Alan Gibson

Career

Gibson was born in Canada and moved to the UK to train at the Bristol Old Vic. After working as an actor in the theatre, he began directing when BBC2 was launched. He worked on film and TV for the rest of his career.

Gibson was particularly notable in his early years for his work in horror. The films he directed include Journey to Midnight (1968), Crescendo (1970), Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972), The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973), Checkered Flag or Crash (1977), Witness for the Prosecution (1982), and A Woman Called Golda (1982) starring Ingrid Bergman. His television work includes Eh Joe (1965), The Capone Investment (1974), Churchill and the Generals (1979), and The Charmer (1987).

Gibson came up with the idea for "The Flipside of Dominick Hide" (1980), a Play for Today that he co-wrote with Jeremy Paul and directed. As a child he had overheard his family discussing a recent UFO report and thought to himself: "Since there had been sightings of flying saucers recorded throughout history, it occurred to me that they were man-made machines, time machines from the future". The two men collaborated again on its sequel Another Flip for Dominick (1982). "The Flipside of Dominick Hide" attained viewing figures of 5.3 million and a reaction index of 75, compared to an average Play for Today score of 59. The Radio Times letter editor said that "no other single new BBC TV play in 1980 attracted so much correspondence" – highlighting the public's affection for the show.

Personal life and death

Gibson lived in London with his wife Kate (d. 1997) and their daughters. He died of cancer in 1987 at the age of 49, just a few months before his last work The Charmer was broadcast.

The Canadian writer Graeme Gibson was his brother.

Awards

Churchill and the Generals was nominated for five BAFTA awards, and A Woman Called Golda won a Golden Globe and several Emmy awards.

Filmography

1987

The Charmer (TV Mini-Series) (6 episodes)

1985

Martin's Day (film)

The Best of All Time Horror Classics (Video documentary)

1984

Helen Keller: The Miracle Continues (TV Movie)

1980–1982

Play for Today (TV Series) (2 episodes)

– Another Flip for Dominick (1982)

– The Flipside of Dominick Hide (1980)

Witness for the Prosecution (TV Movie)

Tales of the Unexpected (TV Series) (10 episodes)

– The Skeleton Key (1982)

– The Absence of Emily (1982)

– Operation Safecrack (1982)

– The Way to Do It (1981)

– There's One Born Every Minute (1981)

A Woman Called Golda (TV Movie)

Hammer House of Horror (TV Series) (2 episodes)

– The Two Faces of Evil (1980)

– The Silent Scream (1980)

1979