My friend Robin Browne, who has died aged 82, was a cinematographer specialising in aerial photography and special effects. His was not a name in lights, but he consistently excelled without the razzmatazz of Hollywood. I doubt there is anyone who has seen one of his films and not marvelled at the skills and dangers involved.
He started out as a clapper boy in the late 1950s, and worked on dozens of distinguished films over the next five decades, as camera assistant, operator and as director of photography leading specialist units. A few titles give a flavour: Battle of Britain (1969); Catch 22 (1970); the television series The Adventures of Black Beauty (1972-74), on which he was camera operator for all 52 episodes; three Bond movies in the 1970s; A Bridge Too Far (1977); Krull (1983); A Passage to India (1984); The Jewel of the Nile (1985); King Kong Lives (1986); Gorillas in the Mist (1988); and Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (2009).
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He started out as a clapper boy in the late 1950s, and worked on dozens of distinguished films over the next five decades, as camera assistant, operator and as director of photography leading specialist units. A few titles give a flavour: Battle of Britain (1969); Catch 22 (1970); the television series The Adventures of Black Beauty (1972-74), on which he was camera operator for all 52 episodes; three Bond movies in the 1970s; A Bridge Too Far (1977); Krull (1983); A Passage to India (1984); The Jewel of the Nile (1985); King Kong Lives (1986); Gorillas in the Mist (1988); and Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (2009).
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- 4/14/2024
- by Michael Mansfield
- The Guardian - Film News
Veteran British actor Michael Culver, best known for portraying Captain Needa in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Major McBryde in A Passage to India, has died. He was 85. As per The Hollywood Reporter, Culver passed away on Tuesday, February 27, according to his representatives at Alliance Agents. No other details or cause of death were given. Born June 16, 1938, in London, England, Culver came from an acting family, with his father, mother, brother, and aunt all having theatrical careers. His own acting career began by performing at the Old Vic, Dundee Rep, and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He would go on to star in several recurring roles on British television, including as Squire Armstrong in The Adventures of Black Beauty (1972–74), Major Erwin Brandt in the BBC drama Secret Army (1977–78), Ralph Saroyan in The House of Eliott (1992) and Prior Robert in Cadfael (1994–98). Culver also had guest roles in The Sweeney,...
- 3/14/2024
- TV Insider
Michael Culver, the veteran British actor who portrayed the doomed Captain Needa in The Empire Strikes Back and a bigoted police inspector in David Lean’s A Passage to India, has died. He was 85.
Culver died Feb. 27, according to Alliance Agents, which represented him for the past decade. No other details were immediately available.
Culver also appeared on lots of British television over the years, from The Befrienders, Secret Army and The Adventures of Black Beauty to The Return of Sherlock Holmes, Game Set and Match, The House of Eliott and the Derek Jacobi-starring Cadfael.
In Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back (1980), directed by Irvin Kershner, Culver’s character, as captain of the Imperial Star Destroyer Avenger, loses track of the Millennium Falcon piloted by Han Solo during a pursuit.
Needa takes full responsibility and apologizes to Darth Vader, who then kills him (“Apology accepted, Captain...
Culver died Feb. 27, according to Alliance Agents, which represented him for the past decade. No other details were immediately available.
Culver also appeared on lots of British television over the years, from The Befrienders, Secret Army and The Adventures of Black Beauty to The Return of Sherlock Holmes, Game Set and Match, The House of Eliott and the Derek Jacobi-starring Cadfael.
In Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back (1980), directed by Irvin Kershner, Culver’s character, as captain of the Imperial Star Destroyer Avenger, loses track of the Millennium Falcon piloted by Han Solo during a pursuit.
Needa takes full responsibility and apologizes to Darth Vader, who then kills him (“Apology accepted, Captain...
- 3/13/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Star Wars actor Michael Culver has died at the age of 85.
According to a statement from Culver’s agency, he passed away on February 27th. No cause of death has been revealed.
“We are very sad to confirm the passing of our friend and client Michael Culver,” Alliance Agents shared in a statement also noting his “career spanning over 50 years with notable roles in Sherlock Holmes, A Passage to India, Secret Army and of course one of the most memorable death scenes in the Star Wars franchise.
