Ralph Thomas: Difference between revisions

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
Line 23: Line 23:
===Post War Career===
===Post War Career===
Thomas left the army in 1945 and re-entered the industry, although he could only get work as an assistant editor. He assisted editing ''[[Odd Man Out]]'' then began making [[film trailer]]s for th [[Rank Organisation]]. He worked his way up to becoming head of Rank's trailer department as well as writing films.
Thomas left the army in 1945 and re-entered the industry, although he could only get work as an assistant editor. He assisted editing ''[[Odd Man Out]]'' then began making [[film trailer]]s for th [[Rank Organisation]]. He worked his way up to becoming head of Rank's trailer department as well as writing films.
===Director===

[[Sydney Box]] had enjoyed Thomas's trailer for ''[[Miranda (1948 film)|Miranda]]'' and when a position of director came up due to an unexpected illness, Thomas made his directoral debut in ''[[Once Upon a Dream (1949 film)|Once Upon a Dream]]''.<ref>Dixon p 109</ref>
[[Sydney Box]] had enjoyed Thomas's trailer for ''[[Miranda (1948 film)|Miranda]]'' and when a position of director came up due to an unexpected illness, Thomas made his directoral debut in ''[[Once Upon a Dream (1949 film)|Once Upon a Dream]]''.<ref>Dixon p 109</ref>

After making a few more films, Thomas and his producer [[Betty E. Box]] went under contract with the Rank Organisation where their first film was ''The Clouded Yellow''.

They had a massive box office hit with ''Doctor in the House'' (1954) which led to a number of sequels.


==Filmography==
==Filmography==

Revision as of 02:09, 14 May 2016

For other people named Ralph Thomas, see Ralph Thomas (disambiguation).
Ralph Thomas
Born10 August 1915
Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England
Died17 March 2001(2001-03-17) (aged 85)
London, England
Occupationfilm director
Years active1956–1993

Ralph Philip Thomas MC (10 August 1915 – 17 March 2001) was an English film director, born in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire. He is perhaps best known for directing the Doctor series of films.

His brother, Gerald Thomas, was also a film director, probably best remembered for the Carry On... film series, and his son is the Academy Award-winning film producer, Jeremy Thomas.

He cast the actor James Robertson Justice in many of his films. Thomas often worked with the producer Betty E. Box, who was married to Carry On producer Peter Rogers. Thomas was a nephew of producer Victor Saville.

Biography

Early Career

Born in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, Thomas studied law at Middlesex University College. He entered the film business as a clapper boy at Shepperton Studios in 1932 during his summer vacation while at college. Following graduation, instead of becoming a lawyer he decided to enter the film industry, and became an apprentice at Shepperton Studios, working as a clapper boy and then in the editing room, the sound department and art department. From 1932-34 Thomas worked predominantly on "quota quickies". He discovered he loved editing the most and worked predominantly as an editor for the next few years, including a stint working alongside David Lean. When his employer, Premiere Stafford, went broke he worked for a while as a journalist at the Bristol Evening Post for over a year. He returned to editing before joining the army in 1939.[1]

War Service

During the Second World War, Thomas served with the 9th Lancers rising to the rank of Major and being awarded the Military Cross. He took part in the Battle of El Alamein.[2]

Post War Career

Thomas left the army in 1945 and re-entered the industry, although he could only get work as an assistant editor. He assisted editing Odd Man Out then began making film trailers for th Rank Organisation. He worked his way up to becoming head of Rank's trailer department as well as writing films.

Director

Sydney Box had enjoyed Thomas's trailer for Miranda and when a position of director came up due to an unexpected illness, Thomas made his directoral debut in Once Upon a Dream.[3]

After making a few more films, Thomas and his producer Betty E. Box went under contract with the Rank Organisation where their first film was The Clouded Yellow.

They had a massive box office hit with Doctor in the House (1954) which led to a number of sequels.

Filmography

Template:Multicol

Director

Template:Multicol-break

Template:Multicol-end

Editor

Unmade Films

Notes

  1. ^ Dixon, Wheeler W. "The Director as Journeyman" (Ralph Thomas interview, 3 February 1995), in Collected Interviews: Voices from Twentieth-Century Cinema, SIU Press, 2001, pp. 105-17.
  2. ^ Dixon p 108
  3. ^ Dixon p 109
  4. ^ "Story of women police". The Mail (Adelaide, SA : 1912 - 1954). Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia. 18 October 1952. p. 6 Supplement: SUNDAY MAGAZINE. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ralph_Thomas&oldid=720155207"