Robert Hamer

Director

About

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Birth Place

Kidderminster, England, GB

Born

March 31, 1911

Died

December 04, 1963

Biography

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A former editor with a flair for both darkly satirical comedy and even darker British film noir, Robert Hamer was a key figure in postwar British cinema. His sensitive talent was probably best showcased in the handsome and witty period-set comedy of murders, "Kind Hearts and Coronets" (1949) and the realistic yet superbly moody noir "It Always Rains on Sunday" (1947). Hamer was also resp...

Filmography

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School For Scoundrels (1960)

The Scapegoat (1959)

To Paris With Love (1955)

The Detective (1954)

The Long Memory (1952)

His Excellency (1952)

Photos & Videos

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Scapegoat, The (1959) -- (Movie Clip) Traitorous Animals, Cats

Scapegoat, The (1959) -- (Movie Clip) An Emptiness In The Heart

Biography

A former editor with a flair for both darkly satirical comedy and even darker British film noir, Robert Hamer was a key figure in postwar British cinema. His sensitive talent was probably best showcased in the handsome and witty period-set comedy of murders, "Kind Hearts and Coronets" (1949) and the realistic yet superbly moody noir "It Always Rains on Sunday" (1947). Hamer was also responsible for what some critics consider the best segment in the classic horror anthology, "Dead of Night" (1945), in which a haunted mirror keeps displaying a murder committed long ago, and which begins to take possession of its new owner. Among other films, the adult and complexly plotted "The Spider and the Fly" (1949) and the witty and civilized detective comedy "Father Brown" (1954) stand out. Unfortunately, Hamer's highly promising career was derailed by an alcohol problem and he died at the age of 52.

Filmography

Director (Feature Film)

School For Scoundrels (1960)

The Scapegoat (1959)

To Paris With Love (1955)

The Detective (1954)

The Long Memory (1952)

His Excellency (1952)

Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)

The Spider and the Fly (1949)

It Always Rains on Sunday (1947)

Dead of Night (1945)

Writer (Feature Film)

They All Died Laughing (1964)

55 Days at Peking (1963)

Additional Dialogue

The Scapegoat (1959)

The Detective (1954)

His Excellency (1952)

The Long Memory (1952)

Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)

It Always Rains on Sunday (1947)

Editing (Feature Film)

The Beachcomber (1939)

Jamaica Inn (1939)

St. Martin's Lane (1938)

Life Events

1934

Clapper boy

1935

Editor

1943

Producer

1945

Director "The Haunted Mirror" episode from "Dead of Night"

Videos

Scapegoat, The (1959) -- (Movie Clip) Traitorous Animals, Cats Melancholy vacationing English teacher Barratt (Alec Guinness) at first doesn't realized he's being shadowed, his first night in a French country town, early in The Scapegoat, 1959, from a Gore Vidal script, co-starring Bette Davis.

Scapegoat, The (1959) -- (Movie Clip) An Emptiness In The Heart Opening the MGM-British production, with affecting narration by Alec Guinness, from Gore Vidal’s screenplay based on Daphne Du Maurier’s novel, as English teacher Barratt, arriving on the ferry at Port Boulogne, Calais, then reaching Le Mans (though the city is never named) and it’s famous cathedral, briefly meeting Peter Bull, in The Scapegoat, 1959, co-starring Bette Davis.

Scapegoat, The (1959) -- (Movie Clip) Lie To Me Later Alec Guinness, who really is Barrat, an English teacher just in from Paris, meets daffy French countess Du Gue (Bette Davis) who believes he's her look-alike nephew, who has disappeared, leaving his troubles to his twin, in The Scapegoat, 1959, from a Daphne Du Maurier novel.

Detective, The (1954) -- (Movie Clip) A Forest Of Priests Summoned before the bishop (Cecil Parker) and policeman Wilkins (John Horsley), amateur sleuth Father Brown (Alec Guinness) is told of the plan to protect a valuable cross from theft, in The Detective 1954, based on the first of G.K. Chesterton's "Father Brown" stories.

