Lionel Jeffries
Encyclopedia
Lionel Charles Jeffries (10 June 1926 – 19 February 2010) was an English actor, screenwriter and film director.
, Wimborne Minster
, Dorset
. In 1945, he received a commission in the Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. After his World War II
service, for which he was awarded the Burma Star
, he trained at RADA
. He entered repertory
at the David Garrick Theatre, Lichfield
for two years and appeared in early British television plays.
(played by Dick Van Dyke
) in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
(1968), although Jeffries was actually six months younger than Van Dyke. His acting career reached a peak in the 1960s with leading roles in other films like Two-Way Stretch
(1960), The Trials of Oscar Wilde
(1960), First Men in the Moon (1964) and Camelot
(1967).
Jeffries turned to writing and directing children's films, including a well regarded version of The Railway Children
(1970) and The Amazing Mr Blunden
(1972). He was a member of the British Catholic Stage Guild.
Jeffries had a dislike of television
and its production values and shunned the medium for many years. He reluctantly appeared on television in an acting role in the 1980 London Weekend Television
Dennis Potter
drama Cream in My Coffee
and realised that television production values had little differences from those in the film industry; as a result he launched a belated career in television. He appeared in an episode of the Thames Television
/ITV
comedy-drama
Minder
in 1983, played a leading role in the situation comedy
Roll Over Beethoven (Central Television/ITV
) and appeared in an episode of Inspector Morse
in 1990 (Central Television/Zenith
/ITV
). During location filming for an episode of the 1983 Thames
/ITV
situation comedy
Tom, Dick and Harriet, Jeffries and his co-stars Ian Ogilvy
and Bridget Forsyth had to be rescued when a stunt involving a car went wrong.
, Dorset. He had been married to Eileen Mary Walsh from 1951 until his death. Their son and two daughters survive him.
Early life and career
Jeffries attended the Queen Elizabeth Grammar SchoolQueen Elizabeth's School, Wimborne Minster
Queen Elizabeth's School is a co-educational voluntary controlled Church of England secondary school in Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England.-Admissions:...
, Wimborne Minster
Wimborne Minster
Wimborne Minster is a market town in the East Dorset district of Dorset in South West England, and the name of the Church of England church in that town...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
. In 1945, he received a commission in the Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. After his World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
service, for which he was awarded the Burma Star
Burma Star
The Burma Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in World War II.The medal was awarded for service in the Burma Campaign between 11 December 1941 and 2 September 1945...
, he trained at RADA
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art is a drama school located in London, United Kingdom. It is generally regarded as one of the most renowned drama schools in the world, and is one of the oldest drama schools in the United Kingdom, having been founded in 1904.RADA is an affiliate school of the...
. He entered repertory
Repertory
Repertory or rep, also called stock in the United States, is a term used in Western theatre and opera.A repertory theatre can be a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation...
at the David Garrick Theatre, Lichfield
Lichfield
Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
for two years and appeared in early British television plays.
Recognition
Jeffries built a successful career in British films mainly in comic character roles and as he was prematurely bald he often played characters older than himself, such as the role of father to Caractacus PottsCaractacus Potts
Caractacus Potts is one of the main characters in the family film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. He is an eccentric inventor who lives with his twin eight-year-old children, Jeremy & Jemima, and Grandpa Potts, on the Potts' hilltop farm...
(played by Dick Van Dyke
Dick Van Dyke
Richard Wayne "Dick" Van Dyke is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer with a career spanning six decades. He is the older brother of Jerry Van Dyke, and father of Barry Van Dyke...
) in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car is a children's book written by Ian Fleming for his son Caspar, with illustrations by John Burningham...
(1968), although Jeffries was actually six months younger than Van Dyke. His acting career reached a peak in the 1960s with leading roles in other films like Two-Way Stretch
Two-Way Stretch
Two-Way Stretch, sometimes titled Nothing Barred, is a 1960 British comedy film, about a group of prisoners who plan to break out of jail, commit a robbery, and then break back into jail again, thus giving them the perfect alibi – that they were behind bars when the robbery occurred...
