| Birthname: | Norman James Kaye |
| Birth Date: | 17 January 1927 |
| Birth Place: | Melbourne, Australia |
| Death Place: | Sydney, Australia |
| Education: | Geelong Grammar School Notre-Dame de Paris |
| Occupation: | Actor, musician |
| Known For: | Lonely Hearts (1982) Man of Flowers (1983) |
| Yearsactive: | 1961–2004 |
| Partner: | Elke Neidhardt |
Norman James Kaye (17 January 1927 – 28 May 2007) was an Australian actor. He was best known for his roles in the films of director Paul Cox.
Kaye was born into a tough childhood in Depression Era Melbourne, as one of four children. His father was an injured, poor Boer War veteran, his mother suffered from mental illness, and both parents were distant.[1] Kaye was taken in as a child by the Norton family, who provided him with a safe haven from the hardships at home.[1]
Kaye won a scholarship to study at Geelong Grammar School. His parents both died early, his mother in a psychiatric hospital.[2]
Kaye's musical abilities were noticed by A. E. Floyd,[3] the organist of St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne, who gave him free tuition in recognition of his potential as an organist.[1]
Kaye travelled to England and then France to study the organ with Pierre Cochereau at Notre-Dame de Paris and he won a Premier Prix for conducting at the Nice Conservatoire. He returned to Australia due to feeling lonely and homesick. Back in Melbourne, he continued his pursuit of music, including as the acting organist of St Paul's Cathedral.[1]
Kaye was the choirmaster and the music teacher at Caulfield Grammar School, a private school in Melbourne, from 1958 to 1977,[4] during which time he "[laid] the foundation for [the school's] … high reputation on the world of music [and it was his] enthusiasm and constructive knowledge [that] made choral singing and the playing of orchestral instruments activities of a central rather than peripheral importance to the school."[5] It was the security of a teacher's salary that allowed Kaye to explore the acting world.[6]
With a passion for acting, Kaye began his career playing minor unpaid roles in small theatres, when television was still in its infancy.[1] He did not however start acting full time until he was in his forties.[6]
In 1967, Kaye met director Paul Cox, who at the time was a photographer, taking production stills at St Martin's Theatre. He ended up appearing in 16 of Cox's films,[6] beginning with small roles in Illuminations (1975)[7] and Kostas (1979), before sharing the lead with Wendy Hughes in Cox's 1982 film Lonely Hearts[7] which saw him nominated for an AFI Award. He also played the lead in Man of Flowers (1983), this time winning an AFI Award. He appeared in minor roles in many subsequent Cox films, including Innocence (2000).
Other early films in which Kaye appeared included Mad Dog Morgan (1976) and Inside Looking Out (1977),[7] His film career continued in the 1980s with roles in Buddies (1983) and Unfinished Business (1986).[7] In 1987, he appeared in mystery horror Frenchman’s Farm with John Meillon and comedy Hungry Heart alongside Nick Carrafa before acting in drama film Boundaries of the Heart opposite Wendy Hughes the following year..[7] He also appeared in the 1988 documentary Vincent – The Life and Death of Vincent Van Gogh with Gabi Trsek.
Kaye appeared in film roles well into the 1990s, with Turtle Beach (1992), western Broken Highway (1993) and Exile (1994) both with Aden Young and Bad Boy Bubby (1993) and Lust and Revenge (1996), both alongside Nicholas Hope.[7] In 1997, he appeared in Oscar and Lucinda with Cate Blanchett and Baz Luhrmann’s musical epic Moulin Rouge! (2001), opposite Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor.[7]
Kaye's television credits included medical drama The Flying Doctors, cult prison drama Prisoner, police procedural series Homicide, crime drama Wildside and miniseries Power Without Glory, based on the historical novel by Frank Hardy.
