Advanced search
- TITLES
- NAMES
- COLLABORATIONS
Search filters
Enter full date
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
Only includes names with the selected topics
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
1-50 of 193
- Actor
- Stunts
- Soundtrack
Rafi Gavron was born on 28 May 1989 in Hendon, London, England, UK. He is an actor, known for A Star Is Born (2018), Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008) and The Cold Light of Day (2012).- Distinguished-looking, silvery-haired thespian, born Mark Richard Durden-Smith, son of A.J. Durden-Smith, fellow at the Royal College of Surgeons. His older brother was the documentary film maker Jo Durden-Smith. Richard attended Haileybury and Imperial Service College near Hertford and studied at Merton College in 1963. While at Oxford, he joined the Experimental Theatre Club, a student drama society which included among its alumni Michael Palin, Terry Jones and Dudley Moore. A classically-trained actor, Richard appeared on the London stage from 1968. As a member of the ensemble of the Royal Shakespeare Company, his many roles have included Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing, The Duke of Albany in King Lear, Count Paris in Romeo and Juliet, Theseus in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Polonius in Hamlet and Malvolio in Twelfth Night.
On the screen, Durden's gravitas and gentlemanly bearing have made him a shoo-in for casting as sophisticated, erudite intellectuals and well-bred aristocrats, senior government officials, barristers and military officers. While his main stock-in-trade has been in the genre of crime and mystery (Department S (1969), Special Branch (1969), Maigret (1988), Wycliffe (1993), The Bill (1984), Foyle's War (2002), Poirot (1989) and Endeavour (2012), to name but a few), Durden has latterly also graced many a period drama, notably episodes of Helen of Troy (2003) (as the Spartan king Tynadareus), The Borgias (2011) (a physician), Wolf Hall (2015) (Fisher, Bishop of Rochester), Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (2015) (Lord Liverpool, the Prime Minister) and Poldark (2015) (Dr. Anselm). A rare foray into science fiction saw him as an officer of the nefarious First Order in Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019). To date, his most recent appearance has been in the BBC One sitcom Ghosts (2019), as Charles Worthing, solicitor and legal counsel to the owners of (haunted) Button House.
Since 2017, Durden has been married to theatrical agent Rebecca Blond. - Best remembered in Britain for the television series Arthur of the Britons (1972), Ken Russell's The Devils (1971) and as the villain in For Your Eyes Only (1981). His break into films came with Don Levy's Herostratus (1967). His career was intermittently successful, interspersing notable performances with spells of unemployment. Michael was unmarried, living in Hampstead, London, and under treatment for depression at the time of his suicide in 1992.
- Gaunt and saturnine British character actor of stage and screen, Guy Rolfe made his stage debut in 1936, the same year he had a small uncredited bit part in Knight Without Armor (1937). Rolfe had spent his early twenties as a professional race car driver and boxer before making the move into films. In 1952, he starred in Ivanhoe (1952) with Robert Taylor and Elizabeth Taylor. Rolfe's characters ranged from wealthy businessmen, to romantic leads, to sinister villains and heroes, starring in over thirty motion pictures. His important film roles include playing "Caiaphas" in King of Kings (1961), Taras Bulba (1962) and Mr. Sardonicus (1961). Although he was always recognized in such classic pictures, Rolfe became a familiar presence when he took over the role of toy maker "Andre Toulon" in the slasher film franchise "Puppetmaster". First appearing in the third installment, he made brief appearances in most "Puppet Master" movies since then. Guy Rolfe passed away of "natural causes" at the British Film Hospital in London, England at the age of 91.
- Lacey Turner was born on 28 March 1988 in Hendon, London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for EastEnders (1985), Our Girl (2013) and Our Girl (2013). She has been married to Matt Kay since 2 September 2017. They have two children.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Peter Cellier was born on 12 July 1928 in Hendon, Middlesex, England, UK. He is an actor, known for A Room with a View (1985), Barry Lyndon (1975) and The Remains of the Day (1993). He was previously married to Nonie Pashley.- Georgina Moon was born in 1950 in Hendon, Middlesex, England, UK. She is an actress, known for You're Only Young Twice (1977), Up Pompeii! (1969) and Comedy Playhouse (1961).
