About Fred Burnley
Lived 1933 – 1975 (aged 41–42). Fred Burnley was a film director and television director.
Fred Burnley (1933–1975) was a British television and film director.
Life Burnley was educated at The Queen's College, Oxford, where he gained a first-class degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. He joined Ealing Studios as an assistant on The Ladykillers in 1955, but left after six months to edit TV commercials and documentaries. In 1965 he joined the BBC as director-producer. He directed eight of the Whicker's World series before joining the arts programme Omnibus. His debut for Omnibus was The Dream Divided, on F. Scott Fitzgerald, which was followed by a film biography of Amedeo Modigliani. In 1972 he directed the film Neither the Sea Nor the Sand.
Death Burnley died of lung complications from exposure to bat guano while filming the dramatised documentary Alexander von Humboldt - 1799 for Michael Latham's 1975 BBC2 series The Explorers.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in Fred Burnley's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Fred Burnley's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Fred Burnley?
British television and film director
When was Fred Burnley born?
Fred Burnley was born in 1933.
When did Fred Burnley die?
Fred Burnley died in 1975.
What was Fred Burnley's occupation?
Fred Burnley was a film director and television director.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Fred Burnley. https://biography.guide/fred-burnley/
MLA: "Fred Burnley." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/fred-burnley/.
Chicago: "Fred Burnley." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/fred-burnley/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:02 UTC