Culver played a small role as Captain Needa in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. In the 1980 film, the character goes to Darth Vader to take responsibility for failing to capture the rebels. After the scene cuts, Culver is seen falling to the floor after Vader uses the Force to choke the life out of him. “Apology accepted, Captain Needa,” Vader quips.
Born in London on June 16th,...
According to a statement from Culver’s agency, he passed away on February 27th. No cause of death has been revealed.
“We are very sad to confirm the passing of our friend and client Michael Culver,” Alliance Agents shared in a statement also noting his “career spanning over 50 years with notable roles in Sherlock Holmes, A Passage to India, Secret Army and of course one of the most memorable death scenes in the Star Wars franchise.
Culver played a small role as Captain Needa in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. In the 1980 film, the character goes to Darth Vader to take responsibility for failing to capture the rebels. After the scene cuts, Culver is seen falling to the floor after Vader uses the Force to choke the life out of him. “Apology accepted, Captain Needa,” Vader quips.
Born in London on June 16th,...
- 3/13/2024
- by Eddie Fu
- Consequence - Film News
Star Wars actor Michael Culver has died aged 85.
The British actor played a small but famous role in Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back as Captain Needa, whose failure to capture the fleeing Millennium Falcon results in Darth Vader force-choking him to death aboard a Star Destroyer.
“We are very sad to confirm the passing of our friend and client Michael Culver,” said his agency, Alliance Agents, in a statement reported by several websites. The actor passed away on February 27, Alliance Agents added.
The agency noted Culver’s was “a career spanning over 50 years with notable roles in Sherlock Holmes, A Passage to India, Secret Army and of course one of the most memorable death scenes in the Star Wars franchise.”
Culver had largely stopped acting in the early 2000s to concentrate on political activism, unusually becoming more outspoken as he got older. He was a major...
The British actor played a small but famous role in Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back as Captain Needa, whose failure to capture the fleeing Millennium Falcon results in Darth Vader force-choking him to death aboard a Star Destroyer.
“We are very sad to confirm the passing of our friend and client Michael Culver,” said his agency, Alliance Agents, in a statement reported by several websites. The actor passed away on February 27, Alliance Agents added.
The agency noted Culver’s was “a career spanning over 50 years with notable roles in Sherlock Holmes, A Passage to India, Secret Army and of course one of the most memorable death scenes in the Star Wars franchise.”
Culver had largely stopped acting in the early 2000s to concentrate on political activism, unusually becoming more outspoken as he got older. He was a major...
- 3/13/2024
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
The entertainment industry received sad news this morning as it was announced that actor Michael Culver has passed away at the age of 85 after a prolonged illness. His agents released a statement confirming the news.
We are very sad to confirm the passing of our friend and client Michael Culver. A career spanning over 50 years with notable roles in ‘Sherlock Holmes,’ ‘A Passage to India,’ ‘Secret Army’ and of course one of the most memorable death scenes in the ‘Star Wars’ franchise. Michael largely gave up acting in the early 2000s to concentrate his efforts on his political activism. It’s been an honor to have represented Michael for for the last decade and to have taken him to some of the best ‘Star Wars’ events in the UK and Europe. A real highlight was taking Michael to Celebration in Chicago in 2019. He was lost for words when he saw...
We are very sad to confirm the passing of our friend and client Michael Culver. A career spanning over 50 years with notable roles in ‘Sherlock Holmes,’ ‘A Passage to India,’ ‘Secret Army’ and of course one of the most memorable death scenes in the ‘Star Wars’ franchise. Michael largely gave up acting in the early 2000s to concentrate his efforts on his political activism. It’s been an honor to have represented Michael for for the last decade and to have taken him to some of the best ‘Star Wars’ events in the UK and Europe. A real highlight was taking Michael to Celebration in Chicago in 2019. He was lost for words when he saw...
- 3/13/2024
- by Valentina Kraljik
- Fiction Horizon
The world of entertainment was shaken this morning when the news broke that actor Michael Culver has died following a long health battle at the age of 85. His agents went public with the following statement:
We are very sad to confirm the passing of our friend and client Michael Culver. A career spanning over 50 years with notable roles in ‘Sherlock Holmes,’ ‘A Passage to India,’ ‘Secret Army’ and of course one of the most memorable death scenes in the ‘Star Wars’ franchise. Michael largely gave up acting in the early 2000s to concentrate his efforts on his political activism. It’s been an honor to have represented Michael for for the last decade and to have taken him to some of the best ‘Star Wars’ events in the UK and Europe. A real highlight was taking Michael to Celebration in Chicago in 2019. He was lost for words when he saw...
