John Paddy Carstairs (born John Keys; 11 May 1910, in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

– 12 December 1970, in London) was a British

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, pr ...

(1933–62) and television director (1962–64), usually of light-hearted subject matter. He was also a

comic novel A comic novel is a novel-length work of humorous fiction. Many well-known authors have written comic novels, including P. G. Wodehouse, Henry Fielding, Mark Twain, and John Kennedy Toole. Comic novels are often defined by the author's literar ...

ist and

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ...

Biography

The son of actor

Nelson Keys Nelson Keys (7 April 1886 in London, England – 26 April 1939 in London) was a British stage and film actor, a star in musical comedy and stage revue, including the 1924 ''Ziegfeld Follies''. He was the father of film producer Anthony Nelson Ke ...

, Carstairs changed his name in order to avoid the appearance of

nepotism Nepotism is an advantage, privilege, or position that is granted to relatives and friends in an occupation or field. These fields may include but are not limited to, business, politics, academia, entertainment, sports, fitness, religion, an ...

. He directed 37 films in total. He had a long association with the character of

Simon Templar ''The Saint'' is the nickname of the fictional character Simon Templar, featured in a series of novels and short stories by Leslie Charteris published between 1928 and 1963. After that date, other authors collaborated with Charteris on books un ...

(the character's creator,

Leslie Charteris Leslie Charteris (born Leslie Charles Bowyer-Yin, 12 May 1907 – 15 April 1993), was a British-Chinese author of adventure fiction, as well as a screenwriter.The Saint in the Sun ''The Saint in the Sun'' is a collection of short stories by Leslie Charteris, featuring the Robin Hood-inspired crimefighter, Simon Templar, whom Charteris introduced in 1928. The book was first published in 1963 by The Crime Club in the United S ...

'' to Carstairs). Aside from directing the 1939 ''Saint'' film, ''

The Saint in London ''The Saint in London'' is a 1939 British crime film, the third of eight films in RKO's film series featuring the adventures of Simon Templar, alias "The Saint". It stars George Sanders as Templar and was produced by William Sistrom. John Pad ...

'', he also directed two episodes of '' The Saint'' in the 1960s, making him the only individual (other than Charteris himself) to be connected to both the Hollywood film and British series of ''The Saint''. Carstairs directed many British comedies including many of

Norman Wisdom Sir Norman Joseph Wisdom, (4 February 1915 – 4 October 2010) was an English actor, comedian, musician and singer best known for a series of comedy films produced between 1953 and 1966 featuring a hapless onscreen character often called Norman ...

's films.

Death

Carstairs died of

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

on 12 December 1970, aged 60.

Select bibliography

*''Honest Injun'' (1942) *''Gremlins in the Cabbage Patch'' (1944) *''Hadn't We the Gaiety'' (1945) *''Kaleidoscope and a Jaundiced Eye'' (1946) * '' Solid! Said the Earl'' (1948)

Selected filmography

* '' A Honeymoon Adventure'' (1931, screenwriter) * '' The Water Gipsies'' (1932, screenwriter) * '' Nine till Six'' (1932, screenwriter) * ''

The Impassive Footman ''The Impassive Footman'' is a 1932 British, low-budget "quota quickie" drama film directed by Basil Dean and starring Owen Nares, Betty Stockfeld, Allan Jeayes and George Curzon. The film's sets were designed by Edward Carrick. It was also rele ...

'' (1932, screenwriter) * ''

Love on the Spot Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of meanings is that the love ...

'' (1932, screenwriter) * '' It's a Boy'' (1933, screenwriter) * ''

Paris Plane ''Paris Plane'' is a 1933 British crime film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring John Loder, Molly Lamont and Allan Jeayes. It was made at Shepperton Studios as a quota quickie. Plot A Scotland Yard detective pursues a murderer aboar ...

'' (1933) * ''

Boomerang A boomerang () is a thrown tool, typically constructed with aerofoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight. A returning boomerang is designed to return to the thrower, while a non-returning ...

