Ray Austin

Raymond Austin (5 December 1932 – 17 May 2023) was a British television and film director, television writer and producer, and stunt performer and actor who worked in both the United Kingdom and the United States.

Life and career Austin was born in London on 5 December 1932. He started his career as a stunt performer on such films as North by Northwest (1959) and Spartacus (1960). From 1965 to 1967 he served as stunt coordinator on 50 episodes of The Avengers. For The Champions he initially became involved as a second unit director, subsequently rising to the position of full director.

His work as a television director included episodes of The Avengers (1968), Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) (1969–70), Space: 1999 (1975–76), four episodes of Vega$,The New Avengers (1976–77), and V (1984). He directed 50 of the 88 episodes of the series Zorro, which was filmed in Madrid between 1989 and 1992 for the American ABC Family channel. He had also directed some made-for-TV films, including The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1983), and some feature films such as 1,000 Convicts and a Woman (1971), Virgin Witch (1972), and House of the Living Dead (1974).

The Guinness World Records states that "In 1965, Dame Diana Rigg (UK) became the first western actress to perform kung fu on Television when the combat choreographers Ray Austin (UK) and Chee Soo (UK/China) worked elements of the martial art into her fight scenes on The Avengers. Certificate presentation was done on The New Paul O'Grady Show."

Personal life and death In 1976, Austin married actress Yasuko Nagazumi, who performed in some of the series he worked on, notably Space: 1999. His step-daughter, Miki Berenyi of the band Lush, describes her relationship with him in part 1 of her memoir Fingers Crossed. He later divorced Nagazumi and married British producer and writer Wendy DeVere Knight-Wilton in 1984; they later lived in Earlysville, Virginia, US.

Austin died at his home in Virginia on 17 May 2023, at the age of 90.

Television Stunts

Highway Patrol, 1955–59 (stunt performer) Thunder Road, 1958 (stunt performer) North by Northwest, 1959 (stunt performer) Operation Petticoat, 1959 (stunt performer) Spartacus, 1960 (stunt performer) The Sundowners, 1960 (stunt performer) Have Gun – Will Travel, 1957–63 (performer) Peter Gunn, 1958–60, 1960–61 (performer) Guns of Navarone, 1961 (stunt performer) Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, 1961 (stunt arranger) The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, 1962 (stunt arranger) Tarzan, 1963 (stunt performer) Tom Jones, 1963 (stunt arranger) Cleopatra, 1963 (stunt arranger) The Dirty Dozen, 1967 (stunt performer) The Avengers (arranger)

Actor

The Saint, 1963–64, 1966 The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, 1962 (Mr Clay) Tom Jones, 1963 (Thug) Clash by Night, 1963 (Intruder) The V.I.P.s, 1963 (Chauffeur) Ghost Squad, 1964 The Avengers, 1965

Director

The Baron, 1966 The Saint, 1968 (2 episodes) The Avengers, 1968 (2 episodes) The Champions, 1968 Journey to the Unknown, 1968–69 The Ugliest Girl in Town, 1968–69 Department S, 1969 (4 episodes) Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), 1969–70 (6 episodes) Strange Report, 1971 Shirley's World, 1971–72 The Adventures of Black Beauty, 1974 Space: 1999, 1975–76 The New Avengers, 1976 (1 episode) The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, 1977–79 W.E.B., 1978 The Professionals, 1978 (2 episodes) Return of the Saint, 1978 (1 episode) Barnaby Jones, 1978 (1 episode) Sword of Justice, 1978 (2 episodes) Vega$, 1978–81 Salvage 1, 1979 (2 episodes) A Man Called Sloane, 1979 (1 episode) Hawaii Five-O, 1979 (1 episode) B. J. and the Bear, 1979–80 (1 episode) Hart to Hart, 1979–80, 1984 (5 episodes) Wonder Woman, 1979 From Here to Eternity, 1980 The Love Boat, 1980 (4 episodes) House Calls, 1980–82 Quincy, M.E., 1981 (2 episodes) Magnum, P.I., 1981–86 Simon & Simon, 1982 (2 episodes) Tales of the Gold Monkey, 1982 (pilot episode) The Mississippi, 1983–84 The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E., 1983 (pilot) Jessie, 1984 The Master, 1984 Airwolf, 1984 (1 episode) The Fall Guy, 1984 (2 episodes) Lime Street, 1985, 1987 (5 episodes, including pilot) V, 1985 (1 episode) Our House, 1986–87 The Return of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman, 1987 (film) Snoops, 1989 The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents, 1989 (3 episodes) Zorro, 1992 The Boys of Twilight, 1992 Highlander: The Series, 1992–93 (5 episodes) JAG, 1996–97 (7 episodes) Pensacola: Wings of Gold, 1997 (1 episode) Police Academy: The Series, 1997–98 (5 episodes) Silk Stalkings, 1997 (1 episode) CI5: The New Professionals, 1999 (5 episodes)

Writer

Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), 1969 Department S, 1971 Shirley's World, 1971–72 The Adventures of Black Beauty, 1974 Magnum, P.I., 1980–86 Hart to Hart, 1984 The Master, 1984 The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood, 1984 (TV film) Airwolf, 1985 Lime Street, 1985 Spenser: For Hire, 1986 Our House, 1986–88

Producer Shirley's World, 1971–72 JAG, 1995–96, 1997 The New Avengers Zorro

Film Stunts North by Northwest, 1959 (stunt performer) Operation Petticoat, 1959 (stunt performer) Spartacus, 1960 (stunt performer) Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, 1961 (stunt arranger) The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, 1962 (stunt arranger) Cleopatra, 1963 (stunt arranger) Tom Jones, 1963 (stunt arranger)

Director Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, 1961 (second unit) Fun and Games, 1971 Virgin Witch, 1972 House of the Living Dead, 1973

Actor The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962) as Craig The V.I.P.s (1963) as Rolls-Royce chauffeur Clash by Night (1963) as Intruder

Novelist Beauford Sloan Mysteries series: The Eagle Heist (2002) Dead Again (2002) Your Turn to Die (2006) Keep Running Or Die (2020) Love Loves A Mystery (2020) Home For The Holiday (2021)