Michael Joseph Anderson (30 January 1920 – 25 April 2018) was an English film director, best known for directing the World War II film '' The Dam Busters'' (1955), the epic ''

Around the World in 80 Days ''Around the World in Eighty Days'' (french: link=no, Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours) is an adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne, first published in French in 1872. In the story, Phileas Fogg of London and his newly employe ...

'' (1956) and the dystopian sci-fi film ''

Logan's Run ''Logan's Run'' is a science fiction novel by American writers William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson. Published in 1967, the novel depicts a dystopic Malthusianism future society in which both population and the consumption of resource ...

'' (1976).

Early life and education

Anderson was born in London, United Kingdom, to a theatrical family. His parents were the actors Lawrence (1893–1939) and Beatrice Anderson (1893–1977). His great-aunt was Mary Anderson of

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

, who became one of the first US Shakespearean actresses; the Mary Anderson Theatre in Louisville was dedicated to her. He began working in the industry as an actor during the 1930s. By 1938, he had graduated to working behind the camera as an assistant director. During World War II, while serving in the British Army's

Royal Signals Corps The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS or R SIGS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communi ...

, he met

Peter Ustinov Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (born Peter Alexander Freiherr von Ustinov ; 16 April 192128 March 2004) was a British actor, filmmaker and writer. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits ...

and subsequently assisted him on two films.Michael Anderson Dies: Oscar-Nominated Film Director Was 98.
''

Deadline Deadline(s) or The Deadline(s) may refer to: * Time limit, a narrow field of time by which an objective must be accomplished Arts, entertainment, and media Comics * Deadline (DC Comics), a fictional villain * ''Deadline'' (magazine), a British ...

''. Retrieved February 23, 2020.Michael Anderson obituary
''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

''. Retrieved February 23, 2020.

Career

Actor and assistant director

Anderson appeared in two films as an actor: as Oily Boyd in ''

Housemaster {{refimprove, date=September 2018 In British education, a housemaster is a schoolmaster in charge of a boarding house, normally at a boarding school and especially at a public school. The housemaster is responsible for the supervision and care o ...

'' (1938); and as Marine Albert Fosdick in

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...

's ''

In Which We Serve ''In Which We Serve'' is a 1942 British patriotic war film directed by Noël Coward and David Lean. It was made during the Second World War with the assistance of the Ministry of Information (United Kingdom), Ministry of Information. The scree ...

'' (1942). He joined

Elstree Studios Elstree Studios is a generic term which can refer to several current and demolished British film studios and television studios based in or around the town of Borehamwood and village of Elstree in Hertfordshire, England. Production studios ha ...

as a production runner in 1936 and became an assistant director by 1938. His credits as assistant director include ''

Spy for a Day ''Spy for a Day'' is a 1940 British comedy film, comedy thriller film directed by Mario Zampi and starring Douglas Wakefield, Paddy Browne and Jack Allen (actor), Jack Allen. The screenplay concerns a British farmer who is abducted by the Germans ...

'' (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 ...

'' (1940), ''

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) and '' Jeannie'' (1941). He was unit manager as well as actor on ''In Which We Serve'' (1942) and was assistant director on ''

Unpublished Story ''Unpublished Story'' is a 1942 British black-and-white war film directed by Harold French and starring Richard Greene and Valerie Hobson. It was produced and co-written by Anthony Havelock-Allan. The film served as a propaganda film during Wo ...

'' (1942). Anderson served with the

Royal Corps of Signals The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS or R SIGS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communi ...

during the Second World War, during which time he met

. On demobilisation, Anderson returned to the film industry working as an assistant director on Ustinov's films ''

School for Secrets ''School for Secrets'' (also known as ''Secret Flight'') is a 1946 British black-and-white film written and directed by Peter Ustinov and starring Ralph Richardson. In leading supporting roles were David Tomlinson, Raymond Huntley, Finlay Curri ...

'' (1946) and ''

Vice Versa References Additional references * * {{Latin phrases V ca:Locució llatina#V da:Latinske ord og vendinger#V fr:Liste de locutions latines#V id:Daftar frasa Latin#V it:Locuzioni latine#V nl:Lijst van Latijnse spreekwoorden en ui ...

