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Norman Kaye | |
|---|---|
| Born | Norman James Kaye 17 January 1927 Melbourne, Australia |
| Died | 28 May 2007 (aged 80) Sydney, Australia |
| Education | Geelong Grammar School Notre-Dame de Paris |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, musician |
| Years active | 1961–2004 |
| Known for | Lonely Hearts (1982) Man of Flowers (1983) |
| Partner | Elke Neidhardt |
Norman James Kaye (17 January 1927 – 28 May 2007) was an Australian actor. He was best known for his roles in the films of director Paul Cox.
Early life and education
Kaye was born into a tough childhood in Depression Era Melbourne, as one of four children. His father was an injured, poor Boer War veteran, his mother suffered from mental illness, and both parents were distant.[1] Kaye was taken in as a child by the Norton family, who provided him with a safe haven from the hardships at home.[1]
Kaye won a scholarship to study at Geelong Grammar School. His parents both died early, his mother in a psychiatric hospital.[2]
Career
Music
Kaye's musical abilities were noticed by A. E. Floyd,[3] the organist of St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne, who gave him free tuition in recognition of his potential as an organist.[1]
Kaye travelled to England and then France to study the organ with Pierre Cochereau at Notre-Dame de Paris and he won a Premier Prix for conducting at the Nice Conservatoire. He returned to Australia due to feeling lonely and homesick. Back in Melbourne, he continued his pursuit of music, including as the acting organist of St Paul's Cathedral.[1]
Teaching
Kaye was the choirmaster and the music teacher at Caulfield Grammar School, a private school in Melbourne, from 1958 to 1977,[4] during which time he "[laid] the foundation for [the school's] … high reputation on the world of music [and it was his] enthusiasm and constructive knowledge [that] made choral singing and the playing of orchestral instruments activities of a central rather than peripheral importance to the school."[5] It was the security of a teacher's salary that allowed Kaye to explore the acting world.[2]
Acting
With a passion for acting, Kaye began his career playing minor unpaid roles in small theatres, when television was still in its infancy.[1] He did not however start acting full time until he was in his forties.[2]
In 1967, Kaye met director Paul Cox, who at the time was a photographer, taking production stills at St Martin's Theatre. He ended up appearing in 16 of Cox's films,[2] beginning with small roles in Illuminations (1976) and Kostas (1979), before sharing the lead with Wendy Hughes in Cox's 1982 film Lonely Hearts which saw him nominated for an AFI Award. He also played the lead in Man of Flowers (1983), this time winning an AFI Award. He appeared in minor roles in many subsequent Cox films including Innocence (2000).
Other films in which Cox appeared included Mad Dog Morgan, Turtle Beach, Oscar and Lucinda and Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge!. He also wrote the scores for many films, including Lonely Hearts[1] and the Burton Pugach documentary Crazy Love (2007).
Kaye's television credits included medical drama The Flying Doctors, cult prison drama Prisoner, police procedural series Homicide, crime drama Wildside and miniseries Power Without Glory, based on the historical novel by Frank Hardy.
Kaye is the subject of Cox's biographical film The Remarkable Mr Kaye (2005), a tribute to their long standing friendship and working relationship.
