Director Sir Alan Parker who made Bugsy Malone, Midnight Express and Evita has died at the age of 76

Sir Alan Parker, who directed films including Bugsy Malone, Midnight Express and Evita, has died at the age of 76, a spokeswoman has said. 

Born in Islington, north London in 1962, Sir Alan began his career with the advertising agency Collett Dickenson Pearce as a copywriter, where he worked alongside David Puttnam, Charles Saatchi, and Alan Marshall, among others. 

He then began writing screenplays and S.W.A.L.K. (‘sealed with a loving kiss’), was produced by David Puttnam, directed by Waris Hussein, and released as Melody in 1970.

Sir Alan then wrote and directed two short films and a television play set in wartime London before his first major success came with The Evacuees in 1975 –  a television play written by Jack Rosenthal about the experiences of two Jewish boys evacuated from London during the Blitz.

His work won him the first of 19 BAFTA awards – this one for Best Director. 

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