David Puttnam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Puttnam
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Official portrait, 2020
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| Chancellor of the Open University | |
| In office 3 October 2007 – 12 March 2014 |
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| Preceded by | The Baroness Boothroyd |
| Succeeded by | The Baroness Lane-Fox of Soho |
| Chancellor of the University of Sunderland | |
| In office 1997–2007 |
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| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Steve Cram |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal |
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| In office 27 October 1997 – 27 October 2021 Life Peerage |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
David Terence Puttnam
25 February 1941 Southgate, Middlesex, England |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse |
Patricia Mary Jones
(m. 1961) |
| Children | 2 |
| Occupation | Film producer and educator |
David Terence Puttnam, also known as Lord Puttnam, is a famous British-Irish film producer, educator, and environmentalist. He was born on February 25, 1941. He is well-known for producing many successful movies.
Some of his most famous films include Chariots of Fire, which won an Academy Award for Best Picture. Other popular movies he produced are The Mission, The Killing Fields, and Midnight Express.
Lord Puttnam has received many awards for his work. In 1982, he won a BAFTA award for his great contribution to British cinema. Later, in 2006, he received the BAFTA Fellowship, which is a special award for lifetime achievement. He was also a member of the House of Lords, which is part of the UK Parliament.
Contents
David Puttnam's Early Life
David Terence Puttnam was born in Southgate, London, England. His mother, Marie Beatrix, was a housewife. His father, Leonard Arthur Puttnam, was a photographer.
David went to Minchenden Grammar School in London. Before he started making films, he worked in advertising. He spent five important years at a company called Collett Dickenson Pearce. He also worked as an agent for famous photographers like David Bailey.
Becoming a Film Producer
David Puttnam started producing films in the late 1960s. He worked with Sanford Lieberson's company, Goodtimes Enterprises.
Early Films with Sandy Lieberson
Their first movie was Melody (1971). It was based on a script by Alan Parker and became a small success. They also made documentaries like Peacemaking 1919 (1971).
Another film they produced was The Pied Piper (1972). It was directed by Jacques Demy but was not very popular. However, their next film, That'll Be the Day (1973), starring David Essex, was a big hit.
They continued to make films like the science fiction movie The Final Programme (1973). They also produced a sequel to That'll Be The Day, called Stardust (1974).
Their partnership ended after a film called Lisztomania (1975) did not do well at the box office.
Puttnam then had a big success with Bugsy Malone (1976). This was a musical directed by Alan Parker. It was the last film Puttnam made under the 'Goodtimes' name. After this, he started his own company called Enigma Films.
Enigma Films: Major Successes
With Enigma Films, Puttnam produced The Duellists (1977). This was the first film directed by Ridley Scott. He also produced Midnight Express (1978). This movie was a huge box office success.
Puttnam's next film became his most successful one yet. Chariots of Fire (1981) was a massive hit. It won the Academy Award for Best Picture, which is one of the highest honors in film.
He also started a television company called Enigma TV. They made several TV films, including P'tang, Yang, Kipperbang (1982) and Secrets (1983).
Puttnam continued to produce popular feature films. He had another success with Local Hero (1983). He also produced the highly praised films Cal (1984) and The Killing Fields (1984).
In 1986, he produced The Mission. This film won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, a very important award in the film world.
Leading Columbia Pictures
From June 1986 to September 1987, David Puttnam was the chairman and CEO of Columbia Pictures. This meant he was in charge of a major Hollywood film studio. He wanted to focus on making smaller, more thoughtful films instead of very expensive blockbusters. This idea was not popular with everyone in Hollywood.
After Columbia Pictures
After leaving Columbia, Puttnam went back to producing individual films. These included Memphis Belle (1990) and War of the Buttons (1994).
In 2015, he returned to film production to work on a movie called Don’t Trust, Don’t Fear, Don’t Beg. He stepped away from this role in 2019 to lead a special committee in the House of Lords.
Today, Puttnam holds many important positions. He is the President of the Film Distributors’ Association. He is also a UNICEF Ambassador. He teaches film studies at University College Cork.
David Puttnam's Political Work
In 1997, David Puttnam became a member of the House of Lords. This is the upper house of the UK Parliament. He was given the title Baron Puttnam. He sat with the Labour Party.
