Michael Joseph Anderson Sr (30 January 1920 – 25 April 2018) was an English film and television director. His career spanned nearly 50 years across three countries, working at various times in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada. His most critically and commercially successful works include the World War II film '' The Dam Busters'' (1955), the dystopian sci-fi film ''

Logan's Run ''Logan's Run'' is a science fiction novel by American writers William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson. Published in 1967, the novel depicts a dystopic Malthusian future society in which both population and the consumption of resources ...

'' (1976), and the comedy adventure epic ''

Around the World in 80 Days ''Around the World in Eighty Days'' () is an adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne, first published in French in 1872. In the story, Phileas Fogg of London and his newly employed French valet Passepartout attempt to circumnavigate ...

'' (1956), which won the 1957

Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards (also known as Oscars) presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film a ...

. Anderson received nominations for the Best Director Oscar and the Golden Globe for Best Director for ''Around the World in 80 Days''. He was twice nominated for the

Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation The Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation is given each year for theatrical films, television episodes, or other dramatized works related to science fiction or fantasy released in the previous calendar year. Originally the award covered both ...

(for ''Logan's Run'' and for the

Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury ( ; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of genres, including fantasy, science fiction, Horror fiction, horr ...

miniseries ''The Martian Chronicles''), and for a

Directors Guild of America Award The Directors Guild of America Awards are issued annually by the Directors Guild of America. The first DGA Award was an "Honorary Life Member" award issued in 1938 to D. W. Griffith. The statues are made by New York firm, Society Awards. Cate ...

and the

Palme d'Or The (; ) is the highest prize awarded to the director of the Best Feature Film of the Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festiv ...

. In 2012, he received the

Directors Guild of Canada The Directors Guild of Canada (DGC; ) is a Canadian labour union representing more than 5,500 professionals from 48 different occupations in the Canadian film and television industry. Founded in 1962, the DGC represents directors, editors, assist ...

's Lifetime Achievement Award. Anderson was the father of actor Michael Anderson Jr., and the stepfather of actress

Laurie Holden Heather Laurie Holden (born December 17, 1969) is an American-Canadian actress, producer, model, and human rights activist. She is best known for her portrayals as Marita Covarrubias in ''The X-Files'' (1996–2002), Andrea Harrison in AMC's ...

Early life and education

Anderson was born in London, United Kingdom, to a theatrical family. His parents were the actors Lawrence (1893–1939) and Beatrice Anderson (1893–1977). His great-aunt was Mary Anderson of

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

, who became one of the first US Shakespearean actresses; the Mary Anderson Theatre in Louisville was dedicated to her. He began working in the industry as an actor during the 1930s. By 1938, he had graduated to working behind the camera as an assistant director. During World War II, while serving in the British Army's Royal Signals Corps, he met

Peter Ustinov Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (16 April 192128 March 2004) was a British actor, director and writer. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits for much of his career. Ustinov received #Awa ...

and subsequently assisted him on two films.Michael Anderson Dies: Oscar-Nominated Film Director Was 98.
''

Deadline Deadline(s) or The Deadline(s) may refer to: * Time limit, a narrow field of time by which an objective must be accomplished Arts, entertainment, and media Comics * Deadline (DC Comics), a fictional villain * ''Deadline'' (magazine), a Britis ...

''. Retrieved February 23, 2020.Michael Anderson obituary
''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

''. Retrieved February 23, 2020.

Actor and assistant director

Anderson appeared in two films as an actor: as Oily Boyd in ''

Housemaster {{Unreferenced, date=October 2024 In education, a housemaster is a schoolmaster in charge of a boarding house, normally at a boarding school and especially at a public school. The housemaster is responsible for the supervision and care of board ...

'' (1938); and as Marine Albert Fosdick in

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time (magazine), Time'' called "a sense of personal style, a combination of c ...

's ''

In Which We Serve ''In Which We Serve'' is a 1942 British patriotic war film directed by Noël Coward and David Lean, who made his debut as a director. It was made during the Second World War with the assistance of the Ministry of Information. The screenplay ...

'' (1942). He joined

Elstree Studios Elstree Studios is a generic term which can refer to several current and demolished British film studios and television studios based in or around the town of Borehamwood and village of Elstree in Hertfordshire, England. Production studios ha ...

as a production runner in 1936 and became an assistant director by 1938. His credits as assistant director include ''

Spy for a Day Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering, as a subfield of the intelligence field, is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence). A person who commits espionage on a mission-specific contract is called an ''e ...

