Fergus McDonell (6 October 1910 – 3 January 1984) was an English

film editor Film editing is both a creative and a technical part of the post-production process of filmmaking. The term is derived from the traditional process of working with film stock, film which increasingly involves the use Digital cinema, of digital ...

and

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

. He was nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Film Editing The Academy Award for Best Film Editing is one of the annual awards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Nominations for this award are closely correlated with the Academy Award for Best Picture. For 33 consecutive year ...

for ''

Odd Man Out ''Odd Man Out'' is a 1947 British film noir directed by Carol Reed, and starring James Mason, Robert Newton, Cyril Cusack, and Kathleen Ryan. Set in Belfast, Northern Ireland, it follows a wounded Nationalist leader who attempts to evade pol ...

'' (1947), and his film ''The Hideout'' (aka ''

The Small Voice ''The Small Voice'' (US title: ''The Hideout'') is a 1948 British thriller film directed by Fergus McDonell and starring Valerie Hobson, James Donald and Howard Keel (credited as Harold Keel). The film is part of a group of British film noir ...

'') received a nomination for

Best British Film Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporatio ...

at the 1949

BAFTA Awards The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs or BAFTA Awards, is an annual film award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best Cinema of the United Kingdom, British and Worl ...

Early life

Fergus McDonell was one of five children born to Angus MacDonnell, Judge of

Trichonopoly Tiruchirappalli (), also known as Trichy, is a major tier II city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Tiruchirappalli district. The city is credited with being the best livable and the cleanest city of Tam ...

Madras Chennai, also known as Madras ( its official name until 1996), is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian ce ...

and his wife Elsie Murdoch. His grandfather was Lord Aeneas Ranald MacDonell, 19th Chief of Clan MacDonell of Glengarry. Members of this family variously spell their surname 'MacDonnell', 'Macdonnell' and 'McDonell'; Fergus used the latter spelling throughout his life. As was the custom among members of the

Indian Civil Service The Indian Civil Service (ICS), officially known as the Imperial Civil Service, was the higher civil service of the British Empire in India during British Raj, British rule in the period between 1858 and 1947. Its members ruled over more than 3 ...

during the Raj, it is likely that McDonell spent his early childhood in India and was sent back to England for his education. His brother Angus died at age two; he and his three other brothers attended

Sedbergh School Sedbergh School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Private schools in the United Kingdom, private boarding school, boarding and day school, day school) in the town of Sedbergh in Cumbria, North West England. It comprise ...

Cumbria Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders the Scottish council areas of Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders to the north, Northumberland and County Durham to the east, North Yorkshire to the south-east, Lancash ...

Career

In 1937, McDonell entered the film world as an editor on '' The Claydon Treasure Mystery'', one of a series of

B movie A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second ...

s or 'Quota Quickies' which he would make between 1937 and 1950. Quota Quickies were a response to the protectionist Cinematograph Films Act 1927, which was intended to limit Hollywood imports and ensure that a healthy percentage of films screened in British cinemas were of British origin. American producers got around it by setting up shell companies in the UK to make low-budget films, often shot on two-week schedules. Their quality was so poor that it was not unusual for theatre owners to apologize to their customers, in advance. These 'B' films did not intend to be serious but they offered a springboard for talent, and a way for filmmakers to hone their craft. The films that McDonnel worked on, however, were of a better quality; his last B movie, ''

Private Information Privacy (, ) is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves, and thereby express themselves selectively. The domain of privacy partially overlaps with security, which can include the concepts of a ...

