David Swift

Director

About

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Birth Place

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Died

December 31, 2001

Cause of Death

Heart Failure

Biography

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Truly a working actor, perpetual British screen presence David Swift carved out a niche in a number of roles on U.K. television in the second half of the 20th century, notably as Henry Davenport on "Drop the Dead Donkey" and Alan Taylor on "Couples." After studying law at Cambridge, Swift went to work with his father in his elastic supply business and didn't appear on screen until the ag...

Filmography

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How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967)

Good Neighbor Sam (1964)

Love Is a Ball (1963)

Under the Yum Yum Tree (1963)

The Interns (1962)

The Parent Trap (1961)

Photos & Videos

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Good Neighbor Sam (1964) -- (Movie Clip) It's Like Sheep

Good Neighbor Sam (1964) -- (Movie Clip) It Can't Be Helped

Family & Companions

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Micheline Swift

Wife

Married c. 1957; survived him.

Biography

Truly a working actor, perpetual British screen presence David Swift carved out a niche in a number of roles on U.K. television in the second half of the 20th century, notably as Henry Davenport on "Drop the Dead Donkey" and Alan Taylor on "Couples." After studying law at Cambridge, Swift went to work with his father in his elastic supply business and didn't appear on screen until the age of 30, working in television in small walk-on roles and bit parts. His first break came with the role of Napoleon in an adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's epic drama "War & Peace." A small role in Fred Zinnemann's assassination drama, "The Day of the Jackal," followed, as did the key role of Alan Taylor on the British television comedy "Couples." Throughout the 1980s Swift landed dozens of dramatic and comedic TV parts, but it was in 1990 that he won the role of Davenport on comic Andy Hamilton's "Drop the Dead Donkey," which took a biting, satirical look at British politics via a TV newsroom. That role, along with a part on the sitcom "Jack & Sarah," about an American nanny in the U.K., took him through the majority of the decade, and afterwards he eased into the part of secret agent Charlie Spinner on the BBC children's television series "Oscar Charlie" for one season in 2001. This would become one of his final roles, as he retired from his screen career in 2004.

Filmography

Director (Feature Film)

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967)

Good Neighbor Sam (1964)

Love Is a Ball (1963)

Under the Yum Yum Tree (1963)

The Interns (1962)

The Parent Trap (1961)

Pollyanna (1960)

Assistant Direction (Feature Film)

Primal Scream (1986)

Assistant Director

Cast (Feature Film)

Jack and Sarah (1996)

The Paradise Club (1991)

Secret Friends (1991)

We Think the World of You (1988)

Arthur's Hallowed Ground (1986)

The Bunker (1981)

Les Miserables (1978)

The Black Panther (1977)

Detective Chief Superintendent

The Internecine Project (1974)

No Sex Please--We're British (1973)

The Day of the Jackal (1973)

Travels with My Aunt (1972)

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967)

Elevator operator

Writer (Feature Film)

PARENT TRAP, THE (1998)

Polly Comin' Home! (1990)

Foolin' Around (1980)

Foolin' Around (1980)

Candleshoe (1977)

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967)

Good Neighbor Sam (1964)

Love Is a Ball (1963)

Under the Yum Yum Tree (1963)

The Interns (1962)

The Parent Trap (1961)

Pollyanna (1960)

Written for Screen by

Producer (Feature Film)

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967)

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967)

Good Neighbor Sam (1964)

Music (Feature Film)

Secret Friends (1991)

Pollyanna (1960)

Visual Effects (Feature Film)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Texture painter, Weta Digital

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

Senior paint & roto artist, Weta Digital

Film Production - Main (Feature Film)

Penn & Teller Get Killed (1989)

Production Assistant

Production Companies (Feature Film)

Good Neighbor Sam (1964)

Under the Yum Yum Tree (1963)

Misc. Crew (Feature Film)

Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (1992)

Cast (Special)

The King of Clubs (1990)

Hans My Hedgehog (1987)

Star Quality (1987)

The Potting Shed (1982)

Richard II (1979)

Writer (Short)

So You Want to Be a Detective (1948)

So You Want to Be a Gambler (1948)

Cast (TV Mini-Series)

Jack the Ripper Part 2 (1988)

Jack the Ripper Part 1 (1988)

Hold the Dream (1986)

Film Production - Main (TV Mini-Series)

Life Events

1960

Made his directorial debut with "Pollyanna"

Videos

Good Neighbor Sam (1964) -- (Movie Clip) It's Like Sheep San Francisco ad man Sam (Jack Lemmon) getting a lift to work from wife Min (Dorothy Provine), then on the elevator with big boss Burke (Edward Andrews), early in director-producer David Swift's Good Neighbor Sam, 1964.

