Launder and Gilliat were one of the most productive teams to work in British films. Separately or together they were involved in some of the greatest works of popular cinema made in this country. Their careers followed a typical path: scrabbling around doing bits of work here and there, a slow build up to a position where they could make what they wanted, a plateau of quality and then the slow decline. There's not a lot to be said about their personas so I'll let the filmography do the talking.
This still leaves the question "What makes a Launder and Gilliat film?". They got to the top of their profession as WWII was looming and proceeded over the next decade and a half to show us as we wanted to be shown: eccentric but real. Their films were good natured and comic but rooted in a recognisable reality. They mastered several genres: social-realism (Waterloo Road), thriller (Green for Danger) but specialised in comedy. They brought the monstrous girls of St Trinian's to the screen though their best school comedy is the sublime The Happiest Days of Your Life.
Launder |
Gilliat |
||||||
| Producer | Writer | Director | Producer | Writer | Director | ||
| 1928 | Cocktails | - | uncred. titles | - | - | - | - |
| 1928 | Toni | - | - | - | - | uncred. titles | - |
| 1928 | Champagne | - | - | - | - | uncred. titles | - |
| 1928 | Adam's Apple | - | - | - | - | uncred. titles | - |
| 1928 | Weekend Wives | - | - | - | - | uncred. titles | - |
| 1929 | The Tryst | - | - | - | - | - | co. |
| 1929 | Would You Believe it? | - | - | - | - | uncred. add. | ass. dir. |
| 1929 | Under the Greenwood Tree | - | co. | - | - | - | - |
| 1930 | Red Pearls | - | - | - | - | uncred. | ass. dir. |
| 1930 | You'd Be Surprised | - | - | - | - | uncred. add. gags | ass. dir. |
| 1930 | Lord Richard in the Pantry | - | - | - | - | uncred. | - |
| 1930 | Bed and Breakfast | - | - | - | - | uncred. | - |
| 1930 | The Compulsory Husband | - | uncred. dial. | - | - | - | - |
| 1930 | Song of Soho | - | co. | - | - | - | - |
| 1930 | Harmony Heaven | - | uncred. add dial. | - | - | - | - |
| 1930 | The W Plan | - | co. | - | - | - | - |
| 1930 | The Middle Watch | - | co. | - | - | - | - |
| 1930 | The Children of Chance | - | co. | - | - | - | - |
| 1930 | How He Lied to Her Husband | - | sc. | - | - | - | - |
| 1930 | The Woman Between | - | co.sc. | - | - | - | - |
| 1931 | Third Time Lucky | - | - | - | - | uncred. add. dial. | - |
| 1931 | The Ringer | - | - | - | - | uncred. add. dial. | - |
| 1931 | The Ghost Train | - | - | - | - | uncred. add. dial. | - |
| 1931 | The Happy Ending | - | - | - | - | uncred. co. sc. | - |
| 1931 | A Gentleman of Paris | - | - | - | - | co. sc. | - |
| 1931 | A Night in Marseilles | - | - | - | - | sc. | - |
| 1931 | Two-way Street | - | - | - | - | uncred. sc. | - |
| 1931 | Keepers of Youth | - | co. | - | - | - | - |
| 1931 | Hobson's Choice | - | sc. | - | - | - | - |
| 1932 | After Office Hours | - | co. sc. | - | - | - | - |
| 1932 | The Last Coupon | - | co.sc. | - | - | - | - |
| 1932 | Josser in the Army | - | sc. | - | - | - | - |
