| Intro | British film director | ||
| Was |
Film director Screenwriter |
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| From | United Kingdom | ||
| Type | Film, TV, Stage & Radio | ||
| Gender | male | ||
| Birth | 27 January 1913, Stroud, United Kingdom | ||
| Death |
15 October 2002, Sydney, Australia (aged 89 years) |
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| Star sign | Aquarius | ||
| Family |
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| Education |
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Wilfred John Raymond “Jack” Lee (27 January 1913 – 15 October 2002) was a British film director, screenwriter, editor and producer.
Lee was born in the village of Slad near Stroud, Gloucestershire, the eldest brother of Laurie Lee, author of Cider with Rosie. In childhood, the two boys were close, but fell out in later life. Natural rivals, Jack gained a place at the grammar school (Marling School in Stroud), an advantage not granted to Laurie who went to Stroud Central School for Boys.
Among Jack Lee’s films are The Wooden Horse (1950), a Second World War film; Turn the Key Softly (1953), a realistic drama; A Town Like Alice (1956), starring Virginia McKenna and Peter Finch, based on Nevil Shute’s novel; and Robbery Under Arms (1957), a Western-style adventure set in Australia, based on the 1888 novel by “Rolf Boldrewood”. He served as chairman (1976–81) of the South Australian Film Corporation, which started the careers of Bruce Beresford and Peter Weir.
Personal life
Lee was originally engaged to be married to Hilda Lee (no relation) but the wedding was called off weeks before it was due to happen. Lee was married twice, in 1946 to the British casting director Nora Francisca Blackburne (21 April 1914 – 7 July 2009), following her divorce from Adam Alexander Dawson. They had two children before divorcing. In 1963, he married Isabel Kidman who was an heiress of the Kidman cattle dynasty. She had 2 children from her previous marriage. She was not allowed to take them out of Australia so He settled in Australia, and although he returned often to Britain he spent the rest of his life there, dying in Sydney, New South Wales, in 2002.