Phillip Wrestler - 1921-2003

I had only just moved into my apartment at 2 Trinity Church Square about seven years ago, when there was a tap on the door and a gentleman peered at me and said "You are Disley Jones are you not? Don't you remember me? We worked together on The Italian Job when I was the 2nd Unit Director." Well, I must admit that I barely recognised him after so many years, but I was indeed lucky to acquire someone who, over the next few years, was not only a good and helpful neighbour, but an increasingly good friend and confidant.

Born in the East End, Phillip was the son of a tailor and was brought up in that trade. He obviously inherited his father's talent, for even in later years he used his 'cutting shears' to tailor clothes for his wife in his spare time.

Quite how or when he gave up cutting cloth in favour of film, no one seems to know, but he got into the business (as others have) via the editing department, which is doubtless one of the best places to learn the language and grammar of film. He edited two TV series for Douglas Fairbanks; for Flamingo Enterprises, the OSS series; and for Glenn Warren, The Littlest Hobo. For the BBC, he edited drama programmes, documentaries and newsreels. For Modi Films, he edited the Indian classic Jhansi-Ki-Rani.

As writer/director, he made more than 150 films for the BBC, the Central Office of Information, the Church of England, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Missions to Seamen and others. For the Spastics Society, he wrote and directed The Contact, with John Hurt, Pauline Collins and Wendy Richard, which took an International Award. For ATV, he wrote and directed all 39 episodes of Chemistry for Sixth Forms, as well as the film celebrating the launch of the communications satellite Telstar. He wrote and directed On the Bridge for Teamster Productions, as well as writing and editing the English and American versions of the famous Jacques Tati film, Monsieur Hulot's Holiday.

He wrote 28 episodes of Four Feather Falls for Gerry Anderson at Granada, as well as the scripts of Crosstrap and Conspiracy of Truth for Michael Deeley, for whom he was later to work on The Italian Job (which of course is how I first came to meet him). His contribution to that film was considerable. Few people know or realise how much the '2nd Unit' can contribute to a film. He directed most of the sequences involving Benny Hill and Fred Emney, and much of the chase material in the Turin streets. Finally, he was unexpectedly left in charge of the end sequence (in which the coach with Michael Caine and the gang in it ends up hanging precariously over a mountain edge) and, as anyone can now see, he carried it out brilliantly.

Phil even topped that by shooting all the air material for the James Bond film Octopussy, considered by Variety to be the film's high point, and which was quoted in the TV series Stuntmasters as one of the best ever movie air-stunt sequences.

A very nice gentleman, who commanded much affection and respect for his many and varied talents, he never gave up. Right to the end he was still writing librettos for musicals, of all things, in collaboration with Tony Kinsey, for he had not only an appreciation, but an amazing musical knowledge.

Tony Kinsey told me that he spoke to Phillip in the morning of the day that he died of a heart attack whilst in his car in Sloane Avenue. Phillip mentioned the possibility of acquiring the rights of a particular book, in order to start on yet another new venture, and Tony remarked, "You sound very happy this morning. I have not heard you laugh like that for a long time". Phillip replied that he was happy for two reasons: one, because he was hoping to start work again on this new project and, two, because he was just about to embark on a trip to Australia.

Alas, neither of these events will now happen, but Tony thinks that Phil's thought on the matters would have been a phrase of his father's that he always enjoyed quoting: "You don't know your luck until a dead horse kicks you."

Phil was quietly laid to rest in Edgware cemetery on 11 February in a very plain wooden coffin, unpretentious and unassuming to the end. I, for one, will miss him greatly, an underestimated, but very talented man and a great chum.

Disley Jones