We are very sad to confirm the passing of our friend and client Michael Culver. A career spanning over 50 years with notable roles in ‘Sherlock Holmes,’ ‘A Passage to India,’ ‘Secret Army’ and of course one of the most memorable death scenes in the ‘Star Wars’ franchise. Michael largely gave up acting in the early 2000s to concentrate his efforts on his political activism. It’s been an honor to have represented Michael for for the last decade and to have taken him to some of the best ‘Star Wars’ events in the UK and Europe. A real highlight was taking Michael to Celebration in Chicago in 2019. He was lost for words when he saw...
- 3/13/2024
- by Valentina Kraljik
- Comic Basics
Actor and children's television writer known for Catweazle, Robin of Sherwood and The Borrowers
Richard Carpenter, who has died of a blood clot aged 82, brought intelligent, imaginative entertainment to generations of young television viewers through the fantasy series he created. After almost two decades as an actor, he found his first success as a writer with Catweazle (1970-71), starring Geoffrey Bayldon as a dishevelled, eccentric, 11th-century magician transported to the 20th century. Comic misunderstandings were mixed with slapstick as Catweazle befriended a farmer's son, Carrot (played by Robin Davies), who unravelled for him modern-day mysteries such as "electrickery" and the "telling-bone".
In the second series, Carpenter had Catweazle searching for symbols of the 13 signs of the Magic Zodiac and being taken in by another boy, Cedric (Gary Warren), at his parents' country estate. "I've always been interested in the person who is outside society," said Carpenter in a 1990 interview with the magazine Time Screen.
Richard Carpenter, who has died of a blood clot aged 82, brought intelligent, imaginative entertainment to generations of young television viewers through the fantasy series he created. After almost two decades as an actor, he found his first success as a writer with Catweazle (1970-71), starring Geoffrey Bayldon as a dishevelled, eccentric, 11th-century magician transported to the 20th century. Comic misunderstandings were mixed with slapstick as Catweazle befriended a farmer's son, Carrot (played by Robin Davies), who unravelled for him modern-day mysteries such as "electrickery" and the "telling-bone".
In the second series, Carpenter had Catweazle searching for symbols of the 13 signs of the Magic Zodiac and being taken in by another boy, Cedric (Gary Warren), at his parents' country estate. "I've always been interested in the person who is outside society," said Carpenter in a 1990 interview with the magazine Time Screen.
- 3/5/2012
- by Anthony Hayward
- The Guardian - Film News
Screenwriter Carpenter Dies
British screenwriter Richard Carpenter has died at the age of 78.
Carpenter, best known as the creator of kids' TV series Catweazle, passed away after suffering a heart attack on Sunday.
He worked as an actor in the 1960s, before going on to write all 26 episodes of 1970s cult show Catweazle, for which he scooped a Writers Guild award for Best Children's TV Drama Script.
Carpenter went on to write the 1980s TV show Robin of Sherwood, which starred Michael Praed and then Sir Sean Connery's son Jason in the title role.
His credits also include work on The Adventures of Black Beauty, The Famous Five, The Ghosts of Motley Hall, and a TV adaptation of The Borrowers.
Carpenter was honoured with a Children's Bafta award in 2000.
Carpenter, best known as the creator of kids' TV series Catweazle, passed away after suffering a heart attack on Sunday.
He worked as an actor in the 1960s, before going on to write all 26 episodes of 1970s cult show Catweazle, for which he scooped a Writers Guild award for Best Children's TV Drama Script.
Carpenter went on to write the 1980s TV show Robin of Sherwood, which starred Michael Praed and then Sir Sean Connery's son Jason in the title role.
His credits also include work on The Adventures of Black Beauty, The Famous Five, The Ghosts of Motley Hall, and a TV adaptation of The Borrowers.
Carpenter was honoured with a Children's Bafta award in 2000.
- 3/1/2012
- WENN
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