(1960), The Trials of Oscar Wilde
The Trials of Oscar Wilde
The Trials of Oscar Wilde also known as The Man with the Green Carnation and The Green Carnation, is a 1960 British film based on the libel and subsequent criminal cases involving Oscar Wilde and the Marquess of Queensberry. It was produced by Irving Allen, written by Allen and Ken Hughes and...
(1960), First Men in the Moon (1964) and Camelot
Camelot (film)
Camelot is a 1967 film adaptation of the musical of the same name. Richard Harris stars as Arthur, Vanessa Redgrave as Guinevere, and Franco Nero as Lancelot. The film was directed by Joshua Logan.-Plot:...
(1967).
Jeffries turned to writing and directing children's films, including a well regarded version of The Railway Children
The Railway Children (film)
The Railway Children is a 1970 British drama film based on the novel of the same name by E. Nesbit. The film was directed by Lionel Jeffries, and stars Dinah Sheridan, Jenny Agutter , Sally Thomsett and Bernard Cribbins in leading roles...
(1970) and The Amazing Mr Blunden
The Amazing Mr Blunden
The Amazing Mr. Blunden is a 1972 family mystery film directed by Lionel Jeffries, based on the novel The Ghosts by Antonia Barber.-Plot:...
(1972). He was a member of the British Catholic Stage Guild.
Jeffries had a dislike of television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and its production values and shunned the medium for many years. He reluctantly appeared on television in an acting role in the 1980 London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television was the name of the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties including south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Warwickshire, east Dorset and...
Dennis Potter
Dennis Potter
Dennis Christopher George Potter was an English dramatist, best known for The Singing Detective. His widely acclaimed television dramas mixed fantasy and reality, the personal and the social. He was particularly fond of using themes and images from popular culture.-Biography:Dennis Potter was born...
drama Cream in My Coffee
Cream in My Coffee
Cream in My Coffee is a television drama by Dennis Potter, broadcast on ITV on 2 November 1980 as the last in a loosely-connected trilogy of plays exploring language and betrayal. A juxtaposition between youth and old age, the play combines a non-linear narrative with the use of popular music to...
and realised that television production values had little differences from those in the film industry; as a result he launched a belated career in television. He appeared in an episode of the Thames Television
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
/ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
comedy-drama
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
Minder
Minder (TV series)
Minder is a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. Initially produced by Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television and shown on ITV...
in 1983, played a leading role in the situation comedy
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
Roll Over Beethoven (Central Television/ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
) and appeared in an episode of Inspector Morse
Inspector Morse (TV series)
Inspector Morse is a detective drama based on Colin Dexter's series of Chief Inspector Morse novels. The series starred John Thaw as Chief Inspector Morse and Kevin Whately as Sergeant Lewis. Dexter makes a cameo appearance in all but three of the episodes....
in 1990 (Central Television/Zenith
Carlton Communications
Carlton Communications was a British media company. It was led by Michael Green and listed on the London Stock Exchange from 1983 until 2 February 2004, when it taken over by Granada plc to form ITV plc with Carlton gaining 32% of the new company....
/ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
). During location filming for an episode of the 1983 Thames
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
/ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
situation comedy
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
Tom, Dick and Harriet, Jeffries and his co-stars Ian Ogilvy
Ian Ogilvy
Ian Raymond Ogilvy is an English film and television actor.-Early life:He was born in Woking, Surrey, England, the son of advertising executive Francis Ogilvy and actress Aileen Raymond .He was educated at Sunningdale School, Eton College and at the Royal Academy of...
and Bridget Forsyth had to be rescued when a stunt involving a car went wrong.
Retirement and death
Jeffries retired from acting in 2001 and following a long illness, died on 19 February 2010 in a nursing home in PoolePoole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
, Dorset. He had been married to Eileen Mary Walsh from 1951 until his death. Their son and two daughters survive him.
As actor
- Stage FrightStage Fright (film)Stage Fright is a 1950 British crime film directed and produced by Alfred Hitchcock starring Jane Wyman, Marlene Dietrich, Michael Wilding and Richard Todd...
