Ted Kotcheff
Encyclopedia
Ted Kotcheff sometimes credited as William Kotcheff or William T. Kotcheff, is a Canadian film
and television
director, who is well known for his work on several high-profile British television
productions and as a director of film
s such as First Blood
.
of Bulgarian descent, the son of immigrants from the region of Macedonia. After graduating in English Literature from University College
, University of Toronto
, Kotcheff began his television career at the age of twenty-four when he joined the staff of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
, with television still very much in its infancy in the country. Kotcheff was the youngest director on the staff of the CBC, where he worked for two years on shows such as General Motors Theatre
before in 1958 leaving Canada to live and work in the United Kingdom
.
He was inspired by his compatriot Sydney Newman
, who had been the Director of Drama at the CBC and had moved to the U.K.
to take up a similar position at ABC Television
, one of the local franchise holders of the ITV
network who also produced much of the nationally networked programming for the channel. At ABC, Newman as producer of the popular Armchair Theatre
anthology drama programme, employed Kotcheff as a director of this series between 1958 and 1960.
anthology series from 1958 to 1964. During Underground
, transmitted live on 30 November 1958, Kotcheff was required to cope with one of the actors suddenly dying while between two of his scenes. More successfully, Kotcheff also directed the following year's No Trams to Lime Street
by Welsh
playwright Alun Owen
, who later went on to write The Beatles
' film A Hard Day's Night in 1964.
Kotcheff also worked in the theatre
, and in 1962 made his first feature film
, Tiara Tahiti. He went on to direct other features during the decade, including Life at the Top (1965) and Two Gentlemen Sharing (1969).
In 1971, he directed the classic Australia
n film Outback (Wake in Fright
). It won much critical acclaim in Europe, and was Australia's entry at the Cannes Film Festival
. (In 2009, Wake in Fright was re-released on DVD and Blu-ray disc in a fully restored version.) Also in 1971, Kotcheff returned to television, directing the Play for Today
production Edna, the Inebriate Woman
for the BBC
, which won him a British Academy Television Award for Best Director. In 2000, the play was voted one of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes
of the 20th century in a poll of industry professionals conducted by the British Film Institute
.
In 1972, he returned home to Canada, where he directed several films including the adaptation of his friend and one-time roommate Mordecai Richler
's novel The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz. The film won the Golden Bear
at the Berlin Film Festival
making it the first Canadian film to win an international award. He directed many other films throughout the 1970s and 80s, most in the United States, with perhaps the best-known being the Sylvester Stallone
feature First Blood
in 1982. They would range from comedies (Fun with Dick and Jane
) to dramas (Winter People
).
In the 1990s, he returned to directing for TV, working on various American series such as Red Shoe Diaries
and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
, where he acts as co-Executive Producer.
Given his Macedonian heritage, Kotcheff serves on the Board of Directors of the Macedonian Arts Council.
Director (Television):
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
director, who is well known for his work on several high-profile British television
British television
Public television broadcasting started in the United Kingdom in 1936, and now has a collection of free and subscription services over a variety of distribution media, through which there are over 480 channelsTaking the base Sky EPG TV Channels. A breakdown is impossible due to a) the number of...
productions and as a director of film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s such as First Blood
First Blood
First Blood is a 1982 action thriller film directed by Ted Kotcheff. The film stars Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo, a troubled and misunderstood Vietnam War veteran, with Sheriff Will Teasle as his nemesis and Colonel Samuel Trautman as his former commander and only ally...
.
Early life
Kotcheff was born William Theodore Kotcheff in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
of Bulgarian descent, the son of immigrants from the region of Macedonia. After graduating in English Literature from University College
University College, University of Toronto
University College is a constituent college of the University of Toronto, created in 1853 specifically as an institution of higher learning free of religious affiliation. It was the founding member of the university's modern collegiate system, and its secularism contrasted with contemporary...
, University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, Kotcheff began his television career at the age of twenty-four when he joined the staff of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
, with television still very much in its infancy in the country. Kotcheff was the youngest director on the staff of the CBC, where he worked for two years on shows such as General Motors Theatre
General Motors Theatre
General Motors Theatre was a Canadian television anthology series, which ran on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation under its various titles from 1953 until 1961. First transmitted under the sponsored title on October 5 1954, a new 60-minute drama would be presented each week...
before in 1958 leaving Canada to live and work in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
He was inspired by his compatriot Sydney Newman
Sydney Newman
Sydney Cecil Newman, OC was a Canadian film and television producer, who played a pioneering role in British television drama from the late 1950s to the late 1960s...
