Robert Hartford-Davis (born William Henry Davis, 23 July 1923 – 12 June 1977) was a British born producer, director and writer, who worked on film and television in both in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

and

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. He is also sometimes credited as Michael Burrowes or Robert Hartford.

Biography

Hartford-Davis was born in

Ramsgate Ramsgate is a seaside town in the district of Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century. In 2001 it had a population of about 40,000. In 2011, according to the Census, there was a populati ...

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

in 1923 as William Henry Davis; he changed his name on becoming a television director in 1955. His television career encompassed drama, comedy and entertainment shows. Bob, as he liked to be called, started his career as an electrician in a South London film studio, where he went on to develop his skills as a cameraman. During the fifties he made a number of short films. These were innovative with the choice of cast and script content. In the late fifties he became an agent and worked for

Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and television host. Following early work under his given name, first as co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then acting, the rebra ...

, amongst others (in England). His talents included co-writing many scripts for 'exploitation' movies and he used media events and people to forward his career. ''

The Yellow Teddy Bears ''The Yellow Teddy Bears'' (US: Gutter Girls and The Thrill Seekers) is a 1963 British drama film directed by Robert Hartford-Davis and starring Jacqueline Ellis, Iain Gregory, Raymond Huntley and Georgina Patterson. Premise The pupils at a gir ...

'' is a prime example of his vivid imagination, using an article in a national newspaper as fodder. Robert dealt with the downturn of the film industry in the UK by investing his own money in two movies, '' The Fiend'' and '' Nobody Ordered Love''.

Personal life

Hartford-Davis married Betty Hale in 1943 and there were three children from this marriage; Jean, Marian and Penelope were born in the next ten years. His wife also co-wrote ''I'm Not Bothered'' and an innovative play on the trial of Christ, ''We the Guilty''. Robert and Betty were divorced in 1957. Robert went on to marry three or four four more times. There was also another son, Scott Hartford-Davis, born in the late fifties. Robert died on June 12, 1977 from a massive stroke.

Filmography

*1956: ''

I'm Not Bothered I Am or I'm may refer to: Language and literature * "I Am that I Am", a common English translation of the response God used in the Hebrew Bible when Moses asked for His name ** I am (biblical term), a Christian term used in the Bible * I Am (poem) ...

'' (TV series) *1960: '' Police Surgeon'' (TV series) *1962: '' Crosstrap'' *1963: ''

That Kind of Girl ''That Kind of Girl'' is a British cult film and the directorial debut of Gerry O'Hara. Produced by Robert Hartford-Davis with a script by Jan Read, it was released in 1963. The film's subject is premarital sexual relationships and sexually tra ...

'' *1963: ''

'' *1964: ''

The Black Torment ''The Black Torment'' (a.k.a. ''Estate of Insanity'') is a 1964 British gothic horror film directed by Robert Hartford-Davis and starring John Turner, Heather Sears and Ann Lynn. The film is set in 18th-century Devon and was scripted by brot ...

'' *1964: '' Saturday Night Out'' *1965: ''

Gonks Go Beat ''Gonks Go Beat'' is a 1964 British science fiction/musical fantasy film, directed by Robert Hartford-Davis. It stars Kenneth Connor and Frank Thornton. ''Gonks Go Beat'' is loosely based on the ''Romeo and Juliet'' storyline and features 16 ...

'' *1966: '' The Sandwich Man'' *1968: ''

Corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense which is undertaken by a person or an organization which is entrusted in a position of authority, in order to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's personal gain. Corruption m ...

'' *1969: ''

The Smashing Bird I Used to Know ''The Smashing Bird I Used to Know'' is a 1969 British drama/sexploitation film, directed by Robert Hartford-Davis and starring Renée Asherson, Patrick Mower, Dennis Waterman, Madeleine Hinde and Maureen Lipman. As with other Hartford-Davi ...

'' (a.k.a. ''School for Unclaimed Girls'') *1971: '' Nobody Ordered Love'' *1971: ''

Incense for the Damned ''Incense for the Damned'' (aka ''Bloodsuckers'', ''Freedom Seeker'' and ''Doctors Wear Scarlet'') is a 1971 British horror film.Senn, Bryan (2019). Twice the Thrills! Twice the Chills! Horror and Science Fiction Double Features 1955-1974. Jeffe ...

'' *1972: '' The Fiend'' *1972: ''

Black Gunn ''Black Gunn'' is a 1972 American neo-noir crime thriller film, directed by Robert Hartford-Davis and starring Jim Brown, Martin Landau, Brenda Sykes, Herbert Jefferson Jr. and Luciana Paluzzi. Baseball pitcher Vida Blue appears in a supporting ...

'' *1974: '' The Take'' *1977: ''

Dog and Cat ''Dog and Cat'' is an American television series that aired on ABC on Saturday night at 10:00 p.m Eastern time in 1977. Premise Lou Antonio played Sgt. Jack Ramsey, an undercover detective with the Los Angeles Police Department, who found hims ...

'' (TV series)

External links

*
Robert Hartford-Davis at Hollywood.com
1923 births 1977 deaths English film directors English film producers People from Ramsgate 20th-century English businesspeople British expatriates in the United States {{UK-film-producer-stub