'' (1940), ''

Freedom Radio ''Freedom Radio'' (a.k.a. ''A Voice in the Night'') is a 1941 British propaganda film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Clive Brook, Diana Wynyard, Raymond Huntley and Derek Farr. It is set in Nazi Germany during the Second World War a ...

'' (1940), ''

Quiet Wedding ''Quiet Wedding'' is a 1941 British romantic comedy film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring Margaret Lockwood, Derek Farr and Marjorie Fielding. The screenplay was written by Terence Rattigan and Anatole de Grunwald based on the play '' ...

'' (1941), '' Cottage to Let'' (1941) and '' Jeannie'' (1941). He was unit manager as well as actor on ''In Which We Serve'' (1942) and was assistant director on '' Unpublished Story'' (1942). Anderson served with the

Royal Corps of Signals The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communications an ...

during the Second World War, during which time he met

. On demobilisation, Anderson returned to the film industry working as an assistant director on Ustinov's films ''

School for Secrets ''School for Secrets'' (also known as ''The Secret Flight'' ) is a 1946 British black-and-white drama film written and directed by Peter Ustinov and starring Ralph Richardson. In leading supporting roles are David Tomlinson, Raymond Huntley, Fi ...

'' (1946) and '' Vice Versa'' (1947). He was also an assistant director on '' Fame is the Spur'' (1947), '' One Night with You'' (1947) and ''

Mr. Perrin and Mr. Traill ''Mr. Perrin and Mr. Traill'' is a 1948 British drama film directed by Lawrence Huntington and starring Marius Goring, David Farrar, Greta Gynt, Edward Chapman and Raymond Huntley. It is based on the 1911 novel of the same title by Hugh Walpole ...

'' (1948).

Director

Anderson and Ustinov then wrote and directed a feature together, '' Private Angelo'' (1949). "He's an old friend of mine and we've always got each other out of difficulties," said Ustinov. Anderson made his solo directorial debut with a B film, '' Waterfront'' (1950) with

Robert Newton Robert Guy Newton (1 June 1905 – 25 March 1956) was an English actor. Along with Errol Flynn, Newton was one of the more popular actors among the male juvenile audience of the 1940s and early 1950s, especially with British boys. Known for hi ...

and Richard Burton. The ''Telegraph'' critic announced, "I can only burn my boats and prophesy that young Michael Anderson is possibly the most promising discovery since

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 ...

and

David Lean Sir David Lean (25 March 190816 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor, widely considered one of the most important figures of Cinema of the United Kingdom, British cinema. He directed the large-scale epi ...

." Anderson followed his first at bat with some more B movies: ''

Hell Is Sold Out ''Hell Is Sold Out'' is a 1951 British drama film directed by Michael Anderson and starring Mai Zetterling, Herbert Lom and Richard Attenborough. The film was written by Guy Morgan and Moie Charles, from an adaptation by Nick Salamon of the ...

'' (1951) for producer Raymond Stross; ''

Night Was Our Friend ''Night Was Our Friend'' is a 1951 British second feature ('B') drama film directed by Michael Anderson and starring Elizabeth Sellars, Michael Gough and Ronald Howard. It was written by Michael Pertwee based on his 1951 play of the same ...

'' (1952) and ''

Dial 17 Dial may refer to: Mechanical device *Rotary dial, a device for the input of number(s) in telephones and similar devices * Dialling, usually means to make a telephone call by turning the rotary dial or pressing the buttons *Dial (measurement), a ...

'' (1952). In early 1952 he co directed a stage revue in London, ''The Irving Revue''.

Associated British Picture Corporation

In April 1952 Anderson signed a contract with

Associated British Picture Corporation Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC), originally British International Pictures (BIP), was a British film production, distribution and exhibition company active from 1927 until 1970 when it was absorbed into EMI. ABPC also owned appr ...

(ABPC) for whom he wound up making five films. The first was a comedy, '' Will Any Gentleman...?'' (1953), based on a stage success. It was followed by '' The House of the Arrow'' (1953). The third was the

war film War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about navy, naval, air force, air, or army, land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle s ...

'' The Dam Busters'' (1955), starring

Richard Todd Richard Andrew Palethorpe-Todd (11 June 19193 December 2009) was an Irish-British actor known for his leading man roles of the 1950s. He received a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Male, and an Academy Award for Best Actor n ...

