Biography
He started his career as a stunt man on such films as North by Northwest (1959) and Spartacus (1960). Later he was stunt coordinator between 1965 and 1967 on 50 episodes of The Avengers, but became involved as a second unit director for TV on The Champions. He subsequently became a fully fledged director. Perhaps due to his background as a stuntman, his style of direction is often highly visual and physical with a great deal of movement. In 1967 he was one of the highest paid stunt performers in the world.
His work as director for TV includes episodes of The Avengers (1968), Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) (1969-70). Space: 1999, The New Avengers (1976-77), and V (1984). He has also directed several television movies, including The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1983). Unusually for a TV director, he has worked extensively both in the UK and the US. He directed the pilot episodes of many TV shows.
Austin has directed a handful of films, Virgin Witch (1972) and the sci-fi film House of the Living Dead (1973). He directed 50 out the 88 episodes of Zorro filmed in Madrid, Spain during 1989-1992 for the US ABC Family Channel.
In October 2009 he was charged with stealing "numerous items" including cast iron statues of Humpty Dumpty, a dog and a horse's head collectively valued at $740.52 from the Antiquer's Mall in Ruckersville, Virginia. He found guilty of petit larceny, and was given a suspended six-month jail sentence and fined $1,000.
Read more about this topic: Ray Austin (director)
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