Anthony William Landon Asquith (; 9 November 1902 – 20 February 1968) was an English

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

. He collaborated successfully with playwright

Terence Rattigan Sir Terence Mervyn Rattigan (10 June 191130 November 1977) was a British dramatist and screenwriter. He was one of England's most popular mid-20th-century dramatists. His plays are typically set in an upper-middle-class background.Geoffrey Wan ...

on ''

The Winslow Boy ''The Winslow Boy'' is an English play from 1946 by Terence Rattigan based on an incident involving George Archer-Shee in the Edwardian era. The incident took place at the Royal Naval College, Osborne. Background Set against the strict c ...

'' (1948) and '' The Browning Version'' (1951), among other adaptations. His other notable films include ''

Pygmalion Pygmalion or Pigmalion may refer to: Mythology * Pygmalion (mythology), a sculptor who fell in love with his statue Stage * ''Pigmalion'' (opera), a 1745 opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau * ''Pygmalion'' (Rousseau), a 1762 melodrama by Jean-Jacques ...

'' (1938), ''

French Without Tears ''French Without Tears'' is a comic play written by a 25-year-old Terence Rattigan in 1936. Setting It takes place in a cram school for adults needing to acquire French for business reasons. Scattered throughout are Franglais phrases and sch ...

'' (1940), ''

The Way to the Stars ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (1945) and a 1952 adaptation of

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

's ''

The Importance of Being Earnest ''The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People'' is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious ...

''.

Life and career

Born in London, he was the son of

H. H. Asquith Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, (12 September 1852 – 15 February 1928), generally known as H. H. Asquith, was a British statesman and Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom f ...

, the

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

from 1908 to 1916, and

Margot Asquith Emma Margaret Asquith, Countess of Oxford and Asquith (' Tennant; 2 February 1864 – 28 July 1945), known as Margot Asquith, was a British socialite, author. She was married to H. H. Asquith, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, from 1894 ...

, who was responsible for 'Puffin' as his family nickname.Anthony Asquith biography
at BFI Screenonline He was educated at Eaton House,

Winchester College Winchester College is a public school (fee-charging independent day and boarding school) in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and has existed in its present location ever since. It is the oldest of the ...

and

Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the f ...

. The film industry was viewed as disreputable when Asquith was young, and according to the actor

Jonathan Cecil Jonathan Hugh Gascoyne-Cecil (22 February 1939 – 22 September 2011), known as Jonathan Cecil, was an English theatre, film, and television actor. Early life Cecil was born in London, England, the son of Lord David Cecil and the grands ...

, a family friend, Asquith entered this profession in order to escape his background.Geoffrey Macna
"The Asquith version"
''The Guardian'', 6 February 2003 At the end of the 1920s, he began his career with the direction of four silent films, the last of which, ''A Cottage on Dartmoor'', established his reputation with its meticulous and often emotionally moving frame composition. ''

'' (1938) was based on the

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

play featuring

Leslie Howard Leslie Howard Steiner (3 April 18931 June 1943) was an English actor, director and producer.Obituary ''Variety'', 9 June 1943. He wrote many stories and articles for ''The New York Times'', ''The New Yorker'', and ''Vanity Fair'' and was one o ...

and

Wendy Hiller Dame Wendy Margaret Hiller, (15 August 1912 – 14 May 2003) was an English film and stage actress who enjoyed a varied acting career that spanned nearly 60 years. Writer Joel Hirschorn, in his 1984 compilation ''Rating the Movie Stars'', desc ...

. Asquith was a longtime friend and colleague of

(they collaborated on ten films) and producer

Anatole de Grunwald Anatole "Tolly" de Grunwald (25 December 1910 – 13 January 1967) was a Russian British film producer and screenwriter. Biography De Grunwald was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia, the son of a diplomat (Constantin de Grunwald) in the se ...