'' (1952), was one of 15 films selected by Steve Chibnall and

Brian McFarlane Brian McFarlane is a Canadian television sportscaster and author. He is best known as a broadcaster on Hockey Night In Canada and as an author of hockey books. He is also the honorary president of the Society for International Hockey Researc ...

in their book ''The British 'B' Film'', as among the most meritorious of the British B films made in Britain between World War II and 1970. Chibnall and McFarlane praise McDonell's "sensitive regard for human relationships and for the ways in which the pressure of circumstance highlights aspects of character", and they note that he "had a knack for obtaining striking performances from his leading ladies". ''

'' was the third film McDonell directed; by now, he was accomplished enough as an editor that

Carol Reed Sir Carol Reed (30 December 1906 – 25 April 1976) was an English film director and producer, best known for '' Odd Man Out'' (1947), '' The Fallen Idol'' (1948), '' The Third Man'' (1949), and '' Oliver!'' (1968), for which he was awarded th ...

's 1947 film ''

'' garnered McDonell an Academy Award nomination for the Best Film Editing. The first film he directed, 1948's ''The Hideout'' (also released as ''

'') received a nomination for

at the 1949

. McDonell's achievements caught the attention of the

National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; ) is a Canadian public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary films, animation, web documentaries, and altern ...

and he was offered a job. In 1951, he moved to

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

and became an NFB editor. As an editor, he worked on 84 documentaries and short films; he became an NFB director in 1956 and made 38 films. In 1959, McDonell left the NFB to take the job of directing some of the episodes of the

CBC CBC may refer to: Media * Cadena Baja California or Grupo Cadena, a radio and television broadcaster in Mexico * Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's radio and television public broadcaster ** CBC Television ** CBC Radio One ** CBC Music ** ...

series '' R.C.M.P.''. He was simultaneously working on four episodes of a 12-film psychiatric series by his NFB colleague Robert Anderson called '' The Disordered Mind'', which would also air on the CBC. He made two additional psychiatric films for Anderson and Geigy Pharmaceuticals, returned to the NFB as editor on two documentaries and, in 1961, moved back to England. McDonell would not direct again, but he would act as editor of another 17 films, including the wildly popular ''

What's New Pussycat? ''What's New Pussycat?'' is a 1965 screwball comedy film directed by Clive Donner, written by Woody Allen in his first produced screenplay, and starring Allen in his acting debut, along with Peter Sellers, Peter O'Toole, Romy Schneider, Capuc ...

'' (1962). That was followed by, among others, '' The Caretaker'', 1965's '' Four in the Morning'' (which would win

Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Widely considered one of Britain's greatest actors, she is noted for her versatility, having appeared in films and television, as well as for her numerous roles on the stage ...

the 1966 BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer),

Stephen Frears Sir Stephen Arthur Frears (born 20 June 1941) is a British director and producer of film and television, often depicting real life stories as well as projects that explore social class through sharply-drawn characters. He has received numerous a ...

first film

Gumshoe Gumshoe is a term for a rubber-soled shoe, one form of which is the galosh Gumshoe may also refer to: * Gumshoe, a slang term for a detective, from wearing soft, quiet rubber-soled shoes * ''Gumshoe'' (album), 2025 album by Samantha Crain * ''G ...

(1971) and the critically acclaimed ''

Khartoum Khartoum or Khartum is the capital city of Sudan as well as Khartoum State. With an estimated population of 7.1 million people, Greater Khartoum is the largest urban area in Sudan. Khartoum is located at the confluence of the White Nile – flo ...

'' (1966). His last film was Terence Donovan's ''Yellow Dog''; he retired in 1974.

Personal life and death

In 1931, McDonell married Wendy Hamblin. They had three children, including the producer and editor Robin Murdoch McDonell. Fergus McDonnel died in Norfolk in 1984, at age 74.

Filmography

*'' The Claydon Treasure Mystery'' - feature,

Manning Haynes Horace Manning Haynes (born: Lyminster, Sussex – died 3 March 1957, Epsom, England) (often credited as H. Manning Haynes) was a British-born film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and ...

1938 - editor *''

I Met a Murderer ''I Met a Murderer'' is a 1939 British thriller film directed by Roy Kellino and starring James Mason, Pamela Mason, Sylvia Coleridge and William Devlin. A man murders his oppressive wife and flees from the police. He meets a young woman who ...