'' (1947). He was also an assistant director on '' Fame is the Spur'' (1947), '' One Night with You'' (1947) and ''

Mr. Perrin and Mr. Traill ''Mr. Perrin and Mr. Traill'' is a 1948 British drama film directed by Lawrence Huntington and starring Marius Goring, David Farrar, Greta Gynt, Edward Chapman and Raymond Huntley. It is based on the 1911 novel of the same title by Hugh Walpole ...

'' (1948).

Director

Anderson and Ustinov then wrote and directed a feature together, '' Private Angelo'' (1949). Anderson made his solo directorial debut with a B film, '' Waterfront'' (1950) with

Robert Newton Robert Guy Newton (1 June 1905 – 25 March 1956) was an English actor. Along with Errol Flynn, Newton was one of the more popular actors among the male juvenile audience of the 1940s and early 1950s, especially with British boys. Known for hi ...

. The ''Telegraph'' critic announced, "I can only burn my boats and prophesy that young Michael Anderson is possibly the most promising discovery since

Carol Reed Sir Carol Reed (30 December 1906 – 25 April 1976) was an English film director and producer, best known for ''Odd Man Out'' (1947), '' The Fallen Idol'' (1948), ''The Third Man'' (1949), and '' Oliver!'' (1968), for which he was awarded the ...

and

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 ...

." Anderson followed his first at bat with some more B movies: ''

Hell Is Sold Out ''Hell Is Sold Out'' is a 1951 British drama film directed by Michael Anderson and starring Mai Zetterling, Herbert Lom and Richard Attenborough. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Maurice Dekobra. Plot A Swedish-born woman, V ...

'' (1951); ''

Night Was Our Friend ''Night Was Our Friend'' is a 1951 British drama film directed by Michael Anderson and starring Elizabeth Sellars, Michael Gough and Ronald Howard. The title references a line from Virgil's epic poem ''The Aeneid''. Plot A young woman is acq ...

'' (1952) and '' Dial 17'' (1952).

Associated British Picture Corporation

Anderson then signed a contract with

Associated British Picture Corporation Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC), originally British International Pictures (BIP), was a British film production, distribution and exhibition company active from 1927 until 1970 when it was absorbed into EMI. ABPC also owned appro ...

(ABPC) for whom he wound up making five films. The first was a comedy, '' Will Any Gentleman...?'' (1953). It was followed by '' The House of the Arrow'' (1953). The third was the

war film War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about naval, air, or land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle scenes means that war fi ...

'' The Dam Busters'' (1955), starring

Richard Todd Richard Andrew Palethorpe-Todd (11 June 19193 December 2009) was an Irish-British actor known for his leading man roles of the 1950s. He received a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Male, and an Academy Award for Best Actor n ...

. It was the most popular movie at the British box office in 1955. Anderson followed this with the first cinema adaptation of

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to totalitar ...

's ''

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...

'' (1956), co-financed by American interests. It was a commercial failure, despite shooting a "happier" ending for the United States release.

''Around the World in 80 Days''

Anderson was then called in to direct ''

'' (1956), after original director

John Farrow John Villiers Farrow, KGCHS (10 February 190427 January 1963) was an Australian film director, producer, and screenwriter. Spending a considerable amount of his career in the United States, in 1942 he was nominated for the Academy Award for B ...

had a falling out with producer

Mike Todd Michael Todd (born Avrom Hirsch Goldbogen; June 22, 1909 – March 22, 1958) was an American theater and film producer, best known for his 1956 production of ''Around the World in 80 Days'', which won an Academy Award for Best Picture. Actr ...

. Todd reportedly hired him on the strength of ''The Dam Busters'' and the recommendation of

. The film was a huge hit and Anderson was nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

(the film won Best Picture) and a

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

for his direction. Todd signed Anderson to a two-picture contract but Todd died in a plane crash in 1958. Anderson was reunited with Richard Todd for another war film '' Yangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst'' (1957) for producer

Herbert Wilcox Herbert Sydney Wilcox Order of the British Empire, CBE (19 April 1890 – 15 May 1977) was a British film producer and film director, director. He was one of the most successful British filmmakers from the 1920s to the 1950s. He is best know ...

but it was not as popular as ''The Dam Busters''. He made a third film with Richard Todd, a thriller, ''

Chase a Crooked Shadow ''Chase a Crooked Shadow'' ( ''Sleep No More'') is a 1958 British suspense film starring Richard Todd, Anne Baxter and Herbert Lom. Michael Anderson directed ''Chase a Crooked Shadow'', the first film produced by Associated Dragon Films, a bus ...