. His later films included Rattigan's ''

'' (1948) and '' The Browning Version'' (1951), and

's ''

'' (1952). Asquith was an

alcoholic Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomina ...

and, according to actor

, a repressed

homosexual Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...

. He died in 1968. He was buried at All Saints Churchyard, Sutton Courtenay,

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...

, England.

Filmography

Feature films

*'' Shooting Stars'' (1927) *''

Underground Underground most commonly refers to: * Subterranea (geography), the regions beneath the surface of the Earth Underground may also refer to: Places * The Underground (Boston), a music club in the Allston neighborhood of Boston * The Underground ...

'' (1928) *''

The Runaway Princess ''The Runaway Princess'' is a 1929 British-German silent drama film directed by Anthony Asquith and Fritz Wendhausen and starring Mady Christians, Fred Rains, Paul Cavanagh, and Anne Grey. Production The film was a co-production between Bri ...

'' (1929) *'' A Cottage on Dartmoor'' (1929) *'' Tell England'' (1931) *''

Dance Pretty Lady ''Dance Pretty Lady'' is a 1931 British drama film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Ann Casson, Carl Harbord, Michael Hogan, Moore Marriott and Flora Robson. It was based on the 1912 novel '' Carnival'' by Compton Mackenzie. The novel ...

'' (1932) *''

The Lucky Number ''The Lucky Number'' is a 1933 British sports comedy film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Clifford Mollison, Gordon Harker, Joan Wyndham and Frank Pettingell. The screenplay concerns a professional footballer who attempts to recover a ...

'' (1933) *''

Letting in the Sunshine ''Letting in the Sunshine'' is a 1933 British comedy crime film directed by Lupino Lane and starring Albert Burdon, Renee Gadd and Molly Lamont. It was based on a story by Anthony Asquith.Sutton p.218 The film was made by British International ...

'' (1933) *''

Unfinished Symphony An unfinished symphony is a fragment of a symphony, by a particular composer, that musicians and academics consider incomplete or unfinished for various reasons. The archetypal unfinished symphony is Franz Schubert's Symphony No. 8 (sometimes ...

'' (1934) *''

Moscow Nights __NOTOC__ "Moscow Nights" ( rus, Подмосковные вечера, r=Podmoskovnyje večera, ), later covered as "Midnight in Moscow", is a Soviet Russian song. Composition and initial success Composer Vasily Solovyov-Sedoi and poet Mikhai ...

'' (1935) *''

'' (1938) *''

'' (1940) *''

Freedom Radio ''Freedom Radio'' (a.k.a. ''A Voice in the Night'') is a 1941 British propaganda film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Clive Brook, Diana Wynyard, Raymond Huntley and Derek Farr. It is set in Nazi Germany during the Second World War a ...

'' (1941) *''

Quiet Wedding ''Quiet Wedding'' is a 1941 British romantic comedy film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Margaret Lockwood, Derek Farr and Marjorie Fielding. The screenplay was written by Terence Rattigan and Anatole de Grunwald based on the play ''Qui ...

'' (1941) *''

Cottage to Let ''Cottage to Let'' is a 1941 British spy thriller film directed by Anthony Asquith starring Leslie Banks, Alastair Sim and John Mills. Filmed during the Second World War and set in Scotland during the war, its plot concerns Nazi spies trying to ...

'' (1941) *'' Uncensored'' (1942) *''

We Dive at Dawn ''We Dive at Dawn'' is a 1943 war film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring John Mills and Eric Portman as Royal Navy submariners in the Second World War. It was written by Val Valentine and J. B. Williams with uncredited assistance from Fr ...

'' (1943) *''

The Demi-Paradise ''The Demi-Paradise'' (also known as ''Adventure for Two'') is a 1943 British comedy film made by Two Cities Films. It stars Laurence Olivier as a Soviet Russian inventor who travels to England to have his revolutionary propeller manufactured, a ...

