Obituary: David Stratton

David Stratton, famed movie critic and long-time presenter on SBS and ABC has died, age 85.

ABC reports that he died peacefully in hospital near his home in the Blue Mountains.

Born in the United Kingdom in 1939, his love of movies was sparked at a young age when his grandmother would take him to the movies in a small English town during World War II. “My grandmother was a four-movie-a-week person. She always took me along,” he told TV Week in 1983. “At a certain point, I decided to find out as much about this magical world as I could.”

He came to Australia in the early 1960s and within a few years had been appointed director of the Sydney Film Festival — a position he held until the early 1980s.

One of his first TV appearances was in 1971 when he presented an episode of ABC documentary series Survey, highlighting a selection of Australian-made short films.

By 1981, he joined the new Channel 0/28 (now SBS) to introduce movies under the banner A Whole World Of Movies which later spun off to timeslots of curated films like Movie Of The Week and Cinema Classics — giving many Australian viewers their first exposure to international films that weren’t British or American. In 1982 he presented a two-part documentary series The History Of Australian Cinema.

In 1986, he was paired up with Margaret Pomeranz to review new release movies on The Movie Show. Their chemistry — and sometimes wild but friendly disagreements — became the show’s ultimate trademark and their partnership became one of the most enduring in Australian television. They continued at SBS until 2004, ultimately taking the same format across to ABC where they presented At The Movies for a further ten years until Stratton retired in 2014. He did make a return to television in 2017 to present a three-part series David Stratton’s Stories Of Australian Cinema for ABC.

Over his long career in television he also made appearances on programs including Australian Story, Rove Live, Review With Myles Barlow, The Chaser’s War On Everything, Adam Hills In Gordon Street Tonight, The Hamster Wheel, First Tuesday Book Club and appeared as himself in the telemovie The Making Of Nothing and in a skit for the TV Week Logie Awards with Pomeranz and Humphrey B Bear.

For many years he was also the movie reviewer for TV Week, replacing the late Ivan Hutchinson in 1995.

Both ABC and SBS have issued statements in tribute:

The ABC is deeply saddened by the passing of revered film critic, writer and educator David Stratton, aged 85.

David appeared on Australian screens for three decades alongside Margaret Pomeranz, with whom he shared one of the most iconic partnerships in Australian broadcasting.

From 1984 until 2004, he co-hosted The Movie Show with Margaret on SBS. The pair then moved to the ABC, where they hosted At the Movies until 2014.

In a statement, David’s family confirmed he died peacefully in hospital near his home in the Blue Mountains.

“David’s passion for film, commitment to Australian cinema, and generous spirit touched countless lives,” his family said. “He was adored as a husband, father, grand and great grandfather and admired friend. David’s family would like to express their heartfelt gratitude for the overwhelming support from friends, colleagues, and the public recently and across his lifetime.”

They plan to hold a private family funeral, with details of a public memorial service to be announced in due course.

Born in England in 1939, David developed a love of the movies from an early age when his grandmother would take him to see movies when he was just a toddler.

His love of cinema never left him. In 1963, he moved to Australia and three years later, he became director of the Sydney Film Festival until 1983.

ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks paid tribute to the legendary film critic.

“What an extraordinary career,” he said. “Incredible insight, a love of the craft of movie making and a respect for his audience, David was a credit to our industry. He made an enormous contribution to the ABC that we will remember fondly. We are thinking of his family and friends at this time.”

David’s family has asked for privacy but invited everyone to celebrate his remarkable life and legacy by watching his favourite movie of all time, Singing in the Rain.

Statement by SBS Managing Director, James Taylor

SBS is deeply saddened by the passing of David Stratton, one of Australia’s most respected and beloved film critics.

His insightful reviews and deep passion for film have left an indelible mark on Australian culture.

From 1986 to 2004, David co-hosted SBS’s The Movie Show alongside Margaret Pomeranz, introducing generations of viewers to cinema from Australia and around the world. His legacy endures in every thoughtful review and every inspired viewer.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to David’s family and loved ones, and honour his extraordinary contribution to the art of cinema.

Source: ABC, SBS, ABC, IMDB. The Age, 16 September 1971. TV Week, 30 July 1983, 17 December 1988.