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Don Chaffey

Known For
Directing

Known Credits
1

Gender
Male

Birthday
August 5, 1917 (108 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

Directing

1989Mission: Impossible - The Golden Serpent...Director
1988Mission: Impossible...Director
1987Houston Knights...Director
1986Outlaws...Director
1985MacGyver...Director
1985Hollywood Beat...Director
1985Spenser: For Hire...Director
1985Stingray...Director
1985International Airport...Director
1984Finder of Lost Loves...Director
1984Hunter...Director
1984Airwolf...Director
1983Lottery!...Director
1982Gavilan...Director
1982Matt Houston...Director
1982Hotel...Director
1982T. J. Hooker...Director
1981Strike Force...Director
1980Casino...Director
1979C.H.O.M.P.S....Director
1978Shimmering Light...Director
1978The Gift of Love...Director
1978Vega$...Director
1978Lassie: The New Beginning...Director
1978The Magic of Lassie...Director
1977Pete's Dragon...Director
1977Born to Run...Director
1976Charlie's Angels...Director
1976The Fourth Wish...Director
1975Ride a Wild Pony...Director
1974Persecution...Director
1973Charley-One-Eye...Director
1972The Protectors...Director
1972The Mysterious Poacher...Director
1971Creatures the World Forgot...Director
1971Clinic Exclusive...Director
1969Journey to the Unknown...Director
1968A Twist of Sand...Director
1968Journey to the Unknown...Director
1967The Prisoner...Director
1967Man in a Suitcase...Director
1967The Viking Queen...Director
1966One Million Years B.C....Director
1966The Baron...Director
1965The Crooked Road...Director
1964A Jolly Bad Fellow...Director
1964The Horse Without a Head...Director
1963The Three Lives of Thomasina...Director
1963Jason and the Argonauts...Director
1962The Webster Boy...Director
1962The Prince and the Pauper...Director
1961A Matter of WHO...Director
1961The Wonderful World of Disney...Director
1961Greyfriars Bobby...Director
1961Nearly a Nasty Accident...Director
1961The Avengers...Director
1960Danger Man...Director
1960Dentist in the Chair...Director
1960Lies My Father Told Me...Director
1959Danger Within...Director
1958The Man Upstairs...Director
1958A Question of Adultery...Director
1958Dial 999...Director
1957The Flesh Is Weak...Director
1957The Girl in the Picture...Director
1956Assignment Foreign Legion...Director
1955The Adventures of Robin Hood...Director
1955Lilli Palmer Theatre...Director
1954Time Is My Enemy...Director
1953The Mask...Director
1953Skid Kids...Director
1953Bouncer Breaks Up!...Director
1953Watch Out...Director
1953A Good Pull-Up...Director
1953Strange Stories...Director
1951The Case of the Missing Scene...Director

Writing

1965The Crooked Road...Writer

Crew

1958The Man Upstairs...Additional Dialogue

Art

1953Black 13...Art Direction
1952King of the Underworld...Art Direction

Acting

1984Six Into One: The Prisoner Fileas Self