Claude Whatham (7 December 1927 – 4 January 2008) was an English film and television director, mainly known for his work on dramas.

Early life

In 1940, Whatham, a teenage evacuee art student, had been commissioned to paint fairytale pictures by the young Princess Elizabeth and

Princess Margaret Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 – 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. She was the younger sister and only sibling of Queen Elizabeth II. ...

Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a List of British royal residences, royal residence at Windsor, Berkshire, Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, about west of central London. It is strongly associated with the Kingdom of England, English and succee ...

. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the series of portraits by Sir

Thomas Lawrence Sir Thomas Lawrence (13 April 1769 – 7 January 1830) was an English people, English portrait painter and the fourth president of the Royal Academy. A child prodigy, he was born in Bristol and began drawing in Devizes, where his father was a ...

that usually line the walls of the Waterloo Chamber were removed from their frames for safe keeping and replaced by his fairytale pictures, painted on wallpapers rolls. In 2020, Whatham's works were exhibited in the Waterloo Chamber.

Career

Whatham attended Oldham Art School and was a set designer for the Oldham Repertory Company, before joining

Granada Television ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV (TV network), ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire on weekdays only, as ABC Weekend TV, ...

, where he made documentaries and dramas including '' The Younger Generation'' featuring a young

John Thaw John Edward Thaw (3 January 1942 – 21 February 2002) was an English actor in television, stage and cinema, best known for his television roles starring as Detective Inspector Jack Regan in '' The Sweeney'' (1975—78) and as Detective Chief ...

, and '' You in Your Small Corner''. He then moved to the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

, where he worked on ''

The Wednesday Play ''The Wednesday Play'' is an anthology series of United Kingdom, British television plays which ran on BBC One, BBC1 for six seasons from October 1964 to May 1970. The plays were usually original works written for television, although dramatic ...

'', ''

Play for Today ''Play for Today'' is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage ...

'', ''

Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman, Conservative politician and writer who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a central role in the creat ...

'' and the 1969 adaptation of '' A Voyage Round My Father''. Other television directing included the adaptation of Laurie Lee's childhood/coming-of-age memoir '' Cider with Rosie'' and '' Jumping the Queue''.

Filmography

*''Frontiers'' (1967 documentary short) *''All's Well That Ends Well'' (1968 TV film) *''Cider with Rosie'' (1971 TV film) *''

That'll Be the Day "That'll Be the Day" is a song written by Buddy Holly and Jerry Allison. It was first recorded by Buddy Holly and the Three Tunes in 1956 and was re-recorded in 1957 by Holly and his new band, the Crickets. Buddy Holly and the Three Tunes' ver ...

'' (1973) *'' Swallows and Amazons'' (1974) *'' All Creatures Great and Small'' (1975 TV film) *''The Inventing of America'' (1975 TV documentary) *''Betzi'' (1978 TV film) *''Facing the Sun'' (1980 film) *'' Sweet William'' (1980) *'' Hoodwink'' (1981) *''Can I Help You?'' (1981 short) *''Murder Is Easy'' (1982 TV film) *'' The Captain's Doll'' (1983 TV film) *''Tornado'' (1985 documentary short) *''Murder Elite'' (1985) *''Jumping the Queue'' (1989 TV miniseries) *'' Buddy's Song'' (1991)

References

External links

* 1927 births 2008 deaths English film directors English television directors {{UK-film-director-stub