'' (1958); this was his fifth and last movie for Associated British.

International director

In Ireland Anderson made a thriller about the

IRA Ira or IRA may refer to: *Ira (name), a Hebrew, Sanskrit, Russian or Finnish language personal name *Ira (surname), a rare Estonian and some other language family name *Iran, UNDP code IRA Law *Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, US, on status of ...

with

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor, dancer and film director. On stage and in film, Cagney was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He ...

, '' Shake Hands with the Devil'' (1959). It was made for Pennebaker, the company of

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...

and provided an early role to

Richard Harris Richard St John Francis Harris (1 October 1930 – 25 October 2002) was an Irish actor and singer. He appeared on stage and in many films, notably as Corrado Zeller in Michelangelo Antonioni's '' Red Desert'', Frank Machin in ''This Sporting ...

. Anderson then took over a project at

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

originally planned as an

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 ...

project, ''

The Wreck of the Mary Deare ''The Wreck of the Mary Deare'' (in the UK published as ''The Mary Deare'') is a 1956 novel written by British author Hammond Innes, which was later adapted as a film starring Gary Cooper released in 1959 by MGM. According to Jack Adrian, the ...

'' (1959), with

Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, a ...

and

Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923April 5, 2008) was an American actor and political activist. As a Hollywood star, he appeared in almost 100 films over the course of 60 years. He played Moses in the epic film ''The Ten C ...

. Anderson later recalled in 1986, "The magic I remember most is walking on to stage 30 in

Culver City Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most ...

at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was the biggest stage in the world and I remember looking at it and thinking I'll be here in a couple of weeks and they'll have built a ship and I'll be directing Gary Cooper and Charlton Heston – it's all going to be mine. It gave me such a feeling of astonishment and it's never quite left me."JOHN, HASLETT C. "Veteran Film Director Finds New Role in Toronto." ''The Globe and Mail'', Nov 28, 1986

also financed Anderson's next film, the melodrama ''

All the Fine Young Cannibals ''All the Fine Young Cannibals'' is a 1960 American film directed by Michael Anderson, based on the novel by Rosamond Marshall, starring Robert Wagner, Natalie Wood, Susan Kohner, George Hamilton and Pearl Bailey. Hamilton said that the film " ...

'' (1960) with

Natalie Wood Natalie Wood ( Zacharenko; July 20, 1938 – November 29, 1981) was an American actress who began her career in film as a child and successfully transitioned to young adult roles. Wood started acting at age four and was given a co-starring r ...

and

Robert Wagner Robert John Wagner Jr. (born February 10, 1930) is an American actor of stage, screen, and television. He is known for starring in the television shows '' It Takes a Thief'' (1968–1970), ''Switch'' (1975–1978), and ''Hart to Hart'' (1979– ...

. Anderson was reunited with Cooper in ''

The Naked Edge ''The Naked Edge'' is a 1961 thriller film starring Gary Cooper (in his final film role) and Deborah Kerr. The film was a British-American co-production distributed by United Artists, directed by Michael Anderson and produced by George Glass a ...

'' (1961) which turned out to be Cooper's last film.

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramatists with a writing career that spanne ...

wrote ''

The Servant A servant is a person working within an employer's household. Servant or servants may refer to: Places * Servant, Puy-de-Dôme, France Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''The Servant'' (1963 film), a British drama * ''The Servant'' (1989 ...

'' for Anderson but the director was unable to secure finance so he sold it to

Joseph Losey Joseph Walton Losey III (; January 14, 1909 – June 22, 1984) was an American theatre and film director, producer, and screenwriter. Born in Wisconsin, he studied in Germany with Bertolt Brecht and then returned to the United States. Blackliste ...

. Anderson made some films for

Harold Hecht Harold Adolphe Hecht (June 1, 1907 – May 26, 1985) was an American film producer, dance director and talent agent. He was also, though less noted for, a literary agent, a theatrical producer, a theatre director and a Broadway actor. He was a m ...

: ''

Flight from Ashiya ''Flight from Ashiya'' (aka ''Ashiya Kara no hiko'') is a 1964 film about the U.S. Air Force's Air Rescue Service, flying from Ashiya Air Base, Japan. In this fictionalized American-Japanese co-production film set in the early 1960s, a flight ...

