30-603: Ralph Philip Thomas MC (10 August 1915 – 17 March 2001) was an English film director. He is perhaps best remembered for directing the Doctor series of films. His brother, Gerald Thomas , was also a film director, probably best remembered for the Carry On... film series, and his son is the Academy Award -winning film producer, Jeremy Thomas . He cast the actor James Robertson Justice in many of his films. Thomas often worked with
60-425: A 1973 interview: I'm a natural pessimist and he's a natural optimist. I'm always in the depths of despair and he is always full of joy. Good teams are often made of opposites... We (she and Ralph Thomas) do have awful, boring fights. Directing a film is not an easy job. For any man to stay sweet and gentle through eight weeks of purgatory is impossible. Their second film together was Appointment with Venus (1951),
90-571: A position of director came up due to an unexpected illness, Thomas made his directoral debut in Once Upon a Dream (1949). He made a two more comedies for Sydney Box: Helter Skelter then Traveller's Joy (both also 1949). Thomas later recalled this time as: Enormously exciting and invigorating. We knew that we were not always doing very creative work, but that there was a chance to gain experience and that this wasn't going to last... You were quite likely to finish shooting on Friday, plan to go into
120-486: A proposal that a number of awards, including the Military Cross, could be recommended posthumously. The award was created on 28 December 1914 for commissioned officers of the substantive rank of captain or below and for warrant officers . The first 98 awards were gazetted on 1 January 1915, to 71 officers, and 27 warrant officers. Although posthumous recommendations for the Military Cross were unavailable until 1979,
150-451: A story about nuns, Conspiracy of Hearts (1960), and a political story No Love for Johnnie (1961). Rank agreed to finance provided they made a fourth doctor film: Doctor in Love (1960) was the result; despite Dirk Bogarde refusing to take part (Michael Craig took over the lead), it was still a big hit. Conspiracy of Hearts was also highly successful. No Love for Johnnie was a flop, but
180-499: A war comedy with David Niven . This was followed by Venetian Bird (1952), a thriller shot partly on location in Venice. Thomas then made several comedies, A Day to Remember (1953), The Dog and the Diamonds (also 1953) and Mad About Men (1954). It was a film released between the last two, however, which established his career. They had a massive box office hit with Doctor in
210-736: A while as a journalist at the Bristol Evening Post for over a year. He returned to editing before joining the army in 1939. During the Second World War , Thomas served with the 9th Lancers rising to the rank of Major and being awarded the Military Cross . He took part in the Battle of El Alamein . Thomas left the army in 1945 and re-entered the film industry, although he could only gain work as an assistant editor. He assisted editing Odd Man Out (1946) then began making film trailers for
240-564: Is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces , and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC is granted in recognition of "an act or acts of exemplary gallantry during active operations against the enemy on land" to all members of the British Armed Forces of any rank. In 1979, Queen Elizabeth II approved
270-604: The Conspicuous Gallantry Cross . The Military Cross was designed by Henry Farnham Burke , while its ribbon was created by Victoria Ponsonby, Baroness Sysonby . In the Medal Yearbook 2015 it is described as follows: Since 1914, over 52,000 Military Crosses and 3,717 bars have been awarded. The dates below reflect the relevant London Gazette entries: In addition, approximately 375 MCs have been awarded since 1979, including awards for Northern Ireland ,
300-504: The Rank Organisation . He worked his way up to becoming head of Rank's trailer department as well as writing films. Thomas later said making trailers was "enormously useful" because he "learned a lot of the technique of how the varying directors whose pictures I had worked on operated. Also, it teaches one a great deal of discipline about brevity in story telling". Sydney Box had enjoyed Thomas's trailer for Miranda (1948) and when
330-534: The 1993 review of the honours system , as part of the drive to remove distinctions of rank in awards for bravery the Military Medal , formerly the third-level decoration for other ranks , was discontinued. The MC is now the third-level award for all ranks of the British Armed Forces for "exemplary gallantry" on land, not to the standard required to receive the Victoria Cross (for "the most conspicuous bravery") or
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#1732858740615360-609: The British box office in 1955. He followed them with the less popular Checkpoint (1956), a noir crime thriller concerning car racing starring Anthony Steel and featuring location filming in Europe. The success of Doctor in the House saw Thomas offered to direct the Cold War comedy, The Iron Petticoat with Bob Hope and Katharine Hepburn . The film was a financial success but production
390-523: The British film industry of the 1970s affected Thomas' ability to raise finance for his films and he began to work increasingly in television. His last feature was A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (1979). He is commemorated with a green plaque on The Avenues, Kingston upon Hull . Thomas later described himself as: A sort of journeyman picture maker and I was generally happy to make anything I felt to be halfway respectable. So my volume of work
