Hudson died in a London hospital after a short illness and was survived by his wife Maryam, his son Thomas and his first wife Sue, the family statement said.

Hudson made television commercials in the late 1960s and 1970s before moving on to documentaries – including a biography of Argentine motor racing champion Juan Manuel Fangio – and feature films.

“Chariots Of Fire”, the story of British athletes competing at the 1924 Olympics, swept the Oscars in 1981, winning the best picture and three other Academy Awards.

Hudson’s other films included the acclaimed “Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes” in 1984. Not all his works were a success: “Revolution” – an ambitious portrayal of the American War of Independence – was a 1985 box-office flop.