'' - feature,

Roy Kellino Roy Kellino (born Philip Roy Gislingham; 22 April 1912 – 18 November 1956) was an English film director, producer and cinematographer. Biography He was born Philip Roy Gislingham in Lambeth, south London, the son of the silent-era director W ...

1939 - editor *''

Asking for Trouble ''Asking for Trouble'' is a 1942 British comedy film directed by Oswald Mitchell and starring Max Miller, Carole Lynne and Wilfrid Hyde-White. Its plot follows a fishmonger who takes up bookmaking to earn extra cash. Cast * Max Miller as Di ...

'' - feature,

Oswald Mitchell Oswald Albert Mitchell (1890 – April 27, 1949) was a British film director who directed several of the Old Mother Riley series of films.

1942 - editor *''

The Dummy Talks ''The Dummy Talks'' is a 1943 British crime film directed by Oswald Mitchell and starring Jack Warner (actor), Jack Warner, Claude Hulbert and Beryl Orde. It marked the film debut of Jack Warner (actor), Jack Warner. Synopsis Set over the cours ...

'' - feature,

Oswald Mitchell Oswald Albert Mitchell (1890 – April 27, 1949) was a British film director who directed several of the Old Mother Riley series of films.

1943 - co-editor with Jack Harris *'' On Approval'' - feature,

Clive Brook Clifford Hardman "Clive" Brook (1 June 1887 – 17 November 1974) was an English stage and film actor. After making his first screen appearance in 1920, Brook emerged as a leading British actor in the early 1920s. After moving to the Unit ...

1944 - editor *''

The Way Ahead ''The Way Ahead'' (also known as ''Immortal Battalion'') (1944) is a British Second World War drama film directed by Carol Reed. The screenplay was written by Eric Ambler and Peter Ustinov. The film stars David Niven, Stanley Holloway and Wi ...

'' - feature,

1944 - editor *''

The Way to the Stars ''The Way to the Stars'' is a 1945 Anglo-American black-and-white Second World War drama film made by Two Cities Films. The film was produced by Anatole de Grunwald, directed by Anthony Asquith, and stars Michael Redgrave, John Mills, Rosamu ...

'', aka ''Johnny in the Clouds'' - feature,

Anthony Asquith Anthony Asquith (; 9 November 1902 – 20 February 1968) was an English film director. He collaborated successfully with playwright Terence Rattigan on ''The Winslow Boy'' (1948) and '' The Browning Version'' (1951), among other adaptations ...

and Charles Saunders 1945 - editor *''

'' - feature,

1947 - editor *''

'' aka ''The Hideout'' - feature, 1948 - director *''

Prelude to Fame ''Prelude to Fame'' is a 1950 British drama film set in Italy, directed by Fergus McDonell and starring Guy Rolfe, Kathleen Byron and Kathleen Ryan. It was written by Robert Westerby and Bridget Boland based on the 1924 story "Young Archime ...

'' - feature, 1950 - director *''

