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Michael Relph
Michael Relph
Michael Relph
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Michael Leighton George Relph[1] (16 February 1915 – 30 September 2004) was an English film producer, art director, screenwriter and film director.[2][3] He was the son of actor George Relph.[4]

Key Information

Films

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Relph began his film career in 1933 as an assistant art director under Alfred Junge at Gaumont British then headed by Michael Balcon. In 1942, Relph began work at Ealing as chief art director, where his designs included the influential 1945 supernatural anthology Dead of Night.[citation needed]

He worked mainly on Basil Dearden's films, and in 1949 was nominated for an Academy Award for art direction for his work on the Stewart Granger vehicle Saraband for Dead Lovers (1948).[5]

Theatre

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Michael Relph also designed for the theatre, particularly the West End in the 1940s, including The Doctor's Dilemma, A Month in the Country, and The Man Who Came to Dinner.

Producer

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Relph is largely known as a film producer. He served as associate producer on the Ealing comedy Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949); and had a significant 20-year partnership with Basil Dearden beginning in 1949 and ending with Dearden's death in 1971.[6] Their work included a series of social problem films examining issues such as racism (Pool of London and Sapphire), juvenile delinquency (Violent Playground), homosexuality (Victim), and religious intolerance (Life for Ruth).[7][8] Relph believed that because film was "genuinely a mass medium," it therefore had "social and educative responsibilities as well as artistic ones."[9]

In their review of Life For Ruth, The New York Times wrote, "in avoiding blatant bias, mawkish sentimentality and theatrical flamboyance, it makes a statement that is dramatic, powerful and provocative."[10]

Relph also directed some movies. It has been argued he was not as skilled a director as a producer.[11]

From 1972 to 1979, Relph was chairman of the British Film Institute's Production Board.[12] Simultaneously he was the Chairman of the Film Production Association of Great Britain, and went on to be Head of Production for Boyd's Company in the 1980s, where he helped foster the emerging talents of Derek Jarman (The Tempest) and Julien Temple (The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle).[1]

Family

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His son, Simon Relph, was also a film producer and former chairman of BAFTA.[4] His daughter, Emma Relph, had several parts on television and in the films as an actress during the 1980s.[13] His stepson Mark Law is a former Fleet Street journalist[14] and author of The Pyjama Game, A Journey Into Judo.

Selected filmography

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Year Title Director Producer Writer
1952 I Believe in You Yes Yes Yes
1955 Out of the Clouds No Yes Yes
The Ship That Died of Shame No Yes Yes
1957 Rockets Galore! Yes No No
Davy Yes No No
1959 Desert Mice Yes No Yes
1960 Man in the Moon No Yes Yes
1963 A Place to Go No Yes Yes
1964 Woman of Straw No Yes Yes
1965 Masquerade No Yes Yes
1968 The Assassination Bureau No Yes Yes
1970 The Man Who Haunted Himself No Yes Yes

Producer

Art director

Production designer

References

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Michael Relph

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
''Michael Relph'' is a British film producer, art director, screenwriter, and occasional director known for his nearly thirty-year creative partnership with Basil Dearden and his key contributions to British cinema through films that often addressed social issues. Born on 16 February 1915 in Broadstone, Dorset, as the son of actor George Relph, he began his career in 1932 as an apprentice art director at Gaumont-British Studios under Alfred Junge, later working as a stage designer on West End productions and as an art director on films including Champagne Charlie and Dead of Night. Joining Ealing Studios in 1942, he became chief art director under Michael Balcon, contributing to the Oscar-nominated Saraband for Dead Lovers and Kind Hearts and Coronets before shifting to producing roles. Relph's most influential period stemmed from his long collaboration with Dearden, which began at Ealing and continued after the studio's closure, producing notable works such as The Blue Lamp, Sapphire, The League of Gentlemen, and Victim that examined themes including police life, racism, and homosexuality in British society. He occasionally directed, including Davy and Rockets Galore, but primarily focused on production, occasionally sharing credits as co-director or co-writer. Following Dearden's death in a car crash in 1971, Relph's producing career slowed, though he remained active in the industry through leadership positions, serving as chairman of the Film Production Association of Great Britain and the British Film Institute's Production Board. He died on 30 September 2004 in Selsey, West Sussex.

Early life

Birth and family background

Michael Leighton George Relph was born on 16 February 1915 in Broadstone, Dorset, England. He was the son of George Relph, a noted English actor whose career focused primarily on the stage but also included screen appearances, including a memorable role as the train enthusiast vicar in the film The Titfield Thunderbolt (1953). Relph's family background was closely tied to the theatre world through his father's profession and his mother's second marriage, which connected him to the Harker family, operators of a longstanding business specializing in theatrical scene painting and construction. This environment within a theatrical household provided Relph's early context, shaped by his father's established presence in the performing arts.