'' (1964), an adventure tale, and ''

Wild and Wonderful ''Wild and Wonderful'' is a 1964 comedy film directed by Michael Anderson and starring Tony Curtis and Christine Kaufmann. The screenplay concerns a clever French poodle named Monsieur Cognac, and the dog's effect on the newly married couple po ...

'' (1964), a comedy with

Tony Curtis Tony Curtis (born Bernard Schwartz; June 3, 1925September 29, 2010) was an American actor whose career spanned six decades, achieving the height of his popularity in the 1950s (Kansas Raiders, 1950) and early 1960s. He acted in more than 100 f ...

. For MGM and

Carlo Ponti Carlo Fortunato Pietro Ponti Sr. (11 December 1912 – 9 January 2007) was an Italian film producer with more than 140 productions to his credit. Along with Dino De Laurentiis, he is credited with reinvigorating and popularizing Italian cinema ...

he directed the war time thriller ''

Operation Crossbow ''Crossbow'' was the code name in World War II for Anglo-American operations against the German V-weapons, long range reprisal weapons (V-weapons) programme. The main V-weapons were the V-1 flying bomb and V-2 rocket – these were launched aga ...

'' (1965). Anderson made a spy thriller ''

The Quiller Memorandum ''The Quiller Memorandum'' is a 1966 British neo noir eurospy film filmed in DeLuxe Color, Deluxe Color and Panavision, adapted from the 1965 spy fiction, spy novel ''The Berlin Memorandum'', by Elleston Trevor under the name "Adam Hall", screen ...

'' (1966), starring

George Segal George Segal Jr. (February 13, 1934 – March 23, 2021) was an American actor. He became popular in the 1960s and 1970s for playing both dramatic and comedic roles. After first rising to prominence with roles in acclaimed films such as ''Ship o ...

and

Alec Guinness Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. After an early career on the stage, Guinness was featured in several of the Ealing comedies, including ''Kind Hearts and Coronets'' (194 ...

. He was meant to direct ''

Eye of the Devil ''Eye of the Devil,'' also known as ''13,'' is a 1966 British Mystery film, mystery horror film directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring Deborah Kerr, David Niven, Donald Pleasence, Sharon Tate and David Hemmings. The film is set in rural France ...

'' but fell ill. For MGM he directed the film ''

The Shoes of the Fisherman The Shoes of the Fisherman may refer to: * ''The Shoes of the Fisherman'' (novel), a 1963 novel by the writer Morris West * ''The Shoes of the Fisherman'' (film), a 1968 film based on the novel {{disambiguation ...

'' (1968), stepping in for

Anthony Asquith Anthony William Landon Asquith (; 9 November 1902 – 20 February 1968) was an English film director. He collaborated successfully with playwright Terence Rattigan on ''The Winslow Boy'' (1948) and '' The Browning Version'' (1951), among oth ...

at the last moment; the film was a flop. He was meant to direct the big screen adaptation of

James Clavell James Clavell (born Charles Edmund Dumaresq Clavell; 10 October 1921 – 7 September 1994) was an Australian-born British (later naturalized American) writer, screenwriter, director, and World War II veteran and prisoner of war. Clavell is best ...

's ''

Tai Pan A taipan (,Andrew J. Moody, "Transmission Languages and Source Languages of Chinese Borrowings in English", ''American Speech'', Vol. 71, No. 4 (Winter, 1996), pp. 414–415. literally "top class"汉英词典 — ''A Chinese-English Dictionary ...

'' starring

Patrick McGoohan Patrick Joseph McGoohan (; March 19, 1928 – January 13, 2009) was an Irish-American actor, director, screenwriter, and producer of film and television. Born in the United States to Irish emigrant parents, he was raised in Ireland and Engla ...

but the film was not made due to high costs.

1970s

Anderson went for a few years without making a film before returning with ''

Pope Joan Pope Joan (''Ioannes Anglicus'', 855–857) was, according to legend, a woman who reigned as pope for two years during the Middle Ages. Her story first appeared in chronicles in the 13th century and subsequently spread throughout Europe. The s ...

