Basil Dearden

Basil Dearden (born as Basil Clive Dear on 1st January 1911) was an acclaimed English film director. He was born to Charles James Dear, a steel manufacturer, and Florence Tripp in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. Initially, Dearden pursued a career in theatre direction before transitioning to film, where he worked as an assistant to Basil Dean, leading him to change his name to avoid confusion with his mentor. His directorial journey began with the production of 'This Man Is News' (1938) and 'Under Suspicion' (1939) for TV. His growth in the industry was gradual and he slowly progressed from being an assistant director to associate producer with time. Major titles to his credit include 'The Blue Lamp' (1950), 'Victim' (1961), and 'The Man Who Haunted Himself' (1970). Dearden was also recognized for directing social awareness movies. He partnered with Michael Relph on a series of films dealing with subjects typically ignored by the British cinema of the era. Despite a few critical failures, Dearden's films stood as a fascinating barometer of public taste over three decades. He died tragically in a road accident on 23rd March 1971.