He also wrote the scores for many films, including Lonely Hearts[1] and the Burton Pugach documentary Crazy Love (2007).[7]
Kaye is the subject of Cox's biographical film The Remarkable Mr Kaye (2005), a tribute to their long standing friendship and working relationship.[8]
Kaye was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease prior to 1997. His inability to memorise scripts for the film Innocence led to the end of his collaboration with Paul Cox, as well as the end of his career in 2004. Kaye was in the advanced stage of the disease at the time of his death in Sydney on 28 May 2007. He had enjoyed a 35-year relationship with the opera director Elke Neidhardt, and she was by his side at his death.[2] [9]
In 2007 a retrospective CD, The Remarkable Norman Kaye, was issued by Move Records.[10]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | The Journey | |||
| 1976 | Illuminations | Gabi's Father | ||
| 1976 | Mad Dog Morgan | Swagman | ||
| 1978 | Inside Looking Out | Alex | ||
| 1979 | Kostas | Passenger | ||
| 1981 | The Killing of Angel Street | Mander | ||
| 1982 | A Dangerous Summer | Percy Farley | ||
| 1982 | Lonely Hearts | Peter Thompson | ||
| 1983 | Buddies | George | ||
| 1983 | Careful, He Might Hear You | Uncredited | ||
| 1983 | Man of Flowers | Charles Bremer | ||
| 1984 | Where the Green Ants Dream | Baldwin Ferguson | ||
| 1984 | Relatives | Uncle Edward | ||
| 1985 | Unfinished Business | George | ||
| 1986 | Cactus | Tom | ||
| 1987 | Warm Nights on a Slow Moving Train | Salesman | ||
| 1987 | Frenchman's Farm | Reverend Aldershot | ||
| 1987 | Hungry Heart | Mr. O'Ryan | ||
| 1988 | Boundaries of the Heart | Billy Marsden | ||
| 1989 | Island | Henry | ||
| 1990 | Golden Braid | Psychiatrist | ||
| 1991 | A Woman's Tale | Billy | ||
| 1992 | Turtle Beach | Hobday | ||
| 1992 | The Nun and the Bandit | George Shanley | Also known as The Killing Beach | |
| 1993 | The Nostradamus Kid | Wedding Pastor | ||
| 1993 | Broken Highway | Elias Kidd | ||
| 1993 | Bad Boy Bubby | The Scientist | ||
| 1993 | The Custodian | Judge | ||
| 1993 | Touch Me | Charles | Short film | |
| 1994 | Exile | Ghost Priest | ||
| 1995 | Surrender | Norman | Short film | |
| 1996 | Lust and Revenge | Baba Charles | ||
| 1997 | Heaven's Burning | Store Owner | ||
| 1997 | Paws | Alex | ||
| 1997 | Oscar and Lucinda | Bishop Dancer | ||
| 2000 | Innocence | Gerald | ||
| 2001 | Moulin Rouge! | Satine's Doctor | ||
| 2004 | Human Touch | Charles | Final film role |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | The First Joanna | Stephen Deveron | TV play[11] | |
| 1961 | The Secret of Susanna | Sante | TV play | |
| 1962 | Boy Round the Corner | Shannon | TV play | |
| 1962 | Fury in Petticoats | TV play | ||
| 1962 | You Can't Win 'Em All | Manuel Selasco | TV play | |
| 1964 | The Angry General | Major Derek Barrington-Hunt | TV play | |
| 1964 | Martha | TV play | ||
| 1964 | The Road | Sir Timothy Hassall | TV play | |
| 1964 | Wind from the Icy Country | Ehrbar | TV play | |
| 1964 | Everyman | Discretion | TV play | |
| 1964 | Six Characters in Search of an Author | The Father | TV play | |
| 1966 | Boy with Banner | Mr Browne | TV play | |
| 1968–1969 | Hunter | Captain Jansen / Max Holland / Inspector | 3 episodes | |
| 1969 | Riptide | Eric Garrow | 1 episode | |
| 1969 | The Party | Erasmus | TV play | |
| 1973 | Ryan | Florist | 1 episode | |
| 1969–1974 | Division 4 | Edward James / Hotel clerk / Rev Lewis / Bill Reed / Dr Mason / Dr Young / Freddie Baxter / Bernie Townsend / Alan Standish / Scott | 11 episodes | |
| 1975 | Shannon's Mob | Henry Vaughan | 1 episode | |
| 1964–1975 | Homicide | Prosecutor / Dr Ian Scott / Lou Hines / Haines / Frank Vaughan / Doug Thompson / Dr Edmunds / Roger Warwick / Sutton / Max Hudson / Michael Franklin / Graham Smith / Maddox / Clyde Starling / Nigel Harcourt / Griffiths / Robert Craig / David Metcalfe | 18 episodes | |
| 1971–1976 | Matlock Police | Sect elder #1 / Gaylord / Ivan Beckett | 3 episodes | |
| 1976 | The Bluestone Boys | |||
| 1976 | Power Without Glory | Ned Horan / Prosecuting Sergeant | Miniseries, 2 episodes | |
| 1979 | Ride on Stranger | Inspector | Miniseries, 2 episodes | |
| 1979 | Prisoner | Ron Watkins | 2 episodes | |
| 1980 | The Last Outlaw | Supt. Sadleir | Miniseries, 4 episodes | |
| 1982 | Deadline | ASIO agent | TV movie | |
| 1983 | Carson's Law | Roger Cruickshank | 1 episode | |
