This is an old revision of this page, as edited by SacredLotus7 (talk | contribs) at 23:15, 2 June 2023 (removed incorrect date). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 23:15, 2 June 2023 by SacredLotus7 (talk | contribs) (removed incorrect date)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Stanley Dorfman (born 24 November 1927) is an English television director, producer, music video pioneer, and painter. He is best knowns as creator and original director and producer of the British music chart television programme Top of the Pops, made by the BBC, and Dick Clark's In Concert series, and for directing music videos for performers including David Bowie, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and Blondie.
Dorfman is currently based in Los Angeles.
Life and career
Dorfman was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. The South African-born Dorfman spent his early years putting on concerts for his jazz musician friends in his native land. He ignored the racist, segregation laws and allowed blacks and whites to mix on stage as well as in the audience, which was unheard of in the 1950s. After receiving a tip that the authorities were hunting him, Stanley escaped political persecution by immediately moving to Europe.
Dorfman studied painting and fresco at the École des Beaux-Arts and the Académie Julian in Paris. After completing his studies in Paris, he moved to St Ives in Cornwall, England where he assisted the English artist and sculptor Barbara Hepworth and became a member of the Penwith Society of Arts (also known as the St Ives School academy) where his work was exhibited with fellow abstract artists such as Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson and members of the Crypt Group such as Peter Lanyon and Sven Berlin.
Dorfman directed and produced Top of the Pops from its inception in 1964 to 1970, and continued for a few more years as executive producer. During this time, he also produced a TV variety show called A Happening For Lulu (1968-69), which featured singer and actress Lulu. Dorfman directed the BBC's In Concert series. The first episode featured Leonard Cohen, whom Stanley pursued as he was coming from Greece to the UK and arranged to perform in a show titled 'Leonard Cohen Sings Leonard Cohen.' Subsequently, Stanley directed similar shows with Randy Newman, Joni Mitchell, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Cat Stevens, Carole King, Neil Young, David Bowie, Harry Nilsson, Ravi Shankar, Bill Withers, Neil Diamond, Paul Williams, and many others. In total, Stanley created and directed over 200 episodes as director of the 'In Concert' series. After moving to the USA in 1974, Dorfman worked as a producer and director on projects such as Woodstock '94 and Woodstock '99.
In 1977, Dorfman directed David Bowie's The Berlin Trilogy, after which Bowie invited him to Paris to shoot music videos such as Heroes.
Dorfman and his long-term partner Barbara Flood was featured on Nowness in the documentary short Barbara and Stanley: A Modern Romance by New York-based director Rachel Fleit.
Filmography
Television
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 - 1974 | Top of the Pops | Creator, Director, Producer |
| 1966 - 1667 | Dusty: with Dusty Springfield | Director, Producer |
| 1968 - 1971 | Bobbie Gentry | Director, Producer |
| 1968 - 1969 | Happening For Lulu | Director, Producer |
| 1970 | Sinatra in Concert | Director |
| 1971 | The Carpenters | Director |
| 1971 | Rock Masters: Neil Young in Concert | Director, Producer |
| 1970 - 1974 | In Concert (TV Series) | Director, Producer |
| 1973 - 1978 | The Jack Jones Show | Director |
| 1984 | Eric Clapton & Friends | Director |
| 1986 | Cinemax Sessions | Director |
| 1989 | Dizzy Gillespie Live at the Royal Festival Hall | Director |
| 1993 | Bowie – The Video Collection | Director |
| 1993 | Brewhouse Jazz | Director |
| 1994 | Woodstock '94 | Director |
Music Videos
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | David Bowie: Heroes | Director |
| 1977 | David Bowie: Be My Wife | Director |
| 1984 | John Lennon: Grow Old with Me | Director |
| 2005 | Blondie: Hearts of Glass | Director |
References
- Riefe, Jordan (2016-02-11). "Music Video Pioneer Stanley Dorfman Recalls Bowie, Sinatra and Lennon". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
- ^ Stanley Dorfman, The Huffington Post.
- ^ Haben, Amy (2019-04-15). "STANLEY DORFMAN: TOP OF THE POPS AND BEYOND". PleaseKillMe. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
- "Stanley Dorfman: Now and Then". Artsy. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
- ^ "Stanley Dorfman". IMDb. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
- "The Lodge". THE LODGE. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
- David Bowie - Be My Wife (40th Anniversary) [Vinyl Single] | findersrecords, retrieved 2023-06-02
- Mathis, Camilla (March 23, 2017). "Barbara and Stanley: A Modern Romance, The extraordinary story of a long-term bicoastal relationship". Nowness. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - "David Bowie, Stanley Dorfman. Heroes. 1977 | MoMA". The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
External links
 | This article about a British film director is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |