Cliff Twemlow


Cliff Twemlow was an English actor, film screenwriter, producer, composer and novelist. He is notable for pioneering, in the early 1980s, the production of independently-made low-budget films made for the home video market.

Early life

Twemlow was born in Hulme, Manchester, the son of a merchant seaman. In the early 1950s he worked as a nightclub bouncer in Morecambe.

Career

In 1962 Twemlow began his acting career as an extra in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street.''

Music

In the early 1960s Twemlow began a successful career composing library music under the names Peter Reno and John Agar. His music was used in TV programmes, feature films, Secrets of Sex, Deathdream '', A [Touch of the Sun |A Touch of the Sun], Dawn of [the Dead |Dawn of the Dead] ) and TV commercials. He wrote "Distant Hills", the end credit theme of the ITV programme Crown Court, which was issued as the B-side to the Van der Valk theme "Eye Level".
In 1973 he encountered legal problems with his song "Live and Let Die", recorded by Salena Jones. Although released shortly before Paul McCartney recorded his song with the same title for the film Live and Let Die'', McCartney successfully took out an injunction against Twemlow.

Writing

In 1980 Twemlow published his autobiography The Tuxedo Warrior, which documented his career in the music industry and as a bouncer. The book inspired the film Tuxedo Warrior, which however ignores his life and instead uses him as a character in a fictional narrative.
He wrote two novels: The Pike, of which he announced a film version but failed to secure funding, and The Beast of Kane.

Film

In 1983 Twemlow wrote, produced and starred in G.B.H. Grievous Bodily Harm, one of the earliest British films to be shot on video, which sold over 10,000 copies in its first month of release. He starred in nine more films until 1992, produced a pilot for a TV show, and appeared in several special interest training films produced by Brian Sterling-Vete on the MajorVision label includingThe Power to Win, The Ultimate Self Defense and Fitness Over Forty.

Death

Twemlow died from a heart attack on 9 May 1993, aged 55.

Documentary

Twemlow is the subject of the 2023 documentary Mancunian Man: The Legendary Life of Cliff Twemlow by Jake West.

Filmography

Discography

All albums credited to Peter Reno, and released by De Wolfe Music, except where noted.
  • Z-Patrol
  • Inter City
  • Bossalena
  • Mini-Skirt
  • There's a World Going On
  • Lucky Me
  • Travelling Light
  • Polaris
  • For the Young
  • Big City Story
  • More Electric Banana
  • Inherit the Wind
  • Colours
  • Blue Pacific
  • Loony Tunes
  • TV Suite Vol 2
  • Sweet Chariot and Friends
  • Key Largo
  • Tilsley Orchestral 9
  • Sunspots
  • Sit Back
  • Illinois
  • Alibi
  • Restless Woman
  • Times Two
  • Afro-Rock
  • Native Rhymes
  • Here and there
  • Meatball Jack
  • Wheel of Fortune
  • Great Day
  • Quartet of Modern Jazz Vol.2
  • Tete a Tete
  • City Scene
  • Junction
  • Synthesizer Contact
  • Syndrome
  • Hot Breath
  • ''Super Ride''