About

Known credits:
50
Birthday:
1917-08-05
Place of birth:
Hastings, Sussex, England
Website:
N/A

Don Chaffey

Overview

Donald Chaffey (5 August 1917 – 13 November 1990) was a British film director, writer, producer, and art director.

Chaffey's film career began as an art director in 1947, and his directorial debut was in 1953. He remained active in the industry until his death in 1990 from heart failure. His film Charley One-Eye (1973) was entered into the 24th Berlin International Film Festival.

He is chiefly remembered for his fantasy films, which include Jason and the Argonauts (1963), The Three Lives of Thomasina (1963), One Million Years B.C. (1966), The Viking Queen (1967), Creatures the World Forgot (1971), Pete's Dragon (1977), and C.H.O.M.P.S. (1979), his final feature film.

Concurrent with his theatrically released films, Chaffey directed episodes of numerous British television series, including multiple installments of Danger Man, The Prisoner, and The Avengers. From the 1980s until his death, all of his work was in American made-for-TV movies, and in such TV series as Fantasy Island, Stingray, MacGyver, Vega$, T. J. Hooker, Matt Houston, and Charlie's Angels.

Chaffey began his career in the art department of Gainsborough Pictures where he worked as a draftsman on Madonna of the Seven Moons (1945), The Rake's Progress (1945), and Caravan (1946). He was art director of The Adventures of Dusty Bates (1947) and The Little Ballerina (1948). He directed the documentary shorts Thames Tideway (1948) and Cape Cargoes (1948).

Chaffey directed the short features The Mysterious Poacher (1950) and The Case of the Missing Scene (1950). He returned to the art department for King of the Underworld (1950), The Stolen Plans (1952), Murder at the Grange (1952), Murder at Scotland Yard (1952), and Black 13 (1953).

Chaffey resumed his directing career with the family film Skid Kids (1953). He made the short Watch Out (1953), then did Strange Stories (1953), Bouncer Breaks Up (1953, a short), The Mask (1952), and A Good Pull Up (1953).

Chaffey directed Time Is My Enemy (1954). After the short Dead on Time (1955) he made The Secret Tent (1956), The Flesh Is Weak (1957) and The Girl in the Picture (1957).

He directed episodes of TV series like Theatre Royal, The Adventures of the Big Man, Chevron Hall of Stars, The Errol Flynn Theatre, Assignment Foreign Legion, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Dial 999, and The New Adventures of Charlie Chan. He interspersed these with features like A Question of Adultery (1958), The Man Upstairs (1958), Danger Within (1959), Dentist in the Chair (1960), Lies My Father Told Me (1960), and Nearly a Nasty Accident (1961).

Known for

Directing
1985 International Airport Directing Director 58
Average
1980 Casino Directing Director N/A
N/A
1979 C.H.O.M.P.S. Directing Director 58
Average
1978 Shimmering Light Directing Director N/A
N/A
1978 The Gift of Love Directing Director 59
Average
1978 Lassie: The New Beginning Directing Director 58
Average
1978 The Magic of Lassie Directing Director 58
Average
1977 Pete's Dragon Directing Director 61
Fair
1977 Born to Run Directing Director N/A
N/A
1976 The Fourth Wish Directing Director N/A
N/A
1975 Ride a Wild Pony Directing Director 59
Average
1974 Persecution Directing Director 58
Average
1973 Charley-One-Eye Directing Director 58
Average
1972 The Mysterious Poacher Directing Director N/A
N/A
1971 Creatures the World Forgot Directing Director 58
Average
1971 Clinic Exclusive Directing Director 58
Average
1969 Journey to the Unknown Directing Director N/A
N/A
1968 A Twist of Sand Directing Director 58
Average
1968 The Prisoner Directing Director 59
Average
1967 The Viking Queen Directing Director 58
Average
1966 One Million Years B.C. Directing Director 59
Average
1965 The Crooked Road Directing Director 58
Average
1964 A Jolly Bad Fellow Directing Director 59
Average
1964 The Horse Without a Head Directing Director 58
Average
1963 The Three Lives of Thomasina Directing Director 59
Average
1963 Jason and the Argonauts Directing Director 66
Fair
1962 The Webster Boy Directing Director N/A
N/A
1962 The Prince and the Pauper Directing Director 59
Average
1961 A Matter of WHO Directing Director 59
Average
1961 Greyfriars Bobby Directing Director 60
Fair
1961 Nearly a Nasty Accident Directing Director 59
Average
1960 Dentist in the Chair Directing Director 59
Average
1960 Lies My Father Told Me Directing Director N/A
N/A
1959 Danger Within Directing Director 59
Average
1958 The Man Upstairs Directing Director 59
Average
1958 A Question of Adultery Directing Director 58
Average
1957 The Flesh Is Weak Directing Director 59
Average
1957 The Girl in the Picture Directing Director 59
Average
1954 Time Is My Enemy Directing Director 59
Average
1953 The Mask Directing Director N/A
N/A
1953 Skid Kids Directing Director 58
Average
1953 Bouncer Breaks Up Directing Director N/A
N/A
1953 Watch Out Directing Director 59
Average
1953 Strange Stories Directing Director N/A
N/A
1953 A Good Pull-Up Directing Director 59
Average
1951 The Case of the Missing Scene Directing Director N/A
N/A

Writing
1965 The Crooked Road Writing Writer 58
Average

Art
1953 Black 13 Art Art Direction N/A
N/A
1952 King of the Underworld Art Art Direction 58
Average

Crew
1958 The Man Upstairs Crew Additional Dialogue 59
Average