Sidney Gilliat (February 15 1908–May 31 1994) was a British film director, producer and writer.

He was born in the district of Edgeley in Stockport, Cheshire. In the 1930s he worked as a scriptwriter, most notably with Frank Launder on The Lady Vanishes (1938) for Alfred Hitchcock, and it's sequel Night Train to Munich (1940), directed by Carol Reed. He and Launder made their directorial debut co-directing the home front drama Millions Like Us (1943). From 1945 he also worked as a producer, starting with The Rake's Progress, which he also wrote and directed. He and Launder made over 40 films together, founding their own production company Individual Pictures . While Launder concentrated on directing their comedies, most famously the four St Trinian's School films, Gilliat showed a preference for comedy-thrillers and dramas, including Green for Danger (1946), London Belongs to Me (1948) and State Secret (1950).

Selected films

As writer:

• The Man Who Changed His Mind (1936)
• A Yank At Oxford (1938)
• The Lady Vanishes (1938)
• Ask a Policeman (1938) story
• Jamaica Inn (1939)
• Night Train to Munich (1940)
• Million Like Us (1943) director
• The Rake's Progress (1943) director/producer
• I See a Dark Stranger (1946) producer
• Green for Danger (1946) director/producer
• The Belles of St Trinian's (1954) producer
• Geordie (1955) producer
• Blue Murder at St Trinian's (1957) producer
• Pure Hell of St Trinian's (1960) producer
• Only Two Can Play (1962) director
• The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery (1966) director
• Endless Night (1971) director/producer

External links