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Gerald Thomas

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For other people named Gerald Thomas, see Gerald Thomas (disambiguation).

Gerald Thomas
Born(1920-12-10)10 December 1920
Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England
Died9 November 1993(1993-11-09) (aged 72)
Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England
Occupation(s)Film director and editor
Years active1956–1993
SpouseBarbara Thomas
ChildrenThree
RelativesRalph Thomas (brother)
Jeremy Thomas (nephew)

Gerald Thomas (10 December 1920 – 9 November 1993)[1] was an English film director, best known for the long-running Carry On series of British film comedies.

Biography

Born in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, Thomas was educated in Bristol and London, and was training in medicine when World War II began.[2] He served four years in the British Army during the war, and upon his return to civilian life thought it too late to continue his medical studies.[2]

He began his movie career at Denham Studios, eventually becoming an assistant film editor beginning with Laurence Olivier's Hamlet (1948). His editing work included many films directed by his older brother, Ralph Thomas. His own directorial debut was the short film Circus Friends (1956), produced by the Children's Film Foundation. His first feature was the thriller Time Lock the following year.[2]

Beginning with the farcical military comedy Carry On Sergeant (1958), Thomas directed all 30 films in the Carry On series of British comedies, produced by Peter Rogers, ending with Carry On Emmannuelle (1978) and the belated Carry On Columbus (1992). Additionally, he directed the framing sequences of the compilation film That's Carry On! (1977). Other works as director include the comedy Please Turn Over (1959) and a drama of post-war Austria, The Second Victory (1986).[2]

Personal life

Thomas was married, and the couple had three daughters.[3] He died at home of a heart attack.[4] Thomas's nephew is the film producer Jeremy Thomas. He is commemorated with a green plaque on The Avenues, Kingston upon Hull.

Films directed

References

  1. ^ "Gerald Thomas". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 8 October 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d "Thomas, Gerald (1920-1993)". ScreenOnline.org (British Film Institute). Archived from the original on 6 September 2008. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  3. ^ Hunt, Leon (13 November 1993). "Obituary: Gerald Thomas". The Independent. UK. Archived from the original on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  4. ^ "Gerald Thomas; Director, 72". The New York Times. 11 November 1993. Archived from the original on 26 May 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2016.


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