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{{Short description|English film director and screenwriter (1912–1984)}} |
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| years_active = 1935–1975 |
| years_active = 1935–1975 |
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{{One source|date=February 2022}} |
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'''John Gilling''' (29 May 1912 – 22 November 1984) was an English film director and screenwriter, born in London. He was |
'''John Gilling''' (29 May 1912 – 22 November 1984) was an English film director and screenwriter, born in London. He was known for his [[horror film|horror movies]], especially those he made for [[Hammer Films]], for whom he directed ''[[The Shadow of the Cat]]'' (1961), ''[[The Plague of the Zombies]]'' (1966), ''[[The Reptile]]'' (1966) and ''[[The Mummy's Shroud]]'' (1967), ''[[La cruz del diablo|Cross of the Devil]]'' (1975), among others. |
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==Biography== |
==Biography== |
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Gilling left a job in England with an oil company at the age of 17 and |
Gilling left a job in England with an oil company at the age of 17 and spent a period in Hollywood, working in the film industry some of the time, before returning to England in 1933.<ref name="CM">Steve Chibnall & Brian McFarlane, ''The British 'B' Film'', Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2009, pp. 133–35.</ref> He entered the British film industry immediately as an editor and assistant director, starting with ''[[Father O'Flynn]]''. He served in the [[Royal Navy]] in the [[Second World War]]. |
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After the war Gilling |
After the war, Gilling wrote the script for ''[[Black Memory]]'' (1947), and made his directing debut with ''[[Escape from Broadmoor]]'' (1948). Gilling also produced and directed ''[[Old Mother Riley Meets the Vampire]]'' (a.k.a. ''Vampire Over London'' / ''My Son the Vampire'') in 1952. Gilling continued through the 1950s making second features such as ''[[The Voice of Merrill]]'' for [[Monty Berman]]'s [[Tempean Films]] and entered television directing in several British series that received international distribution such as ''[[Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Presents]]'' and ''[[Gideon's Way]]'', as well as Monty Berman's ''[[The Saint (TV series)|The Saint]]'', ''[[The Champions]]'', and ''[[Department S (TV series)|Department S]]''. Of his films for Tempean, the film historians Steve Chibnall and Brian McFarlane say: "Gilling shows in all of them a capacity for establishing the premises of his plots economically and evocatively, for developing them with clarity and speed, for giving competent players a chance to invest their characters with a feeling and detail that go beyond stereotype, and for making deft use of limited locations and settings."<ref name="CM"/> |
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Starting in 1956 Gilling directed and wrote several films for [[Albert R. Broccoli]] and [[Irving Allen]]'s [[Warwick Films]] beginning with ''[[Odongo]]''. Perhaps his very best film as a director is ''[[The Flesh and the Fiends]]'' (1959), the story of [[Robert Knox|Dr. Robert Knox]] and [[Burke and Hare murders|the West Port murders]], which starred [[Peter Cushing]] and [[Donald Pleasence]]. For his own production company John Gilling Enterprises he made ''[[Fury at Smugglers' Bay]]'' in 1961. |
Starting in 1956, Gilling directed and wrote several films for [[Albert R. Broccoli]] and [[Irving Allen]]'s [[Warwick Films]] beginning with ''[[Odongo]]''. Perhaps his very best film as a director is ''[[The Flesh and the Fiends]]'' (1959), the story of [[Robert Knox|Dr. Robert Knox]] and [[Burke and Hare murders|the West Port murders]], which starred [[Peter Cushing]] and [[Donald Pleasence]]. For his own production company, John Gilling Enterprises, he made ''[[Fury at Smugglers' Bay]]'' in 1961. |
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Gilling first worked for [[Hammer Films]] in 1961, directing ''[[Shadow of the Cat]]''. He achieved his greatest |