'' (1943) *'' Fanny by Gaslight'' (1944) *''

'' (1945) *''

While the Sun Shines ''While the Sun Shines'' is a 1947 British comedy film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Barbara White, Ronald Squire, Brenda Bruce, Bonar Colleano, and Michael Allan. It was based on Terence Rattigan's 1943 play of the same name. Plot ...

'' (1947) *''

'' (1948) *''

The Woman in Question ''The Woman in Question'' (released in the United States as ''Five Angles on Murder'') is a 1950 British Murder-mystery film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Jean Kent, Dirk Bogarde and John McCallum. After a woman is murdered, the comp ...

'' (1950) *'' The Browning Version'' (1951) *''

'' (1952) *''

The Final Test ''The Final Test'' is a 1953 British sports film written by Terence Rattigan, directed by Anthony Asquith, and starring Jack Warner, Robert Morley, George Relph and Ray Jackson. A number of leading cricketers also appear including Denis Compto ...

'' (1953) *'' The Net'' (1953) *'' The Young Lovers'' (1954) *'' Carrington V.C.'' (1955) *'' On Such a Night'' (1955) *''

Orders to Kill ''Orders to Kill'' is a 1958 British wartime drama film. It starred Paul Massie, Eddie Albert and Irene Worth and was directed by Anthony Asquith. The film is based on a story by Donald Chase Downes, a former American intelligence operative who ...

'' (1958) *'' The Doctor's Dilemma'' (1958) *''

Libel Defamation is the act of communicating to a third party false statements about a person, place or thing that results in damage to its reputation. It can be spoken (slander) or written (libel). It constitutes a tort or a crime. The legal defini ...

'' (1959) *''

The Millionairess ''The Millionairess'' is a 1960 British romantic comedy film directed by Anthony Asquith, and starring Sophia Loren and Peter Sellers. Set in London, it is a loose adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's 1936 play of the same name. Plot By the ...

'' (1960) *''

Two Living, One Dead ''Two Living, One Dead'' is a 1961 British-Swedish existentialist thriller film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Patrick McGoohan, Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers. The film is a remake of the 1937 Norwegian film '' To levende og en ...

'' (1961) *''

Guns of Darkness ''Guns of Darkness'' is a 1962 British drama film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring David Niven, Leslie Caron and James Robertson Justice. It is based on the 1960 novel ''Act of Mercy'' by Francis Clifford, which was retitled ''Guns of ...

'' (1962) *'' The V.I.P.s'' (1963) *''

The Yellow Rolls-Royce ''The Yellow Rolls-Royce'' is a 1964 British dramatic composite film written by Terence Rattigan, produced by Anatole de Grunwald, and directed by Anthony Asquith, the trio responsible for '' The V.I.P.s'' (1963). Apparently adapting an idea fr ...

'' (1965)

Short films

*''

The Story of Papworth ''The Story of Papworth'' (also known as ''The Story of Papworth, the Village of Hope'') is a 1935 British short drama film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Madeleine Carroll, Gordon Harker and C. Aubrey Smith. The screenplay concerns ...

'' (1935)See also advertisement for its premiere in ''The Times'', 14 December 1935, p. 11. *''

Channel Incident ''Channel Incident'' is a 1940 British short (15 minute) drama film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Peggy Ashcroft, Gordon Harker, Robert Newton and Kenneth Griffith. It combines documentary footage with acting. It is placed on the shi ...

'' (1940) *'' Rush Hour'' (1941) *''

Two Fathers "Two Fathers" is the eleventh episode of the sixth season and the 128th episode overall of the science fiction television series ''The X-Files''. The episode first aired in the United States and Canada on February 7, 1999, on the Fox Network and ...

'' (1944)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Asquith, Anthony 1902 births 1968 deaths English people of Scottish descent People educated at Gibbs School People educated at Summer Fields School People educated at Winchester College Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford Children of prime ministers of the United Kingdom Younger sons of earls Film directors from London LGBT film directors Deaths from cancer in England Deaths from lymphoma Asquith family Tennant family LGBT people from England 20th-century LGBT people