
Birthday:
08-06-1910
Deathday:
09-14-1999 (89 years)
Birthplace:
Merseyside, England, UK
Biography
Charles Ainslie Crichton was an English film director and film editor. He became best known for directing comedies produced at Ealing Studios. Crichton enjoyed an extremely long career, editing and directing many films and television programmes over a period exceeding forty years.
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Their works
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The Ealing Comedies
Act like Self
event1970
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The story of the men and women who produced a series of film comedies that were so original and funny that they put Ealing on the map.
Mackendrick: The Man Who Walked Away
Act like Self
event1986
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This 1986 documentary features interviews with director Alexander Mackendrick, actor Burt Lancaster, producer James Hill, and others.
Made In Ealing: The Story of Ealing Studios
Act like Interviewee
event1986 star_border 5
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Documentary about the British film studio. First appeared on the BBC television programme Omnibus.
John Cleese's First Farewell Performance
Act like Self
event1988 star_border 7
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A feature length documentary on the making of A Fish Called Wanda
A Fish Called Wanda
Director
event1988 star_border 7.2
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While a diamond advocate attempts to steal a collection of diamonds, troubles arise when he realises he’s not the only one after the collection.
Things to Come
Editor
event1936 star_border 6.4
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The story of a century: a decades-long second World War leaves plague and anarchy, then a rational state rebuilds civilization and attempts space travel.
The Titfield Thunderbolt
Director
event1953 star_border 7
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When British Railways announce the closure of the Titfield to Mallingford branch line a group of local residents make a bid to run it themselves, backed by a monied member of the community who is attracted by the complete lack of licensing hours on trains. Unfortunately the local bus company starts to use methods that can hardly be seen as fair competition.
Into Infinity
Director
event1975 star_border 3.7
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The spaceship Altares, with a photon drive capable of accelerating it to the speed of light, leaves an Earth-orbiting space station. The Altares crew, two families of scientific specialists, journey at light speed with time-dilation to Alpha Centauri, where they launch several satellites to transmit information on the Centauri star system back to Earth and guide future manned vessels in exploring. The Day after Tomorrow (also known as Into Infinity in the United Kingdom) is a 1975 British science-fiction television special produced by Gerry Anderson between the two seasons of Space: 1999. It stars Brian Blessed, Nick Tate, Joanna Dunham, Katherine Levy and Martin Lev. It aired in the United States on NBC as part of the network's Special Treat childrens series in December 1975, and in the UK on BBC1 in December 1976.
Against the Wind
Director
event1948 star_border 5.8
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A disparate group of volunteers are trained as saboteurs and parachuted into Belgium to blow up an office containing important Nazi records and to rescue a prominent S.O.E. agent, who is being interrogated by the Germans for vital information.
The Lavender Hill Mob
Director
event1951 star_border 7.2
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A meek bank clerk who oversees the shipments of bullion joins with an eccentric neighbor to steal gold bars and smuggle them out of the country.
The Thief of Bagdad
Editor
event1940 star_border 7.1
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When Prince Ahmad is blinded and cast out of Bagdad by the nefarious Jaffar, he joins forces with the scrappy thief Abu to win back his royal place, as well as the heart of a beautiful princess.
Dead of Night
Director
event1945 star_border 7.2
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Architect Walter Craig, seeking the possibility of some work at a country farmhouse, soon finds himself once again stuck in his recurring nightmare. Dreading the end of the dream that he knows is coming, he must first listen to all the assembled guests' own bizarre tales.
The Battle of the Sexes
Director
event1960 star_border 6.7
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Angela Barrows is a man-eating business woman sent by her American employer to investigate their export opportunities in Edinburgh. En route she meets Robert MacPherson, a businessman who asks for her help to bring his company into the 20th Century. The staff, led by Mr Martin, has other ideas—and a battle between the old and new business methods soon breaks out.
