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IMDbPro

Harold French(1900-1997)

  • Director
  • Actor
  • Writer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
London-born Harold French made his name on the stage, both as an actor and director. He crossed over to films, making his acting debut in 1920. He became a director shortly before the beginning of World War II, debuting with The Cavalier of the Streets (1937), and made a well-received adaptation of A.E.W. Mason's thriller, Secret Mission (1942). He didn't score again until 1948, with My Brother Jonathan (1948). Known more for his romantic dramas and comedies, French switched to a period action piece, Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1953). He directed his last film, The Man Who Loved Redheads (1955) in 1955 and went back to writing. Toward the end of his career he returned to directing in the theatre. While he may not have been classified among the top-ranked British directors, he nevertheless turned out many well-made, entertaining films over his 20-year-plus career.
BornApril 23, 1900
DiedOctober 19, 1997(97)
BornApril 23, 1900
DiedOctober 19, 1997(97)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Add photos, demo reels
  • Awards
    • 1 win & 2 nominations total

Known for

Adam and Evalyn (1949)
Adam and Evalyn
6.2
  • Director
  • 1949
The Dancing Years (1950)
The Dancing Years
6.0
  • Director
  • 1950
Encore (1951)
Encore
6.9
  • Director(segment "Gigolo and Gigolette")
  • 1951
Claude Rains and Märta Torén in The Paris Express (1952)
The Paris Express
6.3
  • Director
  • 1952

Credits

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IMDbPro

Director



  • The Sentimental Agent (1963)
    The Sentimental Agent
    7.0
    TV Series
    • Director
    • 1963
  • Theatre Night (1957)
    Theatre Night
    8.2
    TV Series
    • Director
    • 1959–1960
  • Walt Disney in The Magical World of Disney (1954)
    The Magical World of Disney
    8.3
    TV Series
    • Director
    • 1956
  • The Man Who Loved Redheads (1955)
    The Man Who Loved Redheads
    5.8
    • Director
    • 1955
  • Forbidden Cargo (1954)
    Forbidden Cargo
    6.5
    • Director
    • 1954
  • Eileen Herlie, Cecil Parker, and Donald Wolfit in Uncle Willie's Bicycle Shop (1953)
    Uncle Willie's Bicycle Shop
    5.9
    • Director
    • 1953
  • Glynis Johns and Richard Todd in Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1953)
    Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue
    6.3
    • Director
    • 1953
  • Claude Rains and Märta Torén in The Paris Express (1952)
    The Paris Express
    6.3
    • Director
    • 1952
  • The Hour of 13 (1952)
    The Hour of 13
    6.3
    • Director
    • 1952
  • Encore (1951)
    Encore
    6.9
    • Director (segment "Gigolo and Gigolette")
    • 1951
  • Trio (1950)
    Trio
    7.1
    • Director (segment "Sanatorium")
    • 1950
  • The Dancing Years (1950)
    The Dancing Years
    6.0
    • Director
    • 1950
  • Adam and Evalyn (1949)
    Adam and Evalyn
    6.2
    • Director
    • 1949
  • Dirk Bogarde in Quartet (1948)
    Quartet
    7.3
    • Director (segment "The Alien Corn")
    • 1948
  • The Blind Goddess (1948)
    The Blind Goddess
    6.3
    • Director
    • 1948

Actor



  • Elvis (1990)
    Elvis
    8.0
    TV Series
    • Harley Calder
    • 1990
  • Two on a Doorstep
    • Jimmy Blair
    • 1936
  • A Fire Has Been Arranged (1935)
    A Fire Has Been Arranged
    5.5
    • Toby
    • 1935
  • The Girl in the Crowd (1934)
    The Girl in the Crowd
    5.3
    • Bob
    • 1934
  • The Bedroom Diplomat (1934)
    The Bedroom Diplomat
    • Nottingham
    • 1934
  • Murder at the Inn
    • Tony
    • 1934
  • Faces
    • Ted
    • 1934
  • The Umbrella (1933)
    The Umbrella
    4.7
    • Freddie Wallace
    • 1933
  • Mannequin
    5.7
    • Peter Tattersall
    • 1933
  • I Adore You
    6.8
    • Norman Young
    • 1933
  • Night of the Garter (1933)
    Night of the Garter
    • Teddy Darling
    • 1933
  • Yes, Madam
    • Bill Quinton
    • 1933
  • A Tight Corner
    • Tony Titmouse
    • 1932
  • Harold French and Francis L. Sullivan in When London Sleeps (1932)
    When London Sleeps
    6.2
    • Tommy Blythe
    • 1932
  • A Safe Proposition
    • Reggie Holloway
    • 1932

Writer



  • Claude Rains and Märta Torén in The Paris Express (1952)
    The Paris Express
    6.3
    • screenplay
    • 1952
  • High Fury (1947)
    High Fury
    5.9
    • screen play
    • story
    • 1947
  • Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in When Thief Meets Thief (1937)
    When Thief Meets Thief
    5.8
    • Writer
    • 1937
  • Crime Over London (1936)
    Crime Over London
    6.4
    • additional dialogue
    • 1936

Personal details

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  • Height
    • 5′ 11½″ (1.82 m)
  • Born
    • April 23, 1900
    • Lambeth, London, England, UK
  • Died
    • October 19, 1997
    • Fulham, London, England, UK(undisclosed)
  • Spouse
    • Phyllis? - 1941 (her death)
  • Other works
    Stage: Directed Paul Vulpius' and Hubert Griffith's play, "Youth at the Helm," at the Westminster Repertory Theatre in Westminster, London, England, with Alastair Sim, O.B. Clarence, David Bird, Vera Lennox and Jack Melford in the cast.
  • Publicity listings
    • 2 Print Biographies

Did you know

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  • Trivia
    Wife, Phyllis, was killed in a bomb raid in 1941.
  • Quotes
    [on his uncredited contributions to Major Barbara (1940), officially directed by Gabriel Pascal] I co-directed quite a lot of that with David Lean. Pascal knew nothing at all about directing and in the end he paid me quite a lot of money not to have my name [listed] as a director of it. Gabby hadn't the slightest idea--I mean, sometimes he would look through a view-finder the wrong way around! But he had the money, and he had the ear of George Bernard Shaw, which he got for £1! I think Shaw was amused--and bemused--by Pascal.

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