. Todd recalled when first told Anderson was to direct "I thought this was typical ABPC cheese-paring, instead of getting an expensive well-known director. Michael had made only small films before that, having previously been the best first assistant director in the business. But I had dinner with him one night and was totally won over by him. He knew what he was doing and was a delight to work with." ''The Dam Busters'' was the most popular movie at the British box office in 1955. Todd worked twice more with Anderson, calling him "a supremely authoritative, quiet, collected director who knew exactly what he wanted and what he could get out of his actors. He only had to give me a little quiet guidance, and we worked together very well." Anderson followed this with the first cinema adaptation of

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950) was an English novelist, poet, essayist, journalist, and critic who wrote under the pen name of George Orwell. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to a ...

's ''

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

'' (1956), co-financed by American interests. It was a commercial failure, despite shooting a "happier" ending for the United States release.

International director

''Around the World in 80 Days''

Anderson was then called in to direct ''

'' (1956), after original director

John Farrow John Villiers Farrow, Order of the Holy Sepulchre (Catholic), KGCHS (10 February 190427 January 1963) was an Australian film director, producer, and screenwriter. Spending a considerable amount of his career in the United States, he was nomina ...

had a falling out with producer

Mike Todd Michael Todd (born Avrom Hirsch Goldbogen; June 22, 1907 – March 22, 1958) was an American theater and film producer, celebrated for his 1956 ''Around the World in 80 Days (1956 film), Around the World in 80 Days'', which won an Academy ...

. Todd reportedly hired him on the strength of ''The Dam Busters'' and the recommendation of

. The film was a huge hit and Anderson was nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

(the film won Best Picture) and a

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...

for his direction. Todd signed Anderson to a two-picture contract but Todd died in a plane crash in 1958. Anderson was reunited with Richard Todd for another war film '' Yangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst'' (1957) for producer

Herbert Wilcox Herbert Sydney Wilcox Order of the British Empire, CBE (19 April 1890 – 15 May 1977) was a British film producer and film director, director. He was one of the most successful British filmmakers from the 1920s to the 1950s. He is best know ...

but it was not as popular as ''The Dam Busters''. He made a third film with Richard Todd, a thriller, '' Chase a Crooked Shadow'' (1958); this was his fifth and last movie for Associated British. In Ireland Anderson made a thriller about the IRA with

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor and dancer. On stage and in film, he was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He won acclaim and maj ...

, '' Shake Hands with the Devil'' (1959). It was made for Pennebaker, the company of

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Widely regarded as one of the greatest cinema actors of the 20th century,''Movies in American History: An Encyclopedia''

and provided an early role to

Richard Harris Richard St John Francis Harris (1 October 1930 – 25 October 2002) was an Irish actor and singer. Having studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, he rose to prominence as an icon of the British New Wave. He received numerous a ...

Hollywood

Anderson then took over a project at

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

originally planned as an

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featu ...

project, ''

The Wreck of the Mary Deare ''The Wreck of the Mary Deare'' (in the UK published as ''The Mary Deare'') is a 1956 novel written by British author Hammond Innes, which was later adapted as a film starring Gary Cooper released in 1959 by MGM. According to Jack Adrian, th ...

'' (1959), with

Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, silent screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, ...

and

Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923 – April 5, 2008) was an American actor. He gained stardom for his leading man roles in numerous Cinema of the United States, Hollywood films including biblical epics, science-fiction f ...

. Anderson later recalled in 1986, "The magic I remember most is walking on to stage 30 in

Culver City Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. It is mostly surrounded by Los Angeles, but also shares a border with the unincorporated area of Ladera Heights to the ea ...

at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was the biggest stage in the world and I remember looking at it and thinking I'll be here in a couple of weeks and they'll have built a ship and I'll be directing Gary Cooper and Charlton Heston – it's all going to be mine. It gave me such a feeling of astonishment and it's never quite left me."JOHN, HASLETT C. "Veteran Film Director Finds New Role in Toronto." ''The Globe and Mail'', Nov 28, 1986

also financed Anderson's next film, the melodrama ''

All the Fine Young Cannibals ''All the Fine Young Cannibals'' is a 1960 American drama film directed by Michael Anderson, starring Robert Wagner, Natalie Wood, Susan Kohner, George Hamilton, and Pearl Bailey. Hamilton said that the film "combined Southern Gothic with a ...