(1950) - Will Any Gentleman...?Will Any Gentleman...?Will Any Gentleman...? is a 1953 British comedy film directed by Michael Anderson and starring George Cole, Veronica Hurst, Jon Pertwee and William Hartnell. A young man is hypnotised into leading a more fulfilling life. It was based on a play by Vernon Sylvaine.-Cast:* George Cole as Henry...
(1953) - The Black RiderThe Black Rider (film)The Black Rider is a 1954 British thriller film directed by Wolf Rilla and starring Jimmy Hanley, Rona Anderson and Leslie Dwyer. A gang of smugglers use a haunted castle as their base, detering curious locals by pretending to be ghosts.-Cast:...
(1954) - WindfallWindfall (1955 film)Windfall is a 1955 British comedy film written by John Gilling and directed by Henry Cass, starring Lionel Jeffries, Jack Watling and Gordon Jackson...
(1955) - The Colditz StoryThe Colditz StoryThe Colditz Story is a 1955 prisoner of war film starring John Mills and Eric Portman and directed by Guy Hamilton.It is based on the book written by P.R...
(1955) - The Quatermass XperimentThe Quatermass XperimentThe Quatermass Xperiment is a 1955 British science fiction horror film. Made by Hammer Film Productions, it was based on the 1953 BBC Television serial The Quatermass Experiment written by Nigel Kneale. It was directed by Val Guest and stars Brian Donlevy as the eponymous Professor Bernard...
(1955) - No SmokingNo Smoking (1955 film)No Smoking is a 1955 British comedy film directed by Henry Cass and starring Reg Dixon, Peter Martyn, Belinda Lee and Lionel Jeffries. A scientist who invents a pill that can cure smokers of their nicotine addiction, faces strong opposition from both the tobacco industry and the government.-Cast:*...
(1955) - All for MaryAll for MaryAll for Mary is a 1955 UK Comedy Film brought to the screen by Paul Soskin Productions for The Rank Organisation. It was based on a play written by the English husband and wife team of Kay Bannerman and Harold Brooke. It was directed by Wendy Toye, produced by Paul Soskin with the screenplay by...
(1955) - Bhowani JunctionBhowani Junction (film)Bhowani Junction is a 1956 film adaptation of the 1952 novel Bhowani Junction by John Masters made by MGM. The film was directed by George Cukor and produced by Pandro S...
(1956) - Jumping for JoyJumping for JoyJumping for Joy is a 1956 British comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Frankie Howerd, Stanley Holloway, Joan Hickson and Lionel Jeffries...
(1956) - Up in the WorldUp in the WorldUp in the World is a 1956 comedy film starring Norman Wisdom, Maureen Swanson and Jerry Desmonde, directed by John Paddy Carstairs and made by Rank.-Cast:* Norman Wisdom as Norman* Maureen Swanson as Jeannie Andrews* Jerry Desmonde as Major Willoughby...
(1956) - The Baby and the BattleshipThe Baby and the BattleshipThe Baby and the Battleship is a colour 1956 British comedy film directed by Jay Lewis and starring John Mills, Richard Attenborough and André Morell. It is based on the 1956 novel by Anthony Thorne with a screenplay by Richard De Roy, Gilbert Hackforth-Jones and Bryan Forbes...
(1956) - EyewitnessEyewitness (1956 film)Eyewitness is a 1956 British thriller film directed by Muriel Box and starring Donald Sinden, Muriel Pavlow, Belinda Lee, Michael Craig, Nigel Stock and Richard Wattis. It was made by the Rank Organisation.-Plot:...
(1956) - Lust for LifeLust for Life (film)Lust for Life is a MGM biographical film about the life of the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, based on the 1934 novel by Irving Stone and adapted by Norman Corwin.It was directed by Vincente Minnelli and produced by John Houseman...
(1957) - High TerraceHigh TerraceHigh Terrace is a 1956 British mystery film directed by Henry Cass and starring Dale Robertson, Lois Maxwell, Derek Bond, Eric Pohlmann and Lionel Jeffries.-Cast:*Dale Robertson as Bill Lang*Lois Maxwell as Stephanie Blake...
