Daniel Morris Angel (14 May 1911 – 13 December 1999) was a leading British

film producer A film producer is a person who oversees film production. Either employed by a production company or working independently, producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting the script, coordinating writing, di ...

who was responsible for several notable British films during the 1950s, such as ''

Another Man's Poison ''Another Man's Poison'' is a 1951 British drama film directed by Irving Rapper and starring Bette Davis, Gary Merrill and Emlyn Williams. The screenplay by Val Guest is based on the play ''Deadlock'' by Leslie Sands. Plot Successful mystery ...

'' (1952), ''

The Sea Shall Not Have Them ''The Sea Shall Not Have Them'' is a 1954 British war film starring Michael Redgrave, Dirk Bogarde and Anthony Steel. It was directed by Lewis Gilbert and is based on the 1953 novel by John Harris, about a North Sea rescue during the Second Wo ...

'' (1954), ''

Reach for the Sky ''Reach for the Sky'' is a 1956 British biographical film about aviator Douglas Bader, based on the 1954 biography of the same name by Paul Brickhill. The film stars Kenneth More and was directed by Lewis Gilbert. It won the BAFTA Award for ...

'' (1956), and ''

Carve Her Name with Pride ''Carve Her Name with Pride'' is a 1958 British war drama film based on the book of the same name by R. J. Minney. The film, directed by Lewis Gilbert, is based on the true story of Special Operations Executive agent Violette Szabo, GC, who wa ...

'' (1958). One obituary called him "An irascible man with strong opinions and a somewhat draconian manner, Angel was utterly dedicated to the medium of film." He was the subject of '' This Is Your Life'' in 1958 when he was surprised by

Eamonn Andrews Eamonn Andrews, (19 December 1922 – 5 November 1987) was an Irish radio and television presenter, employed primarily in the United Kingdom from the 1950s to the 1980s. From 1960 to 1964 he chaired the Radio Éireann Authority (now the RTÉ A ...

at the BBC Television Theatre.

Biography

Angel was educated at University College School, London. He came from a family who ran a theatrical costume business, Angel's. Angel served in Burma during World War Two, where he was a major. On waking up after an operation for appendicitis, he was told that he had contracted

polio Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe sym ...

and would never walk again. He spent two years in base hospital then was shipped to England, where he rejoined the family firm, which had become Angel's and Berman's. He learned how to move around in a wheelchair then taught himself to walk using a cane. He would walk on crutches until 1971 when he became confined to a wheelchair. In 1945 he married Betty Van Damm, the daughter of

Vivian Van Damm Vivian Van Damm (28 June 1889 – 14 December 1960) was a prominent British theatre impresario from 1932 until 1960, managing the Windmill Theatre in London's Great Windmill Street. The theatre was famed for its pioneering ''tableaux vivants'' o ...

, the

General Manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all ...

of the

Windmill Theatre The Windmill Theatre in Great Windmill Street, London, was a variety and revue theatre best known for its nude '' tableaux vivants'', which began in 1932 and lasted until its reversion to a cinema in 1964. Many prominent British comedians o ...

in London. In 1946 he used his army pension to buy a film camera. He wrote to

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952. ...

and asked permission to film the Royal stables. This resulted in a documentary, ''All the King's Horses'' which made a profit of £5,000. He used this to make a series of documentaries, including ''All the King's Men'' and ''All the King's Music'', making a profit of £30,000. He moved into features with ''

Murder at the Windmill ''Murder at the Windmill'', titled ''Mystery at the Burlesque'' in the United States, is a 1949 British crime film directed by Val Guest and featuring Garry Marsh, Jon Pertwee, and Peter Butterworth. It was shot at Walton Studios and was the f ...

'' (1949). In 1960, Angel, along with John Woolf became one of the first film producers to sell his work to television. This enraged the industry and for several years his films were boycotted by distributors and cinemas.Danny Angel:

F Edition F, or f, is the sixth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphabet#Let ...

The Times; London (UK) ondon (UK)7 Dec 1999: 27. His last feature film was ''

The Romantic Englishwoman ''The Romantic Englishwoman'' is a 1975 British film directed by Joseph Losey and starring Michael Caine, Glenda Jackson, Helmut Berger. It marks the feature-length screen debut for Kate Nelligan. The screenplay was written by Tom Stoppard an ...

'' (1975). In 1980 Angel successfully sued actor

Kenneth More Kenneth Gilbert More, CBE (20 September 1914 – 12 July 1982) was an English film and stage actor. Initially achieving fame in the comedy ''Genevieve'' (1953), he appeared in many roles as a carefree, happy-go-lucky gent. Films from this peri ...

for libel over comments made in More's second autobiography. Angel retired and lived in America, Switzerland, France and, in his latter years, once more in London. His wife died two days after him. They were survived by their two daughters, both of whom are theatrical agents.

Filmography

*''All the King's Horses'' (1946) (documentary) - producer *''Dancing Thru'' (1946) (documentary) - producer *''All the King's Men'' (1947) (documentary) - producerAll the King's Men Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 15, Iss. 169, (Jan 1, 1948): 14. *''The King's Navy'' (1948) (documentary) - producer *''

'' (1949) - produced with

Nat Cohen Nat Cohen (23 December 1905 – 10 February 1988)William D. Rubinstein, et al (eds.''The Palgrave Dictionary of Anglo-Jewish History'' Palgrave Macmillan, 2011, p.171 was a British film producer and executive. For over four decades he was one of t ...