, who had been the Director of Drama at the CBC and had moved to the U.K.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to take up a similar position at ABC Television
Associated British Corporation
Associated British Corporation was one of a number of commercial television companies established in the United Kingdom during the 1950s by cinema chain companies in an attempt to safeguard their business by becoming involved with television which was taking away their cinema audiences.In this...
, one of the local franchise holders of the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
network who also produced much of the nationally networked programming for the channel. At ABC, Newman as producer of the popular Armchair Theatre
Armchair Theatre
Armchair Theatre is a British television drama anthology series, which ran on the ITV network from 1956 to 1974. It was originally produced by Associated British Corporation, and later by Thames Television after 1968....
anthology drama programme, employed Kotcheff as a director of this series between 1958 and 1960.
Career
Kotcheff was responsible for directing some of the best-remembered installments in the Armchair TheatreArmchair Theatre
Armchair Theatre is a British television drama anthology series, which ran on the ITV network from 1956 to 1974. It was originally produced by Associated British Corporation, and later by Thames Television after 1968....
anthology series from 1958 to 1964. During Underground
Underground (1958 TV play)
Underground was a science fiction television play presented as part of the British anthology series Armchair Theatre which was broadcast live by the ITV commercial network on 30 November 1958...
, transmitted live on 30 November 1958, Kotcheff was required to cope with one of the actors suddenly dying while between two of his scenes. More successfully, Kotcheff also directed the following year's No Trams to Lime Street
No Trams to Lime Street
No Trams to Lime Street is a 1959 British television play, written by the Welsh playwright Alun Owen for the Armchair Theatre anthology series. Produced by the Associated British Corporation for transmission on the ITV network, the play was broadcast on 18 October 1959...
by Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
playwright Alun Owen
Alun Owen
Alun Owen was a British screenwriter, predominantly active in television, but best remembered by a wider audience for writing the screenplay of The Beatles' debut feature film A Hard Day's Night ....
, who later went on to write The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' film A Hard Day's Night in 1964.
Kotcheff also worked in the theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
, and in 1962 made his first feature film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Tiara Tahiti. He went on to direct other features during the decade, including Life at the Top (1965) and Two Gentlemen Sharing (1969).
In 1971, he directed the classic Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n film Outback (Wake in Fright
Wake in Fright
Wake in Fright is a 1971 Australian film directed by Ted Kotcheff and starring Gary Bond, Donald Pleasence and Chips Rafferty. The screenplay was written by Evan Jones, based on Kenneth Cook’s 1961 novel of the same name....
). It won much critical acclaim in Europe, and was Australia's entry at the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
. (In 2009, Wake in Fright was re-released on DVD and Blu-ray disc in a fully restored version.) Also in 1971, Kotcheff returned to television, directing the Play for Today
Play for Today
Play for Today is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage plays and novels, were transmitted...
production Edna, the Inebriate Woman
Edna, the Inebriate Woman
Edna, the Inebriate Woman is a British television drama written by Jeremy Sandford which was transmitted by the BBC as part of the Play for Today series on 21 October 1971. Directed by Ted Kotcheff, Irene Shubik produced it....
for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, which won him a British Academy Television Award for Best Director. In 2000, the play was voted one of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes
100 Greatest British Television Programmes
The BFI TV 100 is a list compiled in 2000 by the British Film Institute , chosen by a poll of industry professionals, to determine what were the greatest British television programmes of any genre ever to have been screened....
of the 20th century in a poll of industry professionals conducted by the British Film Institute
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London...
.
In 1972, he returned home to Canada, where he directed several films including the adaptation of his friend and one-time roommate Mordecai Richler
Mordecai Richler
Mordecai Richler, CC was a Canadian Jewish author, screenwriter and essayist. A leading critic called him "the great shining star of his Canadian literary generation" and a pivotal figure in the country's history. His best known works are The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, Barney's Version,...
