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Children's Film Foundation
The Children's Film Foundation (CFF) was a non-profit organisation which made films for children in the United Kingdom originally to be shown as part of childrens' Saturday morning matinée cinema programming. The films typically were about 55 minutes long. History The Foundation was formed in 1951 following the Wheare report that criticised the suitability of American programming for Saturday morning pictures. Mary Field was appointed chief executive. The Foundation was initially funded by the Eady Levy (a tax on box office receipts), receiving 5% of the Levy and the initial budget was £60,000 per year. The Foundation made around six films a year; most lasted less than an hour and were shot in less than two weeks. The films featured future British stars including Leslie Ash, Keith Chegwin, Phil Collins, Michael Crawford, Phil Daniels, Dexter Fletcher, Sadie Frost, Susan George, David Hemmings, Frazer Hines, Gary Kemp, Richard O'Sullivan, Linda Robson, Pauline Quirke, Sall ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major settlement for two millennia. The City of London, its ancient core and financial centre, was founded by the Romans as '' Londinium'' and retains its medieval boundaries.See also: Independent city § National capitals The City of Westminster, to the west of the City of London, has for centuries hosted the national government and parliament. Since the 19th century, the name "London" has also referred to the metropolis around this core, historically split between the counties of Middlesex, Essex, Surrey, Kent, and Hertfordshire, which largely comprises Greater London, governed by the Greater London Authority.The Greater London Authority consists of the Mayor of London and the London Assembly. The London Mayor is distinguished fr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Richard O'Sullivan
Richard O'Sullivan (born 7 May 1944) is an English comedy actor, who is known for his role as Robin Tripp in the 1970s sitcoms ''Man About the House'' (1973–1976) and '' Robin's Nest'' (1977–1981) and as the title character in the period family adventure series ''Dick Turpin'' (1979–1982). He also starred in '' Doctor at Large'' (1971), ''Doctor in Charge'' (1972–1973), ''Alcock and Gander'' (1972), '' Me and My Girl'' (1984–1988) and '' Trouble In Mind'' (1991). Early life O'Sullivan was born in 1944, to John and Ellen O'Sullivan (née Fleming) in Chiswick. His early education was at St John the Evangelist's RC Primary School in Brentford, West London . After a family holiday in Ireland as a boy, he returned with a strong Irish accent and was sent to the Corona Theatre School to soften it. He appeared in his first film at the age of eight. Career as child actor O'Sullivan's first film appearance was as an extra playing one of the children singing in the Sunday Sch ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charles Frend
Charles Herbert Frend (21 November 1909, Pulborough, Sussex – 8 January 1977, London) was an English film director and editor, best known for his films produced at Ealing Studios. He began directing in the early 1940s and is known for such films as ''Scott of the Antarctic'' (1948) and '' The Cruel Sea'' (1953). Biography Frend was born in Pulborough, Sussex, on 21 November 1909 to Edward Charles and Bertha Maud Frend. He was educated at The King's School, Canterbury and at Oxford University, where he was the film critic of ''The Isis Magazine''. Editor He began his career in the film industry at British International Pictures in 1931. He worked as an editor on '' Arms and the Man'' (1932) Frend moved to Gaumont British Pictures, where he worked under producer Michael Balcon. He edited Alfred Hitchcock's ''Waltzes from Vienna'' (1934), then '' My Song for You'' (1934), ''Oh, Daddy!'' (1934), Tom Walls' ''Fighting Stock'' (1935), '' The Tunnel'' (1935), and ''Car of Dreams ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Guillermin
