Alfred Joseph Hitchcock was born in Leytonstone, Essex, England. He wasthe son of Emma Jane (Whelan; 1863 - 1942) and East End greengrocerWilliam Hitchcock (1862 - 1914). His parents were both of half Englishand half Irish ancestry. He had two older siblings, William Hitchcock(born 1890) and Eileen Hitchcock (born 1892). Raised as a strictCatholic and attending Saint Ignatius College, a school run by Jesuits,Hitch had very much of a regular upbringing. His first job outside ofthe family business was in 1915 as an estimator for the HenleyTelegraph and Cable Company. His interest in movies began at aroundthis time, frequently visiting the cinema and reading US tradejournals.

Hitchcock entering the film industry in 1919 as a title card designer.It was there that he metAlma Reville, though they neverreally spoke to each other. It was only after the director forAlways Tell Your Wife (1923)fell ill and Hitchcock was named director to complete the film that heand Reville began to collaborate. Hitchcock had his first real crack atdirecting a film, start to finish, in 1923 when he was hired to directthe filmNumber 13 (1922), though theproduction wasn't completed due to the studio's closure (he later remade it as a sound film). Hitchcockdidn't give up then. He directedThe Pleasure Garden (1925), aBritish/German production, which was very popular. Hitchcock made hisfirst trademark film in 1927,The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927). In the same year, on the 2nd of December, Hitchcock married AlmaReville. They had one child,Patricia Hitchcock who was born on July 7th, 1928. His success followed when he made a number of films in Britain such asThe Lady Vanishes (1938)andJamaica Inn (1939), some of whichalso gained him fame in the USA.

In 1940, the Hitchcock family moved to Hollywood, where the producerDavid O. Selznick had hired him to direct an adaptation of 'Daphne du Maurier''sRebecca (1940).AfterSaboteur (1942), as his fame as a director grew, film companies beganto refer to his films as 'Alfred Hitchcock's', for exampleAlfred Hitcock'sPsycho (1960), Alfred Hitchcock'sFamily Plot (1976), AlfredHitchcock'sFurenjî (1972).

Hitchcock was a master of pure cinema who almost never failed to reconcile aesthetics with the demands of the box-office.

During themaking ofFurenjî (1972), Hitchcock's wifeAlma suffered a paralyzing stroke which made her unable to walk verywell. On March 7, 1979, Hitchcock was awarded the AFI LifeAchievement Award, where he said: "I beg permissionto mention by name only four people who have given me the mostaffection, appreciation, and encouragement, and constant collaboration.The first of the four is a film editor, the second is a scriptwriter,the third is the mother of my daughter Pat, and the fourth is as fine acook as ever performed miracles in a domestic kitchen and their namesare Alma Reville." By this time, he was ill with angina and hiskidneys had already started to fail. He had started to write a screenplaywithErnest Lehman called The Short Night but he fired Lehman andhired young writer David Freeman to rewrite the script. Due toHitchcock's failing health the film was never made, but Freemanpublished the script after Hitchcock's death. In late 1979, Hitchcockwas knighted, making him Sir Alfred Hitchcock. On the 29th April 1980,9:17AM, he died peacefully in his sleep due to renal failure. Hisfuneral was held in the Church of Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills.Father Thomas Sullivan led the service with over 600 people attendedthe service, among them wereMel Brooks (director ofHigh Anxiety (1977), a comedytribute to Hitchcock and his films),Louis Jourdan,Karl Malden,Tippi Hedren,Janet Leigh andFrançois Truffaut.

Best known for his cerebral, often nonlinear, storytelling, acclaimed Academy Award winner writer/director/producer SirChristopher Nolan CBE was born in London, England. Over the course of more than 25 years of filmmaking, Nolan has gone from low-budget independent films to working on some of the biggest blockbusters ever made and became one of the most celebrated filmmakers of modern cinema.

At 7 years old, Nolan began making short films with his father's Super-8 camera. While studying English Literature at University College London, he shot 16-millimeter films at U.C.L.'s film society, where he learned the guerrilla techniques he would later use to make his first feature,Following (1998), on a budget of around $6,000. The noir thriller was recognized at a number of international film festivals prior to its theatrical release and gained Nolan enough credibility that he was able to gather substantial financing for his next film.

Nolan's second film wasMemento (2000), which he directed from his own screenplay based on a short story by his brotherJonathan Nolan. StarringGuy Pearce, the film brought Nolan numerous honors, including Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Original Screenplay. Nolan went on to direct the critically acclaimed psychological thriller,Insomnia (2002), starringAl Pacino,Robin Williams andHilary Swank.

The turning point in Nolan's career occurred when he was awarded the chance to revive the Batman franchise in 2005. InBatman Begins (2005), Nolan brought a level of gravitas back to the iconic hero, and his gritty, modern interpretation was greeted with praise from fans and critics alike. Before moving on to a Batman sequel, Nolan directed, co-wrote, and produced the mystery thrillerプレステージ (2006), starringChristian Bale andHugh Jackman as magicians whose obsessive rivalry leads to tragedy and murder.

In 2008, Nolan directed, co-wrote, and producedDâku naito (2008). Co-written with by his brother Jonathan, the film went on to gross more than a billion dollars at the worldwide box office. Nolan was nominated for a Directors Guild of America (D.G.A.) Award, Writers Guild of America (W.G.A.) Award and Producers Guild of America (P.G.A.) Award, and the film also received eight Academy Award nominations. The film is widely considered one of the best comic book adaptations of all times, withHeath Ledger's performance as the Joker receiving an extremely high acclaim. Ledger posthumously became the first Academy Award winning performance in a Nolan film.

In 2010, Nolan captivated audiences with the Sci-Fi thrillerInception (2010), starringLeonardo DiCaprio in the lead role, which he directed and produced from his own original screenplay that he worked on for almost a decade. The thought-provoking drama was a worldwide blockbuster, earning more than $800,000,000 and becoming one of the most discussed and debated films of the year, and of all times. Among its many honors, Inception received four Academy Awards and eight nominations, including Best Picture and Best Screenplay. Nolan was recognized by his peers with a W.G.A. Award accolade, as well as D.G.A. and P.G.A. Awards nominations for his work on the film.

As one of the best-reviewed and highest-grossing movies of 2012,Dâku naito raijingu (2012) concluded Nolan's Batman trilogy. Due to his success rebooting the Batman character, Warner Bros. enlisted Nolan to produce their revamped Superman movieMan obu Sutîru (2013), which opened in the summer of 2013. In 2014, Nolan directed, wrote, and produced the Science-Fiction epicInterstellar (2014), starringMatthew McConaughey,Anne Hathaway andJessica Chastain. Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. released the film on November 5, 2014, to positive reviews and strong box-office results, grossing over $670 million dollars worldwide.

In July 2017, Nolan released his acclaimed War epicDunkirk (2017), that earned him his first Best Director nomination at the Academy Awards, as well as winning an additional 3 Oscars. In 2020 he released his mind-bending Sci-Fi espionage thrillerTenet (2020) starringJohn David Washington in the lead role. Released during the COVID-19 pandemic, the movie grossed relatively less than Nolan's previous blockbusters, though it did do good numbers compared to other movies in that period of time. Hailed as Nolan's most complex film yet, the film was one of Nolan's less-acclaimed films at the time, yet slowly built a fan-base following in later years.

