Edward Michael "Smed" Smedley-Aston (1912–2006), sometimes credited only as M. Smedley-Aston or E.M. Smedley-Aston, was a British

film producer A film producer is a person who oversees film production. Either employed by a production company or working independently, producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting the script, coordinating writing, di ...

involved with over 40 feature films, and pioneering some of the earliest filmed TV series in the UK.

Early life

Smedley-Aston was born on 25 August 1912, in

Edgbaston Edgbaston () is an affluent suburban area of central Birmingham, England, historically in Warwickshire, and curved around the southwest of the city centre. In the 19th century, the area was under the control of the Gough-Calthorpe family an ...

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

, as the son of

William Smedley-Aston William Smedley-Aston (1868–1941) was with his wife Irene a Victorian Pre-Raphaelite Arts & Crafts photographer and member of the Birmingham Group of artists and the Linked Ring Brotherhood. He was also known as W. S. Aston or W. Smedley. H ...

(1868 - 1941), a Birmingham photographer and pioneer in the field of photography. He was educated at

Marlborough College Marlborough College is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Independent school (United Kingdom), independent boarding school) for pupils aged 13 to 18 in Marlborough, Wiltshire, England. Founded in 1843 for the sons of Church ...

Career

Smedley-Aston began his career at Elstree Studios, where he worked with

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

and was

assistant director The role of an assistant director on a film includes tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, and maintaining order on the set. They also have to tak ...

on many films including ''

Dance Band ''Dance Band'' is a 1935 British musical film directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Charles "Buddy" Rogers, June Clyde and Steven Geray. It was shot at Welwyn Studios with sets designed by the art director David Rawnsley. Plot When dance band l ...

'', ''

Royal Cavalcade ''Royal Cavalcade'', also known as ''Regal Cavalcade'', is a 1935 British, black-and-white, drama film directed by six separate directors: Thomas Bentley (Supervising Director), Herbert Brenon, Norman Lee, Walter Summers, W. P. Kellino and Mar ...

'', ''

Drake of England ''Drake of England'' is a 1935 UK, British drama film directed by Arthur B. Woods and starring Matheson Lang, Athene Seyler and Jane Baxter. It depicts the life of Francis Drake and the events leading up to the defeat of Spanish Armada, the Ar ...

'' (all 1935) and ''Goodbye Mr. Chips'' (1939). After World War II, he joined the

Rank Organisation The Rank Organisation was a British entertainment conglomerate founded by industrialist J. Arthur Rank in April 1937. It quickly became the largest and most vertically integrated film company in the United Kingdom, owning production, distribu ...

and worked on several films, notably

David Lean Sir David Lean (25 March 190816 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Widely considered one of the most important figures in British cinema, Lean directed the large-scale epics ''The Bridge on the River ...

's ''Great Expectations'' (1946). As a close associate of director/producers

Frank Launder Frank Launder (28 January 1906 – 23 February 1997) was a British writer, film director and producer, who made more than 40 films, many of them in collaboration with Sidney Gilliat. Early life and career He was born in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, ...

and

Sidney Gilliat Sidney Gilliat (15 February 1908 – 31 May 1994) was an English film director, producer and writer. He was the son of George Gilliat, editor of the ''Evening Standard'' from 1928 to 1933. Sidney was born in the district of Edgeley in Stoc ...

, Smedley-Aston was involved with the 1955 takeover of the

British Lion Film Corporation British Lion Films is a film production and distribution company active under several forms since 1919. Originally known as British Lion Film Corporation Ltd, it entered receivership on 1 June 1954. From 29 January 1955 to 1976, the company was kn ...

, where he acted as a trouble-shooter and budget supervisor. Also in the 1950s, he worked on several high-profile US financed films, including '' Gentlemen Marry Brunettes'' (1955), '' The Million Pound Note'' (1954) and Sam Spiegel's '' Melba'' (1953). As an independent producer he reunited the popular Crazy Gang for ''Life is a Circus'' (1957), and cast a young

Sean Connery Sir Sean Connery (born Thomas Connery; 25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond on film, starring in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983. Origina ...

to join Lana Turner in ''Another Time, Another Place'' (1958). His two crime comedies, '' Two-Way Stretch'' (1960), and ''

The Wrong Arm of the Law ''The Wrong Arm of the Law'' is a 1963 British comedy film directed by Cliff Owen and starring Peter Sellers, Bernard Cribbins, Lionel Jeffries, John Le Mesurier and Bill Kerr. It was partly written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson and made by Rom ...

'' (1963) helped Peter Sellers on his way to

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

. Smed was also involved in the early days of filmed episode TV. ''Assignment Foreign Legion'' (1957) was created as a vehicle for

Merle Oberon Merle Oberon (born Estelle Merle O'Brien Thompson; 19 February 191123 November 1979) was a British actress who began her film career in British films as Anne Boleyn in ''The Private Life of Henry VIII'' (1933). After her success in ''The Scarle ...

and filmed at Beaconsfield Studios. He brought several episodes of ''

Navy Log ''Navy Log'' is an American drama anthology series created by Samuel Gallu that presented stories from the history of the United States Navy. This series ran on CBS from September 20, 1955, until September 25, 1956.On October 17, 1956, it moved t ...

'' (1958) from its Hollywood base to European locations, and produced

The Third Man ''The Third Man'' is a 1949 British film noir directed by Carol Reed, written by Graham Greene and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. Set in postwar Vienna, the film centres on American Holly Martins (Cotten), ...

series (1959–61).

Personal life

During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Smedley-Aston served in the RAF. He retired to the Isle of Man in 1970, returning to London to produce two comedy films, ''Ooh... You Are Awful'' (1972) and ''The Wildcats of St. Trinian's'' (1980). In 1935, he married Thora Quayle (b. 1913), who he met in the early days at Elstree Studios. They had one son, Brian, who followed also became a film editor and producer.

References

External links

*
interview

British Entertainment History Project The British Entertainment History Project (BEHP) records and preserves interviews with the men and women who have worked in British film, television, radio and theatre industries over the last 100 years "to ensure that their lives and experiences ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smedley-Aston, Michael 2006 deaths 1912 births British film producers People from Edgbaston Royal Air Force personnel of World War II British World War II pilots British television producers