Hue and Cry
Director
event1947 star_border 6.3
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A gang of street boys foil a master crook who sends commands for robberies by cunningly altering a comic strip's wording each week, unknown to writer and printer. The first of the Ealing comedies.
The Love Lottery
Director
event1954 star_border 4.8
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Rex Allerton is a top Hollywood star and an idol of the female population. To get away from the pressure of the fans who won't leave him alone, he relocates to a remote Italian village where unanticipated trouble arises when unwittingly he becomes the prize for an international lottery.
The Man in the Sky
Director
event1957 star_border 7.1
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The efforts of test pilot John Mitchell to make a better life for his wife Mary and their two children seem doomed to failure and he blames himself. At the Conway Aero-Manufacturing Company of Wolverhampton, Mitchell is to take the company's new rocket-propulsion transport plane up for tests, fully loaded and carrying two important passengers - Ministry official Crabtree and buyer's representative Ashmore. Mitchell learns from his boss, Reg Conway, that if Ashmore does not recommend the plane, the company will be out of business and Mitchell out of a job, since the plane is not even insured as the firm's entire capital is tied up in the plane. Aloft, an engine catches fire and the passengers and other crew bail out, but Mitchell refuses to obey orders to jettison the plane in the Irish Sea.
Sanders of the River
Editor
event1935 star_border 5.7
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A British District Officer in Nigeria in the 1930s rules his area strictly but justly. He struggles with gun-runners and slavers with the aid of a loyal native chief.
Alien Attack
Director
event1980 star_border 6.2
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Earth's Moon is the site of Moonbase Alpha, a scientific research colony nestled in the crater Plato. Staffed by over 300 men and women from Earth, it is the operations center for several space expeditions. It is also a watchdog for vast amounts of atomic waste from Earth stored in silos on the Moon's far side. Magnetic radiation builds up and causes the wastes to explode with such force that the Earth's centripetal pull on the Moon is overcome, and the Moon is broken free of Earth's orbit to drift at incredible speed out of the Solar System off the plane of the ecliptic. The survivors on Moonbase Alpha are unable to return to Earth and must survive in unknown space on their wandering Moon. They encounter a planet whose advanced people project an illusion of a devastating attack on Moonbase. This TV movie was edited from scenes of two episodes ("Breakaway" and "War Games") of "Space: 1999" (1975).
The Third Secret
Director
event1964 star_border 6.1
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A prominent London psychologist seems to have taken his own life, causing stunned disbelief amongst his colleagues and patients. His teenage daughter refuses to believe it was suicide as this would go against all of the principles her father stood for, therefore she is convinced it was murder. She enlists the help of a former patient to try to get to the truth. However, the truth turns out to be both surprising and disturbing.
Cosmic Princess
Director
event1982 star_border 4.1
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An alien princess aids people stranded on out-of-orbit Moonbase Alpha.
Floods of Fear
Director
event1958 star_border 6.7
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A man framed for murder escapes from prison during a flood and helps a young woman in distress.
For Those in Peril
Director
event1944 star_border 5.2
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A WWII flyer fails to join the RAF so he joins the Air - Sea Rescue instead. His boat is out in all conditions picking up downed pilots and taking them to safety.
Painted Boats
Director
event1945 star_border 6.9
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In this modest drama, set during World War II, two rival boat families battle it out for supremacy.
Dance Hall
Director
event1950 star_border 4.6
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Episodic tale of four factory girls and their various romances at the local dance hall in Chiswick, London. Unusual at the time, the film tells its story from a feminine perspective. Today, it is mainly recognised for its post-war London atmosphere, with bomb sites, trolleybuses and rationing.
Hunted
Director
event1952 star_border 6.7
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An unexpected bond develops between a fugitive killer and a runaway orphan on an odyssey across England.
Train of Events
Director
event1949 star_border 6.2
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A train disaster is told in four short stories to give character studies of the people involved, how it will affect them and how they deal with it.
