Timothy Burstall AM was an English Australian film director, writer and producer, best known for hit Australian movie Alvin Purple and its sequel Alvin Rides Again.
20 Facts About Tim Burstall
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Tim Burstall was born in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, England in April 1927.
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Tim Burstall's family came to Australia in 1937 after his father took up a chair as professor of engineering at the University of Melbourne.
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Tim Burstall graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree with Honours in History from the University of Melbourne in 1946, where he resided at Queen's College.
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Tim Burstall met Betty, whom he married, at the university.
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Tim Burstall later attended the University of Sydney and the University of California, Los Angeles.
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Tim Burstall originally wanted to be a novelist and thought that if he worked in film it might be a way to move into writing.
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Tim Burstall went to work for the National Film Library with a view to getting a job at the Commonwealth Film Unit as a scriptwriter.
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Tim Burstall worked on a series of documentaries, editing and writing for the Antarctic Division.
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Tim Burstall became interested in film making after seeing 1953 French film White Mane at the Melbourne International Film Festival.
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From 1965 to 67 Tim Burstall was in the United States on a Harkness Fellowship.
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Tim Burstall studied scriptwriting with Paddy Chayefsky, directing with Martin Ritt, and acting with Lee Strasberg and the Actors Studio in New York.
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Tim Burstall then formed a new company with Pat Ryan, David Bilcock and Rob Copping, Bilock and Copping with the view to making commercials to fund features.
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Tim Burstall looked at making a film called Filth and had money to develop it, but decided to make Stork instead.
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Tim Burstall has argued that Eliza Fraser was made for an increased budget after Roadshow insisted on overseas stars; Susannah York played Eliza, and the cast included Trevor Howard.
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In 1980 Tim Burstall made a film for another company when he took over war movie Attack Force Z after Phillip Noyce had creative disagreements with the producers just before filming was due to begin.
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Tim Burstall directed episodes of series including Special Squad, Return to Eden II, The Man from Snowy River and Water Rats.
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Tim Burstall won a number of Australian Film Institute awards for his work, including best director for Stork and a best director nomination for his 1976 thriller End Play.
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Tim Burstall's final theatrical feature was an adaptation of DH Lawrence novel Kangaroo in 1986.
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Tim Burstall was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day Honours 1996.