Tony Tenser: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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Raised in a tenement in [[Shoreditch]], with the family doing peacework for local tailors, Tenser was one of seven children.<ref name="Sweet">Matthew Sweet [http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/the-lost-worlds-of-british-cinema-the-horror-525200.html "The lost worlds of British cinema: The horror"], ''The Independent'', 29 January 2006</ref> After war service as a technician in the [[Royal Air Force]], he became a trainee manager for the [[ABC Cinemas]] circuit.<ref name="Vallance">Tom Vallance [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/tony-tenser-film-producer-and-distributor-who-dubbed-bardot-a-sex-kitten-766205.html "Tony Tenser: Film producer and distributor who dubbed Bardot a 'sex kitten'"], ''The Independent'', 20 December 2007</ref> Tenser claimed he coined the term "sex kitten" for the French movie star [[Brigitte Bardot]] when he brought her to London for publicity purposes in the 1950s.<ref name="Sweet"/><ref name="Gaughan"/>

In 1960, with business partner [[Michael Klinger (producer)|Michael Klinger]], he opened the Compton Cinema Club, a private members club. Initially the distributors of foreign films, they diversified into production in partnership with the owners of the Cameo chain of cinema, and founded Compton Cameo Films. The first film of the new company was ''[[Naked as Nature Intended]]'' (1961), a nudist film

Persuaded by his business partner in Compton Films, Michael Klinger. Tenser was responsible for producing ''[[Repulsion]]'' (1965) and ''[[Cul-de-sac (1966 film)|Cul-de-sac]]'' (1966). the first two films in English made by the Polish director [[Roman Polanski]]. He founded his own production company [[Tigon British Film Productions]] in 1966, which made other mainstream films such as [[Michael Reeves]]' two features ''[[The Sorcerers]]'' (1966) and ''[[Witchfinder General (film)|Witchfinder General]]'' (1967), as well as other horror films. After production of ''[[The Creeping Flesh]]'' (1973) concluded, Tenser resigned from Tigon. With his much younger third wife, he settled in Southport in 1978;<ref name="Gaughan"/> the couple later separated, and Tenser spent his last years in a care home opposite the house he had shared with his wife.<ref name="Sweet"/>