(1956) - Hour of DecisionHour of Decision (film)Hour of Decision is a 1957 British mystery film starring Jeff Morrow, Hazel Court, Carl Bernard, Lionel Jeffries and Arthur Lowe. The British wife of an American journalist begins receiving letters blackmailing her over a love affair. Suspicion points to her when the blackmailer is found murdered....
(1957) - Doctor at LargeDoctor at Large (film)Doctor at Large is a 1957 British comedy film, the third installment of the Doctor in the House series. It stars Dirk Bogarde, Muriel Pavlow, Donald Sinden, and James Robertson Justice.-Cast:* Dirk Bogarde as Dr. Simon Sparrow...
(1957) - The Vicious CircleThe Vicious Circle (1957 film)The Vicious Circle is a 1957 British thriller film directed by Gerald Thomas and starring John Mills, Noelle Middleton, Wilfrid Hyde-White and Lionel Jeffries. A leading Harley Street specialist is forced to work with the police to nail a gang of international criminals, after being falsely accused...
(1957) - Man in the SkyMan in the SkyMan in the Sky is a 1957 film produced by Ealing Studios and starring Jack Hawkins.-Plot:...
(1957) - Blue Murder at St Trinian'sBlue Murder at St Trinian'sBlue Murder at St Trinian's is British comedy film set in the fictional St Trinian's School. Directed by Frank Launder and written by him and Sidney Gilliat, it was the second of the series of five films and stars Terry-Thomas, George Cole, Joyce Grenfell, Lionel Jeffries and Richard...
(1957) - Barnacle Bill (1957)
- DunkirkDunkirk (film)Dunkirk is a 1958 British war film directed by Leslie Norman and starring John Mills, Richard Attenborough and Bernard Lee. It was based on two novels: Elleston Trevor's The Big Pick-Up and Lt. Col. Ewan Hunter and Maj. J. S...
(1958) - Up the CreekUp the Creek (1958 film)Up the Creek is a 1958 British comedy film written and directed by Val Guest which starred David Tomlinson, Peter Sellers, Wilfrid Hyde-White, David Lodge and Lionel Jeffries.-Plot synopsis:...
(1958) - The Revenge of FrankensteinThe Revenge of FrankensteinThe Revenge of Frankenstein is a 1958 British horror film made by Hammer Film Productions. Directed by Terence Fisher, the film stars Peter Cushing, Francis Matthews, Michael Gwynn and Eunice Gayson....
(1958) - Law and DisorderLaw and Disorder (1958 film)Law and Disorder is a 1958 British comedy film directed by Charles Crichton and starring Michael Redgrave, Robert Morley, Joan Hickson, Lionel Jeffries and John Le Mesurier. It was based on the 1954 novel Smugglers' Circuit by Denys Roberts. The film was started by director Henry Cornelius who died...
(1958) - Orders to KillOrders to KillOrders to Kill was a 1958 British wartime drama film. It starred Paul Massie, Eddie Albert and Lillian Gish. It was directed by Anthony Asquith based on a story by Donald C. Downes.-Plot summary:...
(1958) - Behind the MaskBehind the Mask (1958 film)Behind the Mask is a 1958 British drama film directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and starring Michael Redgrave, Vanessa Redgrave, Ian Bannen and Lionel Jeffries. It portrays the life of a surgeon in a busy hospital.-Cast:...
(1958) - Further up the CreekFurther Up the CreekFurther Up the Creek is a 1958 British comedy film written and directed by Val Guest and starring David Tomlinson, Frankie Howerd, Shirley Eaton, Thora Hird, Desmond Llewelyn and Lionel Jeffries...
(1958) - Girls at SeaGirls at Sea (1958 film)Girls At Sea is a 1958 British comedy film directed by Gilbert Gunn and starring Ronald Shiner as Marine Ogg and Warren Mitchell as Arthur. It was based on a play by Ian Hay...
(1958) - Nowhere to GoNowhere to Go (1958 film)Nowhere to Go is a 1958 British crime film directed by Seth Holt and starring George Nader, Maggie Smith, Bernard Lee, Harry H. Corbett and Lionel Jeffries. It was Maggie Smith's first film....