'' (1960) with

Natalie Wood Natalie Wood (née Zacharenko; July 20, 1938 – November 29, 1981) was an American actress. She began acting at age four and co-starred at age eight in ''Miracle on 34th Street'' (1947). As a teenager, she was nominated for an Academy Award f ...

and

Robert Wagner Robert John Wagner Jr. (born February 10, 1930) is an American actor. He is known for starring in the television shows ''It Takes a Thief (1968 TV series), It Takes a Thief'' (1968–1970), ''Switch (American TV series), Switch'' (1975–1978), ...

. Anderson was reunited with Cooper in ''

The Naked Edge ''The Naked Edge'' is a 1961 thriller film starring Gary Cooper (in his final film role) and Deborah Kerr. The film was a United Kingdom, British-American co-production distributed by United Artists, directed by Michael Anderson (director), Micha ...

'' (1961) which turned out to be Cooper's last film.

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A List of Nobel laureates in Literature, Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramat ...

wrote '' The Servant'' for Anderson but the director was unable to secure finance so he sold the script to

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 ...

, who filmed it with great success in 1963.. Anderson made some films for

Harold Hecht Harold Adolphe Hecht (June 1, 1907 – May 26, 1985) was an American film producer, dance director and talent agent. He was also, though less noted for, a literary agent, a theatrical producer, a theatre director and a Broadway actor. He was ...

: '' Flight from Ashiya'' (1964), an adventure tale, and ''

Wild and Wonderful Wild, wild, wilds or wild may refer to: Common meanings * Wilderness, a wild natural environment * Wildlife, an undomesticated organism * Wildness Wildness, in its literal sense, is the quality of being Wildlife, wild or Domestication, u ...

'' (1964), a comedy with

Tony Curtis Tony Curtis (born Bernard Schwartz; June 3, 1925September 29, 2010) was an American actor with a career that spanned six decades, achieving the height of his popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. He acted in more than 100 films, in roles co ...

. For MGM and

Carlo Ponti Carlo Fortunato Pietro Ponti Sr. (11 December 1912 – 10 January 2007) was an Italian film producer with more than 140 productions to his credit. Along with Dino De Laurentiis, he is credited with reinvigorating and popularizing Italian cin ...

he directed the war time thriller ''

Operation Crossbow ''Crossbow'' was the code name in World War II for Anglo-American operations against the German V-weapons, long range reprisal weapons (V-weapons) programme. The primary V-weapons were the V-1 flying bomb and V-2 rocket, which were launched agai ...

'' (1965). Anderson made a spy thriller ''

The Quiller Memorandum ''The Quiller Memorandum'' is a 1966 British neo noir eurospy film filmed in Deluxe Color and Panavision, adapted from the 1965 spy novel '' The Berlin Memorandum'', by Elleston Trevor under the name "Adam Hall", screenplay by Harold Pinter, ...

'' (1966), starring

George Segal George Segal Jr. (February 13, 1934 – March 23, 2021) was an American actor. He became popular in the 1960s and 1970s for playing both dramatic and comedic roles. After first rising to prominence with roles in acclaimed films such as '' Ship o ...

and

Alec Guinness Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. In the BFI, British Film Institute listing of 1999 of BFI Top 100 British films, the 100 most important British films of the 20th century ...

. He was meant to direct ''

Eye of the Devil ''Eye of the Devil'', also known by its working title ''13'' or ''Thirteen'', is a 1966 British mystery horror film directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring Deborah Kerr, David Niven, Donald Pleasence and Sharon Tate. Adapted from the 1964 ...

'' but fell ill. For MGM he directed the film ''

The Shoes of the Fisherman The Shoes of the Fisherman may refer to: * ''The Shoes of the Fisherman'' (novel), a 1963 novel by the writer Morris West * ''The Shoes of the Fisherman'' (film), a 1968 film based on the novel {{disambiguation ...

'' (1968), stepping in for

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 ...

at the last moment; the film was a flop. He was meant to direct the big screen adaptation of

James Clavell James Clavell (born Charles Edmund Dumaresq Clavell; 10 October 1921 – 7 September 1994) was a British and American writer, screenwriter, director, and World War II veteran and prisoner of war. Clavell is best known for his ''Asian Saga'' nov ...

