Jimmy Sangster | |
|---|---|
 Sangster, c. 1958 | |
| Born | James Henry Kinmel Sangster[1] (1927-12-02)2 December 1927 Kinmel Bay,Denbighshire, Wales |
| Died | 19 August 2011(2011-08-19) (aged 83) London, England |
| Education | Ewell Castle School[2][3] |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 1955–2000 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 1 |
James Henry Kinmel Sangster (2 December 1927 – 19 August 2011) was a Welsh screenwriter and film director, best known for his work on the initialhorror films made byHammer Film Productions, includingThe Curse of Frankenstein (1957) andDracula (1958).[2]
The son of anestate agent, Sangster was born inKimmel Bay,North Wales and was educated atEwell Castle School in Surrey, andLlandaff Cathedral School in Cardiff.[4] He began his film career, aged 16, as aclapper-boy.[2]
After service with theRAF, he worked as a third assistant director onEaling Studios productions, then joined Exclusive Studios (laterHammer Films) in 1949.
Sangster originally worked as aproduction assistant at Hammer Films, as well as being anassistant director,second unit director and production manager. After Hammer's success withThe Quatermass Xperiment, he was approached to writeX the Unknown, to which he replied "I'm not a writer. I'm a production manager." According to him, Hammer Films' response was: "Well, you come up with a couple of ideas and if we like it, we'll pay you. If we don't like it, we won't pay you. You're being paid as a production manager, so you can't complain."[5] Sangster later turned to direction withThe Horror of Frankenstein andLust for a Vampire (both 1970) for the studio, but with far less success. His third (and last) film as director wasFear in the Night (1972), which resurrected the psychological woman-in-peril thriller he had begun with his script forTaste of Fear (1961). All three of the films he directed featured actorRalph Bates, a friend of Sangster's and one of Hammer's better-known performers for the company during the 1970s.
Sangster scripted and produced two films forBette Davis,The Nanny (1965) andThe Anniversary (1968). His other scriptwriting credits includedThe Siege of Sidney Street (1960), which starredDonald Sinden and in which Sangster appeared asWinston Churchill. His many television screenwriting credits includeKolchak: The Night Stalker,Movin' On,The Magician,B. J. and the Bear,Most Wanted,Ironside,McCloud,The Six Million Dollar Man andWonder Woman.
He is also the author of the novelsTouchfeather;Touchfeather, Too;Foreign Exchange;Private I (akaThe Spy Killer);Snowball;Hardball; andBlackball; all of which have been republished byBrash Books. His other books include the novelYour Friendly Neighborhood Death Peddler, the non-fiction memoirDo You Want it Good or Tuesday? and the 2003screenwriting manual,Screenwriting: Techniques for Success.[6] In 2019, Brash Books announced the discovery of an unpublished Sangster novel,Fireball, which they released in 2020.[7][8]
Sangster died at his home inKensington, London on 19 August 2011.[4] He was survived by his third wife, actressMary Peach; a son from an earlier marriage, Mark James Sangster;[2] and two grandchildren, Claire and Ian Sangster.
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | The Horror of Frankenstein | Also producer and co-writer |
| 1971 | Lust for a Vampire | |
| 1972 | Fear in the Night | Also producer and writer |
