Birthplace: Dudley, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom
Death Date: 05/29/1957
biography
One of the most distinctive, gifted and unusual filmmaking talents of his era, James Whale was Universal Studios' most prestigious director of the 1930s ("It's a Whale of a picture!" often publicized his work). Yet, after his ten-year career in Hollywood ended, he faded for decades into an undeserved obscurity. Even though his surrealistic "Remember Last Night?" (1935) became a minor cult favorite of the influential CAHIERS DU CINEMA critics, Whale was generally overlooked by the flood of French and later British and American "auteur" criticism of the 50s and 60s. Such criticism tended to
Began acting while a POW in WWI; after war worked in British theater as actor and designer, then director
1918
Moved to London to pursue stage career
1924
Began working with the Oxford Players for three seasons; worked with, among others, John Gielgud, Flora Robson, Alan Napier and Raymond Massey
1928
Directed and did the settings for the plays, "Fortunato and the Lady from Alfaqueque" and "The Dreamers" in England, working with the likes of and up-and-coming John Gielgud and the established Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies
1928
Breakthrough stage success, "Journey's End", a play by R C Sherriff with settings and direction by Whale