Personal life and death
Kaye was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease prior to 1997. His inability to memorise scripts for the film Innocence led to the end of his collaboration with Paul Cox, as well as the end of his career in 2004. Kaye was in the advanced stage of the disease at the time of his death in Sydney on 28 May 2007. He had enjoyed a 35-year relationship with the opera director Elke Neidhardt, and she was by his side at his death.[2][6]
Legacy
In 2007 a retrospective CD, The Remarkable Norman Kaye, was issued by Move Records.[7]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | The Journey | ||
| 1976 | Illuminations | Gabi's Father | |
| 1976 | Mad Dog Morgan | Swagman | |
| 1978 | Inside Looking Out | Alex | |
| 1979 | Kostas | Passenger | |
| 1981 | The Killing of Angel Street | Mander | |
| 1982 | A Dangerous Summer | Percy Farley | |
| 1982 | Lonely Hearts | Peter Thompson | |
| 1983 | Buddies | George | |
| 1983 | Careful, He Might Hear You | Uncredited | |
| 1983 | Man of Flowers | Charles Bremer | |
| 1984 | Where the Green Ants Dream | Baldwin Ferguson | |
| 1984 | Relatives | Uncle Edward | |
| 1985 | Unfinished Business | George | |
| 1986 | Cactus | Tom | |
| 1987 | Warm Nights on a Slow Moving Train | Salesman | |
| 1987 | Frenchman's Farm | Reverend Aldershot | |
| 1987 | Hungry Heart | Mr. O'Ryan | |
| 1988 | Boundaries of the Heart | Billy Marsden | |
| 1989 | Island | Henry | |
| 1990 | Golden Braid | Psychiatrist | |
| 1991 | A Woman's Tale | Billy | |
| 1992 | Turtle Beach | Hobday | |
| 1992 | The Nun and the Bandit | George Shanley | Also known as The Killing Beach |
| 1993 | The Nostradamus Kid | Wedding Pastor | |
| 1993 | Broken Highway | Elias Kidd | |
| 1993 | Bad Boy Bubby | The Scientist | |
| 1993 | The Custodian | Judge | |
| 1993 | Touch Me | Charles | Short film |
| 1994 | Exile | Ghost Priest | |
| 1995 | Surrender | Norman | Short film |
| 1996 | Lust and Revenge | Baba Charles | |
| 1997 | Heaven's Burning | Store Owner | |
| 1997 | Paws | Alex | |
| 1997 | Oscar and Lucinda | Bishop Dancer | |
| 2000 | Innocence | Gerald | |
| 2001 | Moulin Rouge! | Satine's Doctor | |
| 2004 | Human Touch | Charles | Final film role |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | The First Joanna | Stephen Deveron | TV play[8] |
| 1961 | The Secret of Susanna | Sante | TV play |
| 1962 | Boy Round the Corner | Shannon | TV play |
| 1962 | Fury in Petticoats | Charles Darwin | TV play |
| 1962 | You Can't Win 'Em All | Manuel Selasco | TV play |
| 1964 | The Angry General | Major Derek Barrington-Hunt | TV play |
| 1964 | Martha | TV play | |
| 1964 | The Road | Sir Timothy Hassall | TV play |
| 1964 | Wind from the Icy Country | Ehrbar | TV play |
| 1964 | Everyman | Discretion | TV play |
| 1964 | Six Characters in Search of an Author | The Father | TV play |
| 1966 | Boy with Banner | Mr Browne | TV play |
| 1968–1969 | Hunter | Captain Jansen / Max Holland / Inspector | 3 episodes |
| 1969 | Riptide | Eric Garrow | 1 episode |
| 1969 | The Party | Erasmus | TV play |
| 1973 | Ryan | Florist | 1 episode |
| 1969–1974 | Division 4 | Edward James / Hotel clerk / Rev Lewis / Bill Reed / Dr Mason / Dr Young / Freddie Baxter / Bernie Townsend / Alan Standish / Scott | 11 episodes |
| 1975 | Shannon's Mob | Henry Vaughan | 1 episode |
| 1964–1975 | Homicide | Prosecutor / Dr Ian Scott / Lou Hines / Haines / Frank Vaughan / Doug Thompson / Dr Edmunds / Roger Warwick / Sutton / Max Hudson / Michael Franklin / Graham Smith / Maddox / Clyde Starling / Nigel Harcourt / Griffiths / Robert Craig / David Metcalfe | 18 episodes |
| 1971–1976 | Matlock Police | Sect elder #1 / Gaylord / Ivan Beckett | 3 episodes |
| 1976 | The Bluestone Boys | ||
| 1976 | Power Without Glory | Ned Horan / Prosecuting Sergeant | Miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 1979 | Ride on Stranger | Inspector | Miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 1979 | Prisoner | Ron Watkins | 2 episodes |
| 1980 | The Last Outlaw | Supt. Sadleir | Miniseries, 4 episodes |
| 1982 | Deadline | ASIO agent | TV movie |