'' (1934) * ''

Gay Love ''Gay Love'' is a 1934 British musical comedy film directed by Leslie S. Hiscott and starring Florence Desmond, Sophie Tucker and Sydney Fairbrother. It is about two sisters. The film was made at Beaconsfield Studios.Wood p.82 The film's sets w ...

'' (1934) * '' It's a Cop'' (1934, screenwriter) * ''

Lost in the Legion ''Lost in the Legion'' is a 1934 British comedy film directed by Fred Newmeyer and starring Leslie Fuller, Hal Gordon and Renée Houston. Plot A pair of ship's cooks become stranded ashore, and end up joining the French Foreign Legion. Cast ...

'' (1934, screenwriter) * '' Falling in Love'' (1935) * ''

While Parents Sleep ''While Parents Sleep'' is a 1935 British comedy film directed by Adrian Brunel and starring Jean Gillie, Enid Stamp Taylor and Romilly Lunge. The film is a screen adaptation of a 1932 play of the same name by Anthony Kimmins, which had been ...

'' (1935, screenwriter) * '' Two's Company'' (1936, screenwriter) * ''

The Captain's Table ''The Captain's Table'' is a 1959 British comedy film directed by Jack Lee based upon a novel by Richard Gordon. It stars John Gregson, Donald Sinden, Peggy Cummins and Nadia Gray, and featured Maurice Denham, Joan Sims, John Le Mesurier, ...

'' (1936, screenwriter) * ''

Holiday's End ''Holiday's End'' is a 1937 British mystery film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Sally Stewart, Rosalyn Boulter and Wally Patch. The film follows the arrival at boarding school of a boy king. It was made at Pinewood Studios as a qu ...

'' (1937) * ''

Double Exposures ''Double Exposures'' (A.K.A. ''Alibi Breaker'') is a 1937 British crime film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring David Langton, Julien Mitchell and Ruby Miller. It was made at Shepperton Studios as a quota quickie. (David Langton is c ...

'' (1937) * '' Night Ride'' (1937) * '' Missing, Believed Married'' (1937) * ''

Incident in Shanghai ''Incident in Shanghai'' is a 1938 British drama film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Margaret Vyner, Patrick Barr, Ralph Roberts and Derek Gorst. It was made at Pinewood Studios as a quota quickie for release by Paramount Pictures ...

'' (1938) * '' Lassie from Lancashire'' (1938) * ''

A Yank at Oxford ''A Yank at Oxford'' is a 1938 comedy-drama film directed by Jack Conway and starring Robert Taylor, Lionel Barrymore, Maureen O'Sullivan, Vivien Leigh and Edmund Gwenn. The screenplay was written by John Monk Saunders and Leon Gordon. The ...

'' (1938, screenwriter) * ''

'' (1939) * ''

The Lambeth Walk "The Lambeth Walk" is a song from the 1937 musical '' Me and My Girl'' (with book and lyrics by Douglas Furber and L. Arthur Rose and music by Noel Gay). The song takes its name from a local street, Lambeth Walk, once notable for its street mark ...

'' (1939, screenwriter) * ''

All Hands ''All Hands'' was a monthly published magazine of the United States Navy for its sailors. It had been published since August 1922 under different names; the current title was established in 1945. Its last issue was published on December 2011, al ...

'' (1940) * ''

Meet Maxwell Archer ''Meet Maxwell Archer'' is a 1940 British mystery film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring John Loder, Leueen MacGrath and Athole Stewart. The screenplay concerns a private detective who attempts to clear a man wrongly accused of murd ...

'' (1940) * '' Now You're Talking'' (1940) * ''

The Second Mr. Bush ''The Second Mr. Bush'' is a 1940 British comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Wallace Evennett, Evelyn Roberts and Kay Walsh. It was made at Welwyn Studios by British National Films.Wood p.99 Cast * Wallace Evennett as ...

'' (1940) * '' Dangerous Comment'' (1940) * '' Telefootlers'' (1941) * ''

He Found a Star ''He Found a Star'' is a 1941 British musical film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Vic Oliver, Sarah Churchill and Evelyn Dall. It concerns a frustrated stage manager who quits his job and, with his secretary's help, sets up a th ...

