Sidney Gilliat

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Sidney Gilliat (15 February 1908 – 31 May 1994) was an English film director, producer and writer. He was born in the district of Edgeley in Stockport, Cheshire. In the 1930s he worked as a scriptwriter, most notably with Frank Launder on The Lady Vanishes (1938) for Alfred Hitchcock, and its sequel Night Train to Munich (1940), directed by Carol Reed. He and Launder made their directorial debut co-directing the home front drama Millions Like Us (1943). From 1945 he also worked as a producer, starting with The Rake's Progress, which he also wrote and directed. He and Launder made over 40 films together, founding their own production company Individual Pictures. While Launder concentrated on directing their comedies, most famously the four St Trinian's School films, Gilliat showed a preference for comedy-thrillers and dramas, including Green for Danger (1946), London Belongs to Me (1948) and State Secret (1950). He wrote the libretto for Malcolm Williamson's opera Our Man in Havana, based on the novel by Graham Greene. He had also worked on the film. He married Beryl Brewer in the early 30s. He had two children: Joanna Gilliat, who is a journalist and is married to Edward Russell, a pilot and Caroline Gilliat, who was an opera singer and teacher, who was married to Anthony Cave Brown (journalist). He had 3 grand children, Amanda Eliasch, Toby Brown and Camilla Horn. Description above from the Wikipedia article Sidney Gilliat, ...

Green for Danger (1946)

In the midst of Nazi air raids, a postman dies on the operating table at a rural hospital. But was the death accidental?  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sidney Gilliat
CAST:  Leo Genn  •  Alastair Sim  •  Trevor Howard  •  Sally Gray

In the midst of Nazi air raids, a postman dies on the operating table at a rural hospital. But was the death accidental?  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sidney Gilliat
CAST:  Leo Genn  •  Alastair Sim  •  Trevor Howard  •  Sally Gray

The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery (1966)

The all-girl school foil an attempt by train robbers to recover two and a half million pounds hidden in their school.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Frank Launder  •  Sidney Gilliat
CAST:  Frankie Howerd  •  Dora Bryan  •  George Cole  •  Reg Varney

The all-girl school foil an attempt by train robbers to recover two and a half million pounds hidden in their school.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Frank Launder  •  Sidney Gilliat
CAST:  Frankie Howerd  •  Dora Bryan  •  George Cole  •  Reg Varney

Waterloo Road (1945)

During WW2 a former railway employee who had been drafted, goes AWOL to hunt down the spiv and draft dodger who is having an affair with his wife.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sidney Gilliat
CAST:  John Mills  •  Stewart Granger  •  Alastair Sim  •  Joy Shelton

During WW2 a former railway employee who had been drafted, goes AWOL to hunt down the spiv and draft dodger who is having an affair with his wife.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sidney Gilliat
CAST:  John Mills  •  Stewart Granger  •  Alastair Sim  •  Joy Shelton

Fortune Is a Woman (1957)

An insurance man discovers his ex-girlfriend and her husband's art-forgery/arson scam.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sidney Gilliat
CAST:  Jack Hawkins  •  Arlene Dahl  •  Dennis Price  •  Violet Farebrother

An insurance man discovers his ex-girlfriend and her husband's art-forgery/arson scam.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sidney Gilliat
CAST:  Jack Hawkins  •  Arlene Dahl  •  Dennis Price  •  Violet Farebrother

State Secret (1950)

Visiting in England, an American surgeon Doctor John Marlowe is decoyed to a middle European country, and discovers the operation he is to perform is on the Vosnian dictator. When the latter dies, he is replaced by a look-alike, but Marlowe then becomes the object ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sidney Gilliat
CAST:  Douglas Fairbanks Jr.  •  Jack Hawkins  •  Glynis Johns  •  Herbert Lom

Visiting in England, an American surgeon Doctor John Marlowe is decoyed to a middle European country, and discovers the operation he is to perform is on the Vosnian dictator. When the latter dies, he is replaced by a look-alike, but Marlowe then becomes the object ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sidney Gilliat
CAST:  Douglas Fairbanks Jr.  •  Jack Hawkins  •  Glynis Johns  •  Herbert Lom

Endless Night (1972)

Shiftless dreamer Michael Rogers fantasizes about a lifestyle above his means and marries a wealthy, young girl who just came of age. They hire a famous architect to build their dream home amidst a series of suspicious incidents. The spouse has dark intentions ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sidney Gilliat
CAST:  Hywel Bennett  •  Britt Ekland  •  George Sanders  •  Hayley Mills

Shiftless dreamer Michael Rogers fantasizes about a lifestyle above his means and marries a wealthy, young girl who just came of age. They hire a famous architect to build their dream home amidst a series of suspicious incidents. The spouse has dark intentions ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sidney Gilliat
CAST:  Hywel Bennett  •  Britt Ekland  •  George Sanders  •  Hayley Mills

The Constant Husband (1955)

Charles Hathaway wakes up in West Wales with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. With the help of a Cardiff specialist he traces his life back to his gorgeous wife and their large London house, so all seems well with the world. But more detective work ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sidney Gilliat
CAST:  Rex Harrison  •  Kay Kendall  •  Margaret Leighton  •  George Cole

