David McGillivray

Intended as a vehicle for The Goodies, who turned it down, the film was eventually released as White Cargo (1973) and starred a young David Jason in one of his earliest leading roles. McGillivray was soon involved in the British sex film industry, writing scripts for The Hot Girls (1974) and I'm Not Feeling Myself Tonight (1976), two films produced by pornographer John Jesnor Lindsay.

• Name — David McGillivray • Born — 7 September 1947 • Birthplace — London, England, United Kingdom • Occupation — Actor, film producer, writer

McGillivray gained attention with his scripts for the horror films of Norman J. Warren and especially Pete Walker. McGillivray wrote two scripts for Warren (Satan's Slave, Terror) and four for Walker (Frightmare, House of Whipcord, House of Mortal Sin, Schizo). The films were not commercially successful and McGillivray's scripts attracted mostly hostile reviews. House of Whipcord did receive one or two positive reviews, with Films and Filming commenting: “Shows that something worthwhile in the entertainment-horror market can be done for the tiny sum of £60,000”. It was memorably dismissed by Russell Davies writing in British newspaper The Observer as a "feeble fladge fantasy” and described by the Evening News “as nasty an exploitation of sadism as I can recall in the cinema.” Indeed, McGillivray's background as a critic for Monthly Film Bulletin and Time Out hardly excluded his writing efforts from the savage criticism of ex-colleagues. For example, a Films Illustrated review of I'm Not Feeling Myself Tonight lamented that "It is depressing to see David McGillivray writing scripts like this," while a Time Out review of Satan's Slave opens with: “Another absolute stinker from the withered pen of David McGillivray.” In 1975, McGillivray was interviewed for an edition of the BBC programme Man Alive, dealing with sexploitation films, along with Walker, Bachoo Sen and Kent Walton. However, he later felt that he and his fellow contributors had presented a distorted view of the business, telling Screen International magazine in the same year "thrilled to bits that our opinions were held to be important enough for transmission we had all -may we be forgiven- said what the nations moral reformers wanted to hear i.e. that the films we made degraded us and that we were thoroughly miserable that the public didn't want to see anything more uplifting. This is not the case. I have never worked with anyone who found it unpleasant or distasteful to do a job which involved standing in close proximity to naked women.” From 2004 he wrote and produced a series of short horror films, which were not particularly successful either on their own or when joined together as a portmanteau "Worst Fears", in which he also appeared as an actor. "Worst Fears" was shown at the Derby Film Festival in 2017 along with his short film Trouser Bar.

With the abolition of the Eady levy tax in the early 1980s spelling the end for low-budget British sex comedies and horror films, McGillivray moved into the theatre, co-writing lowbrow farces for his own company. Working in collaboration with Walter Zerlin Jnr, a series of 10 plays focused on The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomens Guild Dramatic Society spoofed local amateur dramatic productions. The plays are published by Samuel French Ltd and continue to be performed in front of astonished audiences. During this period he also met the performer Julian Clary, who was then starting as a stand-up comic. McGillivray has continued to this day to write for Clary, but claims that his are the jokes that "don't get laughs". His work has included writing material for Clary when he presented the BBC TV quiz show Come and Have A Go... in 2005, directing and co-writing Clary's 2009 national UK tour "Lord of the Mince", and directing and co-writing Julian Clary's 2012–14 tour "Position Vacant, Apply Within". As an actor, he appeared with Olegar Fedoro in a new production of the Russian Futurist opera "Victory Over the Sun" presented by the New Factory of the Eccentric Actor at Pushkin House, London in December 2008. McGillivray financed and produced Trouser Bar, the award-winning 2016 British erotic comedy/fantasy film directed by Kristen Bjorn, photographed by Sam Hardy, edited by Esteban Requejo, and intended for a mainstream audience. Focusing on a single "situation" in a menswear boutique in 1976, the short film has been described as an “erotic fantasy" in the style of a 1970s British sex comedy and does not include hardcore scenes. Released in 2017, the film played film festivals around the world. In 2023, McGillivray attended East London LGBTQ+ Film Festival and was presented with a lifetime achievement award.

As writer • Year — Film — Type • 2011 — Tincture of Vervain — Short • 2007 — We're Ready for You Now — Short • 2006 — In the Place of the Dead — Short • 2006 — I Wednesday — Short • 2005 — Mrs. Davenport's Throat — Short • 1987 — Turnaround (from material by) • 1981 — De dame en de marskramer • 1980 — The Errand — Short • 1978 — Terror • 1976 — Satan's Slave • 1976 — Schizo • 1976 — House of Mortal Sin • 1976 — I'm Not Feeling Myself Tonight • 1975 — Excuse Me Madam • 1974 — Frightmare • 1974 — The Hot Girls — Short • 1974 — House of Whipcord • 1973 — White Cargo As producer • Year — Film — Type • 2016 — Worst Fears • 2016 — Trouser Bar — Short • 2014 — Peter De Rome: Grandfather of Gay Porn — Documentary • 2012 — Fragments: The Incomplete Films of Peter de Rome — Documentary short • 2011 — A Kiss from Grandma — Short • 2011 — Tincture of Vervain — Short • 2010 — Greensleeves — Short • 2008 — Abracadaver! — Short • 2007 — We're Ready for You Now — Short • 2006 — In the Place of the Dead — Short • 2006 — I Wednesday — Short • 2005 — Mrs. Davenport's Throat — Short • 1980 — The Errand — Short As actor • Year — Film — Type — Role — Segment • 2020 — The Big Snooze Button — Short — Pe Op Man • 2019 — III Pride — Short — David • 2016 — Worst Fears — Undertaker — Segment 1 Tincture of Vervain • 2016 — Horror Icon — Short — Himself • 2013 — Turn Your Bloody Phone Off: The Second Batch — Short — Impolite Phone Man — Norman J. Warren & The Ghost • 2011 — Tincture of Vervain — Short — Undertaker • 2011 — Unhappy Birthday — Pub Landlord • 2008 — Abracadaver! — Short — Audience Member (uncredited) • 2006 — In the Place of the Dead — Short — Englishman • 2006 — The Adventures of George the Projectionist — TV Reporter • 2004 — The Quiet Storm — Hans Zimmer • 1979 — Can I Come Too? — Short — Critic • 1978 — Terror — T.V. Reporter (as David Mc.Gillivray) • 1976 — Satan's Slave — Priest • 1976 — I'm Not Feeling Myself Tonight — Party Guests (uncredited) • 1974 — Frightmare — Doctor (uncredited) • 1974 — The Hot Girls — Short — Interviewer • 1974 — House of Whipcord — Caven (uncredited) • 1973 — White Cargo — Customer