Walter Forde (1896 - 1984)

If the crown for the King of British Comedy Directors goes to Marcel Varnel, then runner up must be Walter Forde. However, unlike Varnel, Forde's work spans several genres and he was particularly adapt at the comedy-thriller.

Forde started his career in Music Hall and quickly became an established comedian. He moved into films after the war and became the star of a number of shorts. He wrote his own screenplays and moved into directing his films. Many people consider him to be the only silent comedian we produced who could compete with the great American comics.

He was popular enough to make the leap into feature films. He appeared in his first few films, but soon retreated behind the camera (though, like Hitchcock,  he did walk-ons in many of his films). The success of The Ringer and The Ghost Train put him in the big league of British directors (admittedly not a very big league) and for the rest of the decade he got the pick of the assignments.

With the outbreak of war his output declined, and after the failure of Cardboard Cavalier he took early retirement and moved to California. 

Despite his slapstick background, Forde's lasting influence is in the development of the comedy-thriller. From The Ringer to Rome Express and his two Inspector Hornleigh films, he produced the template that others have followed. His influence is particularly marked on Launder and Gilliat, the latter of whom worked as co-writer on many of Forde's greatest hits.

Filmography (features as director)

 Walter Forde at Amazon UK

 Walter Forde at Amazon US