In July 2023, Nolan released his highly acclaimed biographic dramaOppenheimer (2023) starring Nolan's frequent collaboratorCillian Murphy- in the lead role for the first time in a Nolan film. The movie was a cultural phenomenon that on top of grossing almost 1 billion dollars at the Worldwide Box office, also swept the 2023/2024 award-season and gave Nolan his first Oscars, BAFTAs, Golden Globes, D.G.A. and P.G.A. Awards, as well as a handful of regional critics-circles awards and a W.G.A. nomination. Cillian's performance as quantum physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer was highly acclaimed as well, and became the first lead performance in a Nolan film to win the Academy Award.

During 2023, Nolan also received a fellowship from the British Film Institute (BFI). In March 2024, it was announced that Nolan is to be knighted byKing Charles III and from now on will go by the title 'Sir Christopher Nolan'.

Nolan resides in Los Angeles, California with his wife, Academy Award winner producer DameEmma Thomas, and their children. Sir Nolan and Dame Thomas also have their own production company, Syncopy.

An important British filmmaker, David Lean was born in Croydon on March 25, 1908 and brought up in a strict Quaker family (ironically, as a child he wasn't allowed to go to the movies). During the 1920s, he briefly considered the possibility of becoming an accountant like his father before finding a job at Gaumont British Studios in 1927. He worked as tea boy, clapper boy, messenger, then cutting room assistant. By 1935, he had become chief editor of Gaumont British News until in 1939 when he began to edit feature films, notably forAnthony Asquith,Paul Czinner andMichael Powell. Amongst films he worked on werePygmalion (1938),Major Barbara (1941) andOne of Our Aircraft Is Missing (1942).

By the end of the 1930s, Lean's reputation as an editor was very well established. In 1942,Noël Coward gave Lean the chance to co-direct with him the war filmIn Which We Serve (1942). Shortly after, with the encouragement of Coward, Lean, cinematographerRonald Neame and producer 'Anthony Havelock-Allan' launched a production company called Cineguild. For that firm Lean first directed adaptations of three plays by Coward: the chronicleThis Happy Breed (1944), the humorous ghost storyBlithe Spirit (1945) and, most notably, the sentimental dramaBrief Encounter (1945). Originally a box-office failure in England, "Brief Encounter" was presented at the very first Cannes film festival (1946), where it won almost unanimous praises as well as a Grand Prize.

From Coward, Lean switched toCharles Dickens, directing two well-regarded adaptations:Great Expectations (1946) andOliver Twist (1948). The latter, starringAlec Guinness in his first major movie role, was criticized by some, however, for potential anti-Semitic inflections. The last two films made under the Cineguild banner wereThe Passionate Friends (1949), a romance from a novel byH.G. Wells, and the true crime storyMadeleine (1950). Neither had a significant impact on critics or audiences.

The Cineguild partnership came to an end after a dispute between Lean and Neame. Lean's first post-Cineguild production was the aviationdramaThe Sound Barrier (1952), a great box-office success in England and his most spectacular movie so far. He followed with two sophisticated comedies based on theatrical plays:Hobson's Choice (1954) and the Anglo-American co-productionSummertime (1955). Both were well received and "Hobson's Choice" won the Golden Bear at the 1954 Berlin film festival.

Lean's next movie was pivotal in his career, as it was the first of those grand-scale epics he would become renowned for.Senjô ni kakeru hashi (1957) was produced bySam Spiegel from a novel by 'Pierre Boulle', adapted by blacklisted writersMichael Wilson andCarl Foreman. Shot in Ceylon under extremely difficult conditions, the film was an international success and triumphed at the Oscars, winning seven awards, most notably best film and director.

Lean and Spiegel followed with an even more ambitious film,Arabia no Rorensu (1962), based on "Seven Pillars of Wisdom", the autobiography ofT.E. Lawrence. Starring relative newcomerPeter O'Toole, this film was the first collaboration between Lean and writerRobert Bolt, cinematographerFreddie Young and composerMaurice Jarre. The shooting itself took place in Spain, Morocco and Jordan over a period of 20 months. Initial reviews were mixed and the film was trimmed down shortly after its world première and cut even more during a 1971 re-release. Like its predecessor, it won seven Oscars, once again including best film and director.

The same team of Lean, Bolt, Young and Jarre next worked on an adaptation ofBoris Pasternak's novel "Dr. Zhivago" for producerCarlo Ponti.Doctor Zhivago (1965) was shot in Spain and Finland, standing in for revolutionary Russia and, despite divided critics, was hugely successful, as was Jarre's musical score. The film won five Oscars out of ten nominations, but the statuettes for film and director went toThe Sound of Music (1965).

Lean's next movie, the sentimental dramaRaian no musume (1970), did not reach the same heights. The original screenplay by Robert Bolt was produced by old associate Anthony Havelock-Allan, and Lean once again secured the collaboration of Freddie Young and Maurice Jarre. The shooting in Ireland lasted about a year, much longer than expected. The film won two Oscars; but, for the most part, critical reaction was tepid, sometimes downright derisive, and the general public didn't really respond to the movie.

This relative lack of success seems to have inhibited Lean's creativity for a while. But towards the end of the 1970s, he started to work again with Robert Bolt on an ambitious two-part movie about the Bounty mutiny. The project fell apart and was eventually recuperated byDino De Laurentiis. Lean was then approached by producersJohn Brabourne andRichard Goodwin to adaptE.M. Forster's novel "A Passage to India", a book Lean had been interested in for more than 20 years. For the first time in his career; Lean wrote the adaptation alone, basing himself partly onSantha Rama Rau's stage version of the book. Lean also acted as his own editor.Indo eno Michi (1984) opened to mostly favourable reviews and performed quite well at the box-office. It was a strong Oscar contender, scoring 11 nominations. It settled for two wins, losing the trophy battle toMilos Forman'sAmadeus (1984).

Lean spent the last few years of his life preparing an adaptation ofJoseph Conrad's meditative adventure novel "Nostromo". He also participated briefly in Richard Harris' restoration of "Lawrence of Arabia" in 1988. In 1990, Lean received the American Film Institute's Life Achievement award. He died of cancer on April 16, 1991 at age 83, shortly before the shooting of "Nostromo" was about to begin.

Lean was known on sets for his extreme perfectionism and autocratic behavior, an attitude that sometimes alienated his cast or crew. Though his cinematic approach, classic and refined, clearly belongs to a bygone era, his films have aged rather well and his influence can still be found in movies likeThe English Patient (1996) andTitanic (1997). In 1999, the British Film Institute compiled a list of the 100 favorite British films of the 20th century. Five by David Lean appeared in the top 30, three of them in the top five.

Samuel Alexander Mendes was born on August 1, 1965 in Reading, England,UK to parents James Peter Mendes, a retired university lecturer, andValerie Helene Mendes, an author who writes children's books. Theirmarriage didn't last long, James divorced Sam's mother in 1970 when Samwas just 5-years-old. Sam was educated at Cambridge University andjoined the Chichester Festival Theatre following his graduation in1987. Afterwards, he directedJudi Dench in"The Cherry Orchard", for which he won a Critics Circle Award for BestNewcomer. He then joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, where hedirected such productions as "Troilus and Cressida" withRalph Fiennes and "Richard III". In 1992,he became artistic director of the reopened Donmar Warehouse in London,where he directed such productions as "The Glass Menagerie" and therevival of the musical "Cabaret", which earned four Tony Awardsincluding one for Best Revival of a Musical. He also directed "The BlueRoom" starringNicole Kidman. In 1999, hegot the chance to direct his first feature film,American Beauty (1999). The movieearned 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director forMendes, which is a rare feat for a first-time film director.

