Quick Facts
Biography
Silvio Narizzano (February 8, 1927 – July 26, 2011) was a Canadian film and television director.
Life and career
Born in Montreal to a family of Italian-American background, Narizzano was educated at Bishop's University, Quebec. His cinematic influences included Richard Lester, Tony Richardson, John Schlesinger, and the French New Wave. He initially worked for the Mountain Playhouse in Montreal and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). He then emigrated to the United Kingdom, where he directed various TV series and his first film, Hammer Horror's Fanatic (1965). Narizzano's most successful film was Georgy Girl (1966), which received four Academy Award nominations as well as a BAFTA nomination for Best British Film, and was entered into the 16th Berlin International Film Festival.
His other work included a 1970 film adaptation of Joe Orton's play Loot, the comedy-drama Why Shoot the Teacher? (1977), Demi Moore's debut film Choices, and the made-for-television films Staying On (1980, adapted from Paul Scott's novel of the same name), "Young Shoulders" 1984 Play for Today for BBC from John Wain's novel and The Body in the Library (1984, adapted from the Agatha Christie murder mystery). His Come Back, Little Sheba (1977), a TV version of the play by William Inge, was broadcast as part of the anthology series Laurence Olivier Presents.
From the 1960s, Narizzano divided his time between London and Mojácar, Spain. He suffered from recurring depression in adulthood, which worsened in the 1980s following the death of a long-term friend and collaborator, the scriptwriter Win Wells.