Star Archive


Frank Launder (1906 - 1997)  and Sidney Gilliat (1908 - 1994) 

Launder and Gilliat were one of the most productive teams to work in British films. Separately or together they were involved in some of the greatest works of popular cinema made in this country. Their careers followed a typical path: scrabbling around doing bits of work here and there, a slow build up to a position where they could make what they wanted, a plateau of quality and then the slow decline. There's not a lot to be said about their personas so I'll let the filmography do the talking.

This still leaves the question "What makes a Launder and Gilliat film?". They got to the top of their profession as WWII was looming and proceeded over the next decade and a half to show us as we wanted to be shown: eccentric but real. Their films were good natured and comic but rooted in a recognisable reality. They mastered several genres: social-realism (Waterloo Road), thriller (Green for Danger) but specialised in comedy. They brought the monstrous girls of St Trinian's to the screen though their best school comedy is the sublime The Happiest Days of Your Life.

Photo of Launder and GilliattStill from The Rake's ProgressStill from Green for DangerPoster for The Blue LagoonStill from The Happiest Days of Your LifeStill from The Happiest Days of Your LifeOn the set of GeordieStill from Left, Right and CentreStill from Left, Right and CentreStill from The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan

  Filmography

Launder

Gilliat

Producer Writer Director Producer Writer Director
1928 Cocktails - uncred. titles - - - -
1928 Toni - - - - uncred. titles -
1928 Champagne - - - - uncred. titles -
1928 Adam's Apple - - - - uncred. titles -
1928 Weekend Wives - - - - uncred. titles -
1929 The Tryst - - - - - co.
1929 Would You Believe it? - - - - uncred. add. ass. dir.
1929 Under the Greenwood Tree - co. - - - -
1930 Red Pearls - - - - uncred. ass. dir.
1930 You'd Be Surprised - - - - uncred. add. gags ass. dir.
1930 Lord Richard in the Pantry - - - - uncred. -
1930 Bed and Breakfast - - - - uncred. -
1930 The Compulsory Husband - uncred. dial. - - - -
1930 Song of Soho - co. - - - -
1930 Harmony Heaven - uncred. add dial. - - - -
1930 The W Plan - co. - - - -
1930 The Middle Watch - co. - - - -
1930 The Children of Chance - co. - - - -
1930 How He Lied to Her Husband - sc. - - - -
1930 The Woman Between - co.sc. - - - -
1931 Third Time Lucky - - - - uncred. add. dial. -
1931 The Ringer - - - - uncred. add. dial. -
1931 The Ghost Train - - - - uncred. add. dial. -
1931 The Happy Ending - - - - uncred. co. sc. -
1931 A Gentleman of Paris - - - - co. sc. -
1931 A Night in Marseilles - - - - sc. -
1931 Two-way Street - - - - uncred. sc. -
1931 Keepers of Youth - co. - - - -
1931 Hobson's Choice - sc. - - - -
1932 After Office Hours - co. sc. - - - -
1932 The Last Coupon - co.sc. - - - -
1932 Josser in the Army - sc. - - - -
1932 Arms and the Man - uncred. - - - -
1932 For the Love of Mike - co. sc. - - - -
1932 Lord Babs - - - - uncred. add. material -
1932 Jack's the Boy - - - - uncred. sc. cont. -
1932 Rome Express - - - - sc. -
1933 Hawleys of High Street - co. sc. - - - -
1933 Facing the Music - co. adapt. - - - -
1933 You Made Me Love You - sc. - - - -
1933 A Southern Maid - co. sc. - - - -
1933 Happy - co. sc. - - - -
1933 Sign Please - - - - sc. -
1933 Post Haste - - - - sc. -
1933 Facing the Music - - - - co. st. -
1933 Falling for you - - - - st. -
1933 Orders is Orders - - - - co. sc. -
1933 Friday the Thirteenth - - - - co. st. -
1934 Those Were The Days - co. sc. - - - -
1934 Jack Ahoy! - - - - co. sc. -
1934 Chu-Chin-Chow - - - - co. sc. -
1934 My Heart is Calling - - - - adapt/ dial. -
1935 Emil and the Detectives - co. sc. - - - -