Steve McQueen was born on 9 October 1969 in London, England, UK. He is a director and producer, known forSore Demo Yoru Ha Akeru (2013),Shame (2011) andHunger (2008). He is married toBianca Stigter. They have two children.

Daniel Francis Boyle is a British filmmaker, producer and writer from Radcliffe, Greater Manchester. He is known for directing 28 Days Later, 127 Hours, Trainspotting, T2 Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire, Millions, Shallow Grave, The Beach, Yesterday, and Steve Jobs. He won many awards for Slumdog Millionaire. He was in a relationship with Gail Stevens and had three children.

Considered to be one of the most pivotal stars of the early days of Hollywood, Charlie Chaplin lived an interesting life both in his films and behind the camera. He is most recognized as an icon of the silent film era, often associated with his popular character, the Little Tramp; the man with the toothbrush mustache, bowler hat, bamboo cane, and a funny walk.

Charles Spencer Chaplin was born in Walworth, London, England on April 16, 1889, to Hannah Harriet Pedlingham (Hill) and Charles Chaplin, both music hall performers, who were married on June 22, 1885. After Charles Sr. separated from Hannah to perform in New York City, Hannah then tried to resurrect her stage career. Unfortunately, her singing voice had a tendency to break at unexpected moments. When this happened, the stage manager spotted young Charlie standing in the wings and led him on stage, where five-year-old Charlie began to sing a popular tune. Charlie and his half-brother,Syd Chaplin spent their lives in and out of charity homes and workhouses between their mother's bouts of insanity. Hannah was committed to Cane Hill Asylum in May 1903 and lived there until 1921, when Chaplin moved her to California.

Chaplin began his official acting career at the age of eight, touring with the Eight Lancashire Lads. At age 18, he began touring withFred Karno's vaudeville troupe, joining them on the troupe's 1910 United States tour. He traveled west to California in December 1913 and signed on with Keystone Studios' popular comedy directorMack Sennett, who had seen Chaplin perform on stage in New York. Charlie soon wrote his brother Syd, asking him to become his manager. While at Keystone, Chaplin appeared in and directed 35 films, starring as the Little Tramp in nearly all.

In November 1914, he left Keystone and signed on at Essanay, where he made 15 films. In 1916, he signed on at Mutual and made 12 films. In June 1917, Chaplin signed up with First National Studios, after which he built Chaplin Studios. In 1919, he andDouglas Fairbanks,Mary Pickford andD.W. Griffith formed United Artists (UA).

Chaplin's life and career was full of scandal and controversy. His first big scandal was during World War I, at which time his loyalty to England, his home country, was questioned. He had never applied for American citizenship, but claimed that he was a "paying visitor" to the United States. Many British citizens called Chaplin a coward and a slacker. This and other career eccentricities sparked suspicion with FBI chiefJ. Edgar Hoover and the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), who believed that he was injecting Communist propaganda into his films. Chaplin's later filmDokusaisha (1940), which was his first "talkie", also created a stir. In the film, Chaplin plays a humorous caricature ofAdolf Hitler. Some thought the film was poorly done and in bad taste. However, the film grossed over $5 million and earned five Academy Award Nominations.

Another scandal occurred when Chaplin briefly dated 22 year-old Joan Barry. However, Chaplin's relationship with Barry came to an end in 1942, after a series of harassing actions from her. In May 1943, Barry returned to inform Chaplin that she was pregnant and filed a paternity suit, claiming that the unborn child was his. During the 1944 trial, blood tests proved that Chaplin was not the father, but at the time, blood tests were inadmissible evidence, and he was ordered to pay $75 a week until the child turned 21.

Chaplin also was scrutinized for his support in aiding the Russian struggle against the invading Nazis during World War II, and the United States government questioned his moral and political views, suspecting him of having Communist ties. For this reason, HUAC subpoenaed him in 1947. However, HUAC finally decided that it was no longer necessary for him to appear for testimony. Conversely, when Chaplin and his family traveled to London for the premier ofLimelight (1952), he was denied re-entry to the United States. In reality, the government had almost no evidence to prove that he was a threat to national security. Instead, he and his wife decided to settle in Switzerland.

Chaplin was married four times and had a total of 11 children. In 1918, he marriedMildred Harris and they had a son together, Norman Spencer Chaplin, who lived only three days. Chaplin and Harris divorced in 1920. He marriedLita Grey in 1924, who had two sons,Charles Chaplin Jr. andSydney Chaplin. They were divorced in 1927. In 1936, Chaplin marriedPaulette Goddard, and his final marriage was to Oona O'Neill (Oona Chaplin), daughter of playwrightEugene O'Neill in 1943. Oona gave birth to eight children:Geraldine Chaplin,Michael Chaplin,Josephine Chaplin,Victoria Chaplin, Eugene Chaplin, Jane Chaplin, Annette-Emilie Chaplin, andChristopher Chaplin.

In contrast to many of his boisterous characters, Chaplin was a quiet man who kept to himself a great deal. He also had an "un-millionaire" way of living. Even after he had accumulated millions, he continued to live in shabby accommodations. In 1921, Chaplin was decorated by the French government for his outstanding work as a filmmaker and was elevated to the rank of Officer of the Legion of Honor in 1952. In 1972, he was honored with an Academy Award for his "incalculable effect in making motion pictures the art form of the century". He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1975 New Year's Honours List. No formal reason for the honour was listed. The citation simply reads "Charles Spencer Chaplin, Film Actor and Producer".

Chaplin's other works included musical scores that he composed for many of his films. He also authored two autobiographical books, "My Autobiography" (1964) and its companion volume, "My Life in Pictures" (1974).

Chaplin died at age 88 of natural causes on December 25, 1977 at his home in Vevey, Switzerland. His funeral was a small and private Anglican ceremony according to his wishes. In 1978, Chaplin's corpse was stolen from its grave and was not recovered for three months; he was re-buried in a vault surrounded by cement.

Six of Chaplin's films have been selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the United States Library of Congress: The Immigrant (1917),The Kid (1921),Chaplin no Ôgonkyô Jidai (1925),Machi no hi (1931),Modern Times (1936), andDokusaisha (1940).

Charlie Chaplin is considered one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of American cinema, whose movies were and still are popular throughout the world and have even gained notoriety as time progresses. His films show, through the Little Tramp's positive outlook on life in a world full of chaos, that the human spirit has and always will remain the same.

Described by film producerMichael Deeley as "the very best eye in the business", director Ridley Scott was born on November 30, 1937 in South Shields, Tyne and Wear. His father was an officer in the Royal Engineers and the family followed him as his career posted him throughout the United Kingdom and Europe before they eventually returned to Teesside. Scott wanted to join the British Army (his elder brother Frank had already joined the Merchant Navy) but his father encouraged him to develop his artistic talents instead and so he went to West Hartlepool College of Art and then London's Royal College of Art where he helped found the film department.

In 1962, he joined the BBC as a trainee set designer working on several high profile series. He attended a trainee director's course while he was there and his first directing job was on an episode of the popular BBC police seriesZ Cars (1962),Error of Judgement (1965). More TV work followed until, frustrated by the poor financial rewards at the BBC, he went into advertising. With his younger brother,Tony Scott, he formed the advertising production company RSA (Ridley Scott Associates) in 1967 and spent the next 10 years making some of the best known and best loved TV adverts ever shown on British television, including a series of ads for Hovis bread set to the music of Dvorak's New World Symphony which are still talked about today ("'e were a great baker were our dad.")

