James Cellan Jones
James Cellan Jones | |
---|---|
Born | The Forsyte Saga (1967) Fortunes of War (1987) | 13 July 1931
Title | Head of Plays, BBC Television |
Term | 1976–1979 |
Predecessor | Christopher Morahan |
Successor | Keith Williams |
Children | Simon Cellan Jones Rory Cellan-Jones Deiniol Cellan Jones Lavinia Cellan Jones[1] |
Alan James Gwynne Cellan Jones (13 July 1931 – 30 August 2019) was a British television and film director. From 1963, he directed over 50 television series and films, specialising in dramas.
He was particularly associated with the "Classic Serial" during the golden age of BBC drama,[2] and some of his most significant work was in televising late 19th-century and 20th-century British literary works. Two of his most ambitious and successful directorial adaptations were the miniseries The Forsyte Saga (1967), which became a national and international hit,[1] and Fortunes of War (1987); and he was also known for his award-winning productions of Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill (1974) and Harnessing Peacocks (1993).
Cellan Jones was Head of Plays at
Early life and education
James Cellan Jones was born in 1931 in Swansea, Wales, the son of surgeon Cecil Cellan-Jones and his wife Lavinia (née Dailey).[1] James later dropped the hyphen in his surname.[1]
He was educated in England, attending the
Career
Cellan Jones's true interest was acting and directing rather than medicine, however,
From 1976 through 1979, Cellan Jones was Head of Plays at the BBC, where he was responsible for up to 85 productions a year. Upon leaving the post, he became a freelance television director, and continued to work steadily for 20 years. Highlights of this period include the World War II miniseries Fortunes of War (1987) starring Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson, and the award-winning television film Harnessing Peacocks (1993).
Cellan Jones was chairman of
Awards and nominations
For the miniseries Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill (1974), Cellan Jones won the
He received the
Cellan Jones received seven
Personal life
Cellan Jones married television editor and production manager Margot Eavis in 1959, and they had two sons, Simon Cellan Jones, a director; and Deiniol Cellan Jones, a barrister who died in November 2013; and a daughter, Lavinia Cellan Jones.[1]
BBC journalist Rory Cellan-Jones is also his son, by Sylvia Rich, a BBC secretary, prior to James' marriage to Margot Eavis.[10][1]
He died following a stroke in August 2019.[1]
Selected filmography
- Esther Waters (TV series, 1964, 4 episodes)
- The Ambassadors (TV movie, 1965)
- The Scarlet and the Black (TV miniseries, 1965)
- An Enemy of the State (TV miniseries, 1965)
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame(TV miniseries, 1966)
- Quick Before They Catch Us (TV series, 4 episodes, 1966)
- The Forsyte Saga(TV miniseries, 1967)
- Z Cars(2 episodes, 1967)
- Albinos in Black (Theatre 625, 1968)
- The Portrait of a Lady (TV miniseries, 1968)
- Detective (TV series, 2 episodes, 1968)
- The Way We Live Now (TV movie, 1969)
- Solo (TV serial, 2 episodes 1970: "E.E. Cummings")
- W. Somerset Maugham (TV miniseries, 2 episodes, 1969–1970)
- The Roads to Freedom (TV miniseries, 1970)
- The Piano (Play for Today, 1971)
- Eyeless in Gaza (TV miniseries, 1971), based on novel Eyeless in Gaza
- A Midsummer Night's Dream (Play of the Month, 1971)
- The Golden Bowl (TV miniseries, 1972)
- The Edwardians (TV miniseries, 1972–1973)
- The Nelson Affair(1973)
- Away from It All (TV anthology, one episode: "A Work of Genius", 1973)
- Secrets (TV movie, 1973)
- Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill (TV miniseries, 1974)
- The Adams Chronicles (TV miniseries, 1976)
- Caesar and Cleopatra (Hallmark Hall of Fame, 1976)
- The Madness (TV movie, 1976)
- Sea Change (Centre Play: Showcase, 1976)
- The Ambassadors (Play of the Month, 1977)
- You Never Can Tell (Play of the Month, 1977)
- Kean (Play of the Month, 1978)
- A Touch of the Tiny Hacketts (Play for Today, 1978)
- School Play (BBC2 Playhouse, 1979)
- The Day Christ Died (TV movie, 1980)
- C2 H5 OH (Play for Today, 1980)
- Unity (BBC2 Playhouse, 1981)
- A Fine Romance (TV series, 1981)
- The Kingfisher (TV movie, 1983)
- BBC Shakespeare, 1983)
- Oxbridge Blues (TV anthology, 4 episodes, 1984)
- Slip-Up (TV movie, 1986)
- Fortunes of War (TV miniseries, 1987)
- Arms and the Man (Theatre Night, 1989)
- The Bill (TV series, 5 episodes, 1989–1999)
- A Little Piece of Sunshine (TV movie, 1990)
- A Perfect Hero (TV miniseries, 1991)
- The Gravy Train Goes East (TV miniseries, 1991)
- Maigret (TV series, 3 episodes, 1992)
- Rumpole of the Bailey (TV series, 1 episode, 1992)
- Brighton Belles(TV series, 1 episode, 1993)
- Scene(TV anthology; 1 episode, "Pig Boy", 1993)
- Harnessing Peacocks (TV movie, 1993)
- Class Act(TV series, 2 episodes, 1994)
- La musique de l'amour: Chouchou (TV movie, 1995)
- The Vacillations of Poppy Carew (TV movie, 1995)
- McLibel (TV miniseries, 1997)
- Ruth Rendell Mysteries(TV series, 2 episodes, 1997)
- Holby City (TV series, 2 episodes, 2001)
Bibliography
- Heartsease (2014)
- Forsyte and Hindsight: Screen Directing for Pleasure and Profit. Kaleidoscope Publishing, 2006.
- Novel on the Screen (W.D.Thomas Memorial Lecture) (1992)
Sources
- Who's Who in Entertainment. Marquis Who's Who, Inc., 1989. Volume 1, p. 106.
- "James Cellan Jones: Director." BFI Southbank: October 2010. pp. 18–19.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "James Cellan Jones obituary". The Times. 10 September 2019.
- ^ a b c "James Cellan Jones and the Classic Serial", Screen. November 1969; Vol. 10, Issue 6: pp. 33-44.
- ^ University of Cambridge. The Cambridge University List of Members for the Year 1991. Cambridge University Press, 1991. p. 228.
- BAFTA. BAFTA.org. 28 June 2012.
- ^ Cellan Jones, James. Forsyte and Hindsight: Screen Directing for Pleasure and Profit. Kaleidoscope Publishing, 2006. Text from back cover and frontispiece.
- ^ Screen International: The international film & television directory, Volume 1. EMAP Media Information, 1993. p. 387.
- ^ Cellan Jones, James. Forsyte and Hindsight: Screen Directing for Pleasure and Profit. Kaleidoscope Publishing, 2006. pp. 167–168.
- ^ Internet Movie Database
- ^ "ITV Wins Major Awards". MediaTel. 11 February 1994.
- ^ Cellan Jones, James. Forsyte and Hindsight: Screen Directing for Pleasure and Profit. Kaleidoscope Publishing, 2006. pp. 14–15.
External links
- James Cellan Jones at IMDb
- James Cellan Jones at the British Film Institute
- James Cellan Jones in the Encyclopedia of Television Film Directors (2009)
- James Cellan Jones at Diamond Management
- James Cellan Jones discusses his career at the BFI October 2010
- Obituary at The Telegraph
- Obituary at BAFTA