'' (1941) * ''

Spare a Copper Spare or Spares may refer to: Common meanings * Spare (bowling), a term for knocking down all the pins using two bowling balls * short for spare part ** Spare tire People * Austin Osman Spare (1886–1956), English artist and occultist * Richard ...

'' (1941) * '' Dancing with Crime'' (1947) * '' Sleeping Car to Trieste'' (1948) * '' Fools Rush In'' (1949) * '' The Chiltern Hundreds'' (1949) * ''

Tony Draws a Horse ''Tony Draws a Horse'' is a 1950 British comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Cecil Parker, Anne Crawford and Derek Bond. It was adapted from a 1939 play of the same name by Lesley Storm. Plot When their eight-year-old ...

'' (1950) * ''

Talk of a Million ''Talk of a Million'' (also known as ''You Can't Beat the Irish'') is a 1951 British comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs, starring Jack Warner, with an early appearance from Sid James. Premise Shakespeare-loving Bartley Murnahan, (Jac ...

'' (1951) * ''

Made in Heaven ''Made in Heaven'' is the fifteenth studio album by the British rock band Queen, released on 6 November 1995 by Parlophone Records in the United Kingdom and by Hollywood Records in the United States. It was the band's first and only release s ...

'' (1952) * '' Treasure Hunt'' (1952) * '' Little Big Shot'' (1952, screenwriter) * '' Top of the Form'' (1953) * ''

Trouble in Store ''Trouble in Store'' is a 1953 British comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Norman Wisdom as a department store clerk in his cinema debut. The film also featured Moira Lister, Margaret Rutherford, Jerry Desmonde and Lana M ...

'' (1953) * ''

Up to His Neck ''Up to His Neck'' is a 1954 British comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Ronald Shiner as Jack Carter, Hattie Jacques as Rakiki and Anthony Newley as Tommy. It was shot at Pinewood Studios near London with sets designed by ...

'' (1954) * ''

The Crowded Day ''The Crowded Day'' is a 1954 British comedy drama film directed by John Guillermin and starring John Gregson, Joan Rice, Cyril Raymond and Josephine Griffin. The film follows a group of shopgirls working in Bunting and Hobbs, a London departm ...

'' (1954, story) * '' One Good Turn'' (1955) * '' Man of the Moment'' (1955) * '' Jumping for Joy'' (1956) * '' Up in the World'' (1956) * '' Just My Luck'' (1957) * ''

The Big Money "The Big Money" is a song by Canadian rock band Rush, originally released on their 1985 album ''Power Windows''. It peaked at #45 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and #4 on the Mainstream Rock chart, and has been included on several compilation albu ...

'' (1958) * ''

The Square Peg ''The Square Peg'' is a 1959 British war comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Norman Wisdom. Norman Wisdom plays two different characters: a man who digs and repairs roads, and a Nazi general. Plot During the Second World W ...

'' (1959) * ''

Tommy the Toreador ''Tommy the Toreador'' is a 1959 British musical comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Tommy Steele, Janet Munro, Sid James, Bernard Cribbins, Noel Purcell and Kenneth Williams. Premise A British ship docks in Spain and To ...

'' (1959) * ''

And the Same to You ''And the Same to You'' is a 1960 British boxing-themed comedy film directed by George Pollock and starring Brian Rix and William Hartnell. It is based on a stage farce by A.P. Dearsley. Premise Stuck with the nickname "Dreadnought", Dickie March ...

'' (1960, screenwriter) * '' Sands of the Desert'' (1960) * ''

A Weekend with Lulu ''A Weekend with Lulu'' is a 1961 British comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Bob Monkhouse, Leslie Phillips, Alfred Marks, Shirley Eaton and Irene Handl. Plot Young couple Timothy (Leslie Phillips) and Deirdre (Shirley Ea ...

'' (1961) * '' The Devil's Agent'' (1962)

References

External links

* * 1910 births 1970 deaths People educated at Alleyn Court School Writers from London 20th-century English painters English male painters English autobiographers English film directors English film producers German-language film directors Royal Navy personnel of World War II English male non-fiction writers 20th-century English male writers 20th-century English businesspeople 20th-century English male artists {{England-painter-stub