Roy Ward Baker

About

English film director and filmmaker who is known for his work on classic 1950s films with stars like Marilyn Monroe and Robert Ryan. His first two films, entitled The Weaker Sex and Paper Orchid, caught the attention of American film directors and brought him to Hollywood.

Before Fame

He studied in both France and the City of London School. His first film position was for Gainsborough Pictures, a British film company. 

Trivia

During World War II, he was a production manager and director of documentaries for the military. Once he got to Hollywood, he directed Golden Globe-winning films like A Night to Remember. In the latter part of the 1970s, he worked in television, and throughout the 1980s, he continued to work on shows including The Irish R.M. and Minder. He retired in 1992.

Family Life

He married Muriel Bradford ​ ​ in the year 1940, divorced four years later, and then married Joan Dixon in the year 1948, but they divorced in the year 1984. He had a son with his second wife. 

Associated With

In the year 1938, he was the assistant director to Alfred Hitchcock on the film The Lady Vanishes.