David Greene (director) facts for kids

David Greene was a talented British director and actor who worked on many popular TV shows and movies. He was born Lucius David Syms Brian Lederman in Manchester, England, in 1921. He later became known simply as David Greene. He passed away in 2003 at the age of 82.

David Greene's Early Life and Career Journey

David Greene grew up in Manchester, England. He first trained to be a journalist, writing for a newspaper called the Walthamstow Guardian. During the Second World War, he served in the merchant navy, which meant he worked on ships that carried goods. However, he had to leave in 1941 due to an injury.

After leaving the navy, David became the Publicity Manager for the Everyman Theatre in London. This job involved promoting the theatre's shows. Soon, he decided he wanted to be an actor himself. He studied acting at a famous school called RADA. He then improved his skills at the Oxford Playhouse, a well-known theatre where actors perform different plays regularly.

David Greene started performing for audiences in 1948, including roles at the famous Old Vic theatre. In the same year, he began acting in British films. He appeared in some well-known movies like The Wooden Horse (1950).

In 1953, David moved to Toronto, Canada. There, he started working in television production with the CBC, which is Canada's public broadcaster. He helped create shows like the highly praised TV play Flight into Danger in 1956. Later, he moved to Hollywood, California, in the United States.

Even though he moved to Hollywood, many of his first films as a director were made back in Britain. It wasn't until the mid-1970s that he became a well-known filmmaker in Hollywood, especially for television.

David Greene's Film and TV Work

David Greene directed and acted in many different projects throughout his career. He was known for his work in both feature films and television shows.

Movies Where David Greene Acted

Here are some of the movies where David Greene appeared as an actor:

• Daughter of Darkness (1948)
• The Small Voice (1948)
• The Golden Madonna (1949)
• The Wooden Horse (1950)
• Let's Have a Murder (1950)
• The Dark Light (1951)

Feature Films Directed by David Greene

David Greene directed these full-length movies:

• The Shuttered Room (1967)
• Sebastian (1968)
• The Strange Affair (1968)
• I Start Counting (1969)
• The People Next Door (1970)
• Madame Sin (1972)
• Godspell (1973) (This film was nominated for the Golden Palm award at the Cannes Film Festival)
• London Conspiracy (1974) (He directed this with James Hill; it was released in Italy)
• Gray Lady Down (1978)
• Hard Country (1981)

Television Films and Miniseries Directed by David Greene

David Greene directed many TV movies and miniseries, which are like long TV stories told over several episodes. He won several awards for his TV work.

• Shane (1966), episodes The Great Invasion, Part 1-2
• The People Next Door (1968), an episode of CBS Playhouse (He won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama for this)
• The Count of Monte Cristo (1975)
• Rich Man, Poor Man (1976) (He won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series for this)
• Roots (1977) (He won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series for this, along with other directors)
• The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald (1977)
• Friendly Fire (1979) (He won an Emmy for Outstanding Directing in a Limited Series or a Special for this)
• A Vacation in Hell (1979)
• Rehearsal for Murder (1982)
• Murder Among Friends (1982)
• Fatal Vision (1984)
• The Guardian (1984)
• Guilty Conscience (1985)
• Circle of Violence (1986) (This film won a Wise Owl Award for Outstanding Television Film)
• The Betty Ford Story (1987)
• Inherit the Wind (1988)
• Liberace: Behind the Music (1988)
• Small Sacrifices (1989)
• The Penthouse (1989)
• In the Best Interest of the Child (1990)
• What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1991), a remake of the 1962 film
• Willing to Kill: The Texas Cheerleader Story (1992)
• Children of the Dust (1995)
• A Season in Purgatory (1996)
• Breach of Faith: A Family of Cops 2 (1997)
• Bella Mafia (1997)