'' - feature, 1952 - director *''L'Homme à l'âge de la machine'' – short film, Donald Peters 1956 - editor *''Back Into the Sun'' - documentary short, ''Perspective'' series 1956 - director *''Borderline'' - documentary short, ''Perspective'' series 1957 - director *''Capital City'' - documentary short, ''Perspective'' series 1957 - director *''Double Verdict'' - short film, ''Perspective'' series 1957 - director *''The Happy Fugitive'' - short film, ''Perspective'' series 1957 - director *''Train 406'' - documentary short, ''Perspective'' series 1958 - director *''Western Brigade'' - documentary short, ''Perspective'' series 1958 - director *'' R.C.M.P.'' - ''Little Girl Lost'' - series episode 1959 - director *'' R.C.M.P.'' - ''Day of Reckoning'' - series episode 1960 - director *'' R.C.M.P.'' - ''Trackdown'' - series episode 1960 - director *''The Medical Use of Hypnosis'' - documentary short, Robert Anderson 1960 - editor *''Voices in Space'' - documentary short, Robert Anderson 1960 - editor *''New North: Part 2. New Patterns in Flight'' - documentary short, Robert Anderson 1960 - editor *''Man's Adaptability to Cold (Polar People)'' - documentary short, Robert Anderson 1960 - editor *''Faces of Depression'' - documentary short, Robert Anderson 1960 - editor *''Pathological Anxiety'' - documentary short, Robert Anderson 1960 - editor *'' The Disordered Mind'': "Psychosomatic Disorders: A Coronary" - documentary short, Robert Anderson 1960 - editor *'' The Disordered Mind'': "Psychoneurotic Conditions: A Pathological Anxiety" - documentary short, Robert Anderson 1960 - editor *'' The Disordered Mind'': "Psychotic Conditions: A Depression" - documentary short, Robert Anderson and Henwar Rodakiewicz 1960 - editor *'' The Disordered Mind'': "Anti-Social Personality Disorders: A Psychopath" - documentary short, Robert Anderson 1960 - editor *''Emotional Factors in General Practice'' - documentary short, Robert Anderson 1960 - editor *''They Took Us to the Sea'' - documentary short,

John Krish John Jeffrey Krish (4 December 1923 – 7 May 2016) was a British film director and screenwriter. He directed and filmed much archive footage and in particular ''Our School'' in 1962, showing the changing ways of Britain's school and the last ...

1961 - editor *'' Some People'' - feature,

Clive Donner Clive Stanley Donner (21 January 1926 – 6 September 2010) Ronald Berganbr>Obituary: Clive Donner ''The Guardian'', 7 September 2010 was a British film director who was part of the British New Wave, directing films such as '' The Caretaker'', ...

1962 - editor *'' The Caretaker'' aka ''The Guest'' - feature,

1963 - editor *'' Nothing but the Best'' - feature,

1964 - editor *'' Four in the Morning'' - feature, Anthony Simmons 1965 - editor *''

'' - feature,

1965 - editor *''

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' () is a French historical adventure novel written and published in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is the first of the author's three d'Artagnan Romances. As with some of his other works, he wrote it in col ...

'' - TV series, 10 episodes, Peter Hammond 1966 - editor *''

'' - feature,

Basil Dearden Basil Dearden (born Basil Clive Dear; 1 January 1911 – 23 March 1971) was an English film director. Early life Dearden was born as Basil Clive Dear at 5 Woodfield Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex to Charles James Dear, a steel manufacturer, and the ...

1966 - editor *''

Only When I Larf Len Deighton's ''Only When I Larf'' is a 1968 British comic thriller describing the activities of a team of three confidence tricksters led by Silas Lowther (late 40s), his girlfriend Liz Mason (late 20s) and wannabe apprentice and Liz-worshippe ...

'' - feature,

1966 - editor *''

Charlie Bubbles ''Charlie Bubbles'' is a 1968 British comedy-drama film directed by Albert Finney (in his feature directorial debut) and starring Finney, Billie Whitelaw and Liza Minnelli. The screenplay was by Shelagh Delaney. A writer returns to his home c ...

'' - feature,

Albert Finney Albert Finney (9 May 1936 – 7 February 2019) was an English actor. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and worked in the theatre before attaining fame for movie acting during the early 1960s, debuting with '' The Entertainer'' ( ...

1968 - editor *''

Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush" (also titled "Mulberry Bush" or "This Is the Way") is an English nursery rhyme and singing game. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 7882. It uses the tune which Nancy Dawson danced into fame in ''The ...

'' - feature,

1968 - editor *''

Alfred the Great Alfred the Great ( ; – 26 October 899) was King of the West Saxons from 871 to 886, and King of the Anglo-Saxons from 886 until his death in 899. He was the youngest son of King Æthelwulf and his first wife Osburh, who both died when Alfr ...