In 2002, he led a committee that looked at a new law about communications. This committee suggested changes to prevent big newspaper companies from owning British TV stations.
From 2004 to 2005, Puttnam led a group that studied how Parliament communicates with the public. Their report encouraged political parties to improve how Parliament works to make democracy stronger. In 2007, he chaired a committee on a new law about climate change.
From 2012 to 2017, Puttnam was a special trade envoy for the Prime Minister. He worked to improve trade with countries like Vietnam and Cambodia. He was also named Ireland's Digital Champion, helping to promote digital technology in Ireland.
In 2019, Lord Puttnam led a special House of Lords committee. This committee looked into how digital technologies affect democracy. In 2020, they published a report called Digital Technology & the Resurrection of Trust. The report made many suggestions to the government. These ideas aimed to stop the spread of false information and build public trust. It also said that the media has a duty to be responsible with what they publish.
In October 2021, Lord Puttnam announced that he would be retiring from the House of Lords.
Helping Education
David Puttnam has done a lot to support education. For ten years, he was the chairman of the National Film and Television School. This school helps young people learn about the film and TV industries. In 2017, he became its Life President.
He also founded Skillset, an organization that trains young people for jobs in film and television. From 2002 to 2009, he was the UK president of UNICEF, and he is still an ambassador for them.
Puttnam was the first Chancellor of the University of Sunderland from 1997 to 2007. He was also the founding chairman of the National Teaching Awards. These awards celebrate excellent teachers. From 2006 to 2017, he was the Chancellor of the Open University.
He is a patron of Schools North East, which supports schools in the North East of England. He also supports the Shakespeare Schools Foundation. This charity helps school children perform Shakespeare plays in real theatres.
In 2012, he started Atticus Education. This company gives interactive lessons about film and media to students around the world.
In 2022, Lord Puttnam received a special award from City Lit. This was for his important contributions to film and media.
Awards and Recognition
David Puttnam has received many honors throughout his career.
- In 1982, he won the BAFTA Michael Balcon Award. This was for his outstanding work in the British film industry.
- In 1983, he was made a CBE.
- In 1995, he was made a Knight Bachelor.
- In 2006, he received the BAFTA Fellowship, a top award for his lifetime achievements in film.
- He has received over 50 honorary degrees from universities in the UK and other countries.
- In 2003, he received the Royal Photographic Society's President's Medal.
- In 2007, he was given the freedom of the City of Sunderland.
- In 2017, he was elected to the Royal Irish Academy.
Overall, films produced by David Puttnam have won many major awards. These include 10 Oscars, 31 BAFTAs, and 13 Golden Globes. They have also won the Palme d'Or at Cannes.
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Other Interests
David Puttnam was the deputy chairman of Channel 4 Television from 2006 to 2012. He is also the president of the Film Distributors' Association (FDA).
He co-wrote a book called Movies and Money with Neil Watson. It was published in 2000.
In 2007, Puttnam became the chairman of Profero, a digital marketing company. He explained that his experience in marketing, entertainment, and social issues would help the company.
He also contributed a chapter to a book called For Ian Charleson: A Tribute. This book was about Ian Charleson, who starred in Puttnam's film Chariots of Fire.
Giving Back: Philanthropy
David Puttnam supports several charities. He is a patron of Camara Education, an Irish charity that helps with education. He also supports Action for ME, a charity for people with CFS/ME.
Personal Life
David Puttnam is married to Patricia ("Patsy") Jones. They got married in 1961 and have two children. Since 1998, they have lived in Skibbereen, County Cork, Ireland. In June 2022, David and Patricia announced that they had become Irish citizens.
Selected Films as Producer
- Melody (1971)
- That'll Be the Day (1973)
- Bugsy Malone (1976)
- The Duellists (1977)
- Midnight Express (1978)
- Chariots of Fire (1981)
- Local Hero (1982)
- The Killing Fields (1984)
- The Mission (1986)
- Memphis Belle (1990)
- War of the Buttons (1994)
Images for kids
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Official portrait, 2020
See also
In Spanish: David Puttnam para niños