Gilling first worked for [[Hammer Films]] in 1961, directing ''[[The Shadow of the Cat]]''. He achieved his greatest attention with several of their horror films such as ''[[The Plague of the Zombies]]'' and ''[[The Reptile]]'', as well as making the non-horror Hammer films ''[[The Pirates of Blood River]]'' (1962) and ''[[The Scarlet Blade]]'' (1963). Gilling also directed the crime thriller ''[[The Challenge (1960 film)|The Challenge]]'' starring [[Anthony Quayle]] and [[Jayne Mansfield]], the science fiction film ''[[Night Caller from Outer Space|The Night Caller]]'' (1965) starring [[John Saxon]] and [[Maurice Denham]], and the second [[Charles Vine]] spy movie ''[[Where the Bullets Fly]]'' (1966). |
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Following a final round of work in British television Gilling relocated to [[Spain]], where he came out of retirement in 1975 to make ''[[La cruz del diablo|Cross of the Devil]]'', his final film. |
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Gilling retired to [[Spain]] where he whiled away the time painting. |
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==Filmography== |
==Filmography== |
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===Director=== |
===Director=== |
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{{div col| |
{{div col|colwidth=22em}} |
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* ''[[Escape from Broadmoor]]'' (1948) |
* ''[[Escape from Broadmoor]]'' (1948) |
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* ''[[A Matter of Murder]]'' (1949) |
* ''[[A Matter of Murder]]'' (1949) |
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* ''[[No Trace]]'' (1950) |
* ''[[No Trace (1950 film)|No Trace]]'' (1950) |
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* ''[[The Quiet Woman]]'' (1951) |
* ''[[The Quiet Woman]]'' (1951) |
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* ''[[The Frightened Man]]'' (1952) |
* ''[[The Frightened Man]]'' (1952) |
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* ''[[Destination Milan]]'' (1954) |
* ''[[Destination Milan]]'' (1954) |
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* ''[[The Gilded Cage (1955 film)|The Gilded Cage]]'' (1955) |
* ''[[The Gilded Cage (1955 film)|The Gilded Cage]]'' (1955) |
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* ''[[Tiger by the Tail]]'' (1955) |
* ''[[Tiger by the Tail (1955 film)|Tiger by the Tail]]'' (1955) |
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* ''[[Odongo]]'' (1956) |
* ''[[Odongo]]'' (1956) |
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* ''[[The Gamma People]]'' (1956) |
* ''[[The Gamma People]]'' (1956) |
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===Screenwriter=== |
===Screenwriter=== |
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{{div col| |
{{div col|colwidth=22em}} |
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* ''[[Black Memory]]'' (1947) |
* ''[[Black Memory]]'' (1947) |
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* ''[[A Gunman Has Escaped]]'' (1948) |
* ''[[A Gunman Has Escaped]]'' (1948) |
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* ''[[The Greed of William Hart]]'' (1948) |
* ''[[The Greed of William Hart]]'' (1948) |
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* ''[[House of Darkness (film)|House of Darkness]]'' (1948) |
* ''[[House of Darkness (1948 film)|House of Darkness]]'' (1948) |
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* ''[[Man in Black (film)|Man in Black]]'' (1949) |
* ''[[Man in Black (film)|Man in Black]]'' (1949) |
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* ''[[The Man from Yesterday (1949 film)|The Man from Yesterday]]'' (1949) |
* ''[[The Man from Yesterday (1949 film)|The Man from Yesterday]]'' (1949) |
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* ''[[Guilt Is My Shadow]]'' (1950) |
* ''[[Guilt Is My Shadow]]'' (1950) |
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* ''[[Room to Let (1950 film)|Room to Let]]'' (1950) |
* ''[[Room to Let (1950 film)|Room to Let]]'' (1950) |
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* ''[[No Trace]]'' (1950) |
* ''[[No Trace (1950 film)|No Trace]]'' (1950) |
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* ''[[Blackout (1950 film)|Blackout]]'' (1950) |
* ''[[Blackout (1950 film)|Blackout]]'' (1950) |
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* ''[[Dark Interval]]'' (1950) |
* ''[[Dark Interval]]'' (1950) |
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* ''[[The Rossiter Case]]'' (1951) |
* ''[[The Rossiter Case]]'' (1951) |
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* ''[[The Quiet Woman]]'' (1951) |
* ''[[The Quiet Woman]]'' (1951) (co-written, with [[Ruth Adam]]) |
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* ''[[Chelsea Story]]'' (1951) |
* ''[[Chelsea Story]]'' (1951) |
