After working on arts programmes such as omnibus 1967 and arena 1975, he was made head of music and arts at the bbc 1985 1988, controller of bbc two 1988 1993, controller of bbc one 1993 1997, bbc director of programmes in. For decades, alan yentob was the dominant creative force at the bbc behind everything from adam curtis to strictly come dancing. Watch alan yentob looking back at cracked actor the diamond dogs channel on dailymotion. In this new special, filmmaker alan yentob combines new interviews with the 93yearold legend with interviews and bits the two of them have filmed over the past 38 years. The evening began with a showing of the documentary.
His drug woes of the time were front and center in alan yentob s 1975 cracked actor documentary for the british omnibus series, as well as pennebakers 1973 ziggy stardust. Summer 20 homepage david bowie cracked actor documentary from 1975 examining the many, often spectacular, personas of david bowie. Space oddity 1972 picture disc out in june, preorder now. David bowie repetition 97 official video tilda swinton on working with david bowie march 2020 recommended books on david bowie. Afterwards i was able to chat to alan yentob who told me that he and tony visconti were trying to locate the missing footage with the intention of creating a feature length version of cracked actor for cinema release. During its 35year history, the programme won 12 bafta awards. If the book relies mainly on yentob s views and notes, it will be highly misleading. For this talk which closes bowiefest, alan yentob joins us in conversation with artist jeremy deller about the influential bbc omnibus documentary, cracked actor, which follows an alienated bowie during the diamond dogs tour of america in 1974. The quietus film film features cracked actor hooked.
Please read entire description i really needed to free up some hard disk drive space on my computer, so im uploading all my david bowie video. David bowie cracked actor a film about david bowie 2015. Closing out cracked actor, the song might be heard as a knowing joke, the parable of the horny bisexual. It was subsequently performed on the 1974 diamond dogs tour, and was included on the david live album.
Cracked actor is an intriguing yet haunting documentary from alan yentob about david bowie in the mid1970s. About cracked actor this track, taken from the album aladdin sane is about an aging movie stars sexual encounter with a prostitute. Alan yentob s cracked actor film is forty today im just the space cadet. Mark wardels cracked actor book the biography of a documentary mark wardels cracked actor book the biography of a documentary. Alan yentobs cracked actor film is forty today david bowie. The film follows bowie during the diamond dogs tour. Arts documentary hosted by alan yentob, published by bbc broadcasted as part of bbc imagine series in 20 english narration cover information. The 1975 film, viewable below, is directed by alan yentob. Two unreleased david bowie records announced on limited vinyl. In september 1974 the bbc filmed david for a documentary as part of the omnibus series. Alan yentob documentary, which features bowie starting to crack the american market whilst at the same time morphing from a glam star into a soul singer. It was filmed in 1974 when bowie was struggling with cocaine addiction, and the documentary has become.
Alan yentob in conversation with jeremy deller 2 sep 2012 for this talk which closes bowiefest, alan yentob joins us in conversation with artist jeremy deller about the influential bbc omnibus documentary, cracked actor, which follows an alienated bowie during the diamond dogs tour of america in 1974. Cracked actor culture wikia fandom powered by wikia. I was able to chat to alan yentob who told me that he and tony visconti were trying to locate the missing footage is the exciting bit. A film about david bowie is a 1975 television documentary film about the musician david bowie, made by alan yentob for the bbcs omnibus strand. Documentary from 1975 examining the many, often spectacular, personas of.
Alan yentobs cracked actor film is 45 today david bowie. Alan yentob s cracked actor film is 45 today im just the space cadet. Documentary from 1975 examining the many, often spectacular. Saw and excellent one on leonard cohen donkeys years ago, and also on david bowie, conducted by alan yentob. Alan yentobs cracked actor film is forty today im just the space cadet. Kate bush the kate bush story 2014 bbc documentary. The film follows bowie during the diamond dogs tour of 1974. David bowie alan yentobs cracked actor film is 45 today. Forty years later its almost impossible to calculate just how important that screening was to bowiestarved fans in the uk. There is the concert footage which was used in the bbc cracked actor documentary.
Hes done a good job of making a great deal of archival material legitimately available even his infamously twitchy, sniffy 1974 interview with dick cavett but cracked actor, broadcast the following year as part of the bbcs omnibus. In 1974, the bbcs alan yentob produced cracked actor, a documentary following bowies us tour in support of the diamond dogs lp, the last of his three glam rock albums. In alan yentobs documentary, bowie sings it to no one and. The making of an icon bbc 2 documentary tv trailer 2. The programme was the successor to the longrunning artsbased series monitor. At the time he was struggling with cocaine addiction and the documentary has become notorious for showing bowies fragile mental state during this period. His talent as a producer and director emerged in the early 1970s with the david bowie documentary cracked actor.
Jan 11, 2016 his drug woes of the time were front and center in alan yentobs 1975 cracked actor documentary for the british omnibus series, as well as pennebakers 1973 ziggy stardust. Also, much more recently i watched lou reed remembered the bbc then seem to shoot themselves in the foot by not adding dvds of these documentaries to their online shop. The documentary was first broadcast on 26 january 1975 and titled. David bowie 1975 alan yentob on allmovie a documentary about the glamrock star, filmed in. Alan yentob looking back at cracked actor video dailymotion. A shortened edition of the arts series edited and presented by alan yentob. Cracked actor is notable for being a source for footage of bowies ambitious diamond dogs tour at the time he was a cocaine addict and also for showing bowies fragile mental state during this period. Cracked actor is a 53minutelong bbc television documentary film about the pop star david bowie.