's novel The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz. The film won the Golden Bear
Golden Bear
According to legend, the Golden Bear was a large golden Ursus arctos. Members of the Ursus arctos species can reach masses of . The Grizzly Bear and the Kodiak Bear are North American subspecies of the Brown Bear....
at the Berlin Film Festival
24th Berlin International Film Festival
The 24th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from June 21 to July 2, 1974.-Jury:* Rodolfo Kuhn * Margaret Hinxmann* Pietro Bianchi* Gérard Ducaux-Rupp* Kurt Heinz* Akira Iwasaki* Arthur Knight* Manfred Purzer...
making it the first Canadian film to win an international award. He directed many other films throughout the 1970s and 80s, most in the United States, with perhaps the best-known being the Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone
Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
feature First Blood
First Blood
First Blood is a 1982 action thriller film directed by Ted Kotcheff. The film stars Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo, a troubled and misunderstood Vietnam War veteran, with Sheriff Will Teasle as his nemesis and Colonel Samuel Trautman as his former commander and only ally...
in 1982. They would range from comedies (Fun with Dick and Jane
Fun with Dick and Jane
Fun with Dick and Jane may refer to*Fun with Dick and Jane, a 1946 children's book, part of the Dick and Jane series*Fun with Dick and Jane *Fun with Dick and Jane , remake of the 1977 film...
) to dramas (Winter People
Winter People
Winter People is a 1989 romantic drama film directed by Ted Kotcheff. It stars Kurt Russell and Kelly McGillis.The film is based on the novel by John Ehle. Wayland Jackson, a widower with a young daughter, moves to a small, impoverished mountain village in North Carolina, circa 1934...
).
In the 1990s, he returned to directing for TV, working on various American series such as Red Shoe Diaries
Red Shoe Diaries
Red Shoe Diaries is an erotic drama series that aired on the American cable television network Showtime from 1992 to 1997 and distributed by Playboy Entertainment overseas...
and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
, where he acts as co-Executive Producer.
Personal life
Kotcheff now lives in Beverly Hills with his wife Laifun and two children Alexandra and Thomas. He has three children from a previous marriage to the actress Sylvia Kay: Aaron, Katrina and Joshua.Given his Macedonian heritage, Kotcheff serves on the Board of Directors of the Macedonian Arts Council.
Filmography
Director (Film):- Tiara TahitiTiara TahitiTiara Tahiti is a 1962 drama-comedy film directed by Ted Kotcheff, starring James Mason and John Mills. It is based on the novel by Geoffrey Cotterell, who also adapted it to screen together with Ivan Foxwell. It was filmed in London and Tahiti...
(1962) - Life at the TopLife at the Top (film)Life at the Top is a 1965 drama film made by Romulus Films and released by Columbia Pictures. It is a sequel to Room at the Top. It was directed by Ted Kotcheff and produced by James Woolf with William Kirby as associate producer. The screenplay was by Mordecai Richler, based on the novel Life at...
(1965) - Two Gentlemen SharingTwo Gentlemen SharingTwo Gentlemen Sharing is a 1969 British drama film directed by Ted Kotcheff, written by Evan Jones and starring Robin Phillips, Judy Geeson, Esther Anderson, Hal Frederick and Norman Rossington. A white British man is forced to confront his prejudices when the flat he advertises for sharing is...
(1969) - Wake in FrightWake in FrightWake in Fright is a 1971 Australian film directed by Ted Kotcheff and starring Gary Bond, Donald Pleasence and Chips Rafferty. The screenplay was written by Evan Jones, based on Kenneth Cook’s 1961 novel of the same name....
(1971) - The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974, The Golden Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival24th Berlin International Film FestivalThe 24th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from June 21 to July 2, 1974.-Jury:* Rodolfo Kuhn * Margaret Hinxmann* Pietro Bianchi* Gérard Ducaux-Rupp* Kurt Heinz* Akira Iwasaki* Arthur Knight* Manfred Purzer...
) - Billy Two HatsBilly Two HatsBilly Two Hats is a 1974 Western film directed by Ted Kotcheff. It stars Gregory Peck, Jack Warden and Desi Arnaz, Jr.Filmed on an Israel location, Billy Two Hats is from a script by Scottish writer Alan Sharp, the screenwriter of Rob Roy and Ulzana's Raid.-Plot:During a bank robbery in the...
(1974) - Fun with Dick and JaneFun with Dick and Jane (1977 film)Fun with Dick and Jane is a 1977 American film starring George Segal and Jane Fonda as an upper-middle-class couple who lose their jobs, fall through the cracks of society in the United States and then become high-class thieves to get back all they lost. The comedy was directed by Ted Kotcheff and...
(1977) - Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? is a 1978 comedy mystery film starring George Segal, Jacqueline Bisset, and Robert Morley. It was based on a novel entitled Someone is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe by Nan and Ivan Lyons...
(1978) - North Dallas FortyNorth Dallas Forty (film)North Dallas Forty is a 1979 dramatic film starring Nick Nolte, Mac Davis, and G. D. Spradlin. It was directed by Ted Kotcheff and based on the best selling novel by Peter Gent: the screenplay was by Kotcheff, Gent, Frank Yablans and Nancy Dowd ....