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
John Clements hailed from southern England and was educated at St Paul's School in London and St John's College, Cambridge. His acting aspiration prompted his first stage appearance at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith in 1930 in the play "Out of the Blue". Through the 1930s, he continued to develop his acting skills touring with the Ben Greet Company. It was in late 1935 he founded the Intimate Theatre at Palmer's Green in North London. There he provided weekly plays in repertory until 1941. During the war, he worked with Entertainments National Service Association (E.N.S.A) and from 1944 worked with the Old Vic Company headed by Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, while the theater group was resident at the New Theatre in London. Already he had broken in to films with the Anthony Kimmins science fiction story Once in a New Moon (1934). He had other small parts in two historically significant films of cinema: the Alexander Korda production Rembrandt (1936) with Charles Laughton and the unfinished I, Claudius (1937) of Josef Von Sternberg with its stellar British cast. Clements had another small but most memorable role in the adaption of the James Hilton novel Knight Without Armor (1937), as a young communist police official helping English spy Robert Donat and beautiful noblewoman Marlene Dietrich escape from the Russian Revolution. Clements finally got star billing with Richardson, being chosen by director Victor Saville for the rather soap opera-tinged South Riding (1938). The next year, again with Richardson, he had the romantic lead in his most recognized role as the principled coward who redeems himself fourfold in the epic The Four Feathers (1939) by the ever enterprising Korda Brothers. Though his films numbered less than 30, and into the 1940s the roles became decidedly 'B' in production value, his stage appearances numbered 200. And Clements had found himself drawn to directing as well as acting. He wrote, directed, and produced his film Call of the Blood (1948). Also, he functioned as actor-manager-producer in a number of West End theater productions from the mid-1940s into the early 1950s and others productions to 1957, acting with his second wife actress Kay Hammond to critical success. In 1955, he accepted the appointment as Advisor on Drama to Associated Rediffusion Ltd and also as one of the Board of Directors of the Saville Theatre. He was appointed Director of the Chichester Festival Theatre from 1966 to 1973. He had continued small supporting film and a few TV roles intermittently through the 1960s, his last film appearance being a cameo in the Richard Attenborough biographical flick Gandhi (1982). For his distinguished work as actor, director, and producer John Clements was awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the Queen's Honours List 1956 and awarded Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire in the 1968 Queen's Honours List for his services to drama.- Actress
- Stunts
- Additional Crew
Katrina Durden is a British actress whose first noteworthy work included Doctor Strange (Marvel) and Streetfighter: Resurrection (Capcom). Having spent over a decade in film and television, her body of work includes a multitude of projects; both British and international. Projects include Shadow and Bone (Netflix), Strike Back (Sky/Cinemax), Sliced (Dave) - and the upcoming Red Sonja Reboot and Amazon's Heads of state.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Jasmyn Banks was born on 20 August 1990 in Hendon, London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for The Spiritualist (2018), EastEnders (1985) and EastEnders: All I Want for Christmas Is... (2012).- A masterful character actor who was in the first London season of the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1961 and who became a familiar face in countless television sitcoms and serials, notably as a core cast member in The Duchess of Duke Street in 1976.
In The Duchess, he played the enigmatic hall porter Mr Starr, never without his squeaky boots or little dog, Fred - a performance that led to comedy stints with Frankie Howerd, Roy Kinnear and Dick Emery. He was a Cockney dad in Central's The Other 'Arf (1980), opposite Lorraine Chase's Twiggy-like model, and also appeared in the BBC's Sitting Pretty (1992), with Diane Bull as "the Jackie Onassis of Bethnal Green".
Cater was a perfectionist, proud of his craft. He said that if you could not cross a stage with a cup of tea, do a half-trip, a double-take on the non-existent pothole and finish the un-spilt cuppa on the other side, you should find something else to do for a living. His timing was immaculate.
He was born in Hendon, north London, into a family of florists, though his mother was a violinist in the Piorinos, a musical dance band trio. At the age of four, John was enrolled at the Jean Boggan school of dance and, with the outbreak of the second world war, was evacuated with his entire Hendon prep school to Devon. He completed his education at Shebbear college, near Bideford, before going on to Rada in 1948.
This was interrupted by national service in the Royal Army Educational Corps, but on graduation he was employed at the Dundee Rep by Herbert Wise, a lifelong friend with whom he later appeared in three episodes of the BBC's I, Claudius, as Narcissus (1976).
