Frank Launder
Born: 1906-01-28 in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England, UK
Died: 1997-02-23
Known For: Writing
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Frank Launder (28 January 1906 – 23 February 1997) was a British writer, film director and producer, who made more than 40 films, many of them in collaboration with Sidney Gilliat. He was born in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England and worked briefly as a clerk before becoming an actor and then a playwright. He began working as a screenwriter on British films in the 1930s, contributing the original story for the classic Will Hay comedy Oh, Mr Porter! (1937). After writing a number of screenplays with Gilliat, including The Lady Vanishes (1938) for Alfred Hitchcock, and Night Train to Munich for Carol Reed; the two men wrote and directed the wartime drama Millions Like Us (1943). After founding their own production company Individual Pictures, they produced a number of memorable dramas and thrillers including I See a Dark Stranger (1945) and Green for Danger (1946), but were best known for their comedies including The Happiest Days of Your Life (1950) and most famously, the St Trinians series, based on Ronald Searle's cartoons set in an anarchic girls school. He was married to actress Bernadette O'Farrell from 1950 until his death in Monaco. The couple had two children.
Filmography
1980
- The Wildcats of St. Trinian's ... (Director)
1972
- Endless Night ... (Executive Producer)
- Ooh...You Are Awful ... (Executive Producer)
1966
- The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery ... (Writer)
1965
- Joey Boy ... (Director)
1964
- Ring of Spies ... (Writer)
1960
- The Pure Hell of St. Trinian's ... (Writer)
1959
- The Bridal Path ... (Director)
- Left Right and Centre ... (Producer)
1957
- Blue Murder at St. Trinian's ... (Director)
- Fortune Is a Woman ... (Screenplay)
- The Smallest Show on Earth ... (Presenter)
1956
- The Green Man ... (Theatre Play)
1955
- Geordie ... (Producer)
- The Constant Husband ... (Producer)
1954
- The Belles of St. Trinian's ... (Screenplay)
1952
- Folly to Be Wise ... (Director)
1951
- Lady Godiva Rides Again ... (Writer)
1950
- State Secret ... (Producer)
- The Happiest Days of Your Life ... (Director)
1949
- The Blue Lagoon ... (Producer)
1948
- London Belongs to Me ... (Producer)
1947
- Captain Boycott ... (Director)
1946
- Green for Danger ... (Producer)
- I See a Dark Stranger ... (Director)
1945
- The Rake's Progress ... (Screenplay)
1944
- Two Thousand Women ... (Director)
- Soldier, Sailor ... (Screenplay)
1943
- Millions Like Us ... (Director)
- We Dive at Dawn ... (Writer)
1942
- The Young Mr. Pitt ... (Screenplay)
- Partners in Crime ... (Director)
1941
- Kipps ... (Screenplay)
- Inspector Hornleigh Goes to It ... (Writer)
1940
- Night Train to Munich ... (Screenplay)
- Crook's Tour ... (Characters)
1939
- A Girl Must Live ... (Writer)
- Inspector Hornleigh on Holiday ... (Writer)
1938
- The Lady Vanishes ... (Screenplay)
1937
- Oh, Mr. Porter! ... (Original Story)
1936
- Educated Evans ... (Writer)
- Twelve Good Men ... (Writer)
- Where's Sally? ... (Script)
- Seven Sinners ... (Writer)
1935
- Rolling Home ... (Writer)
- Mr. What's-His-Name? ... (Script)
- Get Off My Foot ... (Writer)
- Emil and the Detectives ... (Scenario Writer)
- The Black Mask ... (Writer)
- So You Won't Talk ... (Dialogue)
1934
- A Southern Maid ... (Writer)
1933
- Happy ... (Writer)
- You Made Me Love You ... (Writer)
- Hawleys of High Street ... (Writer)
1932
- The Last Coupon ... (Screenplay)
- For the Love of Mike ... (Writer)
- Old Spanish Customers ... (Scenario Writer)
- Josser in the Army ... (Writer)
- After Office Hours ... (Writer)
1931
- The Woman Between ... (Script)
- Keepers of Youth ... (Writer)
- How He Lied to Her Husband ... (Scenario Writer)
- Lucky children ... (Screenplay)
- Hobson's Choice ... (Writer)
1930
- The Middle Watch ... (Script)
- Song of Soho ... (Writer)
- The W Plan ... (Writer)
- Children of Chance ... (Writer)
1929
- Under the Greenwood Tree ... (Scenario Writer)