(1979) - Split ImageSplit Image (film)Split Image is a 1982 film that tells the story of an all-American college athlete who becomes involved in a youth-oriented "cult", and his family's struggle to bring him home...
(1982) - First BloodFirst BloodFirst Blood is a 1982 action thriller film directed by Ted Kotcheff. The film stars Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo, a troubled and misunderstood Vietnam War veteran, with Sheriff Will Teasle as his nemesis and Colonel Samuel Trautman as his former commander and only ally...
(1982) - Uncommon ValorUncommon ValorUncommon Valor is a 1983 action/war film written by Joe Gayton and directed by Ted Kotcheff, about a Marine officer who puts together a team to try to rescue his son, who he believes is among those still held in Laos after the Vietnam War...
(1983) - Joshua Then and NowJoshua Then and Now (film)Joshua Then and Now is a 1985 film and a TV mini-series, adapted by Mordecai Richler from his semi-autobiographical novel Joshua Then and Now. James Woods starred as the adult Joshua, Gabrielle Lazure as his wife, and Alan Arkin as Joshua's father...
(1985) - Switching ChannelsSwitching ChannelsSwitching Channels not to be confused with channel surfing is a 1988 American comedy film remake of The Front Page . It stars Kathleen Turner as Christy Colleran, Burt Reynolds as John L...
(1988) - Weekend at Bernie'sWeekend at Bernie'sWeekend at Bernie's is a 1989 American comedy film directed by Ted Kotcheff. A comedy starring Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman features the two as a couple of young insurance agency employees who discover their boss is deceased...
(1989) - Winter PeopleWinter PeopleWinter People is a 1989 romantic drama film directed by Ted Kotcheff. It stars Kurt Russell and Kelly McGillis.The film is based on the novel by John Ehle. Wayland Jackson, a widower with a young daughter, moves to a small, impoverished mountain village in North Carolina, circa 1934...
(1989) - Folks!Folks! (film)Folks! is a 1992 dark comedy film, directed by Ted Kotcheff. The movie starred Tom Selleck. The movie's tagline is: "Jon Aldrich is about to come face to face with the most terrifying force known to man.....
(1992) - The ShooterThe Shooter (1995 film)The Shooter also known as Hidden Assassin is a 1995 American action drama directed by Ted Kotcheff and starring Dolph Lundgren as a CIA agent who gets caught up in politics when he is hired to solve the assassination of a Cuban ambassador....
(1995)
Director (Television):
- Underground (1958)
- No Trams to Lime StreetNo Trams to Lime StreetNo Trams to Lime Street is a 1959 British television play, written by the Welsh playwright Alun Owen for the Armchair Theatre anthology series. Produced by the Associated British Corporation for transmission on the ITV network, the play was broadcast on 18 October 1959...
(1959) - After the Funeral (1960)
- Lena, O My Lena (1960)
- The Human Voice (1967)
- Edna, the Inebriate WomanEdna, the Inebriate WomanEdna, the Inebriate Woman is a British television drama written by Jeremy Sandford which was transmitted by the BBC as part of the Play for Today series on 21 October 1971. Directed by Ted Kotcheff, Irene Shubik produced it....
(1971) - What Are Families for? (1993)
- Red Shoe Diaries 3: Another Woman's LipstickRed Shoe DiariesRed Shoe Diaries is an erotic drama series that aired on the American cable television network Showtime from 1992 to 1997 and distributed by Playboy Entertainment overseas...
(1993) - Love on the Run (1994)
- A Family of CopsA Family of CopsA Family of Cops is a 1995 made-for-TV thriller film from Trimark Pictures, directed by Ted Kotcheff and starring Charles Bronson, Daniel Baldwin, Angela Featherstone, and Sebastian Spence. Filming locations were in these places, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA and Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
(1995) - Red Shoe Diaries 5: Weekend PassRed Shoe DiariesRed Shoe Diaries is an erotic drama series that aired on the American cable television network Showtime from 1992 to 1997 and distributed by Playboy Entertainment overseas...
(1995) - A Husband, a Wife and a Lover (1996)
- Borrowed HeartsBorrowed HeartsBorrowed Hearts is a 1997 made-for-tv Christmas film directed by Ted Kotcheff, and starring Roma Downey and Eric McCormack.- Plot :...
(1997) - Buddy Faro (1998)
- Law & OrderLaw & OrderLaw & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
: Special Victims Unit (1999) - Crime in Connecticut: The Story of Alex Kelly (1999)