Happy Birthday, Charles Crichton! Born today in 1910 as Charles Ainsle Crichton, this English film editor and film director became best known for directing many comedies.
These were produced at Ealing Studios and had a forty-year career editing and directing many films and television programmes.
Born in Wallasey, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom, Crichton was one of six siblings. Years later, he was educated at Oxford University.
In 1931, Crichton began his career in the film industry as a film editor. He eventually edited over fifty films, most notably William Cameron Menzies' 1936 American black and white science fiction film 'Things to Come'.
Among his credits, Crichton wrote and directed the first film of which he is best known. This was the 1951 British black and white comedy/crime film 'The Lavender Hill Mob'.
Henry "Dutch" Holland (Alec Guinness) is a fussy supervisor who oversees gold bullion deliveries to the bank in which he works. Secretly, he is plotting to steal a load of bullion and retire early, but he cannot figure out a way to smuggle it out of the country.
The scene where Holland and Alfred "Al" Pendlebury (Stanley Holloway) run down the Eiffel Tower's spiral staircase and become increasingly dizzy and erratic, as does the camera work, presages Jimmy Stewart's condition in Alfred Hitchcock's 'Vertigo'.
Audrey Hepburn made an early film appearance in a small role as Chiquita near the start of the film.
Robert Shaw also made his first film appearance, playing a police laboratory technician towards the end of the film.
English television, film and stage actress Patricia Garwood made her first film appearance in this movie at the age of nine. British 1960s children's television icon Valerie Singleton also had an uncredited part in the film.
The title of the film refers to Lavender Hill, a street, a street in Battersea, a district of South London, in the post code district SW11, near to Clapham Junction railway station.
The following year, 'The Lavender Hill Mob' won an Oscar for Best Story and Screenplay (T. E. B. Clarke). Guinness was nominated for the award of Best Actor in a Leading Role. This occurred at the 24th Academy Awards in late March 1952.
Two months later, the film won a BAFTA Award for Best British Film (Charles Crichton). This occurred at the 5th British Academy Film Awards in early May 1952.
Crichton is also known for directing 'The Third Secret' (1964) and 'He Who Rides a Tiger' (1965). The latter film was the last film he directed in twenty-three years.
Also among his credits, Crichton co-conceived the story for and directed the second and final film of which he is best known. This was the 1988 British/American comedy/heist film 'A Fish Called Wanda'.
One year later, 'A Fish Called Wanda' was nominated for seven BAFTA Awards but won two. These were for Best Actor (John Cleese) and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Michael Palin). This occurred at the 42nd British Film Academy Awards in mid-March 1989.
Later that same month. the film won an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Kevin Kline). It was also nominated for Best Screenplay (John Cleese) and Best Director. This occurred at the 61st Academy Awards in late March 1989.
Following completion of production on 'A Fish Called Wanda', Crichton retired from the entertainment industry and spent the rest of his life living comfortably, fishing in both Scotland and Wales.
The British Film Institute (BFI) ranked 'The Lavender Hill Mob' the 17th greatest British film of all time. The original film was digitally restored and re-released to United Kingdom cinemas on July 29, 2011 to celebrate its 60th anniversary.
Crichton had been active from 1931–1988.
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