About

Known credits:
75
Birthday:
1896-01-01
Place of birth:
Wimbledon, London, England, UK
Website:
N/A

Mary Field

Overview

British director and screen writer, she is not to be confused with the American actress of the same name. Mary Field is best known for directing short educational and nature films.

Field became the series director of Secrets of Nature in 1929. Previously a history teacher, she joined the film industry as an historical consultant in 1925, working for British Instructional Films. Although she had no training in science or filmmaking, Field quickly proved herself to be a first-class film director, developing a unique style that fused education and instruction.

Field insisted that nature films were more than just a series of impressive images: they were the result of a painstaking process that involved scriptwriting, editing, filming, cutting and montage and synchronisation, as well as the collaboration of expert consultants.

She continued to direct nature films under the new title Secrets of Life from 1934 when her production team, led by H. Bruce Woolfe, moved from British Instructional Films to Gaumont-British instructional. During the Second World War, she put her skills to work in producing public information films for the British government and was later commissioned to produce a series of educational films for the British Council. Field was a pioneer in understanding how children related to the cinema, and spearheaded attempts to adapt films to their taste. Her 1954 Carnegie report, Children and Films: A Study of Boys and Girls in the Cinema, investigated the reactions of children to a series of films by means of infra-red photography. Previous reports into children’s reactions to cinema had been based on questionnaires. Field had been interested in audience’s reactions long before this – as early as the late 1920s, she was adapting many of the Secrets of Nature films based on audience feedback.

Known for

Directing
1949 The Rock Pool Directing Director N/A
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1944 Development of the Rabbit Directing Director N/A
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1944 Polly All Alone Directing Director N/A
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1944 Tongues and Tails Directing Director N/A
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1944 Memories Directing Director N/A
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1943 The Life History of the Onion Directing Director N/A
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1943 History of the English Language Directing Director N/A
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1943 Development of the English Town Directing Director N/A
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1943 The Life Cycle of the Pin Mould Directing Director N/A
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1943 Double Thread Directing Director N/A
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1942 The Life Cycle of the Newt Directing Director N/A
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1942 Singing While They Work Directing Director N/A
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1942 Overlooked Directing Director N/A
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1942 Once We Were Four Directing Director N/A
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1942 Market Town Directing Director N/A
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1942 The Life Cycle of the Maize Directing Director N/A
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1941 Atlantic Directing Director N/A
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1941 Mrs. T. and Her Cabbage Patch Directing Director N/A
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1940 Civilian Front Directing Director N/A
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1940 Wisdom of the Wild Directing Director N/A
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1940 48, Paddington Street Directing Director N/A
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1940 London Pigeon Directing Director N/A
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1940 4 and 20 Fit Girls Directing Director N/A
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1939 Shadow in the Stream Directing Director N/A
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1938 They Made the Land Directing Director N/A
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1938 The Tough 'un Directing Director N/A
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1938 Kings in Exile Directing Director N/A
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1937 The Catch of the Season Directing Director N/A
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1937 Somersetshire Dairy-Farming Directing Director N/A
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1937 Devon Dairy Farming Directing Director N/A
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1937 Perky Cockney Directing Director N/A
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1937 Hereford Pedigree Cattle Directing Director N/A
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1936 He Would a-Wooing Go Directing Director N/A
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1936 Lupins Directing Director N/A
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1936 Nursery Island Directing Director N/A
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1936 Ebb-tide Directing Director N/A
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1936 London Visitors Directing Director N/A
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1936 Bird Sanctuary Directing Director N/A
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1936 Safety First Directing Director N/A
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1935 This Was England Directing Director N/A
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1935 Farming in Winter Directing Director N/A
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1935 Farming in Spring Directing Director N/A
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1935 Farming in Autumn Directing Director N/A
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1935 Farming in Summer Directing Director N/A
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1934 Fruitlands of Kent Directing Director N/A
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1934 The Warblers Directing Director N/A
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1934 Roots Directing Director N/A
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1933 The Changing Year Directing Director N/A
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1933 Gathering Moss Directing Director N/A
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1932 Romance in a Pond Directing Director N/A
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1932 Nature's Double Lifters Directing Director N/A
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1932 Water Folk Directing Director N/A
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1931 Strictly Business Directing Director N/A
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1931 The Mystery of Marriage Directing Director 59
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1931 The World in a Wine-Glass Directing Director N/A
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1931 Magic Myxies Directing Director N/A
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1930 The Aphis Directing Director N/A
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1930 Any Evening After Work Directing Director 59
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1930 Peas and Cues Directing Director 59
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1930 Plants of the Underworld Directing Director N/A
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1930 Playtime at The Zoo Directing Director N/A
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1929 The Irresponsibles Directing Director N/A
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1929 Deferred Payment Directing Director N/A
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1927 The Story of a Glass of Water Directing Director N/A
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1927 Plant Magic Directing Director N/A
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1925 Paws and Claws Directing Director N/A
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1923 Winter Directing Director N/A
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Writing
1931 The Mystery of Marriage Writing Scenario Writer 59
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1930 Down Under Writing Dialogue N/A
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Editing
1942 The Life Cycle of the Newt Editing Editor N/A
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1936 Lupins Editing Editor N/A
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1936 He Would a-Wooing Go Editing Editor N/A
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1934 Roots Editing Editor N/A
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1932 Nature's Double Lifters Editing Editor N/A
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1931 Tell England Editing Editor 58
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