He began working with producerDavid Puttnam in the 1970s developing ideas for feature films. Their first joint endeavor,The Duellists (1977) won the Jury Prize for Best First Work at Cannes in 1977 and was nominated for the Palm d'Or, more than successfully launching Scott's feature film career. The success ofStar Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) inspired Scott's interest in making science fiction and he accepted the offer to directDan O'Bannon's low budget science fiction horror movieAlien (1979), a critical and commercial success that firmly established his worldwide reputation as a movie director.

Blade Runner (1982) followed in 1982 to, at best, a lukewarm reception from public and critics but in the years that followed, its reputation grew - and Scott's with it - as one of the most important sci-fi movies ever made. Scott's next major project was back in the advertising world where he created another of the most talked-about advertising spots in broadcast history when his "1984"-inspired ad for the new Apple Macintosh computer was aired during the Super Bowl on January 22, 1984. Scott's movie career has seen a few flops (notablyLegend (1985) and1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992)), but with successes likeThelma & Louise (1991),グラディエーター (2000) andBlack Hawk Down (2001) to offset them, his reputation remains solidly intact.

Ridley Scott was awarded Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire at the 2003 Queen's New Year Honours for his "substantial contribution to the British film industry". On July 3, 2015, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Royal College of Art in a ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall in London. He was awarded the BAFTA Fellowship in 2018. BAFTA described him as "a visionary director, one of the great British film-makers whose work has made an indelible mark on the history of cinema. Forty years since his directorial debut, his films continue to cross the boundaries of style and genre, engaging audiences and inspiring the next generation of film talent."

Carol Reed was the second son of stage actor, dramatics teacher andimpresario founder of the Royal School of Dramatic Art SirHerbert Beerbohm Tree. Reed was one of Tree's six illegitimate children withBeatrice Mae Pinney, who Tree established in a second household apartfrom his married life. There were no social scars here; Reed grew up ina well-mannered, middle-class atmosphere. His public school days wereat King's School, Canterbury, and he was only too glad to push on withthe idea of following his father and becoming an actor. His mother wanted nosuch thing and shipped him off to Massachusetts in 1922, where hisolder brother resided on--of all things--a chicken ranch.

It was a wasted six months before Reed was back in England and joined astage company of DameSybil Thorndike,making his stage debut in 1924. He forthwith met British writerEdgar Wallace, who cashed in on hisconstant output of thrillers by establishing a road troupe to do stageadaptations of them. Reed was in three of these, also working as anassistant stage manager. Wallace became chairman of the newly formedBritish Lion Film Corp. in 1927, and Reed followed to become hispersonal assistant. As such he began learning the film trade byassisting in supervising the filmed adaptations of Wallace's works.This was essentially his day job. At night he continued stage actingand managing. It was something of a relief when Wallace passed on in1932; Reed decided to drop the stage for film and joined historicEaling Studios as dialog director for Associated Talking Pictures underBasil Dean.

Reed rose from dialog director to second-unit director and assistantdirector in record time, his first solo directorship being theadventureMidshipman Easy (1935).This and his subsequent effort,Laburnum Grove (1936), attractedhigh praise from a future collaborator, novelist/criticGraham Greene, who said that onceReed "gets the right script, [he] will prove far more than efficient."However, Reed would endure the sort of staid, boilerplate filmmakingthat characterized British "B" movies until he left this behind withThe Stars Look Down (1940),his second film withMichael Redgrave,and his openly HitchcockianNight Train to Munich (1940),a comedy-thriller withRex Harrison. It has often beenseen as a sequel toAlfred Hitchcock'sThe Lady Vanishes (1938) withthe same screenwriters and comedy relief--Basil Radford andNaunton Wayne, who would just about makecareers as the cricket zealots Charters and Caldicott, from "Vanishes".

The British liked these films and, significantly, so did America, whereHollywood still wondered whether their patronage of the British filmindustry was worth the gamble of a payoff via the US public. Dean wasjust one of several powerhouse producers rising in Britain in the1930s. Other names are more familiar:Alexander Korda andJ. Arthur Rank stand out. For Reed, whowould wisely decide to start producing his own films in order to havemore control over them, finding his niche was still a challenge intothe 1940s. He was only too well aware that the film director led a teameffort--his was partly a coordinator's task, harmonizing the talents ofthe creative team. The modest Reed would admit to his success beingthis partnership time and again. So he gravitated toward the samescriptwriters, art directors and cinematographers as his movie listspread out.

There were more thrillers and some historical bios:Kipps (1941) with Redgrave andThe Young Mr. Pitt (1942) withRobert Donat. He did service and war effortfare through World War II, but these were more than flag wavers, forReed dealt with the psychology of transitioning to military life. HisAnglo-American documentary of combat (co-directed byGarson Kanin),The True Glory (1945), won the1946 Oscar for Best Documentary. With that under his belt, Reed was nowrecognized as Britain's ablest director and could pick and choose hisprojects. He also had the clout--and the all-important funds--to dowhat he thought was essential to ensure realism on a location shoot,something missing in British film work prior to Reed.

Odd Man Out (1947) withJames Mason as an IRA hit man on therun did just that and was Reed's first real independent effort, and hehad gone to Rank to do it. All too soon, however, that organizationbegan subjugating directors' wishes to studio needs, and Reed madeperhaps his most important associative decision and joined Korda'sLondon Films. Here was one very important harmony--he and Korda thoughtalong the same lines. ThoughAnthony Kimmins had scripted four filmsfor Reed, it was time for Korda to introduce the director toGraham Greene. Their associationwould bring Reed his greatest successes.The Fallen Idol (1948) was basedon a Greene short story, withRalph Richardson as ado-everything head butler in a diplomatic household. Idolized by thelonely, small son of his employer, he becomes caught up in a liaisonwith a woman on the work staff, who was much younger than his shrewishwife. It may seem slow to an American audience, but with the focus onthe boy's wide-eyed view of rather gloomy surroundings, as well as theadult drama around him, it was innovative and a solid success.

What came next was a landmark--the best known of Reed's films.Daisan no otoko (1949) was yetanother Greene story, molded into a gem of a screenplay by him, thoughReed added some significant elements of his own. The film has beenendlessly summarized and analyzed and, whether defined as aninternational noir or post-war noir or just noir, it was cutting-edgenoir and unforgettable. This was Reed in full control--well, almost--and the money was coming from yet another wide-vision producer,David O. Selznick, along with Korda.Tension did develop in this effort keep a predominantly Anglo effort inthis Anglo-American collaboration.

