Daniel Birt (23 June 1907 – 15 May 1955) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

film director and editor.

Career

Birt began his career as an editor in 1932 with an assistant credit on ''

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 ...

'' and went on to edit 12 films during the 1930s. World War II brought a career hiatus and Birt didn't return to the film industry until the late 1940s. Having worked as supervising editor on ''

Green Fingers ''Green Fingers'' is a 1947 British drama film directed by John Harlow and starring Robert Beatty, Carol Raye and Nova Pilbeam. The film title does not use the term green fingers in its normal context, alluding to an untaught and natural skil ...

'' and ''

The Ghosts of Berkeley Square ''The Ghosts of Berkeley Square'' is a 1947 British comedy film, directed by Vernon Sewell and starring Robert Morley and Felix Aylmer. The film is an adaptation of the 1944 novel '' No Nightingales'' by Caryl Brahms and S. J. Simon, inspired b ...

'', he was given his first directorial assignment in 1947 - ''

The Three Weird Sisters ''The Three Weird Sisters'' is a 1948 British melodrama film directed by Daniel Birt and starring Nancy Price, Mary Clare, Mary Merrall, Nova Pilbeam and Raymond Lovell. The film has Gothic influences. The screenplay was adapted by Dylan Thoma ...

'', a pseudo-

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

tale set in a decaying Welsh mansion. This was followed in 1948 by ''

No Room at the Inn ''No Room at the Inn'' is a 1945 play by Joan Temple that became a 1948 film directed by Daniel Birt. Both play and film are presented in flashback mode and share the same subject matter – cruelty, neglect and mental and physical abuse meted ...

'' (co-scripted, like the previous film, by

Dylan Thomas Dylan Marlais Thomas (27 October 1914 – 9 November 1953) was a Welsh poet and writer whose works include the poems "Do not go gentle into that good night" and "And death shall have no dominion", as well as the "play for voices" ''Under ...

), a powerful and unsparing film dealing with child cruelty in an evacuee household during the war. Birt directed a further ten films in the crime/thriller genre, mostly second features, before his early death, aged 47, in May 1955. He also directed three episodes of the first series of the

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

television drama ''

The Adventures of Robin Hood ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' is a 1938 American Technicolor swashbuckler film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and Henry Blanke, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and stars Errol Flynn, Olivia de H ...

'', which were broadcast posthumously in late 1955. Birt's final film, the Anglo-Danish co-production ''Laughing in the Sunshine'', was also released after his death, entering UK general release on 2 January 1956.F Maurice Speed, ''Film Review 1956-1957'', page 85, Macdonald & Co 1956

Selected filmography

Editor

* ''

Channel Crossing ''Channel Crossing'' is a 1933 British crime film directed by Milton Rosmer and starring Matheson Lang, Constance Cummings, Anthony Bushell and Nigel Bruce. It was shot partly on location and at the Lime Grove Studios in Shepherd's Bush.Wood p ...

'' (1933) * '' Honeymoon for Three'' (1935) * ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' (1935) * '' The Invader'' (1935) * '' Twice Branded'' (1936) * ''

Weddings Are Wonderful ''Weddings Are Wonderful'' is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring June Clyde, Esmond Knight and René Ray. It was made at Walton Studios.Wood p.99 Synopsis When she discovers that he has been cut off by his fa ...

'' (1938) * '' Scruffy'' (1938) * ''

Old Mother Riley, MP ''Old Mother Riley, MP'' is a 1939 British comedy film starring Arthur Lucan and Kitty McShane, which forms part of the Old Mother Riley series of films. The film's plot centres on Old Mother Riley standing for election to the House of Commons. ...

'' (1939) * ''

Miracles Do Happen ''Miracles Do Happen'' is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Maclean Rogers and starring Jack Hobbs, Bruce Seton and Marjorie Taylor. It was made at Isleworth Studios as a quota quickie.Wood p.101 Cast * Jack Hobbs as Barry Strangeways * B ...

'' (1939) * '' Woman to Woman'' (1947)

Director

*1948: ''

'' *1948: ''

'' *1949: ''

The Interrupted Journey ''The Interrupted Journey'' is a 1949 British thriller film directed by Daniel Birt and starring Valerie Hobson, Richard Todd, Christine Norden and Tom Walls. The railways scenes were shot at Longmoor in Hampshire. The film includes a train c ...

'' *1950: ''

She Shall Have Murder ''She Shall Have Murder'' is a 1950 British drama film directed by Daniel Birt and starring Rosamund John, Derrick De Marney and Felix Aylmer. The screenplay concerns a law office clerk who becomes a detective. Premise A law office clerk who as ...

'' *1952: ''

The Night Won't Talk ''The Night Won't Talk'' is a 1952 British crime film directed by Daniel Birt and starring John Bailey, Hy Hazell and Mary Germaine. The murder of an artist's model leads the police to investigate the artistic community of Chelsea. It was mad ...

'' *1952: ''

Circumstantial Evidence Circumstantial evidence is evidence that relies on an inference to connect it to a conclusion of fact—such as a fingerprint at the scene of a crime. By contrast, direct evidence supports the truth of an assertion directly—i.e., without need ...

'' *1953: ''

Three Steps in the Dark ''Three Steps in the Dark'' is a 1953 British mystery film directed by Daniel Birt and starring Greta Gynt, Hugh Sinclair and Sarah Lawson. It was produced as a second feature and shot at the Kensington Studios in London. The film's sets wer ...

'' *1953: ''

Background Background may refer to: Performing arts and stagecraft * Background actor * Background artist * Background light * Background music * Background story * Background vocals * ''Background'' (play), a 1950 play by Warren Chetham-Strode Reco ...

'' *1954: ''

Burnt Evidence ''Burnt Evidence'' is a 1954 British thriller film directed by Daniel Birt and starring Jane Hylton, Duncan Lamont and Donald Gray. The film was produced by Ronald Kinnoch for ACT Films. It was made as a second feature. Shooting took place at ...

'' *1954: ''

Meet Mr. Malcolm ''Meet Mr. Malcolm'' is a 1954 British crime film directed by Daniel Birt and starring Adrianne Allen, Sarah Lawson (actress), Sarah Lawson and Meredith Edwards (actor), Meredith Edwards. It was made at Kensington Studios as a second feature. Sy ...

'' *1954: '' Third Party Risk'' nd co-writer*1956: ''

Laughing in the Sunshine ''Laughing in the Sunshine'' (Swedish: ''Ett kungligt äventyr'') is a 1956 British-Swedish romance film directed by Daniel Birt and starring Jane Hylton, Bengt Logardt and Adolf Jahr. It was Birt's final film. It is sometimes alternatively desc ...

'' nd co-writer

Producer

* ''

The Girl Who Forgot ''The Girl Who Forgot'' is a 1940 British comedy film directed by Adrian Brunel and starring Elizabeth Allan, Ralph Michael and Enid Stamp-Taylor. It was made at the Nettlefold Studios in Walton-on-Thames, based on a play ''The Young Lady in Pi ...

'' (1940) * ''

Three Silent Men ''Three Silent Men'' is a 1940 British crime film directed by Thomas Bentley and starring Sebastian Shaw, Derrick De Marney, Patricia Roc and Arthur Hambling. The screenplay concerns a pacifist surgeon who must operate to save the life of the i ...

'' (1940)

References

External links

* 1907 births 1955 deaths English film directors People from Mersham {{UK-film-director-stub