Biography for
David Lean (I) More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

25 March 1908, Croydon, Surrey, England, UK

Date of Death

16 April 1991, London, England, UK (throat cancer)

Height

6' 1" (1.85 m)

Mini Biography

An important British filmmaker, David Lean was born in Croydon in 1908 and brought up in a strict Quaker family. Ironically, as a child, he wasn't allowed to go to the movies. During the twenties, he briefly considered the possibility of becoming an accountant like his father before finding a job in a cinema studio in 1927. He worked as tea boy, clapper boy, messenger, then newsreel cutter and finally feature film editor, notably for Anthony Asquith, Paul Czinner and Michael Powell. By the end of the thirties, Lean's reputation as editor was very well established.

In 1942, Noel Coward gave Lean the chance to co-direct with him the war movie 'In which we serve'. Shortly after, with the encouragement of Noel Coward; Lean, cinematographer Ronald Neame and producer Anthony Havelock-Allan launched a production company called Cineguild. For that firm, Lean first directed adaptations of three plays by Noel Coward: the chronicle This Happy Breed (1944), the humorous ghost story Blithe Spirit (1945), and most notably the sentimental drama Brief Encounter (1945). Originally a box office failure in England, Brief Encounter was presented at the very first Cannes film festival (1946) where it won almost unanimous praises as well as a Grand Prize.

From Coward, Lean switched to Dickens, directing two well-regarded adaptations: Great Expectations (1946) and Oliver Twist (1948). The latter, starring Alec Guinness in his first major movie role, was however criticized by some for potential anti-semitic inflections. The two last films film made under the Cineguild banner were The Passionate Friends (1948) a romance from a novel by H. G. Wells, and the true crime story Madeleine (1950). Neither had a significant impact on critics or audiences.

The Cineguild partnership came to an end after a dispute between David Lean and Ronald Neame. Lean's first post-Cineguild production was the aviation drama The Sound Barrier (1952), a great box-office success in England and his most spectacular movie so far. He followed with two sophisticated comedies based on theater plays: Hobson's Choice (1954) and the Anglo-American co-production Summertime (1955). Both were well received and Hobson's choice won the Golden Bear at the 1954 Berlin film festival.

Lean's next movie was pivotal in his career as it was the first of those grand scale epic he will become renown for. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) was produced by Sam Spiegel from a novel by Pierre Boulle adapted by blacklisted writers Michael Wilson and Carl Foreman. Shot in Ceylon under extremely difficult conditions, the film was an international success and triumphed at the Oscars, winning seven awards, most notably best film and director.

Lean and Spiegel followed with an even more ambitious film, Lawrence of Arabia (1962) based on Seven Pillars of Wisdom, the autobiography of T.E. Lawrence. Starring relative newcomer Peter O'Toole, this film was the first collaboration between Lean and writer Robert Bolt, cinematographer Freddie Young and composer Maurice Jarre. The shooting itself took place in Spain, Morrocco and Jordania over a period of 20 months. Initial reviews were mixed and the film was trimmed down shortly after its world premiere and cut even more during a 1971 re-release. Like its predecessor, it won seven Oscars, once again including best film and director.

The same team of Lean, Bolt, Young and Jarre next worked on an adaptation of Boris Pasternak's novel Doctor Zhivago (1965) for producer Carlo Ponti. Spain and Finland stood for revolutionary Russia and, despite divided critics, the film was hugely successful, as was Maurice Jarre's musical score. Doctor Zhivago won five Oscars out of ten nominations, but the statuettes for film and director went to 'The Sound of music'.

Lean's next movie, the sentimental drama Ryan's Daughter (1970/I), did not reach the same heights. The original screenplay by Robert Bolt was produced by old associate Anthony Havelock-Allan, and Lean once again secured the collaboration of Freddie Young and Maurice Jarre. The shooting in Ireland lasted about a year, much longer than expected. The film won two Oscars; but, for the most part, critical reaction was tepid, sometimes downright derisive, and the general public didn't really respond to the movie.

This relative lack of success seems to have inhibited Lean's creativity for a while. But towards the end of the seventies, he started to work again with Robert Bolt on an ambitious two-part movie about the Bounty mutiny. The project fell apart and was eventually recuperated by Dino de Laurentiis. Lean was then approached by producers John Brabourne and Richard Goodwin to adapt E. M. Forster's novel A Passage to India, a book Lean had been interested in for more than 20 years. For the first time of his career; Lean wrote the adaptation alone, basing himself partly on Santha Rama Rau's stage version of the book. Lean also acted as his own editor. The film opened in 1984 to mostly favourable reviews and performed quite well at the box-office. It was a strong Oscar contender, scoring eleven nominations. It settled for two wins, losing the trophy battle to Milos Forman's Amadeus.