Detective, The (1954) -- (Movie Clip) Go Up And Look Toward The Sea Father Brown (Alec Guinness), who has taken it upon himself to transport a valuable old cross to Rome to prevent its' theft, boards the London train, casually meeting a handsome bearded priest (Peter Finch), early in The Detective, 1954, from a G.K. Chesterton story.

Detective, The (1954) -- (Movie Clip) After Saint Ignatius Opening scene, introducing Alec Guinness in his only appearance as G.K. Chesterton's "Father Brown," from the best-known movie adaptation of the popular short stories, released in the the U.S. as The Detective, 1954, co-starring Peter Finch.

School For Scoundrels (1960) -- (Movie Clip) They Have A Tendency To Sulk Joining the scene in which downtrodden Palfrey (Ian Carmichael), looking to impress April (Janette Scott) finds his staff didn’t make a reservation, working on the headwaiter (John Le Mesurier) when the villain (Terry-Thomas as Delauney) makes his first appearance, in the British-made School For Scoundrels, 1960.

School For Scoundrels (1960) -- (Movie Clip) Pioneers Of Hemispherical Combustion Bothered by a romantic rival who drives a sporty “Bellini,” well-off but uninformed Palfrey (Ian Carmichael) is ensnared by the “Winsome Welshmen,” Dennis Price as Dunstan and Peter Jones as Dudley, who claim to have a prized classic car to sell, in School For Scoundrels, 1960.

School For Scoundrels (1960) -- (Movie Clip) He Who Is Not One Up Joining the opening (from a script by Peter Ustinov and others), Ian Carmichael has arrived at a South Somerset town (actually shot in Hertfordshire, suburban London) where he meets a servant (Anita Sharp-Bolster) and the proprietor of his new school, Alastair Sim as Potter, in School For Scoundrels, 1960.

To Paris With Love (1955) -- (Movie Clip) The Real Poetry Of Paris Opening on location, Les Champs Elysees and environs, Robert Hamer directing, Alec Guinness as Scottish Sir Edgar, Vernon Gray his son Jon on his first trip to the city, both taking an interest in motorcycle passenger Odile Versois, in To Paris With Love, 1955.

To Paris With Love (1955) -- (Movie Clip) All I Have Is Youth Scot Sir Edgar (Alec Guinness) and son Jon (Vernon Gray) out in Paris, the elder more interested in shopgirl Lizette (Odile Versois) and the younger in her employer Mme. Sylvia (Elina Labourdette), the cabbie seen later (Jacques Brunius) the watchful father, in To Paris With Love, 1955.

To Paris With Love (1955) -- (Movie Clip) Who Is That In The Tree? 40-something Sir Edgar (Alec Guinness) is determined to charm younger French Lizette (Odile Versois) with his badminton game, Austin Trevor the host at his French estate, while his son and her boss (Vernon Gray, Elina Labourdette), themselves a couple, arrive and observe, in To Paris With Love, 1955.

School For Scoundrels (1960) -- (Movie Clip) Like A Wild Uncivilized Savage Quick and clever exposition, hero Palfrey (Ian Carmichael) leads Potter (Alastair Sim), head of the “Lifemanship” school in which he’s just enrolled, into flashback introducing Janette Scott (as April), then three employees who report to pompous Gloatbridge (Edward Chapman), early in School For Scoundrels, 1960.

Scapegoat, The - (Original Trailer) Alec Guinness is pulled into a mystery when he trades identities in The Scapegoat (1959) co-starring Bette Davis.

Kind Hearts and Coronets - (Original Trailer) A young man murders his way up the family tree, each member played by Alec Guinness, in the ultimate British comedy, Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949).

Family

Seth Holt

Brother-In-Law

Director.

Bibliography

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