1935 Rolling Home - sc. - - - -
1935 So You Won't Talk! - co. sc. - - - -
1935 Mr What's-his-name - co.sc. - - - -
1935 I Give My Heart - co. sc. - - - -
1935 Get Off My Foot - co. sc. - - - -
1935 The Black Mask - co. sc. - - - -
1935 Bulldog Jack - - - - co. sc. -
1935 The Tunnel - - - - (1st draft script) -
1935 King of the Damned - - - - co. sc. -
1936 Where's Sally? - co. sc. - - - -
1936 Where There's a Will - - - uncred. co. ass. co. st. co. sc. -
1936 Seven Sinners - co. sc. - - co. sc. -
1936 Twelve Good Men - co. sc. - - co. sc. -
1936 The Man Who Changed His Mind - - - uncred. co. ass. co. sc. -
1936 Strangers on Honeymoon - - - - co. sc. -
1936 Educated Evans - co. sc. - - - -
1936 Tudor Rose - - - uncred. co. ass. - -
1936 Everybody Dance - - - uncred. co. ass. - -
1937 Don't Get Me Wrong - uncred. co. sc. - - - -
1937 Oh, Mr Porter! - story - - - -
1937 Take My Tip - - - - co. sc. -
1937 A Yank at Oxford - - - - co. st. -
1938 Strange Boarders - - - - co. sc. -
1938 The Lady Vanishes - co. sc. - - co. sc. -
1938 The Gaunt Stranger - - - - sc. -
1939 Ask a Policeman - - - - st. -
1939 Jamaica Inn - - - - co. sc./ dial. -
1939 A Girl Must Live - sc. - - - -
1939 Inspector Hornleigh on Holiday - co. sc. - - co. sc. -
1940 They Came By Night - co. sc. - - co. sc. -
1940 Night Train to Munich - co. sc. - - co. sc. -
1940 Inspector Hornleigh Goes To It - story - - - -
1940 The Girl in the News - - - - sc. -
1941 The Ghost Train - - - - uncred. addit. dial. -
1941 Kipps - - - - sc. -
1941 Mr Proudfoot Shows a Light - - - - st. -
1941 You're Telling Me! - - - - sc. -
1941 From the Four Corners - - - - uncred. sc. -
1942 Unpublished Story - - - - uncred. co. sc. -
1942 The Young Mr. Pitt - co. sc. - - co. sc. -
1942 Uncensored - uncred. co. sc. - - uncred. co. sc. -
1942 Partners in Crime - co. st. co. - co. co.
1943 Millions Like Us - co. co. - co. co.
1943 We Dive at Dawn - uncred. co. sc. - - - -
1944 Soldier, Sailor - sc. - - - -
1944 Waterloo Road - - - - sc. dir.
1944 Two Thousand Women - sc. dir. - - -
1945 The Rake's Progress co. co. - co. co. dir.
1946 I See a Dark Stranger co. co. dir. co. co. st. co. sc. -
1946 Green for Danger co. - - co. co. dir.
1947 Captain Boycott co. co. dir. co. - -
1948 The Blue Lagoon co. co. dir. co. - -
1948 London Belongs to Me co. - - co. co. dir.
1950 State Secret co. - - co. co. st., sc. dir.
1950 The Happiest Days of your Life co. co. dir. co. - -
1951 Lady Godiva Rides Again co. co. dir. co. - -
1952 Folly to be Wise co. co. dir. co. - -
1953 The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan co. - - co. co. dir.
1954 The Belles of St. Trinian's co. co. dir. co. co. -
1954 The Constant Husband co. - - co. co. dir.
1955 Geordie co. co. dir. co. co. -
1956 The Green Man co. co. - co. co. -
1957 Fortune is a Woman co. co. - co. co. dir.
1957 Blue Murder at St. Trinian's co. co. dir. co. co. -
1957 The Smallest Show on Earth prod. - - prod. - -
1959 Left, Right and Centre co. - - co. co. dir.
1959 The Bridal Path co. co. dir. co. - -
1960 The Pure Hell of St. Trinian's co. co. dir. co. co. -
1960 Two Way Stretch uncred. co. - - uncred. co. - -
1961 Only Two Can Play co. - - co. - dir.
1963 Ring of Spies - co. - uncred. co. - -
1965 Joey Boy - co. dir. exec. - -
1966 The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery - co. co. dir. co. exec. - co. dir.
1967 The Lions are Free - uncred. co. sc. - - - -
1969 Elephant Called Slowly - uncred. co. sc. - - - -
1972 Endless Night exec. - - - sc. dir.
1972 Ooh... You Are Awful! co. exec. - - co. exec. - -
1980 The Wildcats of St. Trinian's - sc. dir. - - -

 

 Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat at Amazon UK

 Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat at Amazon US