Malcolm Mowbray, Director of ‘A Private Function,’ Dies at 74

Malcolm Mowbray, the British director of “A Private Function,” died June 23, producer Deniz Erel confirmed to Variety. He was 74.

Mowbray was known for directing “The Revengers’ Comedies,” “Meeting Spencer,” “Out Cold” as well as the 1984 feature “A Private Function.”

Maggie Smith, Michael Palin, Richard Griffiths, Denholm Elliott, John Normington and Tony Haygarth starred in “A Private Function,” which Mowbray co-wrote. The dark comedy followed the citizens of a small English town in 1947 who were awaiting the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip. The citizens had to ration their food, but the royal celebration was the one exception. They gathered to prepare and raise a pig for the celebratory meal — but a couple, Smith’s Joyce and Palin’s Gilbert, decide to steal the pig in an act of rebellion. The film garnered six BAFTA wins, including original screenplay and best film.

In 1989, Mowbray directed the black comedy “Out Cold,” starring John Lithgow, Teri Garr and Laura Alcalde, and in 1990, he made another comedy, “The Boyfriend School,” which starred Kyle MacLachlan, Shelley Long, Steve Guttenberg and Jami Gertz.

Throughout the 1990s, Mowbray worked in television. The director worked on “Once Upon a Time in the North,” “Crocodile Shoes,” “Mystery!: Cadfael” and “Pie in the Sky.”

Mowbray’s final projects were the 1998 comedy, “The Revengers’ Comedies,” which starred Sam Neill and Helena Bonham Carter, two episodes of the mini-series, “Monsignor Renard” and the feature “Meeting Spencer,” which starred Jeffrey Tambor and Jesse Plemons.

Following his final feature, “Meeting Spencer,” in 2011, he turned to academia in 2016. Mowbray served as the head of directing at the Northing Film School Leeds, from 2016 until his death.

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