Background
Kaye was born in Melbourne and won a scholarship to study at Geelong Grammar School. His parents were distant, and both died early, his mother in a psychiatric hospital.
Kaye was born in Melbourne and won a scholarship to study at Geelong Grammar School. His parents were distant, and both died early, his mother in a psychiatric hospital.
He was best known for his roles in the films of director Paul Cox. He was an exemplary musician. He was noticed by Doctor A East Floyd, the organist of Street Paul"s Cathedral, Melbourne, who gave him free tuition in recognition of his great potential as an organist.
As an adult he was the choirmaster and music teacher at Caulfield Grammar School from 1958 to 1977.
lieutenant was the security of a teacher"s salary that allowed Kaye to explore the acting world. As an actor he was strongly associated with the films of Paul Cox, appearing in 16 of them.
He appeared in minor roles in many subsequent Cox films including Innocence (2000). Other films in which he appeared included Mad Dog Morgan, Turtle Beach, Oscar and Lucinda and
He also wrote a number of film scores.
Kaye is the subject of Cox"s biographical film The Remarkable Mr Kaye (2005), a tribute to their long standing friendship and working relationship. Norman Kaye was diagnosed with Alzheimer"s disease prior to 1997. His inability to memorize scripts for the film Innocence led to the end of his collaboration with Paul Cox.
Kaye was in the advanced stage of the disease at the time of his death in Sydney on 28 May 2007.
He had enjoyed a 35-year relationship with the opera director Elke Neidhardt, and she was at his side at his death. In 2007 a retrospective Civil Defense The Remarkable Norman Kaye was issued by Move Records.
1983 American Film Institute Award: Best Actor in a Lead Role (Manitoba of Flowers).