's ''

Tai Pan Tai or TAI may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Tai (comics) a fictional Marvel Comics supervillain *Tai Fraiser, a fictional character in the 1995 film ''Clueless'' *Tai Kamiya, a fictional character in ''Digimon'' Businesses * Avianca El Salv ...

'' starring

Patrick McGoohan Patrick Joseph McGoohan (; March 19, 1928 – January 13, 2009) was an Irish-American actor of film, television, and theatre. Born in New York City to Irish parents, he was raised in Ireland and England. He began his career in England during t ...

but the film was not made due to high costs.

1970s

Anderson went for a few years without making a film before returning with ''

Pope Joan Pope Joan (''Ioannes Anglicus'', 855–857) is a woman who purportedly reigned as popess (female pope) for two years during the Middle Ages. Her story first appeared in chronicles in the 13th century and subsequently spread throughout Europe. ...

'' (1972) and '' The Devil's Impostor'' (1972). For

George Pal George Pal (born György Pál Marczincsak; ; February 1, 1908 – May 2, 1980) was a Hungarian-American animator, film director and producer, principally associated with the fantasy and science-fiction genres. He became an American citizen after ...

he made '' Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze'' (1975) then did ''

Conduct Unbecoming Conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman (or conduct unbecoming for short) is an offense that is subject to court martial in the armed forces of some nations. Use in the United Kingdom The phrase was used as a charge in courts martial of t ...

'' (1975). ''

'' (1976), about a futuristic society where humanity is imprisoned in a death trap sealed dome controlled by a computer, was an expensive box-office success, earning $50 million worldwide and boosting sales for its distributor,

Metro Goldwyn Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American film and television production and distribution company headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. Metro ...

. Anderon's old friend Peter Ustinov played a small role. Anderson then directed ''

Orca The orca (''Orcinus orca''), or killer whale, is a toothed whale and the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family. The only extant species in the genus '' Orcinus'', it is recognizable by its black-and-white-patterned body. A cosmopol ...

'' (1977) and ''

Dominique "Dominique" is a 1963 French language popular song, written and performed by Belgian singer Jeannine Deckers, better known as Sœur Sourire ("Sister Smile" in French) or The Singing Nun. The song is about Saint Dominic, a Spanish-born priest an ...

'' (1978).

Later work

In 1981, Anderson moved to Canada, where his then-wife was from, and became a Canadian citizen. "It's the best move I ever made", he said in 1986. "There's so much talent, it's exciting, clean, young, fresh and it's been very good to me." His later work was mostly made-for-television miniseries, including ''

The Martian Chronicles ''The Martian Chronicles'' is a science fiction fix-up novel, published in 1950, by American writer Ray Bradbury that chronicles the exploration and settlement of Mars, the home of indigenous Martians, by Americans leaving a troubled Earth tha ...

'' (1980), ''

Sword of Gideon ''Sword of Gideon'' is a 1986 Canadian television film about Mossad agents hunting down terrorists associated with the 1972 Munich massacre. It was first shown on the CTV Television Network in Canada as a four-hour miniseries and later on HBO in ...

'' (1986), ''

Young Catherine ''Young Catherine'' is a 1991 British TV miniseries based on the early life of Catherine II of Russia. Directed by Michael Anderson, it stars Julia Ormond as Catherine and Vanessa Redgrave as Empress Elizabeth. Plot summary In the early 1740 ...

'' (1991), '' The Sea Wolf'' (1993), ''Rugged Gold'' (1994), ''Captain's Courageous'' (1996) and ''

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ''Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas'' () is a science fiction adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne. It is considered a classic within its genres and world literature. It was originally serialised from March 1869 to June 1870 i ...

'' (1997). His feature work in Canada included, '' Murder by Phone'' (1982), the New Zealand film, '' Second Time Lucky'' (1984), ''Separate Vacations'' (1986), ''

Summer of the Monkeys ''Summer of the Monkeys'' is a 1976 children's story written by Wilson Rawls. It was published by Doubleday (later released by Yearling Books) and was the winner of the William Allen White Book Award and the California Young Reader Medal.

'' (1998), ''

Millennium A millennium () is a period of one thousand years, one hundred decades, or ten centuries, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting ...

