Frank Howson

• Name — Frank Howson • Birth Name — Frank Michael Howson • Born — 10 March 1952 • Birthplace — Melbourne, Victoria, Australia • Died — 9 February 2024 • Other Names — Frankie Howson • Occupation — * Director • screenwriter • singer • producer • songwriter • poet • Years Active — 1959–2024 • Spouse — Lisa Waters (m. married fl. 1976; div. divorced 19??) Lynn Murphy (m. married 19??; div. divorced fl. 1997) • Children — 1

Frank Michael Howson was born in Melbourne on 10 March 1952. He started in show business when he was seven. After leaving school, Christian Brothers College, St. Kilda (1963–1967), Howson's first job was with Melbourne radio station 3UZ as office boy. Eventually promoted to panel operator, he worked on John McMahon's popular weekly show Radio Auditions (see 3UZ). Whenever not enough acts showed up, young Frank was summoned to perform under made up names. During this period Howson was nicknamed 'Magical Frank' when asked to perform on a pilot for a TV talent show by 3UZ's Jimmy Hannan.

Howson was manager of the Australian branch of German-based I.C. Records to publish musical works (including his own) distributed by EMI. He co-wrote John Paul Young's 1984 album One Foot in Front. He signed New romantic band Pseudo Echo and co-wrote their songs Autumnal Park and Destination Unknown with Tony Lugton, they later had a 1987 No. 1 hit in Australia with their version of Funky Town. I.C. Records scored 3 national hits in Australia in its first 12 months of operation. Howson and Peter Boyle were Executive Producers for John Paul Young's 1983 hit Soldier of Fortune (John Capek, Marc Jordan) reaching No. 15. Howson and Allan Zavod wrote Time Can't Keep Us Apart which won the 1987 Asian Popular Song contest performed by Kate Ceberano to an estimated TV audience of 500 million.

Frank Howson began his career as stage actor, singer and dancer, and appeared in 21 major productions (including the Australian production of Oliver!) before turning 21. In the early 1970s, Howson met fellow actor Barry Ferrier while they were both appearing in the original Australian production of Jesus Christ Superstar, and the two men subsequently collaborated on a number of theatre-related projects. The first of these was a children's musical entitled The Faraway Land of Magical Frank, which was produced at the Toral Theatre in Melbourne in January 1976. Later that year, Howson and Ferrier released a concept recording of a follow-up children's musical, entitled The Boy who dared to dream, performed by Trevor White, pop singer Mark Holden and actors John Waters and Tommy Dysart. The first staged production of the show (featuring some of the actors from the concept recording) was mounted in Melbourne in January 1978, with a second production in May 1981. Frank Howson went on to create two more children's musicals, without Ferrier's involvement: Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp (music by Robert Gavin, 1981) and Sinbad the Sailor: The Last Adventure (music by Ian McKean, 1982). Both were initially staged at the Alexander Theatre at Monash University.

Howson was married three times: • Lisa Waters (fl. 1976) • Lynn Murphy (1983–1999) Their son, Oliver Howson was born in 1991. • Terri Garber (2001–2002) Howson was debilitated, at times, by Spasmodic Dysphonia which affected his voice; it was periodically mitigated by Botox injections into his larynx. His gravelly voice can be heard in a 2005 radio interview with Paul Harris and Brett Cropley of 3RRR on Film Buffs' Forecast. John Michael Howson is his cousin. Howson died on 9 February 2024, at the age of 71.

Howson was on the Crystal Prix Jury for the 1997 Cannes Film Festival. From 1997 to 2005 Howson worked and lived in Hollywood. He served on the board of directors for the Starlight Children's Foundation of California. Mr. Insincere, (written / performed by Howson) appears in the Disney movie Burn Hollywood Burn (1998), starring Eric Idle (as Alan Smithee) and Ryan O'Neal; with Whoopi Goldberg, Jackie Chan, Sylvester Stallone, and Robert Evans. Howson was asked by Steven Berkoff to direct the TV version of Berkoff's international hit theatre show Shakespeare's Villains (2002). Howson later completed writing his memoirs on the film industry A Life in the Circus, and wrote songs for Steve Housden's (Little River Band lead guitarist) solo album.

Richard Wolstencroft formed MUFF in 2000 and appointed Howson as president of the jury. Boulevard Films' The Intruder (directed by Wolstencroft) and The Final Stage (directed by Howson) were both presented at the 2005 festival. The following year saw Howson's film Remembering Nigel tie with Penny by John King for MUFF's 2006 Best Short Film award. He acted and was a script editor in a Wolstencroft film, The Beautiful and Damned. Howson later served as a board member of Open Channel, a non-profit organisation that supports young filmmakers. Howson was invited to direct the premiere production of the short play The Replacement Son for the Short and Sweet festival at Melbourne's Arts Centre in December 2007. Some excerpts from Howson's film Flynn can be seen in documentary on the life of Errol Flynn, The Tasmanian Devil. The new release book The Actors' Handbook by Marnie Hill, published by AT2, contains an interview with him. Howson in 2012 and 2013 wrote and directed two sell-out seasons of the musical "Genesis To Broadway" at Chapel Off Chapel, Melbourne. Cast member Fem Belling was nominated for a Green Room Award for Best Performance in a Musical.

According to a profile in Filmink Howson's films: Explore recurring themes as much as any auteur: the culture clash between Australia and the US, the importance of artists remaining relevant, what constitutes selling out, the sacrifices to “make it” in show business, the struggles of middle-aged men, a love of theatre and music, the difficulty of maintaining a long-term romantic relationship, adoring shots of Melbourne (Howson could be perhaps the most Melbourne-philic film producer of them all).

• Year — Title — Director — Producer — Writer — Actor — Notes • 1967 — Homicide — TV series. Role of Peter in Season 4, Episode 17, "The Catch." • 1979 — Skyways — TV series. Role of Steve Eagles in five episodes of Season 1. • 1980 — A Wild Ass of a Man — TV movie. Cameo as "Photographer" • 1980 — The Pirate Movie — Cameo as "Policeman" • 1983 — Prisoner — TV series. Writer of Episode 377 and 387. • 1988 — Backstage • 1988 — Boulevard of Broken Dreams — Cameo as "Producer at Party" • 1990 — Heaven Tonight • 1990 — Beyond My Reach — Cameo as "Man at Airport" • 1990 — What the Moon Saw • 1990 — Friday On My Mind — Unfinished. A biopic of The Easybeats. • 1991 — Hunting • 1992 — Come Rain or Shine — Unreleased • 1992 — A Slow Night at the Kuwaiti Cafe — Unreleased • 1993 — Flynn — Also released as My Forgotten Man. Cameo as "Opium Smoker" • 1995 — The Final Stage — Unreleased. Cameo as "Vision at Piano" • 2005 — The Intruder — Filmed in 1991. Finished, screened and released on DVD in 2005. • 2006 — Crimetime — Filmed in 1992, unfinished. Screened once in rough cut form at MUFF 2006 • 2009 — The Beautiful and Damned — Also worked as script editor • 2009 — Remembering Nigel — Short film. Role of Nigel • 2009 — Crazy in the Night — Short film. Role of David • 2017 — The Second Coming, Vol. 2 — Role of Frank Connolly • 2018 — A Thin Life — Short film. Filmed in the 1990s. Screened at MUFF 2018 and released by Howson on YouTube. • 2022 — The Debt Collector — Role of Father Jenkins