Rep and summer seasons followed at Nottingham, Guildford, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Cork before he joined Peter Hall's first London RSC at the Aldwych, appearing in The Duchess of Malfi, Ondine with Leslie Caron and John Whiting's The Devils.
These were heady times, made headier by falling in love with his fellow RSC actor Wendy Gifford, whom he married in 1963. A modest career in films was launched with support roles in Alfie (1966), Loot (1970) and a pair of horror movies which starred Vincent Price, the Abominable Doctor Phibes (1971) and Doctor Phibes Rises Again (1972).
His first television appearance was in a 1949 play about the French resistance, broadcast live from Alexandra Palace. Small-screen credits included the landmark Jean-Paul Sartre adaptation Road to Freedom (1970) and snowballed in series such as The Bill, Crossroads, Minder, Casualty and Midsomer Murders. His last BBC series was last year's ill-fated archaeology drama Bonekickers; his last film was Alien Autopsy (2006), starring Ant and Dec.
Cater's theatre work picked up again with John Wells's hilarious satire Anyone For Denis? at the Whitehall in 1981 in which he played Denis Thatcher's bankrupt buddy Maurice Picarda. He rejoined the RSC in 1984 to play in Judi Dench's Mother Courage, Corbaccio in Volpone and Kit Carson in William Saroyan's The Time of Your Life.
More recently he was at the Almeida in two Jonathan Kent productions, David Hare's version of Pirandello's Rules of the Game in 1992 as a doctor fussing over what one should wear for a duel, and Gangster Number One, starring Peter Bowles in 1995, as a small-time thief. He also featured as a spectacularly suspended Justice Shallow in Terry Hands's beautifully autumnal Merry Wives of Windsor at the National, also in 1995.
Cater loved music of all kinds, especially Ravel, Debussy and Mahler, and was not only an avid jazz fan but an accomplished musician himself, playing jazz piano as well as trombone, harp and guitar.
He had a rare blood disorder, haemochromatosis, but his life was not seriously affected until arthritis set in. He died of liver cancer. He was survived by his wife Wendy as well as his daughters Harriet and Emma, - Born in the UK and raised in the US, Adrian Sparks is an award winning veteran actor of the American stage. He has played leading roles at some of the most prestigious theaters in the country including The Tyrone Guthrie in Minnesota, Seattle Repertory, Long Wharf, and the Shakespeare Theater Company in Wash, DC, to name a few. His 2005 Los Angeles performance of Ernest Hemingway in the one-man play Papa, by Pulitzer Prize winning author John deGroot, garnered Adrian an Ovation Award nomination for Best Actor. In 2009, he rec'd an Acclaim Award for Best Leading Actor, as well as a CEA Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Sharky in The Seafarer, at the Ensemble Theater in Cincinnati. Since 2010, he has spent multiple seasons at The Old Globe in San Diego as a leading member of the Shakespeare Company created by Adrian Noble. During his tenure at The Globe, his portrayal of Matthew Harrison Brady in the acclaimed production of Inherit the Wind, led to a nomination for a Craig Noel Award as Best Actor 2013. As a film actor, he has appeared in more than 75 film, television, and commercial productions. Most notable is his portrayal of Ernest Hemingway in the 2015 film Papa Hemingway in Cuba (2015), written by Denne Bart Petitclerc and directed by Bob Yari.
- Anne Jameson was born on 6 October 1933 in Hendon, Middlesex, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Boy Friend (1971), The Paper Lads (1977) and A Severed Head (1971). She was married to Bryan Pringle. She died on 9 October 1999 in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England, UK.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
The son of a regimental sergeant major, Albert Patrick Jordan grew up in London where he debuted on stage in a 1946 Old Vic production of "Richard II" at the New Theatre. The ensemble cast comprised actors Harry Andrews, Rosalind Atkinson and Alec Guinness. The same group of players went on to perform in other Shakespearean plays, including "Coriolanus" and "The Taming of the Shrew". Jordan began on screen in a TV adaptation of The Browning Version (1949), reprising his stage role from earlier that year. Most of his celluloid assignments in the 50s and 60s consisted of small or uncredited parts. His distinctively stern features and no-nonsense authoritarian bearing led to being invariably typecast as police officers or soldiers. A trademark scar on his right cheek added extra credence to his characters, more than a few of whom did not survive to the final reel. He appeared several times in No Hiding Place (1959), Dixon of Dock Green (1955) and Crossroads (1964) and had featured roles in the war films The Heroes of Telemark (1965), Play Dirty (1969) and Too Late the Hero (1970). Through his friend Alec Guiness, he managed to secure a role in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) as an Imperial Officer, aide to Grand Moff Tarkin (played by Peter Cushing ). He unwisely opted to take a one-off fee for his part, rather than a tiny share of the royalties -- much to his later regret.
