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Michael Deeley

Kirsty Young's castaway is film producer Michael Deeley.

Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the Oscar-winning film producer Michael Deeley. Over the past 40 years he's been involved in some of the most highly acclaimed movies we've seen, including Don't Look Now, The Deer Hunter and The Italian Job. Yet his job is one that's barely understood. Neither the artistic visionary nor the star player the producer, he says, is the person who is the ramrod-figure who causes a film to be made - buying the rights to stories, hiring actors, finding locations and overseeing the production. He fell into it - he'd always thought he'd be a diplomat or a lawyer - but a casual job ended up being a career of many decades standing. He says rather modestly, "I just found I had the knack".

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Favourite track: I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That) by Meat Loaf
Book: Decent translation of the Koran
Luxury: Two hundred cases of vintage wine.

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45 minutes

Last on

Fri 19 Dec 200809:00
BBC Radio 4 FM

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Music Played

  • Castaway's Favourite

    • Meat Loaf

      I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)

      • School's Out: 90s.
      • EMI.

  • Giuseppe Verdi

    Va, pensiero, sull'ali dorate (Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves) (from Nabucco)

    Choir: Ambrosian Opera Chorus Orchestra: The Philharmonia Orchestra Conductor: Riccardo Muti

    • Nabucco.
    • EMI.

  • Andrew Lloyd Webber

    Pie Jesu (from Requiem)

    Soloist: Jacqueline Barron Choir: The Stephen Hill Singers

    • The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber.
    • First Night.

  • Roy Orbison

    Blue Bayou

    • All Time Greatest Hits of Roy Orbison.
    • Monument.

  • Stanley Myers

    Cavatina (The Deer Hunter)

    Performer: John Williams.
    • The Deer Hunter: original soundtrack.
    • Capitol.

  • Aaron Copland

    El Salon Mexico

    Orchestra: New York Philharmonic Conductor: Leonard Bernstein

    • Copland: El Salón México.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.

  • Gustav Mahler

    Symphony No. 5 in C sharp minor - 4th movement (Adagietto)

    Orchestra: Orchestra of the Academy of Sainte Cécile

    • Death in Venice: original film soundtrack.
    • Sony.

  • Giacomo Puccini

    Nessun dorma

    Soloist: Luciano Pavarotti

    • Essential Opera.
    • Decca.

  • Book Choice

    • Decent translation of the Koran

  • Luxury Choice

    • Two hundred cases of vintage wine

Credits

PresenterKirsty Young
Interviewed GuestMichael Deeley

Broadcasts

  • Sun 14 Dec 200811:15
    BBC Radio 4
  • Fri 19 Dec 200809:00
    BBC Radio 4 FM

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