(1958) - The Nun's StoryThe Nun's Story (film)The Nun's Story is a 1959 Warner Brothers film directed by Fred Zinnemann and starring Audrey Hepburn. Based upon the 1956 novel of the same title by Kathryn Hulme, the story tells of the life of Sister Luke , a young Belgian woman who decides to enter a convent and make the many sacrifices...
(1959) - Please Turn OverPlease Turn OverPlease Turn Over is a 1959 British comedy film written by Norman Hudis and directed by Gerald Thomas. It featured Ted Ray, Julia Lockwood, Jean Kent, Joan Sims, Leslie Phillips, Charles Hawtrey, Lionel Jeffries and Victor Maddern. An English village is thrown into chaos when the daughter of one of...
(1959) - BobbikinsBobbikinsBobbikins is a 1959 British film directed by Robert Day. It stars Shirley Jones and Max Bygraves.-Cast:* Shirley Jones as Betty Barnaby* Max Bygraves as Ben Barnaby* Billie Whitelaw as Lydia Simmons* Barbara Shelley as Valerie* Colin Gordon as Dr...
(1959) - Idle on ParadeIdle on ParadeIdol on Parade is a 1959 youth-oriented British comedy film directed by John Gilling and starring Anthony Newly, Sid James and Lionel Jeffries. It was John Antrobus' first screenplay...
(1959) - Jazz BoatJazz BoatJazz Boat is a 1960 British musical comedy film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Anthony Newley, Anne Aubrey, Lionel Jeffries and Big band leader Ted Heath and his orchestra.-Cast:* Anthony Newley ... Bert Harris* Anne Aubrey ... The Doll...
(1960) - Life is a CircusLife is a Circus (1960 film)Life is a Circus is a 1960 British comedy film directed by Val Guest and starring Bud Flanagan, Teddy Knox, Jimmy Nervo, Shirley Eaton and Lionel Jeffries. A down-on-its-luck circus use an Aladdin's Magic Lamp to try and save their business....
(1960)
- Let's Get MarriedLet's Get Married (1960 film)Let's Get Married is a 1960 British comedy drama film directed by Peter Graham Scott and starring Anthony Newley, Anne Aubrey. It is about a medical student who is thrown out of his university, ends up working in a laundry and rebuilds his confidence with a relationship with a fashion...
(1960) - Two-Way StretchTwo-Way StretchTwo-Way Stretch, sometimes titled Nothing Barred, is a 1960 British comedy film, about a group of prisoners who plan to break out of jail, commit a robbery, and then break back into jail again, thus giving them the perfect alibi – that they were behind bars when the robbery occurred...
(1960) - Tarzan the MagnificentTarzan the MagnificentTarzan the Magnificent is a 1960 British film, the follow-up to Tarzan's Greatest Adventure . It was directed by Robert Day and produced by Sy Weintraub. Gordon Scott makes his last appearance as Tarzan while Jock Mahoney appeared as villain Coy Banton...
(1960) - The Trials of Oscar WildeThe Trials of Oscar WildeThe Trials of Oscar Wilde also known as The Man with the Green Carnation and The Green Carnation, is a 1960 British film based on the libel and subsequent criminal cases involving Oscar Wilde and the Marquess of Queensberry. It was produced by Irving Allen, written by Allen and Ken Hughes and...
(1960) - The HellionsThe Hellions (film)The Hellions is a 1961 British adventure film directed by Ken Annakin starring Richard Todd, Anne Aubrey, Lionel Jeffries, Ronald Fraser and Colin Blakely that was set and filmed in South Africa. The film was about a lone law enforcement officer battling criminals in South Africa. The premise of...
(1961) - Fanny (1961)
- Mrs. Gibbon's BoysMrs. Gibbons' Boys (film)Mrs. Gibbons' Boys is a 1962 British comedy film directed by Max Varnel and starring Kathleen Harrison, Lionel Jeffries and Diana Dors. It is based on the play Mrs...
(1962) - Operation SnatchOperation SnatchOperation Snatch is a British comedy film starring Terry-Thomas and George Sanders and directed by Robert Day. The story takes place in Gibraltar, and is based on a local legend: if the resident Barbary Apes were ever to leave, the British Empire would collapse. This wartime comedy has...