There were complications, though. For one thing, Korda--old friend andsomewhat kindred spirit of wunderkind directorOrson Welles--had a gentlemen's agreementwith the latter for three pictures, but these were not forthcoming.Korda could be as evasive as Welles was known to be, and Welles hadcome to Europe to further his inevitable film projects after troublesin Hollywood. Always desperate for seed money, Welles was forced totake acting parts in Europe to build up his bank account in order tofinance his more personal projects. He thus accepted the role of thelarger-than-life American flim-flam man turned criminal, Harry Lime.The extended time spent filming the Vienna sewer scenes on location andat the elaborate set for them at Shepperton Studios in London, entailedthe longest of the ten minutes or so of Welles' screen time. Here was apotential source of directorial intimidation if ever there was one.Welles took it upon himself to direct Reed's veteran cinematographerRobert Krasker with his own vision ofsome sewer sequences in London (after leaving the location shoot inVienna), using many takes. Supposedly, Reed did not use any of Welles'footage, and in fact whatever there was got conveniently lost. YetShimin Kein (1941)'s shadow was solooming that Welles was given credit for a lot of camera work,atmospherics and the chase scenes. He had referred to the movie as "myfilm" later on and had said he wrote all his dialog. Some of the ferriswheel dialog with its famous famous "cuckoo clock" speech (which Reedand Greene both attributed to him) was probably the essence of Welles'contributions.

Krasker's quirky angles under Reed's direction perfectly framed theready-made-for-an-art designer bombed-out shadows and stark, isolatedstreet lights of postwar Vienna and its underworld. Unique to cinemahistory, the whole score (except for some canned incidental café music) wasjust the brilliant zither playing ofAnton Karas, adding his nuances to everydramatic transition. Krasker won an Oscar, and Karas was nominated for one.

Reed's attention to detailed casting also paid off, particularly incasting German-speaking actors and background players. Selznickinsisted onJoseph Cotten as HollyMartins, the benighted protagonist, and his clipped and sharp voice andsubterranean drawl were perfect for the part. Reed had wantedJames Stewart--definitely adifferent perception than Americans of its leading men. Selznick partedways with Reed on other issues, however; there was a laundry list ofreasons for his re-editing and changing some incidentals for theshorter American version, partly based on negative comments from sneakpreview responses. Perhaps it was the constant interruptions from theother side of the Atlantic that drove Reed to personally narrate theintroduction describing Martins in the British version of the film(given the basic tenets of noir films, the star always played narratorto introduce the story and voice over where appropriate). Selznickshowed himself--in this instance, anyway--to have a better directorialsense by substituting Cotten introducing himself in the American cut.It made far more sense and was much more effective. On the other hand,Selznick's editing of the pivotal railway café scenes with Cotten andAlida Valli had continuity problems.

Nonetheless, the film was an international smash, and all the principalplayers reaped the rewards. Reed did not get an Oscar, but he did winthe Cannes Film Grand Prix. Greene was motivated enough to take thestory and expand it into a best-selling novel. Even Welles, with hisminimum screen time--he was spending most of his time in Europetrying to obtain financing for his newest project,Otello (1956)--milked the movie for all itwas worth. He did not deny directorial influences (though in a 1984interview he did), and even developed a Harry Lime radio show backhome.

However, the movie had its detractors. It was called too melodramaticand too cynical. The short scenes of untranslated German dialog werealso criticized, yet that lent to the atmosphere of confusion andhelplessness of Martins caught in a wary, potentially dangerousenvironment--something the audience inevitably was able to share. Itwas all too ironic that Reed, now declared by some as the greatestliving director of the time, found his career in decline thereafter. Ofhis total output, four were based on plays, three on stories and 15 onnovels. With less than half of them to go, he was to be disappointedfor the most part. HisThe Man Between (1953) with JamesMason was too much of a "Third Man" reprise, andA Kid for Two Farthings (1955)was too sentimental.

By now Reed was being sought by enterprising Hollywood producers. Hehad--as he usually did--the material for a first-rate movie with twopopular American actors,Burt LancasterandTony Curtis forKûchû buranko (1956). However, it suffered froma slow script, as would the British-producedThe Key (1958), despite anotherinternational cast. Things finally picked up with his venture intoanother Greene-scripted film from his novel, withAlec Guinness in the lead in the UK spyspoofOur Man in Havana (1959)with yet another winning international cast.

When Hollywood called again, the chance at such a British piece ofhistory asMutiny on the Bounty (1962)with a mostly British cast andMarlon Brando seemed bound for success. Itwas the second version of the movie produced by MGM (the first being theClark Gable starrerSenkan Baunti-go no hanran (1935)).However, Brando's history of being temperamental was much in evidenceon location in Tahiti. Reed shot a small part of the picture butfinally left, having more than his fill of the star's ego (and,evidently, being allowed too much artistic control by the studio) andthe film was finished byLewis Milestone. Reed would ultimatelybe branded as a failure in directing historical movies, but it was anunfair appraisal based on the random aspect of film success and suchforces of nature as Brando, not artistic and technical expertise.

The opportunity to make another film came knocking again with Reed andAmerican money forming the production company International Classics toproduceIrving Stone's best-selling storyof Michelangelo and the painting of the Sistine Chapel,The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965).Here is perhaps the prime example of Reed being given short shrift fora really valiant effort at an historical, artistically significant andcultural epic because it was a "flop" at the box office. Shot onlocation in Rome and its environs, the film had a first-rate castheaded byCharlton Heston doing hismethod best as the temperamental artist withRex Harrison, an effortlessstandout as the equally volatile Pope Julius II.Diane Cilento did fine work as theContessina de Medici, with the always stalwartHarry Andrews as architect rival DonatoBramante. Most of the other roles were filled by Italians dubbed inEnglish, but they all look good.

Reed's attention to historical detail provided perhaps the mostaccurate depiction of early 16th-century Italy--from costumes andmanners to military action and weapons (especially firearms)--everbrought to the screen. The script byPhilip Dunne was brisk and alwaysentertaining in the verbal battle between the artist and his pontiff.Yet by the 1960s costume epics were going out of style and biggerflops, such asCleopatra (1963) (talkabout agony) despite the wealth of stars which included Harrison,tended to spread like a disease to those few that came later. Despite ahigh-powered distribution campaign by Twentieth Century-Fox, Reed'sexemplary effort would ultimately be appreciated by art scholars andhistorians--not the stuff of Hollywood's money mentality.

For Reed the only remaining triumph was, of all things, a musical--hisfirst and only--yet again he was working with children. However, theadaptation of the greatCharles Dickensnovel "Oliver Twistt" top the screen (asOliver! (1968)) was asensation with a lively script and music amid a realistic 19th-centuryLondon that was up to Reed's usual standards. The film was nominatedfor no less than 11 Oscars, wining five and two of the big ones--BestPicture and Best Director. Reed had finally achieved that bit ofelusiveness. He could never be so simplistically stamped with an unevencareer; Reed had always kept to a precise craftsman's movie-makingformula.

Fellow British directorMichael Powell had said that Reed"could put a film together like a watchmaker puts together a watch". Itwas Graham Greene, however, who gave Reed perhaps the more importantpersonal accolade: "The only director I know with that particularwarmth of human sympathy, the extraordinary feeling for the right facein the right part, the exactitude of cutting, and not least importantthe power of sympathizing with an author's worries and an ability toguide him."

Mike Leigh is an English film and theatre director, screenwriter and playwright. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and further at the Camberwell School of Art, the Central School of Art and Design and the London School of Film Technique. He began his career as a theatre director and playwright in the mid-1960s, before transitioning to making televised plays and films for BBC Television in the 1970s and '80s. Leigh is known for his lengthy rehearsal and improvisation techniques with actors to build characters and narrative for his films. His purpose is to capture reality and present "emotional, subjective, intuitive, instinctive, vulnerable films." His films and stage plays, according to critic Michael Coveney, "comprise a distinctive, homogenous body of work which stands comparison with anyone's in the British theatre and cinema over the same period."

