Gavrik Losey Papers

Business papers and production materials relating his films, notably Agatha (1979) and Babylon (1980). Includes working papers, 200+ film scripts and screenplays for made and unmade films, assorted photographs and negatives, financial papers, memorabilia and some Losey family papers, film reels, 20th c.

Gavrik Losey (1938- ), film producer, was born in New York in 1938 and is the son of the film director Joseph Losey (1909-1984). He was brought up in Hollywood until his father was forced to flee the USA in order to avoid testifying before the House Un-American Committee in 1951. He came to Europe in 1956, attending University College London and then entering the film industry as a full-time professional in 1959.

Intending to work in production and producing, Losey trained initially as a film editor, film camera assistant and television cameraman in order to obtain practical experience of the creative side of the industry. He also became involved in assistant directing. By the mid 1960s, he had broken into production management, and worked on more than twenty films in this capacity, including Thirty is a dangerous age, Cynthia and Robbery. He also became the in-house production supervisor for Tony Richardson's Woodfall films and worked on the Beatles' film Magical Mystery Tour. In the late 1970s, he joined VPS/Goodtimes Films as Associate Producer/Producer before turning freelance. His freelance films of this period include Little Malcolm (awarded the Silver Bear at the Berlin Festival), Agatha, Babylon, Dance Craze and The Disappearance.

During the 1980s, Losey was Deputy Managing Director in charge of production at the Legion multi-media group of companies, which made films, records, TV commercials and produced graphic design. He became involved in developing a number of tax structure for projects in Ireland and gained a working knowledge in European/Irish tax deals for film finance. He also structured a European-Australian collaboration with the Australian Film Commission to make a mini-series on the life of opera singer Joan Sutherland. During this period he also produced Living Apart Together, the BBC documentary The Foreign Legion, and A Child from the South.

From 1992, Losey became Project and Production Consultant for Miran Films (UK and Germany), a company specialising in funding the development of film projects. Projects developed by the Company included Last Waltz in Vienna, Diamond Dance, Yesterday's Child and the TV series The Masques of Daphne du Maurier; a mystery series based on the collected short stories of the author. From 1996-1999, Losey then worked for Bell Tower Productions Inc. (Germany/USA). Since 1999, Losey has acted as a freelance production advisor, surveying and budgeting various films such as Cry on the Wind, The '400' and The Populist.

Losey has lectured at the London Film School, and on the QEII. He has given seminars on budgeting and production scheduling for Dr Tim Hammond, the Bath Media College, and at HTV in Bristol. He has been involved with the Open University and contributes to teaching on the University of Bristol's MA in Film and Television Production. He is an Honorary Follow of the University of Exeter.

Retained in the order in which the collection was received on accession.

Usual BDC and EUL arrangements apply.

Biographical information contributed by Losey.

Not currently listed.

This collection contains some film reels. Please contact Bill Douglas Centre well in advance if you wish to access these reels.

Description compiled by Charlotte Berry, Archivist, 25 April 2005, and encoded into EAD 6 June 2005.

Usual BDC and EUL restrictions apply.

Donated to the Bill Douglas Centre in 2003 at the suggestion of Dr Duncan Petrie, then Director of the BDC.

None known.

It is not known whether this collection has formed the basis for publication.