Another Shore
Director
event1948 star_border 5.1
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A young Irishman comes up with an unusual plan to get the money to emigrate to Tahiti. One of the Ealing comedies.
The Divided Heart
Director
event1954 star_border 6.7
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During World War II, a German woman, Inga, goes missing and is presumed dead. Her infant son is placed in an orphanage where, years later, he's adopted by a childless couple. The adoptive parents' happiness is shattered when Inga reappears and insists on custody of her son.
Law and Disorder
Director
event1958 star_border 6.2
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When Percy Brand, a habitual confidence trickster, keeps being sent down, he goes to great lengths to ensure that his son Colin, does not find out about his criminal past. But when Colin becomes an assistant to the Judge, who is about to try Percy for his latest escapade, Percy and his gang have to come up with a plan, to stop them meeting in court.
Elephant Boy
Editor
event1937 star_border 6.6
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In India, Toomai, a young mahout, helps lead the British on a large expedition to round up wild elephants.
Guests of Honour
Editor
event1941
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Ealing Studios short war documentary
Greek Testament
Associate Producer
event1943 star_border 5.5
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British war documentary
Find, Fix and Strike
Producer
event1942
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Deals with the training of Fleet Air Arm pilots and crew during World War II.
He Who Rides a Tiger
Director
event1965
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Peter Rayston, has been in and out of prison most of his life. At 30, he is released for the eighth time, after serving a sentence for housebreaking. Immediately, he goes back to his old life, providing for his expensive tastes by executing a series of daring burglaries
The Boy Who Stole a Million
Director
event1960 star_border 5.8
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A boy gets involved in a bank robbery
The Big Blockade
Editor
event1942 star_border 6.5
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Wartime propaganda piece reporting on the success of the economic blockade of Germany in the early years of the war.
Young Veteran
Editor
event1940
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The first months of WWII as experienced by the new young recruits - the 'young Berts' - of the British Army.
Old Bill and Son
Editor
event1941 star_border 6.5
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Old Bill has grumbled his way through the trenches of the First World War. Now it is the Second and, envious of his son, Young Bill, he decides to enlist. He finally enters the Pioneer Corps, which is based near his son. When Young Bill goes missing during a raid, Old Bill shows that there's still life in the old dog yet!
21 Days Together
Editor
event1940 star_border 6.1
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After Larry Darrent accidentally kills his lover's blackmailing husband, someone else is arrested for the crime. When he is found guilty, Larry and Wanda have just three weeks together before he must give himself up or let an innocent man go to the gallows.
Space: 1999
Director (16 ep.)
event1975 star_border 7.1
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The crew of Moonbase Alpha must struggle to survive when a massive explosion throws the Moon from orbit into deep space.
Here Come the Double Deckers
Director (1 ep.)
event1970 star_border 6.6
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Here Come the Double Deckers was a 17-part British children's TV series from 1970-71 revolving around the adventures of seven children whose den was an old red double-decker London bus in an unused works yard.
Shirley's World
Director (2 ep.)
event1972 star_border 5
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Shirley's World is a television series aired first by American Broadcasting Company during the U.S. 1971-72 television season. The sitcom was co-produced by the British ITC Entertainment and American producer Sheldon Leonard; it starred Shirley MacLaine as a photojournalist and John Gregson as her editor.
Immediately after the ABC broadcasts ended, the seventeen-episode series was aired in its entirety on ITV in the United Kingdom.
Dick Turpin
Director (4 ep.)
event1979 star_border 7.3
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Richard O'Sullivan stars as Dick Turpin in this action-filled adventure series chronicling the exploits of England's most celebrated highwayman.
Man of the World
Director (4 ep.)
event1962 star_border 7
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Man of the World was an ATV drama series, distributed by ITC Entertainment. The show ran in the United Kingdom in 1962 and 1963 for 20 one-hour episodes in monochrome.
The series stars Craig Stevens as Michael Strait, a world-renowned photographer whose assignments lead him into investigating mysterious goings-on amongst the rich and glamorous and intrigue from far-flung place as Iraq, Indo-China, and Algiers. Tracy Reed co-stars in the first season.