Leigh's most notable works include the black comedy-drama Naked (1993), for which he won the Best Director Award at Cannes, the Oscar-nominated, BAFTA- and Palme d'Or-winning drama Secrets & Lies (1996), the Golden Lion-winning working-class drama Vera Drake (2004), and the Palme d'Or-nominated biopic Mr. Turner (2014). Other well-known films include the comedy-dramas Life Is Sweet (1990) Meantime (1983) and Career Girls (1997), the Gilbert and Sullivan biographical film Topsy-Turvy (1999) and the bleak working-class drama All or Nothing (2002). He won great success with American audiences with the female led films, Vera Drake (2004) starring Imelda Staunton, Happy-Go-Lucky (2008) with Sally Hawkins, the family drama Another Year (2010), and the historical drama Peterloo (2018). His stage plays include Smelling A Rat, It's A Great Big Shame, Greek Tragedy, Goose-Pimples, Ecstasy and Abigail's Party.

Leigh has helped to create stars - Liz Smith in Hard Labour, Alison Steadman in Abigail's Party, Brenda Blethyn in Grown-Ups, Antony Sher in Goose-Pimples, Gary Oldman and Tim Roth in Meantime, Jane Horrocks in Life is Sweet, David Thewlis in Naked - and remarked that the list of actors who have worked with him over the years - including Paul Jesson, Phil Daniels, Lindsay Duncan, Lesley Sharp, Kathy Burke, Stephen Rea, Julie Walters - "comprises an impressive, almost representative, nucleus of outstanding British acting talent." His aesthetic has been compared to the sensibility of the Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu and the Italian Federico Fellini. Ian Buruma, writing in The New York Review of Books in January 1994, commented: "It is hard to get on a London bus or listen to the people at the next table in a cafeteria without thinking of Mike Leigh. Like other original artists, he has staked out his own territory. Leigh's London is as distinctive as Fellini's Rome or Ozu's Tokyo."

Leigh was born to Phyllis Pauline (née Cousin) and Alfred Abraham Leigh, a doctor. Leigh was born at Brocket Hall in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, which was at that time a maternity home. His mother, in her confinement, went to stay with her parents in Hertfordshire for comfort and support while her husband was serving as a captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps. Leigh was brought up in the Broughton area of Salford, Lancashire. He attended North Grecian Street Junior School. He is from a Jewish family; his paternal grandparents were Russian-Jewish immigrants who settled in Manchester. The family name, originally Lieberman, had been anglicised in 1939 "for obvious reasons". When the war ended, Leigh's father began his career as a general practitioner in Higher Broughton, "the epicentre of Leigh's youngest years and the area memorialised in Hard Labour." Leigh went to Salford Grammar School, as did the director Les Blair, his friend, who produced Leigh's first feature film Bleak Moments (1971). There was a strong tradition of drama in the all-boys school, and an English master, Mr Nutter, supplied the library with newly published plays.

Outside school Leigh thrived in the Manchester branch of Labour Zionist youth movement Habonim. In the late 1950s he attended summer camps and winter activities over the Christmas break all-round the country. Throughout this time the most important part of his artistic consumption was cinema, although this was supplemented by his discovery of Picasso, Surrealism, The Goon Show, and even family visits to the Hallé Orchestra and the D'Oyly Carte. His father, however, was deeply opposed to the idea that Leigh might become an artist or an actor. He forbade him his frequent habit of sketching visitors who came to the house and regarded him as a problem child because of his creative interests. In 1960, "to his utter astonishment", he won a scholarship to RADA. Initially trained as an actor at RADA, Leigh started to hone his directing skills at East 15 Acting School where he met the actress, Alison Steadman.

Leigh responded negatively to RADA's agenda, found himself being taught how to "laugh, cry and snog" for weekly rep purposes and so became a sullen student. He later attended Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts (in 1963), the Central School of Art and Design and the London School of Film Technique on Charlotte Street. When he had arrived in London, one of the first films he had seen was Shadows (1959), an improvised film by John Cassavetes, in which a cast of unknowns was observed 'living, loving and bickering' on the streets of New York and Leigh had "felt it might be possible to create complete plays from scratch with a group of actors." Other influences from this time included Harold Pinter's The Caretaker-"Leigh was mesmerised by the play and the (Arts Theatre) production"- Samuel Beckett, whose novels he read avidly, and the writing of Flann O'Brien, whose "tragi-comedy" Leigh found particularly appealing. Influential and important productions he saw in this period included Beckett's Endgame, Peter Brook's King Lear and in 1965 Peter Weiss's Marat/Sade, a production developed through improvisations, the actors having based their characterisations on people they had visited in a mental hospital. The visual worlds of Ronald Searle, George Grosz, Picasso, and William Hogarth exerted another kind of influence. He played small roles in several British films in the early 1960s, (West 11, Two Left Feet) and played a young deaf-mute, interrogated by Rupert Davies, in the BBC Television series Maigret. In 1964-65, he collaborated with David Halliwell, and designed and directed the first production of Little Malcolm and his Struggle Against the Eunuchs at the Unity Theatre.

Leigh has been described as "a gifted cartoonist ... a northerner who came south, slightly chippy, fiercely proud (and critical) of his roots and Jewish background; and he is a child of the 1960s and of the explosion of interest in the European cinema and the possibilities of television."

Leigh has cited Jean Renoir and Satyajit Ray among his favourite film makers. In addition to those two, in an interview recorded at the National Film Theatre at the BFI on 17 March 1991; Leigh also cited Frank Capra, Fritz Lang, Yasujiro Ozu and even Jean-Luc Godard, "...until the late 60s." When pressed for British influences, in that interview, he referred to the Ealing comedies "...despite their unconsciously patronizing way of portraying working-class people" and the early 60s British New Wave films. When asked for his favorite comedies, he replied, One, Two, Three, La règle du jeu and "any Keaton". The critic David Thomson has written that, with the camera work in his films characterised by 'a detached, medical watchfulness', Leigh's aesthetic may justly be compared to the sensibility of the Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu. Michael Coveney: "The cramped domestic interiors of Ozu find many echoes in Leigh's scenes on stairways and in corridors and on landings, especially in Grown-Ups, Meantime and Naked. And two wonderful little episodes in Ozu's Tokyo Story, in a hairdressing salon and a bar, must have been in Leigh's subconscious memory when he made The Short and Curlie's (1987), one of his most devastatingly funny pieces of work and the pub scene in Life is Sweet..."

Unlike virtually all his contemporaries, Ken Loach has never succumbedto the siren call of Hollywood, and it's virtually impossible toimagine his particular brand of British socialist realism translatingwell to that context.

After studying law at St. Peter's College,Oxford, he branched out into the theater, performing with a touringrepertory company. This led to television, where in alliance withproducerTony Garnett he produced a seriesof docudramas, most notably the devastating "Cathy Come Home" episodeofThe Wednesday Play (1964),whose impact was so massive that it led directly to a change in thehomeless laws.

He made his feature debutYozora ni hoshi no aru youni (1967) the following year, andwithKes (1969), he produced what is nowacclaimed as one of the finest films ever made in Britain. However, thefollowing two decades saw his career in the doldrums with his filmspoorly distributed (despite the obvious quality of work such asThe Gamekeeper (1968)andLooks and Smiles (1981)) andhis TV work in some cases never broadcast (most notoriously, hisdocumentaries on the 1984 miners' strike).