| 1983 | Carson's Law | Roger Cruickshank | 1 episode |
| 1978–1983 | Cop Shop | Sir Joseph Moore / Keith Anderson / Mr Montford | 4 episodes |
| 1984 | The Cowra Breakout | Mr Davidson | Miniseries |
| 1984 | Special Squad | Lenny / Skittles | 2 episodes |
| 1986 | Handle with Care | Surgeon | TV movie |
| 1986 | Dancing Daze | Stephen Isaacs | 6 episodes |
| 1986 | Winners | Trapp | Anthology series, 1 episode |
| 1986 | Tusitala | Reverend Clark | Miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 1986 | Call Me Mister | Sir James Bartholemew | 1 episode |
| 1986 | I Own the Racecourse | Drunken Old Man | TV movie |
| 1987 | Frontier | Lancelot Threlkeld | Miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 1987 | Flight into Hell | Miniseries | |
| 1987 | The Shiralee | Desmond | Miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 1988 | Rafferty's Rules | Harold Messenger | 1 episode |
| 1988 | The Riddle of the Stinson | Binstead | TV movie |
| 1988 | True Believers | Archbishop Daniel Mannix | Miniseries, 6 episodes |
| 1989 | Bangkok Hilton | George McNair (uncredited) | Miniseries, 1 episode |
| 1987–1990 | The Flying Doctors | William Randall | 5 episodes |
| 1992 | G.P. | Luke Chisholm | 2 episodes |
| 1993 | A Country Practice | Tony Oldin | 2 episodes |
| 1994 | Under the Skin | Anthology series, 2 episodes | |
| 1994 | Law of the Land | Charlie Carmody | 1 episode |
| 1995 | Bordertown | Pieter Leeuwen | Miniseries, 4 episodes |
| 1996 | Water Rats | Felix Friedman | 2 episodes |
| 1997 | Good Guys, Bad Guys | Roly Finster | 1 episode |
| 1997 | Roar | Galen | 1 episode |
| 1998 | Wildside | Ralph Morton | Season 1, episode 1 |
| 1998 | Murder Call | Vic Popov | Season 3 |
| 1999 | Without Warning | Max | TV movie |
Theatre
As actor
As crew
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | The Splendid Outcasts | Musical Advisor | Melbourne Little Theatre |
| 1965 | Oedipus Rex | Composer / Sound Designer | Emerald Hill Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1966 | The Magic Dream | Composer | St Martins Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1969 | Love for Love | Musical Advisor | St Martins Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1993 | Shadowlands | Organist | Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Work | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Man of Flowers | AFI Award | Best Actor in a Lead Role | Won |
| 1982 | Lonely Hearts | AFI Award | Best Actor in a Lead Role | Nominated |
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Modest, quietly intense actor dies". The Age. 31 May 2007.
- ^ a b c d e "A remarkable life". The Age. 9 July 2005. Retrieved 31 May 2007.
- ^ Chappell, W.F., "Floyd, Alfred Ernest (1877–1974)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 8, 1981.
- ^ Webber (1981), p.268.
- ^ Webber (1981), pp.255–256.
- ^ Hawker, Philippa (31 May 2007). "'Modest, quietly intense' actor dies". The Age. Retrieved 31 May 2007.
- ^ News – Move Records
- ^ Vagg, Stephen (27 August 2022). "3 Forgotten Australian Television Plays". Filmink. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
- ^ "The Little Foxes". Theatregold.
- ^ "The Judge". Theatregold.
- ^ "Eden House". Theatregold.
- ^ "The Rope Dancers". Theatregold.
- ^ "The Chalk Garden". Theatregold.
- ^ "On Approval". Theatregold.
- ^ "Uncle Vanya". Theatregold.
- ^ "As You Like It". Theatregold.
- ^ "Shadowlands". Theatregold.
- ^ "Norman Kaye theatre credits". AusStage.
External links
- Norman Kaye at IMDb
- Obituary in The Age, 31 May 2007, by Fabian Muir, Elke Neidhardt's son whom Norman Kaye helped to raise.
- Muir, Fabian. "Norman Kaye, Artist and Composer", Move Records, Obituary as reproduced from The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, 1 June 2007.
- Portrait of Norman Kaye (1989), Photographer Angela Lynkushka, Collection of the National Library of Australia.
- Webber, Horace (1981). Years May Pass On... Caulfield Grammar School, 1881–1981. Centenary Committee, Caulfield Grammar School, (East St Kilda). ISBN 0-9594242-0-2.
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