Basil Dearden

Director
Basil Dearden

About

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Also Known As
Basil Dear
Birth Place
Westcliff-on-Sea, England, GB
Born
January 01, 1911
Died
March 23, 1971
Cause of Death
Car Accident

Biography

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Capable, intelligent filmmaker who co-directed his first films with English comedian Will Hay. Best known for his collaborations after the late 1940s with producer-writer Michael Relph, some of which embrace controversial subject matter ranging from race relations (the intriguing murder mystery "Sapphire" 1959) to the blackmailing of homosexuals (the landmark "Victim" 1961). Also a skill...

Filmography

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Mission: Monte Carlo (1974)
Director
The Man who Haunted Himself (1970)
Director
The Assassination Bureau (1969)
Director
Only When I Larf (1968)
Director
Walk in the Shadow (1966)
Director
Khartoum (1966)
Director

Photos & Videos

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League Of Gentlemen, The (1960) -- (Movie Clip) The Liquor's Genuine
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All Night Long (1963) -- (Movie Clip) Pretty Chummy

Family & Companions

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Melissa Stribling
Wife
Actor.

Biography

Capable, intelligent filmmaker who co-directed his first films with English comedian Will Hay. Best known for his collaborations after the late 1940s with producer-writer Michael Relph, some of which embrace controversial subject matter ranging from race relations (the intriguing murder mystery "Sapphire" 1959) to the blackmailing of homosexuals (the landmark "Victim" 1961). Also a skillful handler of big action scenes ("Khartoum" 1966) and zany comedy ("The Smallest Show on Earth" 1957). Father of writer-director James Dearden.

Filmography

 

Director (Feature Film)

Mission: Monte Carlo (1974)
Director
The Man who Haunted Himself (1970)
Director
The Assassination Bureau (1969)
Director
Only When I Larf (1968)
Director
Walk in the Shadow (1966)
Director
Khartoum (1966)
Director
Masquerade (1965)
Director
Woman of Straw (1964)
Director
The Mind Benders (1963)
Director
All Night Long (1963)
Director
A Place to Go (1963)
Director
Victim (1962)
Director
The Secret Partner (1961)
Director
The League of Gentlemen (1961)
Director
Man in the Moon (1961)
Director
Sapphire (1959)
Director
Violent Playground (1958)
Director
The Smallest Show on Earth (1957)
Director
The Ship That Died Of Shame (1956)
Director
The Square Ring (1955)
Director
Who Done It? (1955)
Director
Out of the Clouds (1954)
Director
The Rainbow Jacket (1954)
Director
The Gentle Gunman (1952)
Director
I Believe in You (1951)
Director
The Blue Lamp (1950)
Director
Cage Of Gold (1950)
Director
Train of Events (1949)
Director
Saraband for Dead Lovers (1948)
Director
Frieda (1947)
Director
The Captive Heart (1946)
Director
Dead of Night (1945)
Director
The Halfway House (1944)
Director
They Came to a City (1944)
Director
My Learned Friend (1943)
Director
The Bells Go Down (1943)
Director
The Goose Steps Out (1942)
Director

Assistant Direction (Feature Film)

Come on George (1939)
Assistant Director
Penny Paradise (1938)
Assistant Director
It's in the Air (1938)
Assistant Director

Writer (Feature Film)

The Man who Haunted Himself (1970)
Screenwriter
The Ship That Died Of Shame (1956)
Screenwriter
I Believe in You (1951)
Screenwriter
They Came to a City (1944)
Screenwriter
Let George Do It (1940)
Screenwriter
This Man Is News (1939)
Screenwriter

Producer (Feature Film)

Desert Mice (1959)
Producer
Sapphire (1959)
Producer
Davy (1958)
Producer
Mad Little Island (1958)
Producer
The Smallest Show on Earth (1957)
Producer
The Ship That Died Of Shame (1956)
Producer
The Square Ring (1955)
Producer
Who Done It? (1955)
Producer
Out of the Clouds (1954)
Producer
The Rainbow Jacket (1954)
Producer
The Gentle Gunman (1952)
Producer
I Believe in You (1951)
Producer
Turned Out Nice Again (1941)
Associate Producer

Film Production - Main (Feature Film)

The Green Man (1956)
Production Supervisor

Production Companies (Feature Film)

The Assassination Bureau (1969)
Company
Woman of Straw (1964)
Company
The Mind Benders (1963)
Company
Victim (1962)
Company

Life Events

1941

Co-directed first film (with Will Hay), "The Black Sheep of Whitehall"

1943

First film as solo director, "The Bells Go Down"

