Audition: Sunday Bloody Sunday

On 28 November 1969 David Bowie auditioned for a part in John Schlesinger’s 1971 film Sunday Bloody Sunday.

Bowie had met producer Marion Brinkman the previous day to discuss the role of Bob Elkin, a young sculptor at the centre of a love triangle with a gay Jewish doctor (played by Peter Finch) and a divorced recruitment consultant (Glenda Jackson).

The audition took place at Vic Films at 33 Bruton Street, London. Bowie was unsuccessful, and the part of Elkin eventually went to Murray Head.

I wanted John Schlesinger to know about David and it was for that reason that I put him up for the part, not necessarily to get it. I telephoned the casting agent Marian Brinkman, who agreed to see him at 3.30 on 27 November. She obviously approved of him for she made an appointment for him to see John Schlesinger at 4.15 the following day at the office of Vic Films, 33 Bruton Street. When it was later announced that Murray Head had got the part I understood why David had not: he was a quite different physical type, but it didn’t really matter for John Schlesinger would, I hoped, remember the name. After Sunday Bloody Sunday he directed, among other films, Midnight Cowboy.