Major Daniel Morris Angel (14 May 1911 – 13 December 1999) was a leading British film producer who was responsible for several notable British films during the 1950s, such as '' Another Man's Poison'' (1952), '' The Sea Shall Not Have Them'' (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 fo ...

'' (1956), and ''

Carve Her Name with Pride ''Carve Her Name with Pride'' is a 1958 British war Drama (film and television), 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 agen ...

'' (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 ...

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 75% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe ...

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'' ...

, 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 ...

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 of t ...

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 his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...

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'' (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 EditionThe 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, and Helmut Berger. It marks the feature-length screen debut for Kate Nelligan. The screenplay was written by Tom Stoppard ...

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

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

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 *'' Murder at the Windmill'' (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 Film Productions, ...

*''

Miss Pilgrim's Progress ''Miss Pilgrim's Progress'' is a 1949 black-and-white British comedy film by producer Nat Cohen and director Val Guest. Plot Laramie Pilgrim is an American exchange factory worker who trades places with an upper class British girl. After much ad ...

'' (1950) - produced with

, directed by

*'' The Body Said No!'' (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

*'' Another Man's Poison'' (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 British Jews, Jewish family in London, Rapper emigrated to the United States and became an actor and a stage director on Broadwa ...

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

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

'' (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.'' (1953) - producer, directed by

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

*'' The Sea Shall Not Have Them'' (1954) - producer, directed by

*''

Escapade Escapade or Escapades may refer to: Transportation *Beneteau Escapade, a French sailboat design * HMS ''Escapade'', a 1934 Royal Navy destroyer that served in World War II *'' Just Escapade'', an American two-seat kit-built light aircraft Films ...

'' (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'' (1955) - executive producer, directed by

*''

'' (1956) - producer, directed by

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

Hugo Fregonese Hugo Geronimo Fregonese (8 April 1908 – 11 January 1987) was an Argentine film director and screenwriter who worked both in Hollywood and his home country during the Golden Age of Argentine cinema, classical era of Argentine cinema.''Cine Na ...

*''

'' (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 cinema actor George Walsh. He wa ...

*'' We Joined the Navy'' (1962) - producer, directed by Wendy Toye *'' West 11'' (1963) - producer, directed by

Michael Winner Michael Robert Winner (30 October 1935 – 21 January 2013) was an English 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 c ...

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

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

*''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 ''The Jewish Chronicle'' (''The JC'') is a London-based Jewish weekly newspaper. Founded in 1841, it is the oldest continuously published Jewish newspaper in the world. Its editor () is Daniel Schwammenthal. The newspaper is published every Fri ...

'', 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 People educated at University College School