Edward George More O'Ferrall (4 July 1907 – 18 March 1982) was a British film and television producer and director, and actor.

Biography

More O'Ferrall was born in

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

, England, to an aristocratic

Anglo-Irish Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the State rel ...

family. He was educated at

Beaumont College Beaumont College was between 1861 and 1967 a Public school (UK), public school in Old Windsor, Old Windsor in Berkshire. Founded and run by the Society of Jesus, it offered a Roman Catholic public school education in rural surroundings, while l ...

in old Windsor, and the Central School of Dramatic Art. He joined

Ben Greet Sir Philip Barling Greet (24 September 1857 – 17 May 1936), known professionally as Ben Greet, was a British William Shakespeare, Shakespearean actor, director, impresario and actor-manager. Early life The younger son of Captain William Gre ...

's Shakespeare company, within which he acted in the West End and directed plays and worked as a stage manager; he then joined the BBC in 1936 as one of the first theatre personalities to turn to television in Britain. He presented ''

Picture Page ''Picture Page'' is a British television non-fiction programme, broadcast by the BBC Television Service from their studios at Alexandra Palace from 1936 to 1939, and again after the service's hiatus during the Second World War from 1946 until 19 ...

'', a magazine topical programme, both before and after the Second World War. He also produced plays, including ''Clive of India'', collaborating with screenwriter

W. P. Lipscomb William Percy Lipscomb (born 1887 in Merton, Surrey, England, died 25 July 1958) was a British-born Hollywood playwright, screenwriter, producer and director. He died in London in 1958, aged 71. Career Lipscomb edited a brewery magazine and wrot ...

. O'Farrell directed several features in the early 1950s including ''The Woman for Joe''. He worked for

ITV Anglia ITV Anglia, previously known as Anglia Television, is the ITV franchise holder for the East of England. The station is based at Anglia House in Norwich, with regional news bureaux in Cambridge and Northampton. ITV Anglia is owned and operated b ...

, serving as "Head of Drama", and then moved to ATV where he worked from 1964 until retiring in 1967. O'Ferrall, worked for the

British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lang ...

in London and moved to live in Spain. He died in

Ealing, London Ealing () is a district in west London, England, west of Charing Cross in the London Borough of Ealing. It is the administrative centre of the borough and is identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Plan. Ealing was historical ...

on 18 March 1982, age 74.

Awards and nominations

In 1948 he was awarded the first

Royal Television Society The Royal Television Society (RTS) is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present, and future. It is the oldest television society in the world. It currently has fourteen r ...

(RTS) Medal for his two-part production of ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

.'' In 1964, he was awarded the RTS Baird Medal for his outstanding contribution to television. His film ''

Angels One Five ''Angels One Five'' is a 1952 British war film directed by George More O'Ferrall and starring Jack Hawkins, Michael Denison, Dulcie Gray, John Gregson, Cyril Raymond and Veronica Hurst. Based on the book ''What Are Your Angels Now?'' by Pelham G ...

'' was nominated for the 1953

BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...

Award for Best Film and Best British Film. ''

The Heart of the Matter ''The Heart of the Matter'' (1948) is a novel by English author Graham Greene. The book details a life-changing moral crisis for Henry Scobie. Greene, a former British intelligence officer in Freetown, British Sierra Leone, drew on his exper ...

'' was nominated for the 1954 BAFTA Award for Best Film and Best British Film.

Selected filmography

*''

Wuthering Heights ''Wuthering Heights'' is the only novel by the English author Emily Brontë, initially published in 1847 under her pen name "Ellis Bell". It concerns two families of the landed gentry living on the West Yorkshire moors, the Earnshaws and the ...

'' (1948) *'' The Holly and the Ivy'' (1952) *''

'' (1952) *''

'' (1953) *''

The Woman for Joe ''The Woman for Joe'' is a 1955 British drama film directed by George More O'Ferrall and starring Diane Cilento, George Baker, Jimmy Karoubi and David Kossoff. The screenplay concerns the owner of a circus sideshow and his prize attraction (a m ...

'' (1955) *''

Three Cases of Murder ''Three Cases of Murder'' is a 1955 British horror omnibus film comprising three stories: "In The Picture," "You Killed Elizabeth," and "Lord Mountdrago." Eamonn Andrews introduces each. Alan Badel appears in all three.John Hamilton, ''The Br ...

'' (''Lord Mountdrago'' segment) (1955) *'' Theatre Parade'': **''

Clive of India Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive, (29 September 1725 – 22 November 1774), also known as Clive of India, was the first British Governor of the Bengal Presidency. Clive has been widely credited for laying the foundation of the British East ...

'' (TV play) **'' Alice through the Looking Glass'' (TV Play) **''

Wasp's Nest ''Wasp's Nest'' was a television play broadcast on the BBC Television Service on 18 June 1937. It was adapted from the short story of the same name by crime writer Agatha Christie which had first appeared in the ''Daily Mail'' on 20 November 1 ...

'' (TV play)

References

External links

* * 1907 births 1982 deaths British film directors British television directors Film people from Bristol British people of Irish descent O'Moore family {{UK-film-director-stub