Don Chaffey
Personal Info
Known for
Directing
Gender
Male
Birthday
1917-08-05
Day of Death
1990-11-13 (73 years old)
Place of Birth
Hastings, Sussex, England
Don Chaffey
Biography
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
Crew
(1985)
International Airport
Director
(1980)
Casino
Director
(1979)
C.H.O.M.P.S.
Director
(1978)
Lassie: The New Beginning
Director
(1978)
The Magic of Lassie
Director
(1978)
Shimmering Light
Director
(1978)
The Gift of Love
Director
(1977)
Pete's Dragon
Director
(1977)
Born to Run
Director
(1976)
The Fourth Wish
Director
(1975)
Ride a Wild Pony
Director
(1974)
Persecution
Director
(1973)
Charley-One-Eye
Director
(1972)
The Mysterious Poacher
Director
(1971)
Creatures the World Forgot
Director
(1971)
Clinic Exclusive
Director
(1969)
Journey to the Unknown
Director
(1968)
A Twist of Sand
Director
(1967)
The Viking Queen
Director
(1966)
One Million Years B.C.
Director
(1965)
The Crooked Road
Director, Writer
(1964)
A Jolly Bad Fellow
Director
(1964)
The Horse Without a Head
Director
(1963)
Jason and the Argonauts
Director
(1963)
The Three Lives of Thomasina
Director
(1962)
The Prince and the Pauper
Director
(1962)
The Webster Boy
Director
(1961)
Greyfriars Bobby
Director
(1961)
A Matter of WHO
Director
(1961)
Nearly a Nasty Accident
Director
(1960)
Lies My Father Told Me
Director
(1960)
Dentist in the Chair
Director
(1959)
Danger Within
Director
(1958)
The Man Upstairs
Director, Additional Dialogue
(1958)
A Question of Adultery
Director
(1957)
The Flesh Is Weak
Director
(1957)
The Girl in the Picture
Director
(1954)
Time Is My Enemy
Director
(1953)
Watch Out
Director
(1953)
Skid Kids
Director
(1953)
Bouncer Breaks Up!
Director
(1953)
A Good Pull-Up
Director
(1953)
The Mask
Director
(1953)
Black 13
Art Direction
(1953)
Strange Stories
Director
(1952)
King of the Underworld
Art Direction
(1951)
The Case of the Missing Scene
Director