I was lucky enough to work with Billy Friedkin on the film adaptation of Harold Pinter’s The Birthday Party (1968) as second assistant director. Having worked with many other directors, I regard him as by far the most talented (William Friedkin created unforgettable horror and pleasure with equal brilliance, 7 August).
Apart from his sense of cinema and his ability with actors, Billy broke barriers in his relationship with everyone around him. He made friends with the electricians who worked in the hot and sweaty overhead gantries, and on one occasion he paid for lunch for the entire cast and crew in Shepperton village. This was unprecedented.