John Guillermin (11 November 192527 September 2015) was a French-British film director, writer and producer who was most active in big-budget, action-adventure films throughout his lengthy career. His more well-known films include '' I Was Monty's Double'' (1958), ''Tarzan's Greatest Adventure'' (1959), ''Never Let Go'' (1960), ''Tarzan Goes to India'' (1962), '' Waltz of the Toreadors'' (1962), ''The Blue Max'' (1966), ''The Bridge at Remagen'' (1969), ''The Towering Inferno'' (1974), ''King Kong'' (1976), ''Death on the Nile'' (1978), '' Sheena'' (1984) and ''King Kong Lives'' (1986). In the 1980s, he worked on much less prestigious projects, and his final films consisted of lower-budgeted theatrical releases and TV movies. According to one obituary, "Regardless of whether he was directing a light comedy, war epic or crime drama, Mr. Guillermin had a reputation as an intense, temperamental perfectionist, notorious for screaming at cast and crew alike. His domineering manner of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lewis Gilbert
Lewis Gilbert (6 March 1920 – 23 February 2018) was an English film director, producer and screenwriter who directed more than 40 films during six decades; among them such varied titles as '' Reach for the Sky'' (1956), ''Sink the Bismarck!'' (1960), ''Alfie'' (1966), ''Educating Rita'' (1983) and ''Shirley Valentine'' (1989), as well as three James Bond films: '' You Only Live Twice'' (1967), '' The Spy Who Loved Me'' (1977) and '' Moonraker'' (1979). Early life Lewis Gilbert was born as Louis Laurie Isaacs in Clapton, London, to a second-generation family of music hall performers,"Lewis Gilbert (1920)" BFI screenonline Retrieved 14 April 2012 and spent his early years travelling with his parents, Ada (Griver), who was of |
Don Chaffey
Donald Chaffey (5 August 1917 – 13 November 1990) was a British film director, writer, producer, and art director. Chaffey's film career began as an art director in 1947, and his directorial debut was in 1953. He remained active in the industry until his death in 1990 from heart failure. His film ''Charley One-Eye'' (1973) was entered into the 24th Berlin International Film Festival. He is chiefly remembered for his fantasy films, which include '' Jason and the Argonauts'' (1963), ''The Three Lives of Thomasina'' (1963), ''One Million Years B.C.'' (1966), ''The Viking Queen'' (1967), '' Creatures the World Forgot'' (1971), '' Pete's Dragon'' (1977), and ''C.H.O.M.P.S.'' (1979), his final feature film. Concurrent with his theatrically released films, Chaffey directed episodes of numerous British television series, including multiple installments of ''Danger Man'', ''The Prisoner'', and '' The Avengers''. From the 1980s until his death, all of his work was in American mad ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gerald Thomas
Gerald Thomas (10 December 1920 – 9 November 1993) was an English film director, best known for the long-running ''Carry On'' series of British film comedies. Biography Born in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, Thomas was educated in Bristol and London, and was training in medicine when World War II began. He served four years in the British Army during the war, and upon his return to civilian life thought it too late to continue his medical studies. He began his movie career at Denham Studios, eventually becoming an assistant film editor beginning with Laurence Olivier's ''Hamlet'' (1948). His editing work included many films directed by his older brother, Ralph Thomas. His own directorial debut was the short film '' Circus Friends'' (1956), produced by the Children's Film Foundation. His first feature was the thriller ''Time Lock'' the following year. Beginning with the farcical military comedy ''Carry On Sergeant'' (1958), Thomas directed all 30 films in the ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
James Hill (British Director)
James Hill (1 August 1919 – 7 October 1994) was a British film and television director, screenwriter and producer whose career spanned 52 years between 1937 and 1989, best remembered for his documentaries and short subjects such as '' Giuseppina'' and ''The Home-Made Car'', and as director of the internationally acclaimed '' Born Free''. Hill also directed, produced and/or wrote such diverse films as '' Black Beauty'', ''A Study in Terror'', '' Every Day's a Holiday'', ''The Lion at World's End'' (a.k.a. '' Christian the lion''), ''Captain Nemo and the Underwater City'', ''The Man from O.R.G.Y.'', and the children's television series' '' Worzel Gummidge'' and '' Worzel Gummidge Down Under''. Life and work Early career Hill was born in Eldwick, Yorkshire on 1 August 1919 and attended Belle Vue Boys' School. He entered the GPO Film Unit in 1937 as an assistant, then served in the RAF Film Unit during World War II, receiving a DFC. He is said to have been the model for Don ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Matthew Wright (presenter)
