Raised in Bristol

Served in the Royal Navy

Hired to work as a telepromter writer

Began writing scripts on a freelance basis

Sold teleplay "Some Will Cry Murder"; concentrated on writing full-time

Worked as an editor on the religious TV series "The Sunday Break"

Became a producer and director for "The World in Action" for Granada television

Was producer of the arts program "Tempo", overseeing televised profiles of Jacques Tati, Jean-Luc Godard and Orson Welles, among others

Hired to write, direct and produce "Suspect" and "Rumour" (both for Thames Television)

Feature film directorial debut, "Get Carter", starring Michael Caine; also scripted

Reteamed with Caine as writer and director of "Pulp", with Caine playing an author hired to ghostwrite the autobiography of a Hollywood star (played by Mickey Rooney)

Producing debut with "The Terminal Man", starring George Segal; also wrote and directed

Scripted "Damien - Omen II", the sequel to the hit thriller about the devil born as human

Helmed the campy "Flash Gordon", adapted from the comic books and the 1940s movie serials

Directed the British TV-movie "Squaring the Circle", a drama about the Solidarity movement in Poland written by Tom Stoppard; released theatrically in the USA

Oversaw the English-language version of Fellini's "And the Ship Sailed On"

Helmed the CBS TV-movie "Missing Pieces", starring Elizabeth Montgomery as a reporter tracking her husband's murderers

Directed the thriller "A Prayer for the Dying"; was dissatified with studio version and sought to have his name removed from the credits

Last film for close to a decade, "Black Rainbow", a drama about a phony medium who actually "sees" a murder before it is committed

Helmed the two-part TV drama "Dandelion Dead" (aired in USA on PBS' "Masterpiece Theatre"

Returned to feature filmmaking with the character-driven "Croupier", starring Clive Owen