Desmond Davis
Desmond Stanley Tracey Davis (24 May 1926 – 3 July 2021) was a British film and television director, best known for his 1981 version of Clash of the Titans.
Early life and career
Desmond Davis was born in Wandsworth, southwest of London. His parents were Dorothy (nee Newbold) and Isaac (known as William) Davis, director of optical lens manufacturer Newbold & Co.[1] While a student at the Regent Street Polytechnic (now University of Westminster), Davis studied photography and cinematography.[1]
In 1944 Davis joined Riverside Studios as a clapper loader. While there, he worked on two comedies, Don't Take It to Heart (directed by Jeffrey Dell) and It's in the Bag (directed by Richard Wallace).[1]
Davis was then drafted to join the British Army Film and Photographic Unit, serving at the end of the Second World War at age 18. He was a sergeant in the army's South East Asia Command from 1945-49. He traveled extensively and the footage of his work can be seen in the Imperial War Museum.[1]
After serving his apprenticeship as a clapper boy in the 1940s and finishing his army service, Davis worked as a clapper loader on classic movies such as
Director
Davis made his directorial debut in 1964 with
At the 1966
In the 1970s Davis took a long hiatus from feature films, and turned his focus on television for work, including episodes of Follyfoot and The New Avengers, as well as a 1979 adaptation of William Shakespeare's Measure for Measure in the BBC Television Shakespeare series.[1][6]
Davis' best known feature film is the 1981 version of Clash of the Titans, which was his first theatrical release in 12 years. Producer Charles H. Schneer selected Davis as director after being impressed with Davis' visually inventive work on Measure for Measure.[1] Clash of the Titans' all-star cast in this epic fantasy/mythological film included Laurence Olivier as Zeus.[1][2]
In the 1980s Davis directed feature-length dramas mostly for television. Davis worked with O'Brien again to adapt The Country Girls for television in 1983. Davis also directed the 1983 television adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's The Sign of Four with Ian Richardson as Sherlock Holmes. In 1984 Davis directed Camille, another feature film for television. This adaptation of The Lady of the Camellias starred Greta Scacchi and Colin Firth. For his next and last theatrical feature film, Davis directed the 1984 adaptation of Agatha Christie's Ordeal by Innocence starring Donald Sutherland and Faye Dunaway.[1][6]
Davis continued his work in television, including directing episodes for the British drama series
Personal life and death
Davis married Shirley Smith in 1959, and the couple had one son Tim before divorcing.[1]
Davis died on 3 July 2021, at the age of 95.[1]
Films directed
- Girl with Green Eyes (1964)
- The Uncle (1965)
- I Was Happy Here (1966)
- Smashing Time (1967)
- A Nice Girl Like Me (1969)
- The Spirit of Adventure: Night Flight (1979)
- The Man of Destiny (1981)
- Clash of the Titans (1981)
- BBC2 Playhouse: "Passing Through" (1982)
- The Adventures of Little Lord Fauntleroy (1982)
- The Agatha Christie Hour: "In a Glass Darkly" (1982)
- Russian Night... 1941 (1982)
- Ordeal by Innocence (1984)
- Camille (1984)
- Love with a Perfect Stranger (1986)
- Freedom Fighter (1988)
- The Man Who Lived at the Ritz (1989)
- Screen One: "Doggin' Around" (1994)
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Hayward, Anthony (2 August 2021). "Desmond Davis obituary". The Guardian.
- ^ a b c Monahan, Mark (11 January 2003). "Film-makers on film: Desmond Davis". Telegraph.
- ^ Taste of Fear Blu-ray extras, 2019, Indicator release
- ^ "Girl with Green Eyes". Golden Globe Awards. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ^ "Smashing Time". Golden Globe Awards. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ^ a b c "Desmond Davis (1926-2021)". IMDb. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
External links
- Desmond Davis at IMDb