Education and entry into the film industry

Michael Relph received his education at Bembridge School, a progressive institution on the Isle of Wight, which he left at the age of 17 in 1932. Originally intending to pursue architecture, he abandoned the idea after deeming the necessary training too long and expensive. Relph entered the film industry that same year through family connections, as his father was the actor George Relph and Michael Balcon, then a prominent producer, was a family friend who arranged his placement in an apprenticeship scheme at Gaumont-British Studios in Shepherd's Bush. He began in the art department under Alfred Junge, an influential art director whom Relph described as a great teacher, starting on a modest wage of ten shillings per week and progressing through various tasks before focusing on set design. Among his early contributions at Gaumont-British were set designs for the 1934 musical film Evergreen. After several years at Gaumont-British, Relph moved to Warner Brothers' Teddington Studios, where he advanced to art director and worked on more than 30 feature films, mostly low-budget quota quickies. Notable among these were the thriller They Drive by Night (1935), directed by Arthur Woods, for which his art direction helped create a distinctive nocturnal atmosphere through recreated settings of lorry drivers' cafes and urban interiors, as well as earlier credits such as Who Killed John Savage? (1937), Everything Happens to Me (1938), and Many Tanks, Mr. Atkins (1938). During this period, he also pursued stage design in the West End, beginning with the 1934 farce Indoor Fireworks and continuing with productions like Saloon Bar (1939). During the Second World War, Relph's career evolved beyond art direction toward the production side of filmmaking. This shift marked the beginning of his broader involvement in film production in the immediate post-war period.

Career

Work at Ealing Studios

Michael Relph joined Ealing Studios in 1942 as chief art director, marking his entry into the studio during a period of transition under head Michael Balcon. In 1946, he transitioned to producer and screenwriter roles, allowing him to shape several key films that reflected Ealing's emphasis on realistic storytelling and contemporary British issues. One of his significant early contributions as producer was on The Captive Heart (1946), directed by Basil Dearden, where Relph also served as art director; the film offered a realistic portrayal of life in a German prisoner-of-war camp and explored themes of resilience, camaraderie, and national identity in the immediate post-war context. He continued in producer capacities on Frieda (1947), which addressed social tensions through the story of a German war bride facing prejudice in Britain, exemplifying Ealing's engagement with post-war reconciliation and societal challenges. Relph served as associate producer on The Blue Lamp (1950), another Dearden-directed project that presented a grounded depiction of police work and urban crime in London, reinforcing Ealing's social-realist tendencies in examining contemporary moral and institutional themes. His work during this era helped advance Ealing's distinctive blend of documentary-like realism with dramatic narrative, particularly in films dealing with war's aftermath and social adjustment. By the early 1950s, Relph's involvement at Ealing concluded as he moved toward independent productions.

Partnership with Basil Dearden

Michael Relph's most significant professional collaboration was with director Basil Dearden, a partnership that began at Ealing Studios and continued into the independent era after the studio's decline in the late 1950s. Relph served primarily as producer and occasional co-writer, while Dearden directed, creating a complementary dynamic that yielded a substantial body of work focused on contemporary British society. In 1959 they co-founded Allied Film Makers, a production consortium with Richard Attenborough, Bryan Forbes, Jack Hawkins, and others, backed by Rank Organisation distribution and funding. Their joint films frequently addressed pressing social issues with a blend of thriller elements and liberal commentary. Sapphire (1959) confronted racial prejudice through the murder investigation of a mixed-race woman, highlighting tensions in contemporary Britain. The League of Gentlemen (1960), their first under Allied Film Makers, explored crime and corruption via a military heist plot. Victim (1961) was particularly groundbreaking as the first major British film to sympathetically depict homosexuality, arguing against blackmail and the criminalization of gay men at a time when it remained illegal. These works earned praise for their willingness to tackle taboo subjects, though some critics viewed them as stylistically conventional or overly cautious in approach. Subsequent collaborations included All Night Long (1962), a modern Othello set in London's jazz scene; Life for Ruth (1962), which examined conflicts between fundamentalist religious beliefs and medical treatment; Woman of Straw (1964); Masquerade (1965); the large-scale epic Khartoum (1966); The Assassination Bureau (1969); and The Man Who Haunted Himself (1970). Reception varied, with earlier social-problem films often seen as bold for their era despite mixed commercial results—such as successes with The League of Gentlemen contrasted by failures like Life for Ruth—while later productions shifted toward bigger-budget international ventures with less emphasis on domestic issues. The active partnership concluded in the early 1970s, ending with Dearden's death in a car accident in 1971.

Independent productions and later career

After Basil Dearden's death in a car crash in 1971, Michael Relph's career in hands-on film production slowed considerably, as he transitioned toward administrative leadership roles within the British film industry. He succeeded Michael Balcon as chairman of the BFI Production Board in 1972, a position he held until 1979 while also serving as chairman of the Film Production Association of Great Britain from 1971 to 1976, where his diplomatic skills and industry knowledge helped guide the sector through economic difficulties. Relph later returned to production through an association with Don Boyd, taking charge of production at Boyd's Company and undertaking some television work, though he remained conscious that his active filmmaking days were waning. His later credits included executive producer on Scum (1979) and producer on the psychological thriller An Unsuitable Job for a Woman (1981), directed by Chris Petit. He also produced Heavenly Pursuits (1986). Following these projects, Relph largely withdrew from production, with his later years focused on industry advocacy rather than new creative work until his death in 2004.

Directing credits

Recognition and legacy

Personal life and death

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