Joseph McGrath (born 28 March 1928) is a Scottish film and television director and screenwriter. He was born in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...

and studied at Glasgow School of Art in the late 1940s and early 1950s where his energy and talent was much admired by his contemporaries. McGrath is best known for his collaborations with ''

The Goon Show ''The Goon Show'' is a British radio comedy programme, originally produced and broadcast by the BBC Home Service from 1951 to 1960, with occasional repeats on the BBC Light Programme. The first series, broadcast from 28 May to 20 September ...

'' stars

Peter Sellers Peter Sellers (born Richard Henry Sellers; 8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was an English actor and comedian. He first came to prominence performing in the BBC Radio comedy series ''The Goon Show'', featured on a number of hit comic songs ...

and

Spike Milligan Terence Alan "Spike" Milligan (16 April 1918 – 27 February 2002) was an Irish actor, comedian, writer, musician, poet, and playwright. The son of an English mother and Irish father, he was born in British Colonial India, where he spent his ...

. He directed the scenes with Sellers and

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

in the multi-director James bond spoof '' Casino Royale'' (1967). He also directed Sellers and Spike Milligan in '' The Magic Christian'' (1969) and '' The Great McGonagall'' (1974). 1108 pp
Published in the U.S. via Applause Books
This comprehensive biography contains multiple reference to Milligan and McGrath. McGrath also worked with director

Richard Lester Richard Lester Liebman (born January 19, 1932) is an American retired film director based in the United Kingdom. He is best known for directing the Beatles' films '' A Hard Day's Night'' (1964) and '' Help!'' (1965), and the superhero films ' ...

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

' musical-comedy films '' A Hard Day's Night'' (1964) and ''

Help! ''Help!'' is the fifth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles and the soundtrack to their film of the same name. It was released on 6 August 1965. Seven of the fourteen songs, including the singles " Help!" and " Ticket to Ride", ...

'' (1965). In November 1965, McGrath directed the Beatles' first-ever music videos (known at the time as "promo clips"), filming the band miming to five of their hit songs, including " Ticket to Ride", "

" and " Day Tripper". In the 2004 film ''

The Life and Death of Peter Sellers ''The Life and Death of Peter Sellers'' is a 2004 television film about the life of English comedian Peter Sellers, based on Roger Lewis's book of the same name. 1108 pagesPublished in the U.S. via Applause BooksA very comprehensive biography, ...

'', Alan Williams plays the unnamed director of ''Casino Royale'', whom Sellers (played by

Geoffrey Rush Geoffrey Roy Rush (born 6 July 1951) is an Australian actor. He is known for his eccentric leading man roles on stage and screen. He is among 24 people who have won the Triple Crown of Acting, having received an Academy Award, a Primetime Emm ...

) calls "Joe".

Filmography

*''Justin Thyme'' (1964, TV) *'' Casino Royale'' (1967) *''

30 Is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia ''30 Is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia'' is a 1968 British romantic comedy film directed by Joseph McGrath and starring Dudley Moore. Plot London jazz pianist and aspiring composer Rupert Street (Dudley Moore) is looking to have a 30th birthday to ...

'' (1968) *''

'' (1968, TV) *''

The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom ''The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom'' is a 1968 British comedy film directed by Joseph McGrath. The screenplay by Alec Coppel and Denis Norden was adapted from a play by Coppel that was based on a short story by Josef Shaftel, who served as the fil ...

'' (1968) *'' The Magic Christian'' (1969) *'' Digby, the Biggest Dog in the World'' (1973) *'' The Great McGonagall'' (1974) *'' Girls Come First'' (1975, credited as Croisette Meubles) *''

I'm Not Feeling Myself Tonight ''I'm Not Feeling Myself Tonight'' is a 1976 British comedy film directed by Joseph McGrath and starring Barry Andrews, James Booth and Sally Faulkner. Cast * Barry Andrews as Jon Pigeon * James Booth as S.J. Nutbrown * Sally Faulkner as ...

'' (1976) *'' The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It'' (1977) *'' The Losers'' (1978, TV series) *'' Rising Damp'' (1980) * ''

Goodnight and God Bless ''Goodnight and God Bless'' is a British television sitcom which first aired on ITV in 1983.Roberts p.140 It is based around the life of popular television quiz host Ronnie Kemp, whose staff and father-in-law hate him. Actors who appeared in ep ...

'' (1983, TV series) *''

Night Train to Murder ''Night Train to Murder'' is a 1985 British comedy television film, directed by Joseph McGrath and starring Morecambe and Wise. It was the last work that Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise worked on together before Morecambe's death in 1984 (the com ...

'' (1983, TV)

References

External links

* 1928 births Living people British television directors British television producers Film people from Glasgow Scottish film directors Scottish screenwriters Comedy film directors {{UK-film-director-stub