| 1932 | Arms and the Man | - | uncred. | - | - | - | - |
| 1932 | For the Love of Mike | - | co. sc. | - | - | - | - |
| 1932 | Lord Babs | - | - | - | - | uncred. add. material | - |
| 1932 | Jack's the Boy | - | - | - | - | uncred. sc. cont. | - |
| 1932 | Rome Express | - | - | - | - | sc. | - |
| 1933 | Hawleys of High Street | - | co. sc. | - | - | - | - |
| 1933 | Facing the Music | - | co. adapt. | - | - | - | - |
| 1933 | You Made Me Love You | - | sc. | - | - | - | - |
| 1933 | A Southern Maid | - | co. sc. | - | - | - | - |
| 1933 | Happy | - | co. sc. | - | - | - | - |
| 1933 | Sign Please | - | - | - | - | sc. | - |
| 1933 | Post Haste | - | - | - | - | sc. | - |
| 1933 | Facing the Music | - | - | - | - | co. st. | - |
| 1933 | Falling for you | - | - | - | - | st. | - |
| 1933 | Orders is Orders | - | - | - | - | co. sc. | - |
| 1933 | Friday the Thirteenth | - | - | - | - | co. st. | - |
| 1934 | Those Were The Days | - | co. sc. | - | - | - | - |
| 1934 | Jack Ahoy! | - | - | - | - | co. sc. | - |
| 1934 | Chu-Chin-Chow | - | - | - | - | co. sc. | - |
| 1934 | My Heart is Calling | - | - | - | - | adapt/ dial. | - |
| 1935 | Emil and the Detectives | - | co. sc. | - | - | - | - |
| 1935 | Rolling Home | - | sc. | - | - | - | - |
| 1935 | So You Won't Talk! | - | co. sc. | - | - | - | - |
| 1935 | Mr What's-his-name | - | co.sc. | - | - | - | - |
| 1935 | I Give My Heart | - | co. sc. | - | - | - | - |
| 1935 | Get Off My Foot | - | co. sc. | - | - | - | - |
| 1935 | The Black Mask | - | co. sc. | - | - | - | - |
| 1935 | Bulldog Jack | - | - | - | - | co. sc. | - |
| 1935 | The Tunnel | - | - | - | - | (1st draft script) | - |
| 1935 | King of the Damned | - | - | - | - | co. sc. | - |
| 1936 | Where's Sally? | - | co. sc. | - | - | - | - |
| 1936 | Where There's a Will | - | - | - | uncred. co. ass. | co. st. co. sc. | - |
| 1936 | Seven Sinners | - | co. sc. | - | - | co. sc. | - |
| 1936 | Twelve Good Men | - | co. sc. | - | - | co. sc. | - |
| 1936 | The Man Who Changed His Mind | - | - | - | uncred. co. ass. | co. sc. | - |
| 1936 | Strangers on Honeymoon | - | - | - | - | co. sc. | - |
| 1936 | Educated Evans | - | co. sc. | - | - | - | - |
| 1936 | Tudor Rose | - | - | - | uncred. co. ass. | - | - |
| 1936 | Everybody Dance | - | - | - | uncred. co. ass. | - | - |
| 1937 | Don't Get Me Wrong | - | uncred. co. sc. | - | - | - | - |
| 1937 | Oh, Mr Porter! | - | story | - | - | - | - |
| 1937 | Take My Tip | - | - | - | - | co. sc. | - |
| 1937 | A Yank at Oxford | - | - | - | - | co. st. | - |
| 1938 | Strange Boarders | - | - | - | - | co. sc. | - |
| 1938 | The Lady Vanishes | - | co. sc. | - | - | co. sc. | - |
| 1938 | The Gaunt Stranger | - | - | - | - | sc. | - |
| 1939 | Ask a Policeman | - | - | - | - | st. | - |
| 1939 | Jamaica Inn | - | - | - | - | co. sc./ dial. | - |
| 1939 | A Girl Must Live | - | sc. | - | - | - | - |
| 1939 | Inspector Hornleigh on Holiday | - | co. sc. | - | - | co. sc. | - |
| 1940 | They Came By Night | - | co. sc. | - | - | co. sc. | - |
| 1940 | Night Train to Munich | - | co. sc. | - | - | co. sc. | - |
