Henry Cass (24 June 1903 – 15 March 1989) was a British director, particularly prolific in film in the horror and comedy genres. Previously an actor, he was also a prolific stage director of classical theatre at

the Old Vic The Old Vic is a 1,000-seat, not-for-profit producing theatre in Waterloo, London, England. Established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, and renamed in 1833 the Royal Victoria Theatre. In 1871 it was rebuilt and reopened as the Royal ...

in the 1930s. In 1923,

Lee DeForest Lee de Forest (August 26, 1873 – June 30, 1961) was an American inventor and a fundamentally important early pioneer in electronics. He invented the first electronic device for controlling current flow; the three-element " Audion" triode v ...

filmed Cass for a short film ''Henry Cass Demonstration Film'' made in DeForest's

Phonofilm Phonofilm is an optical sound-on-film system developed by inventors Lee de Forest and Theodore Case in the early 1920s. Introduction In 1919 and 1920, Lee De Forest, inventor of the audion tube, filed his first patents on a sound-on-film proce ...

sound-on-film process. The film was previewed at the Engineers Society of New York on 12 April 1923, and premiered at the Rivoli Theatre in New York on 15 April 1923 with 17 other short Phonofilms. He was married to the actress

Joan Hopkins Joan Hopkins (31 August 1915 – 27 December 2002) was a British stage and film actress. During the late 1940s she appeared in starring roles in several productions, including Princess Charlotte in '' The First Gentleman'' and as Helen in the box ...

.McFarlane & Slide p.125

Filmography

*''

Lancashire Luck ''Lancashire Luck'' is a 1937 British comedy film directed by Henry Cass. It is notable as the film debut of Wendy Hiller, and the first credited appearance of Nigel Stock (actor), Nigel Stock. Plot The film is set around the paterfamilia of the ...

'' (1937) *'' 29 Acacia Avenue'' (1945) *'' The Glen Is Ours'' (1946) *'' The Glass Mountain'' (1949) *''

No Place for Jennifer ''No Place for Jennifer'' is a 1950 British film directed by Henry Cass and starring Leo Genn, Rosamund John, Guy Middleton and Janette Scott. It was based on the novel ''No Difference to Me'' by Phyllis Hambleton. Plot In the film, a young g ...

'' (1950) *'' Last Holiday'' (1950) *''

Young Wives' Tale ''Young Wives' Tale'', also known as ''Fun for Four'', is a 1951 British comedy film directed by Henry Cass and starring Joan Greenwood, Nigel Patrick, Derek Farr, and Guy Middleton. The film is based on the 1949 play ''Young Wives' Tale'' by Ron ...

'' (1951) *'' Castle in the Air'' (1952) *''

Father's Doing Fine ''Father's Doing Fine'' is a 1952 British comedy film directed by Henry Cass and starring Richard Attenborough, Heather Thatcher, and Noel Purcell, and featuring Sid James. It was based on the 1948 play ''Little Lambs Eat Ivy'' by Noel Langley ...

'' (1952) *'' Breakaway'' (1955) *'' Windfall'' (1955) *''

Reluctant Bride ''Reluctant Bride'' (released in the U.S. as ''Two Grooms for a Bride'') is a 1955 British comedy film. Plot summary Jeff Longstreet and Laura Weeks are paired together to take care of a group of wild children whose parents are lost on an Afric ...

'' (1955) *'' No Smoking'' (1955) *''

Bond of Fear ''Bond of Fear'' is a 1956 British crime drama film directed by Henry Cass and starring Dermot Walsh, Jane Barrett, and John Colicos. Premise John Sewell and his family are taken hostage by a desperate fugitive called Dewar who is a stowaway i ...

'' (1956) *''

High Terrace ''High Terrace'' is a 1956 black and white UK, British mystery film directed by Henry Cass and starring Dale Robertson, Lois Maxwell, Derek Bond, Eric Pohlmann and Lionel Jeffries. Plot Beautiful fledgeling actress Stephanie Blake (Lois Maxwell ...

'' (1956) *'' Professor Tim'' (1957) *''

The Crooked Sky ''The Crooked Sky'' is a low budget 1957 black and white British melodrama/crime film, directed by Henry Cass from a story by Maclean Rogers and Charles F. Vetter.Weaver 2011, p. 18. The film stars Wayne Morris (American actor), Wayne Morris, Anton ...

'' (1957) *''

Booby Trap A booby trap is a device or setup that is intended to kill, harm or surprise a human or another animal. It is triggered by the presence or actions of the victim and sometimes has some form of bait designed to lure the victim towards it. The trap m ...

'' (1957) *''

Blood of the Vampire ''Blood of the Vampire'' is a 1958 British colour horror film directed by Henry Cass and starring Donald Wolfit, Barbara Shelley, and Vincent Ball. The film was produced by Robert S. Baker and Monty Berman for Tempean Films, from a screenpl ...

'' (1958) *'' Man Who Couldn't Walk'' (1960) *'' The Hand'' (1960) *''Boyd's Shop'' (1960) *'' Mr. Brown Comes Down the Hill'' (1965) *'' Give a Dog a Bone'' (1965) MRA's Westminster Theatre, London *''Happy Deathday'' (1968) also co-author of original play with Howard E. Koch the co-author was Peter Dunsmore Howard - journalist and leader of the MRA movement 1961 - 1965] MRA's Westminster Theatre, London

References

Bibliography

* Brian McFarlane & Anthony Slide. ''The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth Edition''. Oxford University Press, 2013.

External links

*
''Henry Cass Demonstration Film'' at SilentEra
1903 births 1989 deaths English film directors Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art {{UK-film-director-stub