Mike Hodges

For the former University of Massachusetts head football coach, see Mike Hodges (American football).

Mike Hodges
Born	Michael Tommy Hodges 29 July 1932 (1932-07-29) (age 79) Bristol, England United Kingdom
Occupation	Film director, screenwriter

Mike Hodges (born 29 July 1932, Bristol, England) is an English screenwriter, film director, playwright and novelist. His films as writer/director include Get Carter (1971), Pulp (1972), The Terminal Man (1974) and Black Rainbow (1989); as director his films include Flash Gordon (1980), Croupier (1998) and I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead (2003). His theatre plays include Soft Shoe Shuffle (1985) and Shooting Stars and Other Heavenly Pursuits (2000) which was also adapted for BBC radio. Other radio plays include King Trash (2004). His first novel, Watching The Wheels Come Off, was published in 2010 by John Blake Publishing.

Life and work

After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant and serving out his two years’ National Service on the lower deck of a Royal Navy minesweeper, Hodges managed to get a job in British television as a Teleprompter operator. This allowed him to observe the workings of the studios and time to start writing scripts. One of these was Some Will Cry Murder for ABC’s Armchair Theatre series. Although never performed it served to get him enough writing commissions to quit his job as a technician. After that he quickly gravitated to producer/director status with series like Sunday Break (ABC Television), World In Action (Granada Television), the arts programmes Tempo and New Tempo (Thames Television). Again for Thames Television he wrote, directed and produced two filmed thrillers, Rumour (1969) and Suspect (1970). These films formed the basis for the creation of Euston Films; the influential television production company that continued into the 1980s. These two films also led to his being asked to write and direct Get Carter, which along with Flash Gordon, has enjoyed cult status ever since. Interspersed with his cinema work are some interesting and critically successful television films including The Manipulators (1973), Squaring The Circle (1984; scripted by Tom Stoppard), Dandelion Dead (1993; scripted by Michael Chaplin), and The Healer (1994; scripted by GF Newman).

Selected filmography

• Rumour (1969 - for television)
• Suspect (1970 - for television)
• Get Carter (1971)
• The Manipulators (1972 - for television)
• Pulp (1972)
• The Terminal Man (1974)
• Damien: Omen II (1977 - screenplay)
• Flash Gordon (1980)
• Missing Pieces (1982 - for television)
• And The Ship Sails On (1983 - English version of Fellini's film)
• Squaring The Circle (1984 - for television)
• Florida Straits (1986 - for television)
• Morons from Outer Space (1985)
• W.G.O.D. (1985 - for television)
• A Prayer for the Dying (1987)
• Black Rainbow (1989)
• Dandelion Dead (1993 - for television)
• The Healer (1994 - for television)
• Croupier (1998)
• Murder By Numbers (2001 - documentary)
• I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (2003)

External links

• Mike Hodges at the Internet Movie Database
• Mike Hodges at AllRovi
• Interview at The Guardian
• Interview by Dan Lybarger

Persondata
Name	Hodges, Mike
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Date of birth	29 July 1932
Place of birth	Bristol, England United Kingdom
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