Alexander Matthew Wright (born 8 July 1965) is an English television presenter and former tabloid journalist. He worked as a journalist for '' The Sun'' and was a showbusiness gossip columnist for ''The Daily Mirror'' before launching a television career. He hosted the Channel 5 topical debate show ''The Wright Stuff'' from 2000 to 2018. Early life and education Wright started his career at the age of 14, appearing in the Children's Film Foundation production ''Big Wheels And Sailor'' (1979). He was educated at the voluntary-aided Roman Catholic boys' school, The John Fisher School in Purley, Croydon, Surrey and was in the same class as the artist and sculptor Diarmuid Bryon O'Connor and DJ Gilles Peterson. When joining the school, he began as a grammar entrant, having passed the 11-plus, but the school only remained (officially) as a grammar school for one more year, so he saw the gradual transformation into a comprehensive school. He also attended Croydon Youth Theatr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jack Wild
Jack Wild (30 September 1952 – 1 March 2006) was an English actor and singer. He is best known for his role as the Artful Dodger in the film ''Oliver!'' (1968), for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the age of 16, becoming the fourth-youngest nominee in the category. He also received BAFTA Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for the role. Wild also appeared in the television series ''H.R. Pufnstuf'' (1969) and its film adaptation '' Pufnstuf'' (1970), as well as in the films ''Melody'' (1971) and '' Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves'' (1991). Early life and education Wild was born into a working-class family in Royton, Lancashire, on 30 September 1952. In 1960, at the age of eight, with his parents and his elder brother Arthur, he moved to Hounslow, in Middlesex, where he got a job helping the milkman, which paid about five shillings. While playing football with his brother in the park, he was discovered by theatrical agent June Col ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carol White
Carole Joan White (1 April 1943 – 16 September 1991) was an English actress. She achieved a public profile with her performances in the television play ''Cathy Come Home'' (1966) and the films ''Poor Cow'' (1967) and '' I'll Never Forget What's 'isname'' (1967), but alcoholism and drug abuse damaged her career, and from the early 1970s she worked infrequently. Life and career White, the daughter of a scrap merchant, was born in Hammersmith, London, and attended the Corona Stage Academy. She played minor roles in films from 1949 until the late 1950s, when she began to play more substantial supporting roles in films such as ''Carry on Teacher'' (1959) and ''Never Let Go'' (1960) in which she played the girlfriend of Peter Sellers. She also acted the part of Evelyn May, a ‘girl in the bar’ and court witness in Sidney J Furie’s “The Boys” (1962) She continued working regularly, and drew attention for her performances in the television version of Nell Dunn's '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dennis Waterman
Dennis Waterman (24 February 1948 – 8 May 2022) was an English actor and singer. He was best known for his tough-guy leading roles in television series including ''The Sweeney'', ''Minder'' and ''New Tricks'', singing the theme tunes of the latter two. Waterman's acting career spanned 60 years, starting with his childhood roles in film and theatre, and adult roles in film, television and West End theatre. He was known for the range of roles he played, including drama (''Up the Junction''), horror (''Scars of Dracula''), adventure (''Colditz''), comedy ('' Fair Exchange''), comedy-drama (''Minder''), musical ('' Windy City'') and sport ('' The World Cup: A Captain's Tale''). He appeared in 29 films, the last being released in 2020. Early life and education Waterman was born on 24 February 1948, as the youngest of nine children to Rose Juliana (née Saunders) and Harry Frank Waterman in Clapham,Waterman and Arlon. – p.7. then in the County of London. The family, which inclu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
