Daniel Morris Angel (14 May 1911 – 13 December 1999) was a leading British film producer who was responsible for several notable British films during the 1950s, such as ''

Another Man's Poison ''Another Man's Poison'' is a 1951 British drama film directed by Irving Rapper and starring Bette Davis, Gary Merrill and Emlyn Williams. The screenplay by Val Guest is based on the play ''Deadlock'' by Leslie Sands. Plot Successful mystery no ...

'' (1952), ''

The Sea Shall Not Have Them ''The Sea Shall Not Have Them'' is a 1954 British war film starring Michael Redgrave, Dirk Bogarde and Anthony Steel. It was directed by Lewis Gilbert and is based on the 1953 novel by John Harris, about a North Sea rescue during the Second W ...

'' (1954), '' Reach for the Sky'' (1956), and '' Carve Her Name with Pride'' (1958). One obituary called him "An irascible man with strong opinions and a somewhat draconian manner, Angel was utterly dedicated to the medium of film." He was the subject of '' This Is Your Life'' in 1958 when he was surprised by

Eamonn Andrews Eamonn Andrews, (19 December 1922 – 5 November 1987) was an Irish radio and television presenter, employed primarily in the United Kingdom from the 1950s to the 1980s. From 1960 to 1964 he chaired the Radio Éireann Authority (now the RTÉ ...

at the BBC Television Theatre.

Biography

Angel was educated at University College School, London. He came from a family who ran a theatrical costume business, Angel's. Angel served in Burma during World War Two, where he was a major. On waking up after an operation for appendicitis, he was told that he had contracted

polio Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe s ...

and would never walk again. He spent two years in base hospital then was shipped to England, where he rejoined the family firm, which had become Angel's and Berman's. He learned how to move around in a wheelchair then taught himself to walk using a cane. He would walk on crutches until 1971 when he became confined to a wheelchair. In 1945 he married Betty Van Damm, the daughter of

Vivian Van Damm Vivian Van Damm (28 June 1889 – 14 December 1960) was a prominent British theatre impresario from 1932 until 1960, managing the Windmill Theatre in London's Great Windmill Street. The theatre was famed for its pioneering ''tableaux vivants'' o ...

, the

General Manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...

of the

Windmill Theatre The Windmill Theatre in Great Windmill Street, London, was a variety and revue theatre best known for its nude '' tableaux vivants'', which began in 1932 and lasted until its reversion to a cinema in 1964. Many prominent British comedians o ...

in London. In 1946 he used his army pension to buy a film camera. He wrote to King George VI and asked permission to film the Royal stables. This resulted in a documentary, ''All the King's Horses'' which made a profit of £5,000. He used this to make a series of documentaries, including ''All the King's Men'' and ''All the King's Music'', making a profit of £30,000. He moved into features with ''

Murder at the Windmill ''Murder at the Windmill'', titled ''Mystery at the Burlesque'' in the United States, is a 1949 British crime film directed by Val Guest and featuring Garry Marsh, Jon Pertwee, and Peter Butterworth. It was shot at Walton Studios and was the ...

'' (1949). In 1960, Angel, along with John Woolf became one of the first film producers to sell his work to television. This enraged the industry and for several years his films were boycotted by distributors and cinemas.Danny Angel: F EditionThe Times; London (UK) ondon (UK)7 Dec 1999: 27. His last feature film was '' The Romantic Englishwoman'' (1975). In 1980 Angel successfully sued actor

Kenneth More Kenneth Gilbert More, CBE (20 September 1914 – 12 July 1982) was an English film and stage actor. Initially achieving fame in the comedy '' Genevieve'' (1953), he appeared in many roles as a carefree, happy-go-lucky gent. Films from this per ...

for libel over comments made in More's second autobiography. Angel retired and lived in America, Switzerland, France and, in his latter years, once more in London. His wife died two days after him. They were survived by their two daughters, both of whom are theatrical agents.

Filmography

*''All the King's Horses'' (1946) (documentary) - producer *''Dancing Thru'' (1946) (documentary) - producer *''All the King's Men'' (1947) (documentary) - producerAll the King's Men Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 15, Iss. 169, (Jan 1, 1948): 14. *''The King's Navy'' (1948) (documentary) - producer *''

'' (1949) - produced with

Nat Cohen Nat Cohen (23 December 1905 – 10 February 1988)William D. Rubinstein, et al (eds.''The Palgrave Dictionary of Anglo-Jewish History'' Palgrave Macmillan, 2011, p.171 was a British film producer and executive. For over four decades he was one of t ...