'' (1972) and '' The Devil's Impostor'' (1972). For

George Pal George Pal (born György Pál Marczincsak; ; February 1, 1908 – May 2, 1980) was a Hungarian-American animator, film director and producer, principally associated with the fantasy and science-fiction genres. He became an American citizen after ...

he made '' Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze'' (1975) then did ''

Conduct Unbecoming Conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman (or conduct unbecoming for short) is an offense that is subject to court martial in the armed forces of some nations. Use in the United Kingdom The phrase was used as a charge in courts martial of ...

'' (1975). ''

'' (1976), about a futuristic society where humanity is imprisoned in a death trap sealed dome controlled by a computer, was an expensive box-office success, earning $50 million worldwide and boosting sales for its distributor,

Metro Goldwyn Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

. Anderson then directed ''

Orca The orca or killer whale (''Orcinus orca'') is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. It is the only Extant taxon, extant species in the genus ''Orcinus'' and is recognizable by its black ...

'' (1977) and ''

Dominique "Dominique" is a 1963 French language popular song, written and performed by the Belgian female singer Jeannine Deckers, better known as Sœur Sourire ("Sister Smile" in French) or The Singing Nun. The song is about Saint Dominic, a Spanish-bo ...

'' (1978).

Later work

In 1981, Anderson moved to Canada, where his then-wife was from, and became a Canadian citizen. "It's the best move I ever made", he said in 1986. "There's so much talent, it's exciting, clean, young, fresh and it's been very good to me." His later work was mostly made-for-television miniseries, including ''

The Martian Chronicles ''The Martian Chronicles'' is a science fiction fix-up novel, published in 1950, by American writer Ray Bradbury that chronicles the exploration and settlement of Mars, the home of indigenous Martians, by Americans leaving a troubled Earth that ...

'' (1980), ''

Sword of Gideon ''Sword of Gideon'' is a 1986 Canadian television film about Mossad agents hunting down terrorists associated with the 1972 Munich massacre. It was first shown on the CTV Television Network in Canada as a four-hour miniseries and later on HBO i ...

'' (1986), ''

Young Catherine ''Young Catherine'' is a 1991 British TV miniseries based on the early life of Catherine II of Russia. Directed by Michael Anderson, it stars Julia Ormond as Catherine and Vanessa Redgrave as Empress Elizabeth. Plot summary In the early 1740s, ...

'' (1991), ''

The Sea Wolf Seawolf, Sea wolf or Sea Wolves may refer to: Animals * Sea wolf, a wolf subspecies found in the Vancouver coastal islands * Seawolf (fish), a marine fish also known as wolffish or sea wolf * A nickname of the killer whale * South American sea ...

'' (1993), ''Rugged Gold'' (1994), ''Captain's Courageous'' (1996) and ''

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ''Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas'' (french: Vingt mille lieues sous les mers) is a classic science fiction adventure novel by French writer Jules Verne. The novel was originally serialized from March 1869 through June 1870 in Pierre-J ...

'' (1997). His feature work in Canada included, ''

Murder by Phone ''Murder by Phone'' (also known as ''Bells'' and ''The Calling'') is a 1982 science fiction slasher film directed by Michael Anderson. Its plot follows a series of murders committed by a disgruntled phone company employee who designs a device that ...

'' (1982), the New Zealand film, ''

Second Time Lucky ''Second Time Lucky'' is a 1984 New Zealand erotic comedy film directed by Michael Anderson and starring Diane Franklin and Roger Wilson.Ed. Scott Murray, ''Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995'', Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p137 The story cent ...

'' (1984), ''Separate Vacations'' (1986), '' Summer of the Monkeys'' (1998), and ''

Millennium A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting point (ini ...

'' (1989) and '' The Grand Defiance'' (1993). He directed '' Bottega dell'orefice'' (''The Jeweler's Shop'', 1988), based on the 1960 play written by Karol Wojtyła, who, by the time the film was made, had become

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

. In 1998, he said "I honestly feel like a teenager", and had no intention of retiring. Despite this statement, his last film credit before his retirement would end up being '' The New Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1999). In 2012, Michael Anderson received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the

Directors Guild of Canada The Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) is a Canadian labour union representing more than 5,500 professionals from 48 different occupations in the Canadian film and television industry. Founded in 1962, the DGC represents directors, editors, assistant ...

. At the time of his death, Anderson was the oldest living nominee for an

Academy Award for Best Director The Academy Award for Best Director (officially known as the Academy Award of Merit for Directing) is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given in honor of a film director who has exhibi ...