He made a spectacularcomeback in the 1990s, with a series of award-winning films firmlyestablishing him in the pantheon of great European directors - hisfilms have always been more popular in mainland Europe than in hisnative country or the US (whereRiff-Raff (1991) was shown withsubtitles because of the wide range of dialects).Hidden Agenda (1990) won theSpecial Jury Prize at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival;Riff-Raff (1991) won the Felix awardfor Best European Film of 1992;Raining Stones (1993) won theCannes Special Jury Prize for 1993, andLand and Freedom (1995) won theFIPRESCI International Critics Prize and the Ecumenical Jury Prize atthe 1995 Cannes Film Festival - and was a substantial box-office hit inSpain where it sparked intense debate about its subject matter. Thisneedless to say, was one of the reasons that Loach made the film!

When he made his directorial debut in 1970, Nicolas Roeg was already a23-year veteran of the British film industry, starting out in 1947 asan editing apprentice and working his way up to cinematographer twelveyears later. He first came to attention as part of the second unit onDavid Lean'sArabia no Rorensu (1962), withRoger Corman'sAka shibyô no kamen (1964) two years later containinghis first really distinctive solo work. He went on to photograph filmsfor such distinguished directors asFrançois Truffaut (Kashi 451 (1966)),John Schlesinger(Haruka gunshû o hanarete (1967)) andRichard Lester (Petulia (1968)) before his sensational directorialdebut in 1968. Co-directed with writer (and painter)Donald Cammell,Pafômansu (1970)was intended to be a simple-minded star vehicle forMick Jagger and WarnerBros were so horrified when they saw the final multi-layeredkaleidoscope of sex, violence, and questions of identity that theydelayed its release for two years. Roeg went to Australia for his solodebut as director (Utsukushiki Bôken Ryokô (1971)), which was also his last film ascinematographer, and throughout the next decade he produced aworld-class body of work (Akai Kage (1973);Chikyû ni Ochite kita Otoko (1976);Jerashii (1980)) that revealed hisuniquely off-kilter view of the world, expressed through fragmented,dislocated images and a highly original yet strangely accessibleapproach to narrative. He married the star ofJerashii (1980), the elegantTheresa Russell who would play the female lead in nearly all his subsequentfilms, though these have generally found less favor with critics andaudiences, and the release of bothEureka (1983) andCold Heaven (1991) was severelyrestricted due to problems with the films' distributors.

Throughout his years in the industry, Alex Cox, an English writer-director, has not only proven his loyalty and integrity to cult cinema, but also his love for it. This all began in 1977, when Cox dropped out of Oxford University to study Radio, Film & TV at Bristol until graduating in 1977. Seeing difficulties in the British film scene at the time, Cox first went to Los Angeles to attend film school at UCLA in 1977. Here he produced his first film, Edge City/Sleep is for Sissies.. The same year, Cox wrote a screenplay for Repo Man, which he hoped to produce for a budget of $70,000, and began seeking funding.

Sometime after, Monkees member Michael Nesmith agreed to produce Repo Man, and convinced Universal Studios to back the project with a budget of over a million dollars. The initial cinema release was limited to Chicago, followed by Los Angeles, and was short-lived. After the success of the soundtrack album, there was enough interest in the film to earn a re-release in a single cinema in New York City, but only after becoming available on video and cable. Nevertheless, it ran for 18 months, and eventually earned $4,000,000.

Continuing his fascination with punk music, Cox's next film was an independent feature shot in London and Los Angeles, following the career and death of bassist Sid Vicious and his girlfriend Nancy Spungen, initially titled Love Kills and later renamed Sid and Nancy. It was met warmly by critics and fans, though heavily criticized by some, including Pistols' frontman John Lydon, for its inaccuracies.

After this, Cox wrote and directed Straight To Hell, a neo-western starring Joe Strummer of The Clash. The film was widely panned critically, but was successful in Japan and retains a cult following.

On his next film, Cox's "Walker" followed the life of William Walker, set against a back drop of anachronisms that drew parallels between the story and modern American intervention in the area. The $6,000,000 production was backed by Universal, but the completed film was too political and too violent for the studio's tastes, and the film went without promotion. When Walker failed to perform at the box office, it ended the director's involvement with Hollywood studios, and led to a period of several years in which Cox would not direct a single film. Despite this, Cox and some critics maintain that it is his best film.

After this, Alex struggled to find work in America, and stopped writing/directing big budget films. Since then, he has written+directed many internationally funded films including Highway Patrolman, Searchers 2.0, Death And The Compass, Repo Chick and the cult classic Three Buisnessmen. Although, In 1998, Cox co-wrote "Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas" with Terry Gilliam, who also directed the film.

Lynne Ramsay was born on 5 December 1969 in Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland, UK. She is a director and writer, known forShounen wa zankoku-na yumi o iru (2011),Beautiful Day (2017) andMorvern (2002). She was previously married toRory Stewart Kinnear.

Laurence Olivier could speakWilliam Shakespeare's linesas naturally as if he were "actually thinking them," said EnglishplaywrightCharles Bennett, whomet Olivier in 1927. Laurence Kerr Olivier was born in Dorking, Surrey, England, to AgnesLouise (Crookenden) and Gerard Kerr Olivier, a High Anglican priest.His surname came from a great-great-grandfather who was of FrenchHuguenot origin.

One of Olivier's earliest successes as a Shakespearean actor on theLondon stage came in 1935 when he played "Romeo" and "Mercutio" inalternate performances of "Romeo and Juliet" withJohn Gielgud. A young Englishwoman justbeginning her career on the stage fell in love with Olivier's Romeo. In1937, she was "Ophelia" to his "Hamlet" in a special performance atKronborg Castle, Elsinore (Helsingør), Denmark. In 1940, she became his second wifeafter both returned from making films in America that were major boxoffice hits of 1939. His film wasWuthering Heights (1939), herfilm wasKaze to tomo ni sarinu (1939).Vivien Leigh and Olivier were screen loversinFire Over England (1937),21 Days (1940) andThat Hamilton Woman (1941).

There was almost a fourth film together in 1944 when Olivier and Leightraveled to Scotland withCharles C. Bennett to research thereal-life story of a Scottish girl accused of murdering her Frenchlover. Bennett recalled that Olivier researched the story "with all thethoroughness of Sherlock Holmes" and "we unearthed evidence, neverknown or produced at the trial, that would most certainly have sent theyoung lady to the gallows." The film project was then abandoned. Duringtheir two-decade marriage, Olivier and Leigh appeared on the stage inEngland and America and made films whenever they really needed to makesome money.

In 1951, Olivier was working on a screen adaptation ofTheodore Dreiser's novel "SisterCarrie" (Carrie (1952)) while Leigh wascompleting work on the film version of theTennessee Williams' play,Yokubo toiu na no densha (1951).She won her second Oscar for bringing "Blanche DuBois" to the screen.Carrie (1952) was a film that Oliviernever talked about. George Hurstwood, a middle-aged married man fromChicago who tricked a young woman into leaving a younger man about tomarry her, became a New York street person in the novel. Olivier playedhim as a somewhat nicer person who didn't fall quite as low. A PBSdocumentary on Olivier's career broadcast in 1987 covered his firstsojourn in Hollywood in the early 1930s with his first wife,Jill Esmond, and noted that her starwas higher than his at that time. On film, he was upstaged by hissecond wife, too, even though the list of films he made is four timesas long as hers.