Videos

Movie Clip

League Of Gentlemen, The (1960) -- (Movie Clip) The Liquor's Genuine Assembling in London's famous Cafe Royal after getting mysterious invitations promising profits, Bryan Forbes (who wrote the screenplay), Terence Alexander, Richard Attenborough, Roger Livesey, Kieron Moore and Norman Bird begin appraising each other, before Jack Hawkins begins to explain, Nigel Patrick arriving late, in the celebrated heist yarn The League Of Gentlemen, 1960.
All Night Long (1963) -- (Movie Clip) Pretty Chummy Charles Mingus on bass and Tubby Hayes on vibes provide background as London club owner Rod (Richard Attenborough) and manager Cass (Keith Michell) talk shop in All Night Long, 1963.
All Night Long (1963) -- (Movie Clip) You Kick One Habit Johnny (Patrick McGoohan) manipulates ex-addict Cass (Keith Michell) with some evil weed and mind games at a London jazz party in director Basil Dearden's All Night Long, 1963.
All Night Long (1963) -- (Movie Clip) Margolis on Jazz Stoned Cass (Keith Michell) uses jazz theory to insult impresario Berger (Bernard Braden) who spurns apologies from Rod (Richard Attenborough), Johnny (Patrick McGoohan and Rex (Paul Harris) in All Night Long, 1963.
Woman Of Straw (1964) -- (Movie Clip) I Want A Pretty Nurse Wealthy grouch Charles Richmond (Ralph Richardson), slick nephew Anthony (Sean Connery) and their attitudes are introduced in the opening sequence from director Basil Dearden's Woman Of Straw, 1964, from the Catherine Arley novel, shooting at Audley End House, Saffron Walden, Essex, UK.
Woman of Straw (1964) -- (Movie Clip) To Find A Better Life? We don't quite know it yet but crafty Tony (Sean Connery) is considering whether to bring the sexy new Italian nurse Maria (Gina Lollobrigida), who intended to quit, into a plot against his rich uncle, in Woman of Straw, 1964, directed by Basil Dearden.
Woman of Straw (1964) -- (Movie Clip) Are You Free Of Me? After his wealthy uncle’s outrageous behavior on his yacht caused her to abandon their plot to fleece him and disembark in a Spanish port, vengeful Anthony (Sean Connery) pursues Italian nurse Maria (Gina Lollobrigida, dressed by Dior) and acts rather badly himself, in Basil Dearden’s biting drama from the Catherine Arley novel, Woman Of Straw, 1964.
Woman Of Straw (1964) -- (Movie Clip) A Gross, Clumsy, Vulgar Oaf Shooting on a yacht off Mallorca, now plotting with his nephew (Sean Connery as Anthony) to marry Richmond (Ralph Richardson) for his money, nurse Maria (Gina Lollobrigida) discusses Anthony’s mother, whom Richmond married after driving his brother, Anthony’s father, to suicide, with each of them, in Woman Of Straw, 1964.
League Of Gentlemen, The (1960) -- (Movie Clip) You've Had Callers During director Basil Dearden’s introductions of his troupe of complicated heroes, we meet Roger Livesey as, it seems, a London minister, receiving one of the packages from the ringleader (Jack Hawkins) and dealing with Marie Burke. his landlady, early in The League Of Gentlemen, 1960.
League Of Gentlemen, The (1960) -- (Movie Clip) You're All Crooks Upon assembly of the band, mastermind Hyde (Jack Hawkins) reveals the military and criminal backgrounds of Roger Livesey, Richard Attenborough, Bryan Forbes (also the screenwriter), Nigel Patrick, Kieron Moore and Terence Alexander, in The League Of Gentlemen, 1960, directed by Basil Dearden.
League Of Gentlemen, The (1960) -- (Movie Clip) People Are Greedy By way of introducing Richard Attenborough, as mechanic-type Lexy, at a shop in Queens’ Gate Place Mews, visited by his (uncredited) dad and a bird, confirmed as part of the scheme by the paperback in his drawer, in director Basil Dearden’s beloved caper The League Of Gentlemen, 1960.
All Night Long (1963) -- (Movie Clip) It's A Raggy Waltz, Dave Brubeck Dave Brubeck (making his only feature film appearance) leads Brits Bert Courtley and Johnny Scott (trumpet, alto, who both later played on Beatles recordings!) in his own composition It's A Raggy Waltz, actors (Patrick McGoohan et al), spectating, in director Basil Dearden's All Night Long, 1963.

Trailer

Khartoum - (Original Trailer) Charlton Heston stars as the British general Gordon sent to stop The Mahdi (Laurence Olivier) from taking Khartoum (1966).
Davy - (Original Trailer) The Goon Show's Harry Secombe stars as a musical-hall entertainer who defies family tradition to audition for the opera.
Victim - (Original Trailer) A lawyer (Dirk Bogarde) goes after a blackmailer of closeted gay men in Victim (1962).

Family

James Dearden
Son
Screenwriter, director. Born in 1949.

Companions

Melissa Stribling
Wife
Actor.

Bibliography

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