Beloved film critic and TV personality David Stratton has died at the age of 85.
On Thursday afternoon, his family announced the former At The Movies host died peacefully in hospital near his home in the Blue Mountains.
“David’s passion for film, commitment to Australian cinema, and generous spirit touched countless lives,” his family said.
“He was adored as a husband, father, grand and great grandfather, and admired friend.
“David’s family would like to express their heartfelt gratitude for the overwhelming support from friends, colleagues, and the public recently and across his lifetime.”
His family have asked for privacy during this time and have invited members of the public to watch their favourite film in memory of David.
“[We] invite everyone to celebrate David’s remarkable life and legacy by watching their favourite movie, or David’s favourite movie of all time — Singin’ In the Rain.”
David was born in the English town of Trowbridge in 1939 and was sent to live with his grandmother in Hampshire during the second world war. His grandmother, an avid film lover, took David to the movies almost every day.
In 1963, David moved to Australia and became involved in the local film industry. From 1966 until 1983, he served as the director of the Sydney Film Festival. In 1980, he joined SBS in a film consultant role, where he introduced movies to the audience for six months out of the year.
While at SBS, he met TV producer Margaret Pomeranz and in 1986 the pair began presenting the long-running That Movie Show.
In 2004, the pair took the show to the ABC, where it was renamed At The Movies. They ended the show in 2014.
While speaking to Woman’s Day last year, David said he was still close with his former co-star.
“I talk to Margaret a couple of times a week and we get together whenever we can, although we live far apart,” he said.
Over the years, David appeared on a bunch of ABC shows playing a parody of himself including the Chaser’s War on Everything, Review with Myles Barlow and Lawrence Leung’s Choose Your Own Adventure.
In 2013, he retired from writing criticism and teaching.
“I’d like to watch one new movie every day that I haven’t seen before. And from time to time watch an old movie that I want to see again,” he told The Guardian Australia at the time about his retirement plans.
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