Jordan retired in 1995 and died at the age of 96 in January 2020. His wife was Margery Gill (1925-2008), an acclaimed illustrator of children's books.- Actor
- Writer
Tom Kempinski was born on 24 March 1938 in Hendon, London, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for Moon Zero Two (1969), Moonbase 3 (1973) and Gumshoe (1971). He was married to Sarah Tingay, Frances de la Tour and Margaret Nolan. He died on 2 August 2023.- Lorna Fitzgerald was born in March 1996 in Northampton. At the age of four she decided after a trip to the theatre that she'd like to become an actress. She started attending acting and dancing lessons and it wasn't long before she got her first part in a short film called Big Girl Little Girl (2004).
After appearances in Cherished, The Golden Hour, Casualty, According to Bex and adverts for Nescafé, ChildLine and Tracy Beaker, Lorna landed a role in EastEnders, playing Abi Branning. Lorna first appeared in EastEnders on 3rd July 2006. As Lorna was only 10 years old when she joined EastEnders she was required to balance school work and filming. Lorna lives in Northampton with her mum, dad and two older sisters Corinne and Abi. She is a keen dancer and attends weekly classes. She also plays the guitar and keeps active by swimming. - Director
- Producer
- Writer
Nick Copus was born in Hendon, London, England, UK. He is a director and producer, known for Animal Kingdom (2016), American Gods (2017) and The Right Stuff (2020).- Gilly Flower was born on 26 August 1908 in Hendon, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Fawlty Towers (1975), Only Fools and Horses (1981) and The New Hotel (1932). She was married to Norman Fenton Tardrew. She died on 17 February 2001 in Surrey, England, UK.
- Producer
- Director
- Sound Department
Ian Toynton was born on 22 April 1946 in Hendon, Middlesex, England, UK. He is a producer and director, known for 24 (2001), Relic Hunter (1999) and Minder (1979). He has been married to Lesley Horeman since 1979. He was previously married to Rosemary Jenkins.- Heather Downham was born on 23 December 1936 in Hendon, London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), The Ugly Duckling (1959) and Adam Adamant Lives! (1966).
- Jill Melford came from a rich theatrical background. She was evacuated to America during World War Two and was educated at Gardner School and the Ballet Arts School, both of which are in New York. Her New York theatre debut came in 1949 when she appeared as a dancer in a production of 'Oklahoma!' and her first London appearance came in 1953 when she performed in 'The Seven Year Itch'. She went on to appear in other stage plays including 'Auntie Mame', 'Ulysses in Night-time', 'The Life of the Party', 'The Right Honourable Gentleman', 'There's a Girl in My Soup', 'Not Now, Darling', 'Best of Friends' and 'The Chairman'. In addition to her acting work, Melford was also an experienced interior decorator. She was divorced from the actor John Standing with whom she had a son, Alexander.
- Natalie Banus was born on 11 October 1971 in Hendon, London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Frogmen (1994), Voice of a New Generation (1992) and Generation of a New Voice (1997).
- Stunts
- Actor
- Producer
Roy Scammell was born on 28 July 1932 in Hendon, Middlesex, England, UK. He was an actor and producer, known for Willow (1988), Rollerball (1975) and Alien (1979). He was married to Monique Garlopeau. He died on 15 May 2021 in Luton, Bedfordshire, England.- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Harold Snoad was born on 28 August 1935 in Hendon, Middlesex, England, UK. He is a producer and director, known for Ever Decreasing Circles (1984), High & Dry (1985) and Keeping Up Appearances (1990). He has been married to Jean Green since 6 July 1963. They have two children. He was previously married to Anna Christine Cadwallader.- Barbara Joss was born in 1937 in Hendon, Middlesex, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Doctor Who (1963), Homicide (1964) and Sons and Daughters (1982).