Good Neighbor Sam (1964) -- (Movie Clip) It Can't Be Helped Posing as her husband for her pursuing litigious cousins, Jack Lemmon as Bay Area ad-man Sam and Romy Schneider, as his wife’s visiting European friend Janet, have to continue the act when they find his boss (Edward Andrews) awaiting with the big client (Edward G. Robinson), in Good Neighbor Sam, 1964.

Good Neighbor Sam (1964) -- (Movie Clip) Nice To See You Bounding home after landing a new account, ad-man Sam (Jack Lemmon) discovers his wife's bubbly European friend Janet (Romy Schneider) in the shower, smoothing things out with Min (Dorothy Provine) straight away, in Good Neighbor Sam, 1964.

Candleshoe (1977) -- (Movie Clip) Open, Casey Street urchin Casey Brown (Jodie Foster) shows off hoop skills and a gift for trickery in t the opening credits of Disney's Candleshoe, 1977, also starring Helen Hayes, David Niven and Leo McKern.

Parent Trap,. The (1961) -- (Movie Clip) Serves You Right! Hayley Mills, as both Susan and Sharon, who don't yet know they're twins, get into a ruckus at the dance, featuring summer camp directors Miss Inch (Ruth McDevitt) and Mr. Eaglewood (Frank De Vol) in Disney's The Parent Trap, 1961.

Parent Trap, The (1961) -- (Movie Clip) Can't, Shan't, Aren't Campers Susan and Sharon (both Hayley Mills) , having discovered they're twins, have matched haircuts and work on details as they prepare to go home to their unsuspecting divorced parents having switched places in Disney's The Parent Trap, 1961, also starring Maureen O'Hara and Brian Keith.

Parent Trap, The (1961) -- (Movie Clip) Hi Peanut! Hayley Mills (As Sharon, pretending to be her twin Susan) meets their dad Mitch (Brian Keith, his first scene) on her return from summer camp in Disney's The Parent Trap, 1961, also starring Maureen O'Hara.

Parent Trap, The (1961) -- (Movie Clip) Coming Here With Your Face! Trick photography from Lucien Ballard and director David Swift begins here, as affluent but unsuspecting twins Sharon and Susan (both Hayley Mills) meet at summer camp, Ruth McDevitt running the girls’ camp, Frank De Vol the boys’, in the Walt Disney hit The Parent Trap, 1961.

Travels With My Aunt (1972) -- (Movie Clip) That Sort Of Scandal Tending dahlias in suburban London, bank manager Henry (Alec McCowen) takes a call from aunt Augusta (Maggie Smith) warning that police may be seeking her boyfriend's contraband mingled with the ashes of his newly-deceased mother, in Travels With My Aunt, 1972, from the Graham Greene novel.

Under The Yum-Yum Tree (1963) -- (Movie Clip) Open, Compatibility Robert Tucker was the choreographer and Dale Hennesy the production designer for the memorable dance opening for Under The Yum Yum Tree, 1963, starring Dean Jones, Carol Lynley and Jack Lemmon.

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying -- (Movie Clip) Grand Old Ivy Finch (Robert Morse) stages an all-nighter then joins the boss Biggley (Rudy Vallee) in the "Ivy" fight song by Frank Loesser in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, 1967.

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying -- (Movie Clip) Been a Long Day Smitty (Kay Reynolds) plays matchmaker and joins Ponty (Robert Morse) and Rosemary (Michele Lee) in Frank Loesser's "Been A Long Day" in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, 1967.

Family

Michelle Swift Chodos

Daughter

Survived him.

Wendon Swift

Daughter

Survived him.

Companions

Micheline Swift

Wife

Married c. 1957; survived him.

Bibliography

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