'' - feature,

1969 - editor *''

Spring and Port Wine ''Spring and Port Wine'' is a 1959 stage play by Bill Naughton. The drama is set in Bolton and concerns the Crompton family, especially Rafe, the father, and his attempts to assert his authority in the household as his children grow up. Backgro ...

'' - feature, Peter Hammond 1970 - editor *''

Unman, Wittering and Zigo ''Unman, Wittering and Zigo'' is a 1958 radio play by the Anglo-Irish playwright Giles Cooper. Plot The play is set in a traditional boys’ boarding school. A teacher has died, apparently by accident: he fell off a cliff above the sea. John E ...

'' - feature, John Mackenzie 1971 - editor *''

'' - feature,

1971 - supervising editor *''

Mistress Pamela ''Mistress Pamela'' is a 1973 British sex comedy drama film directed by Jim O'Connolly and starring Ann Michelle, Dudley Foster, Anna Quayle and Anthony Sharp. It was written by O'Connolly loosely based on the 1740 novel ''Pamela, or Virtue R ...

'' - feature,

Jim O'Connolly James Philip O'Connolly (23 February 1926 – December 1986), known professionally as Jim O'Connolly, was an English film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his work as associate producer of many of the ''Edgar Wallace Myst ...

1973 - supervising editor *''Yellow Dog'' - feature, Terence Donovan 1973 - editor

Editor, Director *''Canada's Atom Goes to Work'' - documentary short, Roger Blais 1952 - editor *''Beyond the Frontier'' - documentary short, Ronald Dick 1952 - editor *''Singing Champions'' - documentary short, Roger Blais 1952 - co-editor with Arshad Mirza *''The Mountain Movers'' - documentary short,

Ron Weyman Ronald Charles Tosh Weyman (December 13, 1915 – June 26, 2007) was a British-born Canadian film and television director and producer."RON WEYMAN, 91 SAILOR, PRODUCER, PAINTER AND NOVELIST: Pioneer filmmaker turned hard-hitting social issues into ...

1952 - editor *''Citizen Varek'' - documentary short, Gordon Burwash 1953 - editor *''Les deux pieds sur terre'' - documentary short, Larry Gosnell 1953 - editor *''Canada at the Coronation'' - documentary, Allen Stark 1953 - co-editor with

Eldon Rathburn Eldon Davis Rathburn (21 April 1916 – 31 August 2008) was a Canadian film composer who scored over 250 films during his thirty-year tenure as a staff composer at the National Film Board of Canada. Known as "the dean of Canadian film composers",< ...

and Kenneth Heeley-Ray *''The Harbour'' - documentary short, Ernest Kirkpatrick 1953 - editor *''The Newcomers'' - documentary short, David Bennett 1953 - co-editor with Douglas Tunstall *''

Farewell Oak Street ''Farewell Oak Street'' is a 1953 Canadian docudrama short film, directed by Grant McLean for the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). The film, which is part of the NFB's ''Canada Carries On'' series, is about the late-1940s demolition of the r ...

'' - documentary short, Grant McLean 1953 - editor *''The Ballot-o-Maniac'' - documentary short,

Stanley Jackson Stanley Jackson may refer to: * Stanley Jackson (cricketer) (1870–1947), English cricketer and politician * Stanley Jackson (gridiron football) (born 1975), quarterback * Stan Jackson (quarterback), quarterback for Cal Poly Pomona, set college fo ...

1953 - editor *''Let's Talk About Films'' - documentary short,

Julian Biggs Julian Biggs (1920–1972) was a director and producer with the National Film Board of Canada and its first Director of English Production. Over the course of his 20-year career, he created 146 films, two of which (''Herring Hunt'' (1953) and '' ...