| 1940 | Inspector Hornleigh Goes To It | - | story | - | - | - | - |
| 1940 | The Girl in the News | - | - | - | - | sc. | - |
| 1941 | The Ghost Train | - | - | - | - | uncred. addit. dial. | - |
| 1941 | Kipps | - | - | - | - | sc. | - |
| 1941 | Mr Proudfoot Shows a Light | - | - | - | - | st. | - |
| 1941 | You're Telling Me! | - | - | - | - | sc. | - |
| 1941 | From the Four Corners | - | - | - | - | uncred. sc. | - |
| 1942 | Unpublished Story | - | - | - | - | uncred. co. sc. | - |
| 1942 | The Young Mr. Pitt | - | co. sc. | - | - | co. sc. | - |
| 1942 | Uncensored | - | uncred. co. sc. | - | - | uncred. co. sc. | - |
| 1942 | Partners in Crime | - | co. st. | co. | - | co. | co. |
| 1943 | Millions Like Us | - | co. | co. | - | co. | co. |
| 1943 | We Dive at Dawn | - | uncred. co. sc. | - | - | - | - |
| 1944 | Soldier, Sailor | - | sc. | - | - | - | - |
| 1944 | Waterloo Road | - | - | - | - | sc. | dir. |
| 1944 | Two Thousand Women | - | sc. | dir. | - | - | - |
| 1945 | The Rake's Progress | co. | co. | - | co. | co. | dir. |
| 1946 | I See a Dark Stranger | co. | co. | dir. | co. | co. st. co. sc. | - |
| 1946 | Green for Danger | co. | - | - | co. | co. | dir. |
| 1947 | Captain Boycott | co. | co. | dir. | co. | - | - |
| 1948 | The Blue Lagoon | co. | co. | dir. | co. | - | - |
| 1948 | London Belongs to Me | co. | - | - | co. | co. | dir. |
| 1950 | State Secret | co. | - | - | co. | co. st., sc. | dir. |
| 1950 | The Happiest Days of your Life | co. | co. | dir. | co. | - | - |
| 1951 | Lady Godiva Rides Again | co. | co. | dir. | co. | - | - |
| 1952 | Folly to be Wise | co. | co. | dir. | co. | - | - |
| 1953 | The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan | co. | - | - | co. | co. | dir. |
| 1954 | The Belles of St. Trinian's | co. | co. | dir. | co. | co. | - |
| 1954 | The Constant Husband | co. | - | - | co. | co. | dir. |
| 1955 | Geordie | co. | co. | dir. | co. | co. | - |
| 1956 | The Green Man | co. | co. | - | co. | co. | - |
| 1957 | Fortune is a Woman | co. | co. | - | co. | co. | dir. |
| 1957 | Blue Murder at St. Trinian's | co. | co. | dir. | co. | co. | - |
| 1957 | The Smallest Show on Earth | prod. | - | - | prod. | - | - |
| 1959 | Left, Right and Centre | co. | - | - | co. | co. | dir. |
| 1959 | The Bridal Path | co. | co. | dir. | co. | - | - |
| 1960 | The Pure Hell of St. Trinian's | co. | co. | dir. | co. | co. | - |
| 1960 | Two Way Stretch | uncred. co. | - | - | uncred. co. | - | - |
| 1961 | Only Two Can Play | co. | - | - | co. | - | dir. |
| 1963 | Ring of Spies | - | co. | - | uncred. co. | - | - |
| 1965 | Joey Boy | - | co. | dir. | exec. | - | - |
| 1966 | The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery | - | co. | co. dir. | co. exec. | - | co. dir. |
| 1967 | The Lions are Free | - | uncred. co. sc. | - | - | - | - |
| 1969 | Elephant Called Slowly | - | uncred. co. sc. | - | - | - | - |
| 1972 | Endless Night | exec. | - | - | - | sc. | dir. |
| 1972 | Ooh... You Are Awful! | co. exec. | - | - | co. exec. | - | - |
| 1980 | The Wildcats of St. Trinian's | - | sc. | dir. | - | - | - |
Frank Launder
Frank Launder