(1962) - The Notorious LandladyThe Notorious LandladyThe Notorious Landlady is a 1962 comedy/mystery American film starring Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon, and Fred Astaire. The film was directed by Richard Quine, with a script by Blake Edwards.-Plot:...
(1962) - Kill or Cure (1962)
- The Wrong Arm of the LawThe Wrong Arm of the LawThe Wrong Arm of the Law is a 1963 British comedy film directed by Cliff Owen and starring Peter Sellers, Bernard Cribbins, Lionel Jeffries, John Le Mesurier and Bill Kerr...
(1963) - The Scarlet BladeThe Scarlet BladeThe Scarlet Blade is a 1963 British adventure film directed by John Gilling for Hammer Film Productions.It is a period drama set during the English Civil War. It stars Oliver Reed and Lionel Jeffries....
(1963) - Call me BwanaCall Me BwanaCall Me Bwana is a 1963 farce film starring Bob Hope and Anita Ekberg, and directed by Gordon Douglas. It is largely set in Africa. It is the only film made by EON Productions which is not about the Ian Fleming spy character, James Bond and was made by most of the same film crew as Dr...
(1963) - Murder Ahoy!Murder Ahoy!Murder Ahoy! is the last of four Miss Marple films, made by MGM and starring Margaret Rutherford. As in the three previous films, Margaret Rutherford plays Miss Jane Marple, Bud Tingwell is Inspector Craddock and Stringer Davis plays Mr Stringer.The film was made in 1964 and directed by George...
(1964) - The Long Ships (1964)
- The Truth About SpringThe Truth About SpringThe Truth about Spring is a 1965 film released by Universal. It stars Hayley Mills, her father Sir John Mills and James MacArthur It is a romantic comedy adventure.-Plot:...
(1964) - First Men in the Moon (1964)
- You Must Be Joking!You Must Be Joking! (1965 film)You Must Be Joking! is a 1965 British comedy film directed by Michael Winner.-Cast:* Michael Callan - Leuitenant Tim Morton* Lionel Jeffries - Sergeant Major McGregor* Denholm Elliott - Captain Tabasco* Wilfrid Hyde-White - General Lockwood...
(1965) - The Secret of My Success (1965)
- The Spy with a Cold NoseThe Spy with a Cold NoseThe Spy with a Cold Nose is a 1966 British comedy film directed by Daniel Petrie.-Cast:* Laurence Harvey as Dr. Francis Trevelyan* Daliah Lavi as Princess Natasha Romanova* Lionel Jeffries as Stanley Farquhar* Eric Sykes as Wrigley...
(1966) - Drop Dead DarlingDrop Dead DarlingDrop Dead Darling is a 1966 British comedy crime film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Tony Curtis, Rosanna Schiaffino, Lionel Jeffries and Zsa Zsa Gabor.-Plot:...
(1966) - Jules Verne's Rocket to the MoonJules Verne's Rocket to the MoonJules Verne's Rocket to the Moon is a 1967 British science fiction comedy film directed by Don Sharp and produced by Harry Alan Towers...
(1967) - CamelotCamelot (film)Camelot is a 1967 film adaptation of the musical of the same name. Richard Harris stars as Arthur, Vanessa Redgrave as Guinevere, and Franco Nero as Lancelot. The film was directed by Joshua Logan.-Plot:...
(1967) - Chitty Chitty Bang BangChitty Chitty Bang BangChitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car is a children's book written by Ian Fleming for his son Caspar, with illustrations by John Burningham...
(1968) - 12 + 112 + 112 + 1 is an Italian comedy film starring Vittorio Gassman and Orson Welles. It was released in 1969....
(1969) - Twinky (1969)
- EyewitnessEyewitness (1970 film)Eyewitness is a 1970 British drama film directed by John Hough.-Cast:* Mark Lester as Ziggy* Lionel Jeffries as Grandpa* Susan George as Pippa* Jeremy Kemp as Inspector Galleria* Peter Vaughan as Paul Grazzini* Tony Bonner as Tom Jones...