, directed by

Val Guest Val Guest (born Valmond Maurice Grossman; 11 December 1911 – 10 May 2006) was an English film director and screenwriter. Beginning as a writer (and later director) of comedy films, he is best known for his work for Hammer, for whom he direct ...

*'' Miss Pilgrim's Progress'' (1950) - produced with

, directed by

*'' The Body Said No!'' (1950) - producer, directed by

*'' Mr Drake's Duck'' (1951) - produced with Douglas Fairbanks Jr., directed by

*''

'' (1951) - produced with Douglas Fairbanks Jr., directed by

Irving Rapper Irving Rapper (16 January 1898 – 20 December 1999) was a British-born American film director. Biography Born to a Jewish family

*''

Twilight Women ''Women of Twilight'' is a 1951 play by Sylvia Rayman that became a 1952 film directed by Gordon Parry. The latter stars Freda Jackson, Rene Ray and Lois Maxwell, with a screenplay by Anatole de Grunwald. It was the first British film to receiv ...

'' (1952) - producer *''

Cosh Boy ''Cosh Boy'' (released in the United States as ''The Slasher'') is a 1953 British film noir directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring James Kenney and Joan Collins. It was made at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith. Plot Based on an original play ...

'' (1953) - producer, directed by

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!'' ...

*'' Albert, R.N.'' (1953) - producer, directed by

*''Harmony Lane'' (1954) (short) - producer, directed by

*''

'' (1954) - producer, directed by

*'' Escapade'' (1955) - producer, directed by

Philip Leacock Philip David Charles Leacock (8 October 1917 – 14 July 1990) was an English television and film director and producer. His brother was documentary filmmaker Richard Leacock. Career Born in London, England, Leacock spent his childhood in the C ...

*'' Cast a Dark Shadow'' (1955) - executive producer, directed by

*'' Reach for the Sky'' (1956) - producer, directed by

*'' Seven Thunders'' (1957) - producer, directed by

Hugo Fregonese Hugo Geronimo Fregonese (April 8, 1908 in Mendoza – January 11, 1987 in Tigre) was an Argentine film director and screenwriter who worked both in Hollywood and his home country.''Cine Nacional''Hugo Fregonese filmography Cinenacional.com ...

*'' Carve Her Name with Pride'' (1958) - producer, directed by

*''

The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw ''The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw'' is a 1958 British-American Western comedy directed by Raoul Walsh, starring Kenneth More and Jayne Mansfield. Mansfield's singing voice is dubbed by Connie Francis. It was one of the first Westerns to be shot in ...

'' (1958) - producer, directed by Raoul Walsh *'' We Joined the Navy'' (1962) - producer, directed by

Wendy Toye Beryl May Jessie Toye, (1 May 1917 – 27 February 2010), known professionally as Wendy Toye, was a British dancer, stage and film director and actress. Life and career Toye was born in London. She initially worked as a dancer and choreographer ...

*''

West 11 ''West 11'' is a 1963 British crime film directed by Michael Winner and starring Alfred Lynch, Kathleen Breck, Eric Portman, Diana Dors, and Kathleen Harrison. It is based on ''The Furnished Room'' (1961), Laura Del-Rivo's debut novel, which ...

'' (1963) - producer, directed by

Michael Winner Robert Michael Winner (30 October 1935 – 21 January 2013) was a British filmmaker, writer, and media personality. He is known for directing numerous action, thriller, and black comedy films in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, including several c ...

*'' King & Country'' (1964) - executive producer, directed by Joseph Losey *''Three Stars - A Gastronomic Voyage of Discovery in France'' (1964–65) (TV series) - executive producer *'' The Romantic Englishwoman'' (1975) - producer, directed by Joseph Losey

References

Notes

* Obituary, '' Jewish Chronicle'', February 18, 2000, p. 27

External links

*
Daniel Angel
at BFI {{DEFAULTSORT:Angel, Daniel M. 1911 births 1999 deaths English film producers English Jews 20th-century English businesspeople