1953 - editor *''In Search of Home'' - documentary short,

1953 - editor *''Mission Ship'' - documentary short, Robert Anderson 1953 - editor *''Inland Seaport'' - documentary short, Roger Blais 1953 - editor *''Man Is a Universe'' - documentary short,

1954 - editor *''Bottleneck'' - documentary short,

Leslie McFarlane Charles Leslie McFarlane (October 25, 1902 – September 6, 1977) was a Canadian journalist, novelist, screenwriter, and filmmaker, who is most famous for ghostwriting many of the early books in the very successful '' Hardy Boys'' series, using th ...

1954 - editor *''The War on Want'' - documentary short, Gordon Burwash 1954 - editor *''Vigil in the North'' - documentary short, 1954 - editor, director *''College in the Wilds'' - documentary short,

1954 - editor *''Frontier College'' - documentary short,

1954 - editor *''Men at Work'' - documentary short, Donald Peters 1954 - editor *''Diggers of the Deeps'' - documentary short, Grant McLean 1954 - editor *''High Tide in Newfoundland'' - documentary short, Grant McLean 1954 - co-editor with Marion Meadows *''British Empire and Commonwealth Games'' - documentary short, Jack Olsen 1954 - editor *''The Curlers'' - documentary short, William Davidson 1955 - editor *''Prairie Profile'' - documentary short, Gordon Burwash 1955 - editor *''Problem Clinic'' - documentary short,

1955 - editor *''Road of Iron'' - documentary, Walford Hewitson 1955 - editor *''The Dikes'' - documentary short, Roger Blais 1955 - editor *''In This Dark World'' - documentary short, Jean Lenauer 1955 - editor *''Strike in Town'' - documentary short,

1955 - editor *''The Shepherd'' - documentary short,

1955 - editor *''The Pony'' - short film, Lawrence Cherry 1955 - editor *''Airwomen'' - documentary short, Ian MacNeill 1956 - editor *''L'homme à l'âge de la machine'' - documentary short, Donald Peters 1956 - editor *''Stress'' - documentary short, Ian MacNeill 1956 - editor *''Operation Life Saver'' - documentary short, Isobel Kehoe 1956 - editor *''Frontiers to Guard'' - documentary short, Ian MacNeill 1956 - editor *''Are People Sheep?'' - documentary short,

1956 - editor *''Crash Rescue and Firefighting'' - documentary short, 1956 - editor, director *''Train 406'' - documentary short, 1956 - editor, director *''Back into the Sun'' - documentary short, 1956 - director *''Methods of Instruction'' - documentary short, 1956 - director *''Morning Incident'' - documentary short, 1956 - director *''The Nativity Cycle'' - documentary short, 1956 - director *''The Cage'' - short film, 1956 - director *''The Longer Trail'' - short film, 1956 - director *''The Yellow Leaf'' - short film, 1956 - director *''Borderline'' - documentary short, 1957 - director *''Double Verdict'' - documentary short, 1957 - director *''Capital City'' - documentary short, 1957 - director *''Flagged for Action'' - documentary short, 1957 - director *''Test Pilot'' -short film, 1957 - director *''The Two Kingstons'' - documentary short, 1957 - director *''The Happy Fugitive'' - short film, 1957 - director *''The Street'' - short film, 1957 - director *''None but the Lonely'' - short film, 1957 - director *''The Harvest'' - short film, 1957 - director *''The Ticket'' - documentary short, 1958 - director *''Western Brigade'' - documentary short, 1958 - director *''Un héritage, une tradition, une marine'' - documentary short, Kirk Jones 1960 - editor *''An Enduring Tradition'' - documentary, Kirk Jones 1960 - editor *''Canada's Navy'' - documentary short, Kirk Jones 1962 - editor

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McDonell, Fergus 1910 births 1984 deaths English film editors English film directors People from Royal Tunbridge Wells People from Ticehurst National Film Board of Canada people People educated at Sedbergh School