The bbc informs, educates and entertains wherever you are, whatever your age. Directed by alan yentob for the bbc, cracked actor is a documentary about david bowies 1974 american tour for the album diamond dogs just as bowie was going into a period of transition away from the glam rock persona of ziggy stardust and towards his fascination with american soul music. Bbc arts supremo alan yentob comes under attack for giving tv starring roles to a group of his friends dubbed als pals critics angry that series of imagine is devoted to allmale group of friends. Filmed during bowies legendary diamond dogs tour in 1974, alan yentobs film revealed a man on. Originally made for the bbcs arts strand omnibus, this is a brilliant, mesmeric, landmark documentary, even if yentob is slightly disparaging of bowies reinvention as a soul singer. In the meantime, ive taken the obvious easy road of first working on the footage from the wonderful 1974 alan yentob bbc documentary, cracked actor. In celebration of cracked actor, the live release from david bowies infamously. Alan yentob born 11 march 1947 is a british television executive and presenter. Omnibus watch online free, omnibus full episode omnibus was an artsbased bbc television documentary series, broadcast mainly on bbc1 in the united kingdom. Feb 20, 2020 there is the concert footage which was used in the bbc cracked actor documentary. Jul 20, 2011 complete, full version of the documentary that was never released commercially.
David bowie alan yentobs cracked actor film is forty. David bowie cracked actor documentary full length part 1 of 4. Bbc arts supremo alan yentob comes under attack for giving tv. His talent as a producer and director emerged in the early 1970s with the david bowie documentary cracked actor and the star. Cracked actor captured david bowie at a fragile stage in his life. The film is a must for fans of bowie to see during this period of transition as he would move from glam to american soul music that would become the basis for his 1975 album young americans. Cracked actor is a 1975 television documentary film about the musician david bowie, made by alan yentob for the bbcs omnibus strand.
Clearly on cavetts wavelength, the bbcs alan yentob borrowed the title of a bowie song for cracked actor 1974, a documentary that portrayed the 27yearold chameleon as a boy genius. He has spent his entire career at the bbc from where he stepped down as creative director in december 2015 and served as chairman of the board of trustees for kids company from 2003 until the collapse of the charity in 2015. Around this time on the evening of sunday 26th january 1975, bowie fans were readying themselves for the 10. To mark david bowies comeback album and a new exhibition, alan yentob looks back at his legendary 1975 documentary, cracked actor. Jan 01, 2016 ahead of his twenty fifth studio album blackstar, lorna irvine looks at the bbc documentary which showed bowie at a major turning point in his career almost forty years after its creation, alan yentobs candid documentary for the beeb on david bowie still stands up beautifully, juxtaposing the disintegration of bowies health and ego as he kills off the character ziggy stardust. David bowie arena rock bbc tv, 1978 david bowie news. At the time he was a cocaine addict and the documentary has become notorious for showing bowies fragile mental state during this period. Mark wardels cracked actor book the biography of a.
Mark wardels cracked actor book the biography of a documentary. Cracked actor was originally a song from david bowies 1973 album, aladdin sane. If bowie hadnt been hobbled by mainmans excesses, he might well have elected not to release a postdiamond dogspreyoung americans live record at all, but if he had, this stunning performance from las universal amphitheater recorded in september 74 for alan yentob s cracked actor bbc documentary wouldve provided ideal. Unofficial release of the 1974 bbc, alan yentob documentary, which features bowie starting to crack the american market whilst at the same time morphing from a glam star into a soul singer.
Bbc bbc ones imagine presents two special editions this. David bowie im only dancing the soul tour 74 page 2. Filmed in 1974, and featuring the only known footage of the diamond dogs tour. The tracks were mixed by long time bowie collaborator tony visconti. Notoriously, yentob s expectations of a colourful romp through the glam subculture were confounded, and the film became a disturbing snapshot of bowies rapid descent. David bowie probably doesnt want you to see this film. David bowie bbc imagine 4 april 20 back to cracked actor. Bbc documentary showing david bowie looking back on his ziggy stardust character during his diamond dogs tour.
Jan 26, 2015 alan yentobs cracked actor film is forty today. Complete, full version of the documentary that was never released commercially. The bbc make some excellent documentaries on musicians. His relationship with his wife, angie, was beginning to falter, there was business problems looming, and he was addicted to cocaine, which caused severe physical debilitation, paranoia and emotional problems. Bbc documentary showing david bowie looking back on his ziggy stardust character during his diamond dogs. Use british english cracked actor is a 53minutelong bbc television documentary film about the rock star david bowie. Alan yentob has held many of the most prestigious positions at the bbc. Notoriously, yentobs expectations of a colourful romp through the glam subculture were confounded, and the film became a disturbing snapshot of bowies rapid descent. Alan yentob looking back at cracked actor documentary david. Alan yentob says id caught him at what was an intensely creative time, but it was also physically and emotionally grueling. Most of the concert was in the can but alan yentob said that the bbc lostdestroyed the outtakes.
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