Charles Hathaway wakes up in West Wales with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. With the help of a Cardiff specialist he traces his life back to his gorgeous wife and their large London house, so all seems well with the world. But more detective work ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sidney Gilliat
CAST:  Rex Harrison  •  Kay Kendall  •  Margaret Leighton  •  George Cole

The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan (1953)

The career of W. S. Gilbert, a barrister turned comic librettist, and Arthur Sullivan, a composer turned against his will to light music, who together wrote fifteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, to great public acclaim.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sidney Gilliat
CAST:  Robert Morley  •  Maurice Evans  •  Eileen Herlie  •  Peter Finch

The career of W. S. Gilbert, a barrister turned comic librettist, and Arthur Sullivan, a composer turned against his will to light music, who together wrote fifteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, to great public acclaim.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sidney Gilliat
CAST:  Robert Morley  •  Maurice Evans  •  Eileen Herlie  •  Peter Finch

The Rake's Progress (1945)

Vivian Kenway, a young Englishman from an aristocratic background, flunks out of Oxford, and decides to use his considerable charm to achieve his goal of, apparently, making dissipation his career. His derelictions include seduction, betrayals of sweethearts, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sidney Gilliat
CAST:  Rex Harrison  •  Lilli Palmer  •  Godfrey Tearle  •  Griffith Jones

Vivian Kenway, a young Englishman from an aristocratic background, flunks out of Oxford, and decides to use his considerable charm to achieve his goal of, apparently, making dissipation his career. His derelictions include seduction, betrayals of sweethearts, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sidney Gilliat
CAST:  Rex Harrison  •  Lilli Palmer  •  Godfrey Tearle  •  Griffith Jones

Left Right and Centre (1959)

At the Earndale by-election natural history expert and TV personality Bob Wilcot for the Conservatives finds himself up against Billingsgate girl Stella Stoker for the socialists. Amateur politician against committed activist. But could it become ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sidney Gilliat
CAST:  Ian Carmichael  •  Alastair Sim  •  Patricia Bredin  •  Richard Wattis

At the Earndale by-election natural history expert and TV personality Bob Wilcot for the Conservatives finds himself up against Billingsgate girl Stella Stoker for the socialists. Amateur politician against committed activist. But could it become ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sidney Gilliat
CAST:  Ian Carmichael  •  Alastair Sim  •  Patricia Bredin  •  Richard Wattis

London Belongs to Me (1948)

Classic British drama about the residents of a large terrace house in London between Christmas 1938 and September 1939. Percy Boon lives with his mother in a shared rented house with an assortment of characters in central London. Although well intentioned, he ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sidney Gilliat
CAST:  Richard Attenborough  •  Alastair Sim  •  Fay Compton  •  Stephen Murray

Classic British drama about the residents of a large terrace house in London between Christmas 1938 and September 1939. Percy Boon lives with his mother in a shared rented house with an assortment of characters in central London. Although well intentioned, he ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sidney Gilliat
CAST:  Richard Attenborough  •  Alastair Sim  •  Fay Compton  •  Stephen Murray

Only Two Can Play (1962)

John Lewis is bored of his job and his wife. Then Liz, wife of a local councillor, sets her sights on him. But this is risky stuff in a Welsh valleys town - if he and Liz ever manage to consummate their affair, that is.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sidney Gilliat
CAST:  Peter Sellers  •  Mai Zetterling  •  Virginia Maskell  •  Raymond Huntley

John Lewis is bored of his job and his wife. Then Liz, wife of a local councillor, sets her sights on him. But this is risky stuff in a Welsh valleys town - if he and Liz ever manage to consummate their affair, that is.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sidney Gilliat
CAST:  Peter Sellers  •  Mai Zetterling  •  Virginia Maskell  •  Raymond Huntley

Partners in Crime (1942)

A parallel is drawn between a housewife's dealings with her butcher, and a burglar and his fence (receiver).  (more)

DIRECTION:  Frank Launder  •  Sidney Gilliat
CAST:  Frederick Burtwell  •  Irene Handl  •  Robert Morley  •  Charles Victor

A parallel is drawn between a housewife's dealings with her butcher, and a burglar and his fence (receiver).  (more)

DIRECTION:  Frank Launder  •  Sidney Gilliat
CAST:  Frederick Burtwell  •  Irene Handl  •  Robert Morley  •  Charles Victor

Millions Like Us (1943)

Millions Like Us is a 1943 British propaganda film, showing life in a wartime aircraft factory in documentary detail. It stars Patricia Roc, Eric Portman, Megs Jenkins, and Anne Crawford, was written by Sidney Gilliat, and directed by Gilliat and Frank Launder. It ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Frank Launder  •  Sidney Gilliat
CAST:  Patricia Roc  •  Gordon Jackson  •  Anne Crawford  •  Moore Marriott

Millions Like Us is a 1943 British propaganda film, showing life in a wartime aircraft factory in documentary detail. It stars Patricia Roc, Eric Portman, Megs Jenkins, and Anne Crawford, was written by Sidney Gilliat, and directed by Gilliat and Frank Launder. It ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Frank Launder  •  Sidney Gilliat
CAST:  Patricia Roc  •  Gordon Jackson  •  Anne Crawford  •  Moore Marriott