The Protectors
Director (5 ep.)
event1972 star_border 5.6
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The Protectors is a British television series, an action thriller created by Gerry Anderson. It was Anderson's second TV series using live actors as opposed to electronic marionettes, and also his second to be firmly set in contemporary times. It was also the only Gerry Anderson produced television series that was not of the fantasy or science fiction genres. It was produced by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment production company. Despite not featuring marionettes or any real science fiction elements, The Protectors became one of Anderson's most popular productions, easily winning a renewal for a second season. A third season was in the planning stages when the show's major sponsor pulled out, forcing its cancellation.
The Protectors first aired in 1972 and 1973, and ran to 52 episodes over two series, each 25 minutes long - making it one of the last series of this type to be produced in a half-hour format. It starred Robert Vaughn as Harry Rule, Nyree Dawn Porter as the Contessa Caroline di Contini, and Tony Anholt as Paul Buchet. Episodes often featured prominent guest actors.
Danger Man
Director (2 ep.)
event1960 star_border 7.2
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Danger Man is a British television series which was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again between 1964 and 1968. The series featured Patrick McGoohan as secret agent John Drake. Ralph Smart created the programme and wrote many of the scripts. Danger Man was financed by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment.
The Avengers
Director (5 ep.)
event1961 star_border 7.7
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The Avengers is a British television series created in the 1960s. It initially focused on Dr. David Keel and his assistant John Steed. Hendry left after the first series and Steed became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants. His most famous assistants were intelligent, stylish and assertive women: Cathy Gale, Emma Peel and Tara King. Later episodes increasingly incorporated elements of science fiction and fantasy, parody and British eccentricity.
Return of the Saint
Director (2 ep.)
event1978 star_border 7
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Follow the swashbuckling exploits of Simon Templar, a modern-day Robin Hood of sorts.
Man in a Suitcase
Director (6 ep.)
event1967 star_border 7
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Accused of treason, a former U.S. intelligence officer based in London tries to clear his name, taking on freelance jobs around Europe as he searches for answers.
Smuggler
Director (3 ep.)
event1981 star_border 5
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Set during the Napoleonic wars of the early 1800s, Oliver Tobias stars as Jack Vincent, a swashbuckling ex-British naval captain turned smuggler. A strong-willed, independent man who lives by both his wits and the sword, Vincent is ably assisted by Sarah and petty thief Honesty Evans in his struggle to stay one step ahead of the Excise Men...
The Professionals
Director (1 ep.)
event1977 star_border 7.4
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The lives of Bodie and Doyle, top agents for Britain's CI5 (Criminal Intelligence 5), and their controller, George Cowley.
The mandate of CI5 was to fight terrorism and similar high-profile crimes. Cowley, a hard ex-MI5 operative, hand-picked each of his men. Bodie is a cynical ex-SAS paratrooper and mercenary whose nature ran to controlled violence, while his partner, Doyle, comes to CI5 from the regular police force, and is more of an open minded liberal. Their relationship is often contentious, but they are the top men in their field, and the ones to whom Cowley always assigned to the toughest cases.
Strange Report
Director (1 ep.)
event1969 star_border 6
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Strange Report is a British television Adam Strange, a retired Home Office criminologist, solves bizarre cases – which had been marked "Open File" by various government departments – with the help of Hamlyn Gynt, Evelyn and Professor Marks. He employed the latest techniques in forensic investigation, which he undertook in his own laboratory in his flat in Warwick Crescent in the Maida Vale/Little Venice area of Paddington.
The Human Jungle
Director (1 ep.)
event1963 star_border 8.2
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The Human Jungle is a British TV series about a psychiatrist, made for ABC Television by the small production company Independent Artists for transmission on ITV. Starring Herbert Lom, it ran for two series which were first transmitted during 1963 and 1965.
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