'' (1989) and '' The Grand Defiance'' (1993), as well as episodes of the television anthology series '' Scales of Justice''. He directed '' Bottega dell'orefice'' (''The Jeweler's Shop'', 1988), based on the 1960 play written by Karol Wojtyła, who, by the time the film was made, had become

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

. In 1998, he said "I honestly feel like a teenager", and had no intention of retiring. Despite this statement, his last film credit would end up being '' The New Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1999). In 2012, Michael Anderson received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the

. At the time of his death, Anderson was the oldest living nominee for an

Academy Award for Best Director The Academy Award for Best Director (officially known as the Academy Award of Merit for Directing) is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given in honor of a film director who has exhibit ...

, and the only surviving director whose film won a Best Picture award in the 1950s.

Personal life

Anderson was married three times: # Betty Jordan (1923–2008) married in 1939; five children # Vera Carlisle (born 1935) married in 1969; one child # Actress

Adrienne Ellis Adrienne Ellis (died December 6, 2019), also known as Adrianne Ellis, was a Canadian actress. Early life Ellis was born in Canada and raised in California. She attended Van Nuys High School, where she was president of the honors drama society. ...

(1944-2019); two stepchildren; stepfather of actress

(''

The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The original series aired from September 10, 1993, to Ma ...

'', ''

Silent Hill is a horror media franchise centered on a series of survival horror games created by Keiichiro Toyama and published by Konami. The first four main games—'' Silent Hill'', '' Silent Hill 2'', '' Silent Hill 3'', and '' Silent Hill 4: The ...

'', ''

The Mist Mist is a weather phenomenon similar to fog. Mist, MIST or The Mist may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Fiction * ''Mist'' (novel), a 1914 novel by Spanish author Miguel de Unamuno * ''The Mist'' (novella), a 1980 horror novella by Ameri ...

'', '' The Walking Dead'') and Christopher Holden. His son Michael Anderson Jr., is an actor who appeared in ''Logan's Run'' and ''The Martian Chronicles''; another son, David Anderson, is a film producer. Anderson died on 25 April 2018 at the age of 98, from

heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is any disease involving the heart or blood vessels. CVDs constitute a class of diseases that includes: coronary artery diseases (e.g. angina pectoris, angina, myocardial infarction, heart attack), heart failure, ...

Filmography

* '' Private Angelo'' (1949) * '' Waterfront Women'' (1950) * ''

'' (1951) * ''

'' (1951) * '' Will Any Gentleman...?'' (1953) * '' The House of the Arrow'' (1953) * '' The Dam Busters'' (1955) * ''

'' (1956) * ''

'' (1956) * '' Yangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst'' (1957) * '' Chase a Crooked Shadow'' (1958) * '' Shake Hands with the Devil'' (1959) * ''

'' (1959) * ''

'' (1960) * ''

'' (1961) * '' Flight from Ashiya'' (1964) * ''

'' (1964) * ''

'' (1965) * ''

'' (1966) * ''

'' (1968) * ''

'' (1972) * '' Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze'' (1975) * ''

'' (1975) * ''

'' (1976) * ''

'' (1977) * ''

'' (1979) * ''

'' (1980) (TV) * '' Murder by Phone'' (1982) * '' Second Time Lucky'' (1984) * ''

Separate Vacations ''Separate Vacations'' is a Canadian sex comedy film, directed by Michael Anderson and released in 1986. The film stars David Naughton and Jennifer Dale as Richard and Sarah Moore, a long-married couple whose relationship has become unfulfilli ...

'' (1986) * ''

'' (1986) (TV) * '' The Jeweller's Shop'' (1989) * ''

'' (1989) * ''

'' (1991) (TV) * '' The Sea Wolf'' (1993) (TV) * ''Rugged Gold'' (1994) (TV) * ''

Captains Courageous ''Captains Courageous: A Story of the Grand Banks'' is an 1897 novel by Rudyard Kipling that follows the adventures of fifteen-year-old Harvey Cheyne Jr., the spoiled son of a railroad tycoon, after he is saved from drowning by a Portuguese f ...

'' (1996) (TV) * ''

'' (1997) (TV) * ''

'' (1998) * '' The New Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1999)

References

External links

*
Michael Anderson biography at BFI ScreenonlineObituary
at ''Variety''
Obituary
at ''The Telegraph''

at

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Michael 1920 births 2018 deaths British Army personnel of World War II Canadian film directors Canadian television directors English emigrants to Canada English television directors Film directors from London Military personnel from London Naturalized citizens of Canada Royal Corps of Signals soldiers Canadian science fiction film directors British science fiction film directors Directors of Best Picture Academy Award winners