(1970) - Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? is a 1971 British horror-thriller film directed by Curtis Harrington and starring Ralph Richardson, Shelley Winters and Mark Lester...
(1971) - What Changed Charley Farthing?What Changed Charley Farthing?What Changed Charley Farthing? , is a 1974 British comedy film, directed by Sidney Hayers.-Cast:*Hayley Mills.....Jenny*Lionel Jeffries.....Houlihan*Doug McClure.....Charley Farthing-Release:...
(1974) - Royal FlashRoyal Flash (film)Royal Flash is a 1975 film based on George MacDonald Fraser's second Flashman novel, Royal Flash. It starred Malcolm McDowell as Flashman. Oliver Reed appeared in the role of Otto von Bismarck, Alan Bates as Rudi von Sternberg, and Florinda Bolkan played Lola Montez...
(1975) - The Prisoner of ZendaThe Prisoner of Zenda (1979 film)The Prisoner of Zenda is a 1979 American comedy film directed by Richard Quine and adapted from the adventure novel by Anthony Hope, first published in 1894...
(1979) - Better Late Than NeverBetter Late Than Never (film)Better Late Than Never is a 1982 film directed by Bryan Forbes. It stars David Niven, Art Carney and Maggie Smith. The soundtrack features songs by Henry Mancini and Noel Coward.-Plot:...
(1982) - Tom, Dick and Harriet (TV series)Tom, Dick and HarrietTom, Dick and Harriet is a British sitcom that aired for two seasons from 1982 to 1983. It was created by the sitcom writing team of Johnnie Mortimer and Brian Cooke, and it starred veteran actor Lionel Jeffries in one of his very few television roles, only seven months after his previous TV...
(1982–83) - A Chorus of DisapprovalA Chorus of DisapprovalA Chorus of Disapproval is a 1988 British film adapted from the Alan Ayckbourn play of the same title, directed by Michael Winner. Among the movie's cast are Anthony Hopkins, Jeremy Irons, Richard Briers, and Alexandra Pigg....
(1988) - Abel's IslandAbel's Island (animated film)Abel's Island is a 30-minute animated film created in 1988 directed by Michael Sporn. It is based on the children's novel Abel's Island written by William Steig...
(1988) - Danny, the Champion of the WorldDanny, the Champion of the World (film)Danny, the Champion of the World is a 1989 film starring British Oscar winning actor Jeremy Irons, with his son, Samuel Irons, in the title role. It is based on the 1975 novel of the same name by Roald Dahl, and tells of a father and son who conspire to thwart a local businessman's plans to buy...
(1989)
As writer-director
- The Railway ChildrenThe Railway Children (film)The Railway Children is a 1970 British drama film based on the novel of the same name by E. Nesbit. The film was directed by Lionel Jeffries, and stars Dinah Sheridan, Jenny Agutter , Sally Thomsett and Bernard Cribbins in leading roles...
(1970) - Baxter!Baxter!Baxter! is a 1973 British drama film directed by Lionel Jeffries and starring Patricia Neal, Jean-Pierre Cassel and Britt Ekland. A young boy struggles to overcome his speech problem and strained relationship with his parents.-Cast:...
(1972) - The Amazing Mr BlundenThe Amazing Mr BlundenThe Amazing Mr. Blunden is a 1972 family mystery film directed by Lionel Jeffries, based on the novel The Ghosts by Antonia Barber.-Plot:...
(1972) - Wombling FreeWombling FreeWombling Free was a 1977 film adaption of the children's television series The Wombles.-Humans:*David Tomlinson: Roland Frogmorton*Frances de la Tour: Julia Frogmorton*Bonnie Langford: Felicity 'Kim' Frogmorton*Bernard Spear: Arnold Takahashi...
(1977) - The Water BabiesThe Water Babies (film)The Water Babies is a 1978 animated feature film based on the book The Water-Babies by Charles Kingsley.-Plot:When a 12-year-old chimney sweep is wrongfully blamed for being a thief, he makes a run for it, he jumps into a violent river. There he encounters a wondrous civilization of anthropomorphic...
(1978)
External links
- Lionel Jeffries - Daily Telegraph obituary
- Lionel Jeffries - Times obituary