer/director (Jean Simmons); City On Fire, (Henry Fonda, Ava Gardner) etc. He has written two novels, " & Gillian", was translated into ten languages, " Baldwin Street," based on early days in his parent's shop in Toronto, was published in 2008.