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Harold French
Harold French
Harold French
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Harold French (23 April 1897 – 19 October 1997)[1] was an English film director, screenwriter and actor.[2]

Key Information

Biography

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After training at the Italia Conti School, he made his acting debut age 12, in a production of The Winter's Tale.[3][4] As an actor, most of his roles occurred between 1912 and 1936, not gaining as much attention as later he would as a director.[5][3]

He worked as a screenwriter on three of the four films produced by Marcel Hellman's and Douglas Fairbanks Jr.'s production company Criterion Film Productions in the late 1930s, before switching to film direction in 1937, often with Marcel Hellman as producer.[6][7] From 1940 to 1955, he had several box-office successes as director. This successful period was clouded by the 1941 death of his wife Phyllis in a Luftwaffe bombing raid.[8]

Although he did some television work after 1955, he appears to have retired from directing and acting after 1963.[9] He directed the hit West End play Out of Bounds starring Michael Redgrave in 1962. He died in 1997 at the age of 100.[2]

He was a subject of the television programme This Is Your Life in May 1970 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews.[citation needed]

Selected filmography

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Director

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Actor

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Screenwriter

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References

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Harold French

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Harold French was a British film director, screenwriter, and actor known for his contributions to British cinema in the 1940s and 1950s, especially for directing segments in anthology films adapting the short stories of W. Somerset Maugham. French began his career as a stage and film actor in the 1920s, appearing in several silent and early sound films. He transitioned to directing in the late 1930s, helming a range of pictures including comedies, dramas, and thrillers. His most notable contributions include segments in the Maugham adaptations Quartet (1948), Trio (1950), and Encore (1951), which featured ensemble casts and interconnected stories. French continued directing into the 1960s, working across film and television. Born in London in 1897, he enjoyed a long career and passed away in 1997.

Early life

Birth and family background

Harold French was born on 23 April 1897 in Lambeth, London, England. This date aligns with contemporary records noting his death on 19 October 1997 at the age of 100. Little is documented about his family background or parents, with no public records indicating any prior prominence in the arts or entertainment.

Education and early acting

Harold French received his acting training at the Italia Conti School, a well-known acting academy in London. He made his stage acting debut at the age of 12 in a production of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale, marking his initial entry into professional acting around 1909. From around 1912 onward, French developed his career through various London stage productions, appearing in West End shows and gaining experience as a performer in the city's theatre scene. He established himself as a stage actor during these early years, building a reputation in London theatre before later transitioning to film.

Acting career

Stage and film roles

Harold French began his professional career in the theatre, making his stage debut in 1912 and establishing himself as a respected actor in London's West End during the 1920s and early 1930s. He also occasionally directed stage productions, gaining experience that later informed his work in film. French transitioned to the screen, making his film acting debut in 1920 and appearing in numerous British films throughout the 1920s and 1930s, typically in supporting roles. His credits from this period include A Safe Proposition (1932) as Reggie Holloway, When London Sleeps (1932) as Tommy Blythe, Yes, Madam (1933) as Bill Quinton, Night of the Garter (1933) as Teddy Darling, I Adore You (1933) as Norman Young, The Bedroom Diplomat (1934) as Nottingham, A Fire Has Been Arranged (1935) as Toby, and Two on a Doorstep (1936) as Jimmy Blair. These roles, often in light comedies and modest productions, marked the height of his acting career before he shifted focus to directing in the late 1930s.

Directing career

Debut and early films (1937–1942)

Harold French transitioned from acting to screenwriting and directing in the late 1930s, beginning with script contributions to films produced by Marcel Hellman through Criterion Film Productions. He provided the screenplays for Accused (1936), Crime Over London (1936), and Jump for Glory (1937). French made his directorial debut with The Cavalier of the Streets in 1937, marking his shift behind the camera. He collaborated with producer Marcel Hellman on some projects, which often fell into thriller and adventure genres typical of British quota films during the period. His subsequent films included Dead Men are Dangerous (1939), a thriller, followed by The House of the Arrow (1940), an adaptation emphasizing suspense, and The Day Will Dawn (1942), a wartime drama. In 1941, he directed the romantic comedy Jeannie. During 1942, as World War II influenced British cinema, he helmed the spy thriller Secret Mission and the drama Unpublished Story. These early efforts established French as a reliable director of genre pictures.

Wartime and post-war successes (1942–1947)

During World War II, Harold French directed a number of films that provided entertainment and escapism for British audiences amid wartime conditions. His 1942 thriller Secret Mission, adapted from A.E.W. Mason's story, proved well-received for its portrayal of British wartime spirit and spy intrigue. French followed with the family comedy Dear Octopus in 1943, based on Dodie Smith's popular play and starring Celia Johnson, which offered a warm depiction of family reunion and domestic life. In 1944, he helmed the romantic comedy English Without Tears (known in some markets as Her Man Gilbey), which he later characterized as a somewhat disjointed production with minimal input from credited screenwriter Terence Rattigan. After the war ended, French returned in 1946 with Quiet Weekend, another light comedy that sustained his emphasis on accessible, audience-friendly stories during the transition to peacetime. These films demonstrated his adeptness at blending genres such as thrillers, romantic comedies, and domestic comedies, contributing to a productive phase in his directing career before his later adaptations of literary works.