, directed by

Val Guest Val Guest (born Valmond Maurice Grossman; 11 December 1911 – 10 May 2006) was an English film director and screenwriter. Beginning as a writer (and later director) of comedy films, he is best known for his work for Hammer, for whom he direct ...

*'' Miss Pilgrim's Progress'' (1950) - produced with

, directed by

*''

The Body Said No! ''The Body Said No!'' is a 1950 British crime comedy film directed by Val Guest and starring Michael Rennie, Yolande Donlan, and Hy Hazell. It was shot at Walton Studios near London and distributed by Eros Films. Premise In a British TV st ...

'' (1950) - producer, directed by

*'' Mr Drake's Duck'' (1951) - produced with

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Douglas Elton Fairbanks Jr., (December 9, 1909 – May 7, 2000) was an American actor, producer and decorated naval officer of World War II. He is best known for starring in such films as ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1937), ''Gunga Din'' (1939) ...

, directed by

*''

'' (1951) - produced with

, directed by

Irving Rapper Irving Rapper (16 January 1898 – 20 December 1999) was a British-born American film director. Biography Born to a Jewish family

*'' Twilight Women'' (1952) - producer *''

Cosh Boy ''Cosh Boy'' (released in the United States as ''The Slasher'') is a 1953 British film noir directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring James Kenney and Joan Collins. It was made at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith. Plot Based on an original play by ...

'' (1953) - producer, directed by

Lewis Gilbert Lewis Gilbert (6 March 1920 – 23 February 2018) was an English film director, producer and screenwriter who directed more than 40 films during six decades; among them such varied titles as '' Reach for the Sky'' (1956), '' Sink the Bismarck! ...

*''

Albert, R.N. ''Albert R.N.'' is a 1953 British war film directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring Jack Warner, Anthony Steel and Robert Beatty. Plot An escape tunnel for the naval officer prisoners during the Second World War at a German prisoner-of-war ...

'' (1953) - producer, directed by

*''Harmony Lane'' (1954) (short) - producer, directed by

*''

'' (1954) - producer, directed by

*''

Escapade Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (EscaPADE) is a planned spacecraft mission to Mars consisting of two spacecraft known as ''Blue'' and ''Gold''. The mission, expected to launch in August 2024, is part of NASA's SIMPLEx progr ...

'' (1955) - producer, directed by

Philip Leacock Philip David Charles Leacock (8 October 1917 – 14 July 1990) was an English television and film director and producer. His brother was documentary filmmaker Richard Leacock. Career Born in London, England, Leacock spent his childhood in the ...

*''

Cast a Dark Shadow ''Cast a Dark Shadow'' is a 1955 black-and-white British suspense film noir directed by Lewis Gilbert, based on the play ''Murder Mistaken'' by Janet Green. The story concerns a husband played by Dirk Bogarde who murders his wife. Plot After ...

'' (1955) - executive producer, directed by

*''

'' (1956) - producer, directed by

*'' Seven Thunders'' (1957) - producer, directed by

Hugo Fregonese Hugo Geronimo Fregonese (April 8, 1908 in Mendoza – January 11, 1987 in Tigre) was an Argentine film director and screenwriter who worked both in Hollywood and his home country.''Cine Nacional''Hugo Fregonese filmography Cinenacional.com ...

*''

'' (1958) - producer, directed by

*'' The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw'' (1958) - producer, directed by

Raoul Walsh Raoul Walsh (born Albert Edward Walsh; March 11, 1887December 31, 1980) was an American film director, actor, founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), and the brother of silent screen actor George Walsh. He w ...

*''

We Joined the Navy ''We Joined the Navy'' is a 1962 British comedy film directed by Wendy Toye and starring Kenneth More, Lloyd Nolan, Joan O'Brien, Derek Fowlds, Graham Crowden, Esma Cannon and John Le Mesurier. Produced by Daniel M. Angel, it was based on the 19 ...

'' (1962) - producer, directed by

Wendy Toye Beryl May Jessie Toye, (1 May 1917 – 27 February 2010), known professionally as Wendy Toye, was a British dancer, stage and film director and actress. Life and career Toye was born in London. She initially worked as a dancer and choreographe ...

*''

West 11 ''West 11'' is a 1963 British crime film directed by Michael Winner and starring Alfred Lynch, Kathleen Breck, Eric Portman, Diana Dors, and Kathleen Harrison. It is based on ''The Furnished Room'' (1961), Laura Del-Rivo's debut novel, which was ...

'' (1963) - producer, directed by

Michael Winner Robert Michael Winner (30 October 1935 – 21 January 2013) was a British filmmaker, writer, and media personality. He is known for directing numerous action, thriller, and black comedy films in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, including several co ...

*'' King & Country'' (1964) - executive producer, directed by

Joseph Losey Joseph Walton Losey III (; January 14, 1909 – June 22, 1984) was an American theatre and film director, producer, and screenwriter. Born in Wisconsin, he studied in Germany with Bertolt Brecht and then returned to the United States. Blacklisted ...

*''Three Stars - A Gastronomic Voyage of Discovery in France'' (1964–65) (TV series) - executive producer *''

'' (1975) - producer, directed by Joseph Losey

References

Notes

* Obituary, ''

Jewish Chronicle Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

'', February 18, 2000, p. 27

External links

*
Daniel Angel
at BFI {{DEFAULTSORT:Angel, Daniel M. 1911 births 1999 deaths English film producers English Jews 20th-century English businesspeople