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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 for directing music videos for performers including David Bowie, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and Blondie.

Television Career

Dorfman directed and produced Top of the Pops from its inception in 1964 to 1970, and continued for five years thereafter as executive producer. By 1970, Top of the Pops had an impressive weekly viewership of 12,500,000 people and had become one of the BBC's highest-rated shows, solidifying its status as the premier platform for artists launching new records at the time, and Dorfman's role in shaping its success solidified his position as one of two of the most influential figures in the pop music industry.

In 1968, while still directing and producing Top of the Pops, Dorfman embarked on a new endeavor as the creator of the BBC television series In Concert, produced by Dick Clark Productions, which Dorfman directed and produced until 1974. The first In Concert 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, James Taylor, Elton John, Laura Nyro, Al Green, Glen Campbell, Mary Travers, The Carpenters, John Williams, The Eagles, The Kinks, Buddy Rich, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, John Denver, Donovan, and many others. In total, Stanley directed over 200 episodes as director of the In Concert series.

In 1967, Dorfman directed and produced the groundbreaking BBC television show Julie Felix, which was the first color television show to be dedicated solely to a female performer. The show showcased Julie Felix's musical prowess, encompassing folk, folk jazz, folk pop, protest songs, and occasionally poetry. Her performances were accompanied by a variety of guest artists, including renowned and emerging talent of the era such as Roy Kinnear, Manfred Mann, The Bee Gees. Spike Milligan, Patrick Wymar, Los Paraguayos and Josh White.

In 1968, Dorfman directed and produced the unscripted BBC television series, Happening for Lulu. The show, hosted by the Scottish singer Lulu, who had been chosen to represent Britain in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest, was filmed weekly in front of a live studio audience of approximately 100 people. Happening for Lulu originally aired from 1965 to 1966, captivating viewers with its vibrant blend of music, comedy, and entertainment. Each episode featured guest performances by esteemed musicians and bands of the era, alongside comedic sketches and lively dance numbers.

In 1970, after folk singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry made a guest appearance on an episode of In Concert, Dorfman went on to direct and produce the highly acclaimed BBC series titled "Bobbie Gentry" from 1968 to 1971, making Gentry the first female songwriter to front a TV series on the network. The Bobbie Gentry show, featuring musicians from the Mississippi countryside, garnered widespread recognition and was syndicated globally.

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.

Early life

Dorfman was born in Johannesburg, South Africa where he spent his early years putting on concerts for his jazz musician friends and ignored the racist, segregation laws, which was unheard of in the 1950s. This progressive approach drew the attention of the police, who started targeting individuals from the audience. Consequently, Stanley began facing raids by law enforcement. It was during this time that a lawyer friend, affiliated with the Congress party and having close ties to Mandela, advised Stanley to leave the country due to the The General Law Amendment Act, commonly known as the 90-Day Detention Law. This 90-Day Detention Law, allowed a South African police officer to detain a person suspected of a politically motivated crime for up to 90 days without access to a lawyer, after which the process could be repeated indefinitely. After receiving a tip that the authorities were hunting him, Dorfman escaped political persecution by immediately moving to Europe. He 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.

Personal life

Dorfman has been in a long-term relationship with actress and model Barbara Flood for over forty years.

Dorfman and Flood were featured by Nowness in the documentary Barbara and Stanley: A Modern Romance, by New York-based director Rachel Fleit.

Dorfman is currently based in Los Angeles.

Filmography

Television

Music Videos

References

1. Riefe, Jordan (11 February 2016). "Music Video Pioneer Stanley Dorfman Recalls Bowie, Sinatra and Lennon". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
2. ^ Stanley Dorfman, The Huffington Post.
3. Stanley Dorfman, The Huffington Post.
4. "Launching pad for new discs". The Daily Mail. 28 February 1970. p. 6. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
5. "Pop's top pair". Grimsby Telegraph. 27 February 1970. p. 5. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
6. In Concert (Music), Oscar Peterson, Richie Havens, Tony Joe White, British Broadcasting Corporation, 9 October 1970, retrieved 3 June 2023{{citation}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
7. In Concert (Music), Seals & Crofts, Earth Wind & Fire, Chuck Berry, ABC Television Center, 24 November 1972, retrieved 3 June 2023{{citation}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
8. "Julie first girl in color". The Evening Post. 9 December 1967. p. 4. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
9. Happening for Lulu (TV Series 1968– ) - IMDb, retrieved 3 June 2023
10. "A return of "The Card"". Staffordshire Weekly Sentinel. 27 December 1968. p. 5. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
11. "Stanley Dorfman". IMDb. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
12. Dorfman, Stanley (30 October 1970), Bobbie Gentry, In Concert, Bobbie Gentry, Barbara Moore, retrieved 3 June 2023
13. "Bobbie Gentry, dark-eyes folk singer from Mississippi, starts her series for the BBC". The Birmingham Evening Mail. 13 July 1968. p. 6. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
14. "Biography – Bobbie Gentry". Retrieved 3 June 2023.
15. "The Lodge". THE LODGE. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
16. ^ "Stanley Dorfman". IMDb. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
17. David Bowie - Be My Wife (40th Anniversary) [Vinyl Single] | findersrecords, retrieved 2 June 2023
18. ^ Haben, Amy. "STANLEY DORFMAN: TOP OF THE POPS AND BEYOND". Retrieved 3 June 2023.
19. "Stanley Dorfman: Now and Then". Artsy. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
20. Mathis, Camilla (23 March 2017). "Barbara and Stanley: A Modern Romance, The extraordinary story of a long-term bicoastal relationship". Nowness. Retrieved 2 June 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
21. Fleit, Rachel (24 March 2017), Barbara & Stanley: A Modern Romance (Documentary, Short), retrieved 3 June 2023
22. "Top of the Pops (TV Series)". IMDb. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
23. "Dusty". IMDb. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
24. "Bobbie Gentry (TV Series)". IMDb. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
25. "Frank Sinatra: In Concert at the Royal Festival Hall (TV Special)". IMDb. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
26. "In Concert (TV Series)". IMDb. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
27. "Giselle (TV Special)". IMDb. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
28. "Woodstock '94". IMDb. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
29. "Ringo Starr: Only You (and You Alone)". IMDb. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
30. "David Bowie, Stanley Dorfman. Heroes. 1977 | MoMA". The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
31. "David Bowie: Heroes". IMDb. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
32. "David Bowie: Be My Wife". IMDb. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
33. "John Lennon: Grow Old with Me". IMDb. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
34. "Harry Nilsson: Loneliness". IMDb. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
35. "Jefferson Starship: Can't Find Love". IMDb. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
36. "Blondie: Heart of Glass". IMDb. Retrieved 4 June 2023.

External links

• Stanley Dorfman filmography
• Stanley Dorfman at IMDb

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