Bryan Forbes
Biography
Bryan Forbes was an English director, screenwriter, producer, actor and novelist who became a leading figure in British cinema. Born in Stratford, East London, he studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before taking supporting roles in films such as The Colditz Story (1955). His breakthrough came as a screenwriter with The League of Gentlemen (1960), which earned him his first BAFTA nomination, while his script for The Angry Silence (1960) took a BAFTA and an Oscar nomination. He turned director with Whistle Down the Wind (1961), nominated for four BAFTAs, then made The L-Shaped Room (1962), Séance on a Wet Afternoon (1964) and King Rat (1965). He later headed EMI Films and oversaw The Railway Children (1970), and directed The Stepford Wives (1975). He was made a CBE in 2004 and died in 2013.
86years old at death
- Born Stratford
- Died Surrey
- Star sign: CancerLast day of the sign, on the Leo cusp
Movie Career
- Films
- 13
- Career span
- 48 years1952 to 2000
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Early training
Forbes studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art starting when he was 17, though he finished only three terms there.
About the name
Forbes's pseudonym Bryan Forbes was invented by Lionel Gamlin of the BBC, who took him on as host of Junior Brains Trust.
Big break
Forbes's breakthrough was writing The League of Gentlemen (1960), a bank heist film directed by Basil Dearden in which he also starred and earned his first BAFTA nomination.
Behind the camera
In 1959 Forbes started Beaver Films with Richard Attenborough, a collaborator he worked with often. The company made The Angry Silence in 1960, a controversial screenplay by Forbes that won a Bafta, with Attenborough in the lead.
Bryan Forbes movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Val Guest directed two of these films, Raoul Walsh two. Four actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Gregory Peck's page
John Mills's page
Percy Herbert's page
Nanette Newman's page
Anthony Quinn's page
David Niven's page
Val GuestDirector, 2 films, 1957 to 1959
All films by Val Guest
All films by Raoul Walsh
Also two films together10 more actors
- Sidney JamesI Was Monty's Double (1958) and Enemy from Space (1957)
- Michael RipperEnemy from Space (1957) and Appointment in London (1953)
- Dirk BogardeSir John Mills' Moving Memories (2000) and Appointment in London (1953)
- Richard AttenboroughSir John Mills' Moving Memories (2000) and The League of Gentlemen (1960)
- David LodgeThe League of Gentlemen (1960) and Yesterday's Enemy (1959)
- Stanley BakerThe Guns of Navarone (1961) and Yesterday's Enemy (1959)
- Richard WattisThe Colditz Story (1955) and Appointment in London (1953)
- Kieron MooreThe League of Gentlemen (1960) and Satellite in the Sky (1956)
- Carl JaffeSatellite in the Sky (1956) and Appointment in London (1953)
- Vera DayI Was Monty's Double (1958) and Enemy from Space (1957)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Awards
Three awards and honors from 1961 to 1965, one of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| BAFTA | |||
| 1961 | Best British Screenplay | The Angry Silence | Won |
| Other honors | |||
| 1965 | Edgar Awards | Won | |
| Commander of the Order of the British Empire | Won | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.