Kip Gowans, Assistant Director, Producer

[theuofc]

Among his many credits, Kip Gowans was a second assistant director (uncredited) for Doctor in the House (1954) and an assistant director for The Doctor's Dilemma (1959) and Darling (1965).



Director-Producer Kip Gowans, Husband of Lee Remick, Dies 8:45 PM 3/21/2011
by Mike Barnes




He worked on John Schlesinger's "Darling," Joseph L. Mankiewicz's "Sleuth" and "Norman Jewison's "Rollerball."

Kip Gowans, a veteran assistant director who went on to produce four telefilms that starred his wife, the late Lee Remick, died March 11 in the South of France. He was 80.
The Englishman, then married to actress Valerie Gearon, met Remick in Brussels on the set of the film Hard Contract (1969); she was James Coburn's co-star, and Gowans was first assistant director. They were married from 1970 until her death from kidney and liver cancer in 1991 at age 55.


With Remick starring as a woman under pressure, Gowans produced the telefilms The Women’s Room (1980), The Letter (1982), Rearview Mirror (1984) and Of Pure Blood (1986).


As an assistant director for almost three decades, Gowans worked on such films as John Schlesinger’s Darling (1965) and Far From the Madding Crowd (1967); Anthony Harvey’s The Lion in Winter (1968); Michael Ritchie’s Downhill Racer (1969); Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s Sleuth (1972); Norman Jewison’s Rollerball (1975); Nicolas Roeg’s The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976); and Otto Preminger’s last feature as a director, The Human Factor (1979).


Born William Gowans on March 28, 1930, Gowans grew up in a London suburb, where his father, a former coal miner, worked in a munitions plant during World War II.
At 14, he left school to work at Denham Studios, where he became friends with two other movie-crazed teenagers, future stars Jean Simmonsand Anthony Newley. Gowans worked as an office boy on such classics as Great Expectations (1946), The Red Shoes (1948) and Oliver Twist (1948).


Survivors include daughters Nicola and Justine and four grandchildren.

[JamesM]

A.D., producer Kip Gowans dies at 80 - Entertainment News, Obituary, Media - Variety

A.D., producer Kip Gowans dies at 80
Produced telepics for wife Lee Remick
By Carmel Dagan
William "Kip" Gowans, an assistant director with dozens of credits and later a producer of telepics, died of natural causes March 11 outside the village of Mouans-Sartoux in the south of France. He was 80.

The English-born Gowans earned his first credit on Ken Annakin's 1952 adventure film "The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men," followed by 1954's "Doctor in the House," which was nominated for several BAFTAs including best film from any source. In 1958 he was a.d. on director Anthony Asquith's "The Doctor's Dilemma," starring Dirk Bogarde and Leslie Caron.

He was very busy in 1960 as assistant director on two films starring Peter Sellers and a Hammer horror film, "Stop Me Before I Kill," among others.

His first U.S. credit came in 1962 with an episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents."

In 1963 he was a.d. on Mark Robson's international thriller "Nine Hours to Rama" and worked with Asquith again on the high-profile drama "The V.I.P.s," starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

Gowans had hit his stride. He worked with Asquith again the next year on another all-star project, "The Yellow Rolls Royce," and did John Schlesinger's Oscar winner "Darling"; Schlesinger's "Far From the Madding Crowd"; "The Lion in Winter"; and Michael Ritchie's "Downhill Racer," with Robert Redford, all before the 1960s were over.

His 1970s credits included Joseph L. Mankiewicz's "Sleuth," with Michael Caine and Laurence Olivier; "Rollerball"; and Nicolas Roeg's "The Man Who Fell to Earth."

Gowans was married to the English actress Valerie Gearon from 1963-69. In 1970 he married Lee Remick, and in the 1980s he produced a series of telepics starring the American actress, including "The Women's Room" and "Rearview Mirror."

Remick died in 1991. Gowans is survived by two daughters and four grandchildren.

[theuofc]

A.D., producer Kip Gowans dies at 80 - Entertainment News, Obituary, Media - Variety

A.D., producer Kip Gowans dies at 80
Produced telepics for wife Lee Remick
By Carmel Dagan
William "Kip" Gowans, an assistant director with dozens of credits and later a producer of telepics, died of natural causes March 11 outside the village of Mouans-Sartoux in the south of France. He was 80.

The English-born Gowans earned his first credit on Ken Annakin's 1952 adventure film "The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men," followed by 1954's "Doctor in the House," which was nominated for several BAFTAs including best film from any source. In 1958 he was a.d. on director Anthony Asquith's "The Doctor's Dilemma," starring Dirk Bogarde and Leslie Caron.....

Thanks for finding this, JamesM. Almost every news source I found quoted Variety's obit, which I couldn't get into without paying. In addition to Gowans' early work on the Bogarde films, I had to chuckle on reading that he was "an office boy on such classics as...The Red Shoes."

Best,

Barbara

[Stephen Pickard]

R.I.P. Kip. I worked with him on "Tam-Lin" in the summer of '69. Lee Remick visited the set at Pinewood one day, which was filmed on L and M stages.
My memory of him certainly doesn't match the picture above!

[theuofc]

R.I.P. Kip. I worked with him on "Tam-Lin" in the summer of '69. Lee Remick visited the set at Pinewood one day, which was filmed on L and M stages.
My memory of him certainly doesn't match the picture above!

Tell us memory of him? also of Lee Remick?

[whitstablejim]

I worked on "Darling" and the "Yellow Rolls Royce" as an extra, my memory of him also doesn't match the picture, R.I.P.Kip.

[Stephen Pickard]

Tell us memory of him? also of Lee Remick?

Until I find a picture of him, my memory of him reminds me of Patrick Dempsey in "Grey's Anatomy"!
My only memory of Lee Remick was that she sat behind me quietly watching the filming. I think I said hello to her.
Long time ago to remember, this was August/September 1969.

[theuofc]

I worked on "Darling" and the "Yellow Rolls Royce" as an extra, my memory of him also doesn't match the picture, R.I.P.Kip.

Hi, whitstablejim:

But how doesn't your memory of him match the picture? Please. Would love to hear some details.

[whitstablejim]

Hi theuofc, The more I look at the picture, I am 95% sure that this is not Kip Gowans, he also had a brother Mike Gowans who was also a 1st A D.

[JamesM]

That's Anthony Harvey.

[theuofc]

Hi theuofc, The more I look at the picture, I am 95% sure that this is not Kip Gowans, he also had a brother Mike Gowans who was also a 1st A D.

That's Anthony Harvey.

Until I find a picture of him, my memory of him reminds me of Patrick Dempsey in "Grey's Anatomy"!
My only memory of Lee Remick was that she sat behind me quietly watching the filming. I think I said hello to her.
Long time ago to remember, this was August/September 1969.

JamesM..you're right! It is Anthony Harvey and Gowans worked with him.
I finally get it now. I mistook Stephen and whitstablejim's use of "picture" to mean
the -impression- that the obit of Gowans gave of the man. Duh. That's why I kept asking for their own impression of him. Now, I'd really like to see what Gowans looked like. :-)

Sorry about that, Gentlemen. JamesM to the rescue.

Best,

Barbara