Raymond Menmuir

Early life Menmuir was born in Perth, Western Australia, as the eldest of four children to Edward Menmuir and his wife Dorothy (née Williams). Menmuir was educated at Wesley College.

Career Menmuir started his career as a reporter at the newspaper Perth Daily News, but he then transferred to the Australian Broadcasting Commission as a radio producer.

He was deeply impressed by European culture, by seeing various films at the 1953 Festival of the Arts in Perth, and then took artistic inspiration from various films including Marcel Pagnol's Cesar, Vittorio de Sica's Bicycle Thieves, and Mikhail Kalatozov's The Cranes are Flying. This came out when he was soon directing dramas at the ABC's television drama department in Sydney. He directed the second play to be televised, J.B. Priestly's The Rose and Crown written specifically for television, and the first play from the new (1958) Gore Hill complex, Barbara Vernon's The Multi-Coloured Umbrella.

He originally directed all sorts of programs for the ABC but in October 1959 was assigned to drama full time.

Probably his greatest achievement in these years was the 5 October 1960 live production in prime time of the two-hour epic Shakespeare play, The Life and Death of King Richard II, using all three studios at Gore Hill.

Menmuir returned to Australia in 1963 to direct Ballad for One Gun and The Right Thing.

His productions included: Z Cars, The Avengers, No Hiding Place, Corridors of Power, and The Duchess of Duke Street. In 1974 he directed the adaptation of the Lord Peter Wimsey story The Nine Tailors for the BBC.

In 1978, he was offered full freedom of control as producer for London Weekend Television's show, The Professionals.

During several returns to Australia, he was responsible for Ballad for One Gun (1963) (about Ned Kelly), and Special Squad and the movie Fortress for Crawford Productions.

Personal life In the UK, Menmuir lived in rural Buckinghamshire.

In his later years, Menmuir settled in Australia at Mirrabooka on the western side of Lake Macquarie

Menmuir was married twice. He and his first wife, Heidi (née Isenmann) had a daughter, Anna. He had a daughter, Fiona, and a son, Ian with his second wife, Jennifer (née Cooper) (d. 2010). His partner after this time was the actor and entrepreneur Wendy Blacklock.

Menmuir's sister was the second wife of test cricketer Arthur Morris.

Select credits Shadow of Doubt (1957) - TV play The Rose and Crown (1957) - TV play The Multi-Coloured Umbrella (1958) - TV play Citizen of Westminster (1958) - TV play Blue Murder (1959) - TV play One Bright Day (1959) - TV play Bodgie (1959) - TV play The Strong Are Lonely (1959) - TV play The Life and Death of King Richard II (1960) - TV play Close to the Roof (1960) - TV play The Dock Brief (1960) - TV play The Square Ring (1960) - TV play Swamp Creatures (1960) - TV play Turning Point (1960) - TV play The Sergeant from Burralee (1961) - TV play The Right Thing (1963) - TV play Ballad for One Gun (1963) - TV play Thirty-One Backyards (1965) - TV play Headmaster (1977) (TV series) The Professionals (1978–83) - TV series Who Dares Wins (1982) Special Squad (1984) (TV series) Fortress (1985) C.A.T.S. Eyes (1986–87) (TV Series) Gentlemen and Players (1988–89) (TV Series)