Don Chaffey

Birthday: 1917-08-05
Deathday: 1990-11-13
Birthplace: Hastings, Sussex, England
Gender: Male

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).

Credits

Year Title
1985-05-25 International Airport
1980-08-01 Casino
1979-12-21 C.H.O.M.P.S.
1978-12-12 Shimmering Light
1978-12-08 The Gift of Love
1978-09-01 Lassie: The New Beginning
1978-08-02 The Magic of Lassie
1977-11-03 Pete's Dragon
1977-10-13 Born to Run
1976-07-16 The Fourth Wish
1975-11-02 Ride a Wild Pony
1974-11-07 Persecution
1973-04-18 Charley-One-Eye
1972-01-01 The Mysterious Poacher
1971-09-01 Creatures the World Forgot
1971-01-01 Clinic Exclusive
1969-06-15 Journey to the Unknown
1968-11-01 A Twist of Sand
1967-03-25 The Viking Queen
1966-11-24 One Million Years B.C.
1965-02-03 The Crooked Road
1964-03-15 A Jolly Bad Fellow
1964-03-09 The Horse Without a Head
1963-12-11 The Three Lives of Thomasina
1963-06-19 Jason and the Argonauts
1962-06-01 The Webster Boy
1962-03-11 The Prince and the Pauper
1961-10-03 A Matter of WHO
1961-07-17 Greyfriars Bobby
1961-05-01 Nearly a Nasty Accident
1960-08-08 Dentist in the Chair
1960-08-01 Lies My Father Told Me
1959-02-17 Danger Within
1958-09-30 The Man Upstairs
1958-07-15 A Question of Adultery
1957-08-06 The Flesh Is Weak
1957-01-01 The Girl in the Picture
1954-09-01 Time Is My Enemy
1953-11-24 The Mask
1953-02-01 Skid Kids
1953-01-01 A Good Pull-Up
1953-01-01 Watch Out
1953-01-01 Bouncer Breaks Up!
1953-01-01 Strange Stories
1951-07-03 The Case of the Missing Scene