More than half of his film credits come afterThe Entertainer (1960), whichstarted out as a play in London in 1957. When the play moved across theAtlantic to Broadway in 1958, the role of "ArchieRice"'s daughter wastaken over byJoan Plowright,who was also in the film. They married soon after the release ofThe Entertainer (1960).

The son of Thomas William Powell and Mabel (nee Corbett). Michael Powellwas always a self-confessed movie addict. He was brought up partly inCanterbury ("The Garden of England") and partly in the south of France(where his parents ran a hotel). Educated at Kings School, Canterburyand Dulwich College, he worked at the National Provincial Bank from1922-25. In 1925 he joinedRex Ingram makingMare Nostrum (1926). He learned hiscraft by working at various jobs in the (then) thriving English studiosof Denham and Pinewood, working his way up to director on a series of"quota quickies" (short films made to fulfill quota/tariff agreementsbetween Britain and America in between the wars). Very rarely for thetimes, he had a true "world view" and, although in the mold of a classicEnglish "gentleman", he was always a citizen of the world. It wastherefore very fitting that he should team up with an émigré HungarianJew,Emeric Pressburger, who understood the English better than they did themselves. Betweenthem, under the banner of "The Archers", they shared joint credits foran important series of films through the 1940s and '50s. Powell went onto make the controversialChi o suu kamera (1960), a film so vilified by critics and officials alike that he didn't work in England for a very long time. He was "re-discovered" in the late 1960s andFrancis Ford Coppola andMartin Scorsese tried to set up jointprojects with him.

In 1980 he lectured at Dartmouth College, NewHampshire. He was Senior Director in Residence at Coppola's Zoetrope Studios in1981, and in fact married Scorsese's longtime editorThelma Schoonmaker.He died of cancer in his beloved England in 1990.

Educated at the Universities of Prague and Stuttgart, EmericPressburger worked as a journalist in Hungary and Germany and an authorand scriptwriter in Berlin and Paris. He was a Hungarian Jew, chasedaround Europe (he worked on films for UFA in Berlin and Paris) beforeWorld War II, finally finding sanctuary in London--but as ascriptwriter who didn't speak English. So he taught himself tounderstand not only the finer nuances of the language but also of theBritish people. A few lucky breaks and introductions via old friendsled to his meeting with "renegade" directorMichael Powell. They then went onto make some of the most interesting (IMHO) and complex films of the1940s and 1950s under the banner of "The Archers". Pressburger oftenshowed a deep understanding of the British only granted to those"outside, looking in". He always prided himself on being "more Englishthan the English". After all, some of us were just BORN English, but heCHOSE to become English. He spent his last days at Shoemakers Cottage,Aspall, Stowmarket, Suffolk in the English countryside that he loved sowell.

Lindsay was born in Bangalore, India but educated in England at Cheltenham College andWadham College, Oxford where he was a classical scholar. He then spent 3 years war timeservice in the Kings Royal Rifle Corps. His career in the theatre started at the Royal Court inthe late 1950's where he was responsible for the premiere productions of The Long andthe Short and the Tall, Sergeant Musgrave's Dance, Billy Liar and The Bed Before Yesterday.His collaboration with David Storey began with the film This Sporting Life followed by theplays In Celebration, Home, The Changing Room, Early Days and his last, in 1992, StagesHe also contributed to the Times, Observer and New Statesman newspapers.

Stephen started off in a career in the legal profession before switching to work as an assistant stage manager at London's Royal Court which led to work as an assistant director on films by Karel Reisz and Lindsay Anderson He directed his first short in 1967 and his feature debut, Gumshoe, in 1971. The next 12 years were spent working in television before returning to film with My Bautiful Laundrette

Oscar-winning director John Schlesinger, who was born in London,on February 16, 1926, was the eldest child in a solidlymiddle-class Jewish family. Berbard Schlesinger, his father, was apediatrician, and his mother, Winifred, was a musician. He served in theArmy in the Far East during World War II. While attending BalliolCollege at Oxford, Schlesinger was involved with the UndergraduateDramatic Society and developed an interest in photography. While atOxford, he made his first short film, "Black Legend," in 1948. He tookhis degree in 1950 after reading English literature and then went intotelevision. From 1958 through 1961, he made documentaries for theBritish Broadcasting Corp.

His 1960 documentary,Terminus (1961),which was sponsored by British-Transport, won him a British AcademyAward and the Gold Lion at the Venice Film Festival. He made thetransition to feature films in 1962, with the "kitchen sink" dramaA Kind of Loving (1962), whichgot him noticed on both sides of the Atlantic. His next film, theNorthern comedyBilly Liar (1963), wasa success and began his association with actressJulie Christie, who had amemorable turn in the film. Christie won the Best Actress Academy Awardand international superstardom and Schlesinger his first Oscarnomination as Best Director with his next film, the watershedDâringu (1965), which dissected SwingingLondon. Subsequently, Schlesinger and Christie collaborated onHaruka gunshû o hanarete (1967),an adaptation ofThomas Hardy'sclassic novel, in 1967. The movie was not a success with critics or atthe box office at the time, though its stature has grown over time.His next film,Mayonaka no kâbôi (1969), earnedhim a place in cinema history, as it was not only a huge box officehit but also widely acclaimed as a contemporary classic. It won theOscar for Best Picture and garnered Schlesinger an Oscar for BestDirector.

Schlesinger earned his third, and last, Oscar nomination for the highlyacclaimedNichiyôbi wa wakare no toki (1971).He continued to operate at a high state of aesthetic and criticalachievement withThe Day of the Locust (1975),Marathon Man (1976) andYanks (1979), but his 1981 comedy,Honky Tonk Freeway (1981), wasone of the notable flops of its time, bringing in only $2 million on a$24-million budget when breakeven was calculated as three timesnegative cost. Although Schlesinger continued to work steadily as adirector in movies and TV, he never again tasted the sweet fruits ofsuccess that he had for more than a decade, beginning in the mid-'60s.

Schlesinger's artistic fulfillment increasingly came from directing forthe stage and, specifically, opera. He directedWilliam Shakespeare's "Timonof Athens" for the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in 1964, and afterhis movie career faded, he directed plays, musicals, and operaproductions. AfterLaurence Olivier waseased out of the National Theatre in 1973, Schlesinger was named anassociate director of the NT under Olivier's successor, SirPeter Hall of the RSC.

Schlesinger suffered a stroke in December 2000. His life partner,Michael Childers, took him offlife support, and he died the following day, July 24, 2003, in PalmSprings, Claifornia. He was 77 years old.

A former stage director, Basil Dearden entered films as an assistant todirectorBasil Dean (he changed his name from Dear to avoid being confusedwith Dean). Dearden worked his way up the ladder and directed (withWill Hay) his first film in 1941; two years later he directed his firstfilm on his own. He eventually became associated with writer/producerMichael Relph, and together the two made films on themes not often tackled inBritish films, such as homosexuality and race relations. In the '60sDearden embarked on a new phase of his career by directing large-scaleaction pictures, the best of which wasKâtsûmu (1966), which was a criticaland financial success. Not long after completingAkuma no kyozô/Dopperugengâ (1970), Dearden waskilled in an automobile accident.

Terence Davies was born on 10 November 1945 in Liverpool, England, UK. He was a writer and director, known forTôi Koe, Shizuka na Kurashi (1988),The House of Mirth (2000) andBenediction (2021). He died on 7 October 2023 in Mistley, Essex, England, UK.