Frank Cvitanovich
Encyclopedia
Frank Cvitanovich was a Canadian documentary film maker, who made much of his best work for British television.
, the son of a Yugoslavian immigrant. His father founded his own salmon fishing fleet and young Frank worked for him as an apprentice, before trying his hand as a poker player, theatre hand, film runner and professional American footballer. A severe knee injury ended his gridiron career in California, but Cvitanovich convinced the makers of Gene Autry's ‘The Singing Cowboy’ TV show that he could direct. He made a further 31 episodes in Hollywood, before moving to London in the mid-fifties and setting up his own film company. In 1970 Cvitanovich was the co-director of Festival Express
. A documentary account of a five-day Canadian rock tour, that took several influential bands across Canada by train, it was finally released with contemporary interview footage in 2003.
during the 1970s, under the enlightened reign of Director of Programmes Jeremy Isaacs
. His first film for Thames was Bunny (1972), a moving account of the treatment given to his own brain-damaged son in a Philadelphia clinic. The film won Cvitanovich an International Emmy. Frank loved sport and his very first documentary was a study of a baseball player in decline. For Thames he made films about motorcycle champion Barry Sheene
, the footballing ‘Charlton Brothers’ and ‘Saturday’s Heroes’(1976) about life behind the scenes at Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
. Other subjects included a day in the life of an East End park, and ‘The Kilnsey Show’ about a Yorkshire wall-building competition. Yorkshire was also the setting for Bonny, Beauty, Daisy, Violet, Grace and Geoffrey Morton (1974) Cvitanovich’s best loved film, and the winner of a BAFTA and several other awards.
Early years
Cvitanovich was born in VancouverVancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, the son of a Yugoslavian immigrant. His father founded his own salmon fishing fleet and young Frank worked for him as an apprentice, before trying his hand as a poker player, theatre hand, film runner and professional American footballer. A severe knee injury ended his gridiron career in California, but Cvitanovich convinced the makers of Gene Autry's ‘The Singing Cowboy’ TV show that he could direct. He made a further 31 episodes in Hollywood, before moving to London in the mid-fifties and setting up his own film company. In 1970 Cvitanovich was the co-director of Festival Express
Festival Express
Festival Express is a 2003 documentary film about the eponymous 1970 train tour across Canada taken by some of North America's most popular rock bands, including The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, The Band and Delaney & Bonnie & Friends...
. A documentary account of a five-day Canadian rock tour, that took several influential bands across Canada by train, it was finally released with contemporary interview footage in 2003.
Thames Television
Cvitanovich’s greatest work was for Thames TelevisionThames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
during the 1970s, under the enlightened reign of Director of Programmes Jeremy Isaacs
Jeremy Isaacs
Sir Jeremy Isaacs is a British television producer and executive, winner of many BAFTA awards and international Emmy Awards. He was also General Director of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden .-Early life:...
. His first film for Thames was Bunny (1972), a moving account of the treatment given to his own brain-damaged son in a Philadelphia clinic. The film won Cvitanovich an International Emmy. Frank loved sport and his very first documentary was a study of a baseball player in decline. For Thames he made films about motorcycle champion Barry Sheene
Barry Sheene
Barry Stephen Frank Sheene MBE was a British World Champion Grand Prix motorcycle road racer.-Early life:...
, the footballing ‘Charlton Brothers’ and ‘Saturday’s Heroes’(1976) about life behind the scenes at Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
. Other subjects included a day in the life of an East End park, and ‘The Kilnsey Show’ about a Yorkshire wall-building competition. Yorkshire was also the setting for Bonny, Beauty, Daisy, Violet, Grace and Geoffrey Morton (1974) Cvitanovich’s best loved film, and the winner of a BAFTA and several other awards.
Marriage & Child
Cvitanovich was married five times. His wives included TV director Midge Mackenzie (mother of his only son Bunny) and the TV presenter and journalist Janet Street Porter.External links
Frank Cvitanovich at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database
Internet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...