| 1978–1983 | Cop Shop | Sir Joseph Moore / Keith Anderson / Mr Montford | 4 episodes | |
| 1984 | The Cowra Breakout | Mr Davidson | Miniseries | |
| 1984 | Special Squad | Lenny / Skittles | 2 episodes | |
| 1986 | Handle with Care | Surgeon | TV movie | |
| 1986 | Dancing Daze | Stephen Isaacs | 6 episodes | |
| 1986 | Winners | Trapp | Anthology series, 1 episode | |
| 1986 | Tusitala | Reverend Clark | Miniseries, 3 episodes | |
| 1986 | Call Me Mister | Sir James Bartholemew | 1 episode | |
| 1986 | I Own the Racecourse | Drunken Old Man | TV movie | |
| 1987 | Frontier | Lancelot Threlkeld | Miniseries, 3 episodes | |
| 1987 | Flight into Hell | Miniseries | ||
| 1987 | The Shiralee | Desmond | Miniseries, 2 episodes | |
| 1988 | Rafferty's Rules | Harold Messenger | 1 episode | |
| 1988 | The Riddle of the Stinson | Binstead | TV movie | |
| 1988 | True Believers | Miniseries, 6 episodes | ||
| 1989 | Bangkok Hilton | George McNair (uncredited) | Miniseries, 1 episode | |
| 1987–1990 | The Flying Doctors | William Randall | 5 episodes | |
| 1992 | G.P. | Luke Chisholm | 2 episodes | |
| 1993 | A Country Practice | Tony Oldin | 2 episodes | |
| 1994 | Under the Skin | Anthology series, 2 episodes | ||
| 1994 | Law of the Land | Charlie Carmody | 1 episode | |
| 1995 | Bordertown | Pieter Leeuwen | Miniseries, 4 episodes | |
| 1996 | Water Rats | Felix Friedman | 2 episodes | |
| 1997 | Good Guys, Bad Guys | Roly Finster | 1 episode | |
| 1997 | Roar | Galen | 1 episode | |
| 1998 | Wildside | Ralph Morton | Season 1, episode 1 | |
| 1998 | Murder Call | Vic Popov | Season 3 | |
| 1999 | Without Warning | Max | TV movie |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Dinner with the Family | ||||
| The Potting Shed | |||||
| 1960 | Sabrina Fair | ||||
| 1961 | The Prodigal Son | Azael | |||
| The Elder Statesman | |||||
| The Slaughter of St Teresa's Day | |||||
| 1962 | The Public Prosecutor | ||||
| 1963 | Silent Night, Lonely Night | ||||
| A Touch of the Poet | |||||
| 1964 | The Tower | ||||
| 1965 | Poor Bitos | Danton | |||
| Dylan | |||||
| 1966 | The Cavern | ||||
| 1968 | The Little Foxes | Horace Giddens | [12] | ||
| The Judge | The Judge | [13] | |||
| 1969 | Eden House | Mark Russell | [14] | ||
| Marching Song | |||||
| The Rope Dancers | James Hyland | [15] | |||
| 1970 | The Chalk Garden | Maitland | [16] | ||
| On Approval | Richard Halton | [17] | |||
| 1971 | The Happy Apple | ||||
| Uncle Vanya | Mihail Lvovitch Astrov, a country Doctor | [18] | |||
| 1972 | Caesar and Cleopatra | ||||
| 1974 | Three Men on a Horse | ||||
| 1974; 1975 | Hotel Paradiso | ||||
| 1976 | Rookery Nook | ||||
| 1977 | The Fall Guy | Jack | |||
| 1978 | Richard III | ||||
| Henry IV | Westmoreland / Sherrif / Shallow | ||||
| Widowers' Houses | William de Burgh Kokane | ||||
| 1979 | The Lady of the Camellias | Comte de Varville | |||
| Rain | Dr MacPhail | ||||
| 1980 | Mourning Becomes Electra | Brant / Ezra | |||
| The Precious Woman | Mr Simpson / Peasant / Refugee / Pianist | ||||
| 1981 | Cole's Funny Picture Person | ||||
| Amadeus | Baron Gottfried van Swieten | ||||
| 1982 | As You Like It | Adam | [19] | ||
| The Changeling | |||||
| A Perfect Retreat | |||||
| 1983 | Slice | ||||
| 1986 | An Imaginary Life | ||||
| The Seagull | |||||
| Dead to the World | |||||
| 1988 | Big and Little | The Old Man / Wilhelm | |||
| 1989 | The Road to Mecca | Marius Byleveld | |||
| 1990 | Hopping to Byzantium | ||||
| Swimming in Light | Dancer | Fairfax Studio, Melbourne, Seymour Centre, Sydney with Kim Carpenter's Theatre of Image | |||
| 1991 | The Revenger's Tragedy | ||||
| Racing Demon | |||||
| 1993 | Shadowlands | Harry Harrington | [20] | ||
| The Temple | Sir James Wilson / Barry St John | ||||
| 1996 | Mr Halpern and Mr Johnson | ||||
| 1998 | Blinded by the Sun |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | The Splendid Outcasts | Musical Advisor | Melbourne Little Theatre | |
| 1965 | Oedipus Rex | Composer / Sound Designer | Emerald Hill Theatre, Melbourne | |
| 1966 | The Magic Dream | Composer | St Martins Theatre, Melbourne | |
| 1969 | Love for Love | Musical Advisor | ||
| 1993 | Shadowlands | Organist | Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC |
| Year | Work | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Lonely Hearts | Best Actor in a Lead Role | ||
| 1983 | Man of Flowers |