- Dominic Letts was born in 1957 in Hendon, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Commissioner (1998), The Tunnel (2013) and The Angry Earth (1989). He died on 7 July 2017 in the UK.
- Danny Schiller was born on 29 April 1935 in Hendon, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Erik the Viking (1989), Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978) and Lorna Doone (1976). He died on 8 May 2003 in Devon, England, UK.
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Hannah Leader was born in January 1952 in Hendon, Middlesex, England, UK. She is a producer, known for Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007), Lucky Number Slevin (2006) and Gosford Park (2001). She has been married to Anthony Peter Holloway since 1992. She was previously married to Richard Leader.- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Toni Staples was born on 6 May 1971 in Hendon, Middlesex, England, UK. She is an assistant director and producer, known for Muppet Treasure Island (1996), Official Secrets (2019) and Tolkien (2019).- Writer
- Actor
- Director
Oliver Postgate was born on 12 April 1925 in Hendon, Middlesex, England, UK. He was a writer and actor, known for Bagpuss (1974), Ivor the Engine (1976) and Noggin the Nog (1959). He was married to Prudence Capell Myers. He died on 8 December 2008 in Broadstairs, Kent, England, UK.- John Jardine was born in 1934 in Hendon, Middlesex, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Coronation Street (1960), Crown Court (1972) and The Liver Birds (1969).
- Penelope Bartley was born on 22 December 1925 in Hendon, Middlesex, England, UK. She was an actress, known for ITV Play of the Week (1955), Quinneys (1948) and The Big Chance (1957). She was married to Leslie Phillips. She died on 24 June 1981 in Hendon, Middlesex, England, UK.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Cheryl Molineaux was born on 19 March 1946 in Hendon, Middlesex, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Doctor Who (1963), Silent Playground (1963) and The Cuckoo Patrol (1967). She died on 8 March 2012 in Dorchester, Dorset, England, UK.- John Gabriel was born on 27 September 1914 in Hendon, Middlesex, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Rise and Fall of César Birotteau (1965), A Kind of Loving (1982) and Sierra Nine (1963). He died on 28 May 1998 in Surrey, England, UK.
- Shirley Jaffe was born in 1934 in Hendon, London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for A Clockwork Orange (1971), Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970) and Home for Christmas (2014).
- Angela Grant was born on 1 January 1950 in Hendon, Middlesex, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Carry on Girls (1973), Tales from the Crypt (1972) and The Protectors (1972).
- Olive Mercer was born on 15 September 1905 in Hendon, Middlesex [now in Barnet, London], England, UK. She was an actress, known for Wives and Daughters (1971), Dad's Army (1968) and Sex and the Other Woman (1972). She was married to Charles Harry Mercer. She died on 2 January 1983 in Hillingdon, Hillingdon, London, England, UK.
- Brenda Kempner was born in 1939 in Hendon, Middlesex, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Never Say Never Again (1983), The Elephant Man (1980) and Doctor Who (1963). She died on 17 July 2013 in London, England, UK.
- Arnold Peters was born on 3 June 1925 in Hendon, Middlesex, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Germinal (1970), Warship (1973) and Pennies from Heaven (1978). He was married to Beryl. He died on 11 May 2013 in Northamptonshire, England, UK.
- Joyce Windsor was born on 21 January 1932 in Hendon, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Butterflies (1978), Sorry! (1981) and Emmerdale Farm (1972). She died on 15 October 2008 in Lincolnshire, England, UK.
- Frances Alfred Basil Tomlin is a face well-known to die-hard Star Wars fans. He played the uncredited part of BoShek, a pilot in the Mos Eisley cantina who declines transport for Obi-Wan Kenobi and directs him toward Han Solo in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). However, Mr. Tomlin's name was unknown until investigative reporter Billy Jensen decided to track him down. Ultimately, Mr. Jensen's efforts led him to Mr. Tomlin's family, who confirmed that the role of BoShek was his claim to fame. With this confirmation, Mr. Tomlin (known to everyone as Tom) has finally secured his place in pop culture.
- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
David Belcher was born in 1939 in Hendon, Middlesex, England, UK. He is an actor and writer, known for Sense and Sensibility (1971), Three Sisters (1970) and The Theban Plays by Sophocles (1986). He has been married to Vicki Woolf since 1976. They have one child.- Editor
- Editorial Department
- Sound Department
Londoner Jonathan Morris was born on 6 March 1949. As a child he was a juvenile actor in such films as 'I Could Go On Singing' but on leaving school he became trainee to his brother, an assistant film editor. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s he worked for ATV on series such as 'The Saint' and 'The Champions' with a spell as a dubbing editor for Tigon Films. Whilst working at ATV in the 1970s he specialized in documentaries, including with John Pilger and here he met director Ken Loach for whom he edited the political thriller 'Hidden Agenda' and whose regular editor he has been ever since.- Roger Ostime was born on 5 June 1928 in Hendon, Middlesex, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Baker Street Boys (1983), Probation Officer (1959) and The Lost Boys (1978). He was married to Hilary Mason. He died on 18 December 2019 in Reigate, Surrey, England, UK.
- Visual Effects
- Additional Crew
- Director
Roger Cowland was born in London in 1943. He joined the Motion Picture Industry in 1963 at George Humphries Film Laboratory, London, UK. He relocated to Film House, Canada in 1967 then to Australia in 1968, where he worked for Atlab, first in their negative department before moving into their optical effects department. In 1974 he moved to Colorfilm as their feature film optical effects specialist. When Colorfilm closed in 1990 he went back to Atlab as optical effects supervisor. In 1995 he moved to DFilm, a newly formed digital effects facility, as their optical/visual effects manager. During his 35 year career he handled the optical effects for 265 Australian Feature Films, as well as many commercials, documentaries and short fiction films. He retired in 1998 but continues to make award winning documentary and wildlife videos.- Actor
- Music Department
Ray C. Davis was born in 1944 in Hendon, London, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Take the Stage (1981), Bud 'n' Ches (1981) and The Good Old Days (1953).- Jo Maxwell Muller was born in 1944 in Hendon, Middlesex, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Emmerdale Farm (1972), Hamlet at Elsinore (1964) and Trauma (2004). She was married to Anthony Heaton. She died on 30 October 2010 in Hampstead, London, England, UK.
- Writer
- Director
Welsh novelist and playwright Richard Llewellyn was born Richard David Vivian Llewellyn Lloyd in Pembrokeshire, Wales. He attended school in Cardiff and London, and when he was 16 he spent two years in Italy learning hotel management. While there he got work with an Italian film company, learning the basics of filmmaking. Returning to the UK, he joined the army and served for five years, leaving in 1931. Jobless, he got work as an extra in several films. To supplement his meager income, he got a job as a reporter on a newspaper covering the film industry, and it was then that he decided to become a writer. He stayed in the film business, however, working his way up to assistant director, writer, production manager and, finally, director. However, a downturn in the industry caused him to turn to playwriting. His first play, "Poison Pen", was eventually produced on the London stage and was quite successful.
His most famous work, the novel "How Green Was My Valley" about a family of Welsh coal miners, was begun while he was serving with the army in India. He worked on it continuously over the years, and while in London he was introduced to a book publisher, who consented to read his final manuscript. Liking what he read, he agreed to publish it, and in October of 1939 it hit the book stores in Great Britain. It sold more than 50,000 copies in just four months; when it was published in the US the next year, it sold well over 100,000 copies. Its success did not go unnoticed by Hollywood, and the next year famed director John Ford brought it to the screen. How Green Was My Valley (1941) became one of the most popular and critically acclaimed films in Hollywood history, and is regarded by many critics as the finest work of America's finest director; it took home an Academy Award for Best Picture, among other honors.
Llewellyn wrote three sequels to "How Green Was My Valley", but none of them approached the popularity of the original and none were turned into films.
Richard Llewellyn died of a heart attack in Dublin, Ireland, on November 30, 1983.- Actress
- Additional Crew
Josephine Gordon was born in 1931 in Hendon, Middlesex, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Songs for the Times (1964), The World of Beachcomber (1968) and The Dawson Watch (1979).- William Perrie was born on 11 June 1939 in Hendon, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Absolute Beginners (1986), Rentaghost (1976) and Aladdin and the Forty Thieves (1984). He died on 28 March 2018 in the UK.