Michael Winner

Michael Robert Winner (30 October 1935 – 21 January 2013) was a prominent British filmmaker, writer, and media personality. Hailing from Hampstead, London, Winner rose to fame for his directorial prowess in action, thriller and black comedy genres in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. His notable works include Death Wish and its first two sequels, the World War II comedy Hannibal Brooks, the hitman thriller The Mechanic, the supernatural horror film The Sentinel, the neo-noir The Big Sleep, and the satirical comedy Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood. Winner's prowess was not confined to the silver screen, his media personality extended to him regularly appearing on television programmes and publishing a restaurant review column for The Sunday Times. In addition to this, he played a crucial role in the formation of the Police Memorial Trust.

Previously editing the university's student newspaper, Varsity, at Downing College, Cambridge, Winner paved his way into the industry by writing a newspaper column, Michael Winner's Showbiz Gossip, in the Kensington Post at the age of fourteen. Early in his career, Winner directed his first travelogue, This is Belgium and managed to earn his first on-screen feature credit for the low-budget crime film Man with a Gun. Throughout his career, Winner showed great collaboration efforts with actors Oliver Reed and Charles Bronson. He achieved success with a musical he directed, Play It Cool. His film, West 11, marked his first significant project, a tale of London drifters. In 1971, Winner began to receive recognition in Hollywood after directing his first American film, Lawman. His partnership with Charles Bronson marked the highlight of his career, birthing the film Death Wish that garnered controversy but still managed to rake in significant earnings.