David Lean spent the last few years of his life preparing an adaptation of Joseph Conrad's meditative adventure novel Nostromo. He also participated briefly in Richard Harris's restoration of Lawrence Of Arabia in 1988. In 1990, Lean received the American Film Institute's Life Achievement award. He died of cancer in April 1991, shortly before the shooting of Nostromo was about to begin.

Lean was known on sets for his extreme perfectionism and autocratic behaviour, an attitude that sometimes alienated his cast or crew. Though his cinematic approach, classic and refined, clearly belongs to a bygone era, his films have aged rather well and his influence can still be found in movies like The English Patient and Titanic. In 1999, the British Film Institute compiled a list of the 100 favourite British films of the 20th century. Five movies by David Lean appeared in the top 30, three of them in the top five.

IMDb Mini Biography By: François Leclair

Spouse

Sandra Cooke	(15 December 1990 - 16 April 1991) (his death)
Sandra Hotz	(28 October 1981 - 1984) (divorced)
Leila Matkar	(4 July 1960 - 1978) (divorced)
Ann Todd	(21 May 1949 - 1957) (divorced)
Kay Walsh	(23 November 1940 - 1949) (divorced)
Isabel Lean	(28 June 1930 - 1936) (divorced) 1 child

Trade Mark

Frequently cast Alec Guinness, Ann Todd, and Omar Sharif.

Trains/locomotives playing a significant role in the film's plot (e.g., Brief Encounter (1945), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Summertime (1955), Doctor Zhivago (1965), etc.).

Trivia

He was honoured with the American Film Institute Life Achievement Award in 1990.

Was in final pre-production for the filming of "Nostromo" (based on the Joseph Conrad novel) when he died.

According to Richard Schickel, Lean was so wounded by Pauline Kael's and other critics' vicious attacks on Ryan's Daughter (1970/I) that he didn't direct another picture for 14 years, until A Passage to India (1984).

His third wife was previously married to his first cousin, Nigel Tangye .

His first wife was his first cousin, Isabel Lean (b. 1908).

Originally wanted to direct Empire of the Sun (1987), but passed it on to Steven Spielberg because of advancing years.

He was married 6 times and at all times briefly, apparently having been unable to maintain a marriage due to his wandering eye. He also declined to discuss his personal life.

Was voted the 34th Greatest Director of all time by Entertainment Weekly.

Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume One, 1890- 1945". Pages 633-639. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1987.

Towards the end of his life, he said he'd like to have another go at filming Boris Pasternak's "Doctor Zhivago." The prerequisite for remaking the film would be the casting of Julie Christie once again as Lara, but since she would be too old for the part, he wouldn't be able to do it.

Directed 11 different actors in Oscar-nominated performances: 'Celia Johnson', Katharine Hepburn, Alec Guinness, Sessue Hayakawa, Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Tom Courtenay, John Mills, Sarah Miles, Peggy Ashcroft and Judy Davis. Guiness, Mills and Ashcroft won for their performances in one of Lean's movies.

He was signed to direct several major stars including Marlon Brando, Dennis Quaid and Paul Scofield in a film version of Joseph Conrad's "Nostromo" when he was diagnosed with throat cancer, and died three months later. The film was never made.

Peter O'Toole based his performance in The Stunt Man (1980) on Lean.

In his home town of Croydon, South London, there is a cinema named after him in the Croydon Clocktower Arts Centre.

Once screened Lawrence of Arabia (1962) with Steven Spielberg. Lean gave Spielberg a "live director's commentary" (as Spielberg put it). Spielberg said it was one of the best moments of his life, learning from a true master. Consequently, Spielberg stated that it helped him make better pictures and that commentary directly influenced every movie he has made since.

According to Sarah Miles, Lean enjoyed pushing his actors to their personal limits and then breaking them, just for his own amusement.

Frequently worked with Alec Guinness. When he recommended that Steven Spielberg direct Empire of the Sun (1987), Spielberg ended up hiring Eve Mavrakis as a translator. Fittingly, Mavrakis would go on to marry Ewan McGregor, who succeeded Guinness in the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

He was made a Fellow of the British Film Institute in recognition of his outstanding contribution to film culture.

Expressed an interest, in 1955, in making a film version of the BBC Light Programme's "Journey into Space" SF radio serial.

Personal Quotes

Actors can be a terrible bore on the set, though I enjoy having dinner with them.

I wouldn't take the advice of a lot of so-called critics on how to shoot a close-up of a teapot.

Always cast against the part and it won't be boring.

When the great actor says the line, you can put scissors precisely at the point A and it's wonderful. When the star says the line, you can hold for four frames longer because something else happens.

[On the Academy Awards] "If you have no hope of getting one, they're despised. But it you have, they're very important."

Film is a dramatized reality and it is the director's job to make it appear real... an audience should not be conscious of technique.

I think people remember pictures not dialogue. That's why I like pictures.

[on Anthony Asquith] A hell of a good director.

[on Charles Laughton] Charm, you see, a terrific man to work with. You had to hold him down a bit. What a talent!

I like making films about characters I'd like to have dinner with.

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