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Kenneth Harper | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1913 Kinver, South Staffordshire, England |
| Died | 1998 (aged 84–85) Banbury, Oxfordshire, England |
| Occupation | Film producer |
| Years active | 1954–1973 |
Kenneth Harper (1913–1998) was an English film producer. He produced 13 films between 1954 and 1973. He was a member of the jury at the 21st Berlin International Film Festival.[1]
He produced the first films of Peter Yates and Ken Russell and four films starring Cliff Richard. In a 1964 interview he said he found producing "fascinating - finding the story, the director and the cast: mixing people, you know? It's like being a chef in the kitchen."[2]
Harper's first credit as producer was a Dirk Bogarde comedy, For Better, for Worse (1954) directed by J. Lee Thompson for Associated British. Harper and Thompson reunited on Yield to the Night (1956) a drama with Diana Dors.[3][4]
Harper teamed up with George Willoughby and made Action of the Tiger (1957) at MGM, directed by Terence Young, and Passionate Summer (1958) for Rank.[5]
Harper had a big hit with The Young Ones (1961) starring Cliff Richard and directed by Sidney J. Furie. It was the second most popular film of the year at the British box-office.[6] After doing the comedy Go to Blazes (1962) he did a second film with Richard, Summer Holiday (1963), the first feature directed by Peter Yates and another hit.[7]
Harper producer Ken Russell's first film as director, but French Dressing (1964) flopped. A third film with Richard, Wonderful Life (1964) was a disappointment. So too was Two Weeks in September (1967).[8]
More popular was Prudence and the Pill (1968).[9]
His last two credits were The Virgin and the Gypsy (1970) and Take Me High (1973), the latter another film with Richard.