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* ''[[Blind Man's Bluff (1952 film)|Blind Man's Bluff]]'' (1952) |
* ''[[Blind Man's Bluff (1952 film)|Blind Man's Bluff]]'' (1952) |
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* ''[[Double Exposure (1954 film)|Double Exposure]]'' (1954) |
* ''[[Double Exposure (1954 film)|Double Exposure]]'' (1954) |
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* ''[[The Embezzler (1954 film)|The Embezzler]]'' (1954) |
* ''[[The Embezzler (1954 film)|The Embezzler]]'' (1954) |
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* ''[[Profile (film)|Profile]]'' (1954) |
* ''[[Profile (1954 film)|Profile]]'' (1954) |
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* ''[[Windfall (1955 film)|Windfall]]'' (1955) |
* ''[[Windfall (1955 film)|Windfall]]'' (1955) |
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* ''[[Tiger by the Tail]]'' (1955) |
* ''[[Tiger by the Tail (1955 film)|Tiger by the Tail]]'' (1955) |
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* ''[[Bond of Fear]]'' (1956) |
* ''[[Bond of Fear]]'' (1956) |
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* ''[[Odongo]]'' (1956) |
* ''[[Odongo]]'' (1956) |
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== References== |
== References== |
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{{ |
{{reflist}} |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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[[Category:1912 births]] |
[[Category:1912 births]] |
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[[Category:1984 deaths]] |
[[Category:1984 deaths]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:British horror film directors]] |
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[[Category:Horror film directors]] |
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[[Category:Film directors from London]] |
[[Category:Film directors from London]] |
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[[Category:Royal Navy personnel of World War II]] |
Revision as of 05:03, 23 July 2024
John Gilling | |
---|---|
Born | John Gilling 29 May 1912 London, England |
Died | 22 November 1984 Madrid, Spain | (aged 72)
Occupation(s) | Film director, screenwriter |
Years active | 1935–1975 |
This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (February 2022) |
John Gilling (29 May 1912 – 22 November 1984) was an English film director and screenwriter, born in London. He was known for his horror movies, especially those he made for Hammer Films, for whom he directed The Shadow of the Cat (1961), The Plague of the Zombies (1966), The Reptile (1966) and The Mummy's Shroud (1967), Cross of the Devil (1975), among others.
Biography
Gilling left a job in England with an oil company at the age of 17 and spent a period in Hollywood, working in the film industry some of the time, before returning to England in 1933.[1] He entered the British film industry immediately as an editor and assistant director, starting with Father O'Flynn. He served in the Royal Navy in the Second World War.
After the war, Gilling wrote the script for Black Memory (1947), and made his directing debut with Escape from Broadmoor (1948). Gilling also produced and directed Old Mother Riley Meets the Vampire (a.k.a. Vampire Over London / My Son the Vampire) in 1952. Gilling continued through the 1950s making second features such as The Voice of Merrill for Monty Berman's Tempean Films and entered television directing in several British series that received international distribution such as Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Presents and Gideon's Way, as well as Monty Berman's The Saint, The Champions, and Department S. Of his films for Tempean, the film historians Steve Chibnall and Brian McFarlane say: "Gilling shows in all of them a capacity for establishing the premises of his plots economically and evocatively, for developing them with clarity and speed, for giving competent players a chance to invest their characters with a feeling and detail that go beyond stereotype, and for making deft use of limited locations and settings."[1]
Starting in 1956, Gilling directed and wrote several films for Albert R. Broccoli and Irving Allen's Warwick Films beginning with Odongo. Perhaps his very best film as a director is The Flesh and the Fiends (1959), the story of Dr. Robert Knox and the West Port murders, which starred Peter Cushing and Donald Pleasence. For his own production company, John Gilling Enterprises, he made Fury at Smugglers' Bay in 1961.
