You only have to glance at the filmography to realise that Lance Comfort didn't have a distinguished directing career. He made a handful of films that are worth reviving and many more that only get shown on TV at three in the morning. Yet as a representative of that second rank of directors who make no fuss but work steadily while the geniuses fail he's worth noting.
Comfort was born in Harrow and entered the film business while still in his teens. The industry was booming and he tried his hand at just about everything from sound recording to trick photography for a variety of production companies. He became an assistant director/technical advisor under John Baxter on a number of films including Song of the Road and Love On the Dole.
After directing a handful of children's shorts, he got his feature break with Penn of Pennsylvania. This didn't make much of an impression despite having Deborah Kerr in the cast; his next film, Hatter's Castle did. He worked steadily in the 40s and it looked like he was going to really make an impression. Somehow, he never did.
The failure of Portrait of Clare put the brakes on his career. The 50s saw him make a lot of B pictures and lots and lots of television. He directed episodes of The Gay Cavalier, Ivanhoe and produced and/or directed over 70 episodes of Douglas Fairbanks Jr Presents.
| 1938 | Sandy Steps Out (short) |
| 1939 | Laddie's Day Out (short) |
| 1939 | Judy Buys a Horse (short) |
| 1939 | Thoroughbreds (short) |
| 1941 | Penn of Pennsylvania |
| 1941 | Hatter's Castle |
| 1942 | Those Kids From Town |
| 1942 | Squadron Leader X |
| 1943 | Escape to Danger |
| 1943 | Old Mother Riley Detective |
| 1943 | When We Are Married |
| 1944 | Hotel Reserve |
| 1945 | Great Day |
| 1946 | Bedelia |
| 1947 | Temptation Harbour |
| 1948 | Daughter of Darkness |
| 1949 | The Silent Dust |
| 1950 | Portrait of Clare |
| 1953 | The Girl on the Pier |
| 1953 | The Genie * |
| 1953 | The Triangle * |
| 1954 | Bang! You're Dead |
| 1954 | Eight O'Clock Walk |
| 1954 | The Last Moment * |
| 1956 | The Man in the Road |
| 1957 | Face in the Night |
| 1957 | At the Stroke of Nine |
| 1957 | The Man from Tangier |
| 1959 | The Ugly Duckling |
| 1959 | Make Mine a Million |
| 1961 | The Breaking Point |
| 1961 | Rag Doll |
| 1961 | Pit of Darkness |
| 1962 | The Break |
| 1962 | The Painted Smile |
| 1962 | Band of Thieves |
| 1962 | Tomorrow at Ten |
| 1962 | Touch of Death |
| 1963 | The Switch |
| 1963 | Live It Up |
| 1963 | Blind Corner |
| 1964 | Devils of Darkness |
| 1965 | Be My Guest |
* compilations of TV episodes
For a fuller filmography see Brian McFarlane's book.