Somerset Maugham adaptations (1948–1951)

Harold French directed one segment in each of the three acclaimed anthology films adapting short stories by W. Somerset Maugham: Quartet (1948), Trio (1950), and Encore (1951). These films, produced by Sydney Box, featured Maugham himself appearing on screen to introduce each segment informally from his villa on the Riviera, contributing to their distinctive literary charm and appeal. The trilogy proved commercially successful in both the UK and the US, praised for its thoughtful, concise, literate adaptations and high production values, establishing the format as one of the most effective examples of anthology filmmaking. In Quartet, French directed "The Alien Corn," a dramatic segment centered on an aspiring concert pianist played by Dirk Bogarde, who bargains with his family for time to study in Paris before facing a critical judgment from a seasoned professional portrayed by Françoise Rosay; the segment was noted for French's sensitive direction and strong performances. The film's success led directly to the sequels Trio and Encore. For Trio, French helmed "Sanatorium," the longest segment at nearly an hour, a bittersweet romantic drama set in a Scottish tuberculosis sanatorium exploring themes of illness, rivalry, and love among patients; the film received positive reviews for its ironic humor, subtle mockery of British social types, and economy of expression, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Sound Recording. French completed his contributions to the series by directing "Gigolo and Gigolette" in Encore, the final entry in the trilogy, which maintained the successful formula of Maugham adaptations and further solidified his reputation for crafting entertaining, well-produced literary films.

Later films and television (1952–1963)

In the early 1950s, Harold French directed a number of feature films before gradually shifting toward television work. His 1952 output included The Man Who Watched Trains Go By (released in the US as The Paris Express), an adaptation of Georges Simenon's novel starring Claude Rains as a respectable accountant whose life unravels after discovering financial fraud and becoming entangled with a seductive woman. That same year, he helmed The Hour of 13, a period mystery thriller set in 1890s London featuring Peter Lawford as a jewel thief drawn into a serial murder investigation. French also directed Isn't Life Wonderful? in 1952, a comedy reflecting his earlier light-touch style. French's subsequent films maintained a mix of genres. In 1953, he directed Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue for Walt Disney Productions, an adventure film based on Sir Walter Scott's novel with Richard Todd in the title role depicting the 18th-century Scottish folk hero. He followed this with Forbidden Cargo in 1954, a crime drama involving smuggling and intrigue starring Nigel Patrick and Elizabeth Sellars. French's final theatrical feature was The Man Who Loved Redheads in 1955, a romantic comedy adapted from Terence Rattigan's play, starring Moira Shearer and John Gregson, marking the conclusion of his regular feature film directing career. Thereafter, French turned to television directing on an occasional basis. He contributed episodes to The Magical World of Disney in 1956, including segments aligned with the anthology series' family-oriented format. He directed for the British anthology series Theatre Night during 1959–1960, staging plays for television broadcast. His last known directing credit came in 1963 with an episode of the adventure series The Sentimental Agent. This period reflected a broader transition away from cinema toward television, with no further feature films after 1955.

Personal life

Marriages and family tragedies

Harold French was married twice, with both unions marked by personal loss. His first wife was the actress Phyllis Arnold, who was tragically killed in a Luftwaffe bombing raid in 1941 during the Blitz on London. This event represented a profound family tragedy amid the Second World War. He later married the actress Mary Parker, who predeceased him. French had one daughter, who also predeceased him. Further details of children or extended family are not widely documented in reliable sources.

Later years and death

Return to theatre and recognition

After his feature film directing career concluded with The Man Who Loved Redheads in 1955, Harold French returned to the theatre toward the end of his career, directing the West End comedy Out of Bounds at Wyndham's Theatre in 1962, starring Michael Redgrave. He retired from directing and acting in 1963. In later recognition of his long career in British entertainment, French was the subject of the Thames Television programme This Is Your Life on 27 May 1970, when host Eamonn Andrews surprised him in the foyer of the Euston Road Studios (having been led to believe he was there for a book interview). The episode featured tributes from numerous colleagues, including Terence Rattigan, Rex Harrison, and Kenneth More, celebrating his work as an actor, theatre director, and filmmaker. Earlier in his career, French received the Special Prize for the Funniest Film at the 1949 Locarno Film Festival for Adam and Evelyne. Overall, despite a prolific output across stage and screen spanning several decades, he received few major industry awards.

Passing

Harold French died on 19 October 1997 in London, England, aged 101. He remained one of the few centenarian figures from the early British film industry, having maintained a long and steady career directing romantic dramas, comedies, and literary adaptations. French is remembered for his consistently entertaining and well-crafted films, particularly his Somerset Maugham adaptations and other mid-century British features, which offered reliable craftsmanship without aspiring to the highest echelons of auteur status but sustained audience appeal across more than two decades of active directing.
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