Gilling first worked for Hammer Films in 1961, directing The Shadow of the Cat. He achieved his greatest attention with several of their horror films such as The Plague of the Zombies and The Reptile, as well as making the non-horror Hammer films The Pirates of Blood River (1962) and The Scarlet Blade (1963). Gilling also directed the crime thriller The Challenge starring Anthony Quayle and Jayne Mansfield, the science fiction film The Night Caller (1965) starring John Saxon and Maurice Denham, and the second Charles Vine spy movie Where the Bullets Fly (1966).
Following a final round of work in British television Gilling relocated to Spain, where he came out of retirement in 1975 to make Cross of the Devil, his final film.
Filmography
Director
- Escape from Broadmoor (1948)
- A Matter of Murder (1949)
- No Trace (1950)
- The Quiet Woman (1951)
- The Frightened Man (1952)
- Mother Riley Meets the Vampire (1952)
- The Voice of Merrill (1952)
- Deadly Nightshade (1953)
- Recoil (1953)
- Escape by Night (1953)
- Three Steps to the Gallows (1953)
- Double Exposure (1954)
- The Embezzler (1954)
- Destination Milan (1954)
- The Gilded Cage (1955)
- Tiger by the Tail (1955)
- Odongo (1956)
- The Gamma People (1956)
- Interpol (1957)
- High Flight (1957)
- The Man Inside (1958)
- The Bandit of Zhobe (1959)
- Idol on Parade (1959)
- The Flesh and the Fiends (1960)
- The Challenge (1960)
- Fury at Smugglers' Bay (1961)
- The Shadow of the Cat (1961)
- The Pirates of Blood River (1962)
- Panic (1963)
- The Scarlet Blade (1964)
- The Brigand of Kandahar (1965)
- The Night Caller (1965)
- Where the Bullets Fly (1966)
- The Plague of the Zombies (1966)
- The Reptile (1966)
- The Mummy's Shroud (1967)
- La cruz del diablo (1975)
Screenwriter
- Black Memory (1947)
- A Gunman Has Escaped (1948)
- The Greed of William Hart (1948)
- House of Darkness (1948)
- Man in Black (1949)
- The Man from Yesterday (1949)
- A Matter of Murder (1949)
- The Lady Craved Excitement (1950)
- Guilt Is My Shadow (1950)
- Room to Let (1950)
- No Trace (1950)
- Blackout (1950)
- Dark Interval (1950)
- The Rossiter Case (1951)
- The Quiet Woman (1951) (co-written, with Ruth Adam)
- Chelsea Story (1951)
- Blind Man's Bluff (1952)
- Whispering Smith Hits London (1952)
- The Frightened Man (1952)
- 13 East Street (1952)
- Wings of Danger (1952)
- King of the Underworld (1952)
- The Lost Hours (1952)
- The Voice of Merrill (1952)
- The Steel Key (1953)
- Recoil (1953)
- Escape by Night (1953)
- Three Steps to the Gallows (1953)
- Double Exposure (1954)
- The Embezzler (1954)
- Profile (1954)
- Windfall (1955)
- Tiger by the Tail (1955)
- Bond of Fear (1956)
- Odongo (1956)
- The Gamma People (1956)
- The Man Inside (1958)
- The Bandit of Zhobe (1959)
- Killers of Kilimanjaro (1959)
- The Flesh and the Fiends (1960)
- The Challenge (1960)
- Fury at Smugglers' Bay (1961)
- The Pirates of Blood River (1962)
- Panic (1963)
- The Scarlet Blade (1964)
- The Gorgon (1964)
- The Secret of Blood Island (1964)
- The Brigand of Kandahar (1965)
- The Mummy's Shroud (1967)
- Trog (1970)
- La cruz del diablo (1975)
References
External links
- John Gilling at IMDb