Jack Lee

Personal Info

Known For Director

Gender Male

Birthday 1913-01-27

Deathday 2002-10-15 (89 years old)

Place of Birth Slad, Gloucestershire, England

Jack Lee

Biography

Wilfred John Raymond Lee (27 January 1913 – 15 October 2002) was a British film director, screenwriter, editor, and producer, who directed a number of postwar films on location in Asia and Australia for The Rank Organisation. Lee was born in the village of Slad near Stroud, Gloucestershire, the eldest brother of Laurie Lee, author of Cider with Rosie. In childhood, the two boys were close but fell out in later life. Natural rivals, Jack gained a place at the grammar school (Marling School in Stroud); Laurie failed to do so, attending Stroud Central School for Boys. He directed and co-wrote the screenplay of the pioneering motorcycle speedway film Once a Jolly Swagman (1949) which starred Dirk Bogarde. Among Jack Lee's other films are The Wooden Horse (1950), a popular Second World War POW escape film; Turn the Key Softly (1953), a realistic drama; A Town Like Alice (1956), starring Virginia McKenna and Peter Finch, based on Nevil Shute's novel; and Robbery Under Arms (1957), a Western-style adventure set in Australia, based on the 1888 bushranger novel by "Rolf Boldrewood". During the Australian feature film renaissance ushered in with Picnic at Hanging Rock, he served as chairman (from 1976 to 1981) of the South Australian Film Corporation, which started the careers of Bruce Beresford and Peter Weir.

Known For

Director

1960
1959
1957
Robbery Under Arms

as Director

1956
A Town Like Alice

as Director

1953
1953
South of Algiers

as Director

1950
The Wooden Horse

as Director

1949
1947
Children on Trial

as Director

1947
1941
The Pilot Is Safe

as Director

1941
Ordinary People

as Director

Writer

1953
Turn the Key Softly

as Screenplay

1947
The Woman in the Hall

as Screenplay

1947