British film director Clive Donner, the New Wave-era filmmaker who helped launch the careers of such notable stars as Ian McKellen and Alan Bates, has died at 84 in London, the BBC reported.
Donner (pictured right on the set of 1967's "Luv" alongside actress Elaine May) had suffered from Alzheimer’s, the news service said.
Donner’s best known film was 1965’s “What’s New Pussycat,” a Woody Allen-penned comedy that starred Allen alongside Peter Sellers, Ursula Andress and Peter O’Toole. Burt Bacharach composed the movie’s memorable score.
He later moved to Los Angeles, where he directed a number of TV adaptations, including a notable 1982 take on “The Scarlet Pimpernel” starring McKellen and Jane Seymour.