, and the only surviving director whose film won a Best Picture award in the 1950s.

Personal life

Anderson was married three times: # Betty Jordan (1923–2008) married in 1939; five children # Vera Carlisle (born 1935) married in 1969; one child # Actress Adrienne Ellis (born 1944); two stepchildren; stepfather of actress

Laurie Holden Heather Laurie Holden (born December 17, 1969) is a Canadian-American actress, producer, and human rights activist, known for her roles as Marita Covarrubias in ''The X-Files'' (1996–2002), Adele Stanton in ''The Majestic (film), The Majestic' ...

(''

The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation ...

'', ''

Silent Hill is a horror anthology media franchise centered on a series of survival horror games created by Keiichiro Toyama and published by Konami. The first four video games in the series, ''Silent Hill'', '' Silent Hill 2'', ''Silent Hill 3'' and '' ...

'', '' The Mist'', '' The Walking Dead'') and Christopher Holden. His son

Michael Anderson Jr. Michael Joseph Anderson Jr. (born 6 August 1943) is an actor whose 40-year career includes roles in '' The Sundowners'', ''In Search of the Castaways'', ''The Sons of Katie Elder'', and ''Logan's Run''. During the 1966 television season he starr ...

, is an actor who appeared in ''Logan's Run'' and ''The Martian Chronicles''; another son, David Anderson, is a film producer. Anderson died on 25 April 2018 at the age of 98, from

heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, hea ...

Filmography

* '' Private Angelo'' (1949) * '' Waterfront Women'' (1950) * ''

'' (1951) * ''

'' (1951) * '' Will Any Gentleman...?'' (1953) * '' The House of the Arrow'' (1953) * '' The Dam Busters'' (1955) * ''

'' (1956) * ''

'' (1956) * '' Yangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst'' (1957) * ''

'' (1958) * '' Shake Hands with the Devil'' (1959) * ''

'' (1959) * ''

'' (1960) * ''

'' (1961) * ''

'' (1964) * ''

'' (1965) * ''

'' (1966) * ''

'' (1968) * ''

'' (1972) * '' Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze'' (1975) * ''

'' (1975) * ''

'' (1976) * ''

'' (1977) * ''

Nessie NESSIE (New European Schemes for Signatures, Integrity and Encryption) was a European research project funded from 2000 to 2003 to identify secure cryptographic primitives. The project was comparable to the NIST AES process and the Japanese Gov ...

'' (1977) was to be a co-production between Hammer Films and Toho Company Ltd. The project was cancelled during pre-production after promotional material was printed and published in trade magazines such as ''Variety''. * ''

'' (1979) * ''

'' (1980) (TV) * ''

'' (1982) * ''

'' (1984) * ''

Separate Vacations ''Separate Vacations'' is a Canadian sex comedy film, directed by Michael Anderson and released in 1986. The film stars David Naughton and Jennifer Dale as Richard and Sarah Moore, a long-married couple whose relationship has become unfulfilling ...

'' (1986) * ''

'' (1986) (TV) * ''

The Jeweller's Shop ''The Jeweler's Shop'' (subtitled ''A Meditation on the Sacrament of Matrimony, Passing on Occasion into a Drama'') ( pl, Przed sklepem jubilera) is a three-act play, written in 1960 by Karol Wojtyła (later Pope John Paul II), that looks at three ...

'' (1989) * ''

'' (1991) (TV) * ''

'' (1993) (TV) * ''Rugged Gold'' (1994) (TV) * ''

Captains Courageous ''Captains Courageous: A Story of the Grand Banks'' is an 1897 novel by Rudyard Kipling that follows the adventures of fifteen-year-old Harvey Cheyne Jr., the spoiled son of a railroad tycoon, after he is saved from drowning by a Portuguese f ...

'' (1996) (TV) * ''

'' (1997) (TV) * '' Summer of the Monkeys'' (1998) * '' The New Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1999)

References

External links

* *
Michael Anderson biography at BFI ScreenonlineObituary
at ''Variety''
Obituary
at ''The Telegraph''

at

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Michael 1920 births 2018 deaths British Army personnel of World War II English emigrants to Canada English television directors Science fiction film directors Film directors from London Royal Corps of Signals soldiers