420-614: The Cross were entitled to use the post-nominal letters MC, and bars could be awarded for further acts of gallantry meriting the award, with a silver rosette worn on the ribbon when worn alone to denote the award of each bar. From September 1916, members of the Royal Naval Division , who served alongside the Army on the Western Front , were made eligible for military decorations, including
450-462: The House (1954). The film made a star of Dirk Bogarde and led to a number of sequels, all of which would be directed by Thomas. Thomas later reflected, "In a way it doesn't really do your career any good to have such a big success early on... you can easily get thrown off course because you get offered all sorts of things which you don't really want to do and shouldn't do. You become easily flattered because you like this first taste of fame." However,
480-460: The Military Cross, for the war's duration. Naval officers serving with the division received 140 MCs and eight second award bars. In June 1917, eligibility was extended to temporary majors , not above the substantive rank of captain. Substantive majors were made eligible in 1953. In 1931, the award was extended to equivalent ranks in the Royal Air Force for actions on the ground. After
510-719: The Second World War, most Commonwealth countries created their own honours system and no longer recommended British awards. The last Military Cross awards for the Canadian Army were for Korea. The last four Australian Army Military Cross awards were promulgated in The London Gazette on 1 September 1972 for Vietnam as was the last New Zealand Army Military Cross award, which was promulgated on 25 September 1970. Canada , Australia and New Zealand have now created their own gallantry awards under their own honours systems. Since
540-578: The box office so Thomas returned to "doctor" films with Doctor in Distress (1963). This starred Dirk Bogarde, who had been encouraged to reprise his role as Simon Sparrow one more time. In return, Rank agreed to finance Thomas and Bogarde in two more expensive films: the James Bond spoof Hot Enough for June (1964) and a serious look at the Cyprus Emergency , The High Bright Sun (1964). Neither of
570-410: The cutting rooms on Monday to look over your stuff and get your cut ready, then go for a drink, and you'd be given another script and be told, 'The sets are standing and you start on Monday – this is the cast!' It wasn't necessarily good and we didn't get a lot of money, but it was regular. While assembling trailers, Thomas met Sydney Box's sister Betty, and the two of them struck up a rapport. In 1949 it
600-448: The film industry, and became an apprentice at Shepperton Studios, working as a clapper boy and then in the editing room, the sound department and art department. From 1932 to 1934, Thomas worked predominantly on " quota quickies ". He discovered he loved editing the most and worked predominantly as an editor for the next few years, including a period working alongside David Lean . When his employer, Premiere Stafford, went broke he worked for
630-467: The films gave Thomas and Box a great deal of control. Thomas says whenever they made a "doctor" film, Rank would finance another movie they wanted "as long as the thing we wanted to make had a reasonable budget and was not too idiotic." Thomas made a war film, Above Us the Waves (1955), before doing a second "Doctor", Doctor at Sea (also 1955). Both these movies would be among the most successful films at
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#1732858740615660-504: The financial success of the "Doctor" movies, although the last two in particular are regarded among Thomas' finest works. Also on a large scale was The 39 Steps (1959), starring Kenneth More in a remake of the Alfred Hitchcock classic, which was a box-office success. Thomas returned to comedy with the smaller budgeted Upstairs and Downstairs (also 1959), starring Michael Craig . Thomas and Box wanted to make two riskier films,
690-419: The first awards included seven posthumous awards, with the word 'deceased' after the name of the recipient, from recommendations that had been raised before the recipients died of wounds or died from other causes. Awards are announced in The London Gazette , apart from most honorary awards to allied forces in keeping with the usual practice not to gazette awards to foreigners. From August 1916, recipients of
720-512: The last "doctor" film, Doctor in Trouble in 1970. It made money but Thomas and Box were getting sick of the series and sold the franchise to television. They had a big hit Percy (1971) which led to a sequel, Percy's Progress (1974). However, other films Thomas made around this time – Quest for Love (1971), an unusual sci-fi love story starring Joan Collins , and The Love Ban (1973) – were less successful. The downturn in production in
750-524: The latter two were particularly popular. Thomas returned to more sure-fire material with a sixth "Doctor", Doctor in Clover (1966). He then made two Bulldog Drummond films, both starring Richard Johnson , Deadlier Than the Male (1967) and Some Girls Do (1969). In between he directed Rod Taylor in a poorly-received thriller, Nobody Runs Forever (also known as The High Commissioner , 1968). Thomas shot
780-471: The producer Betty E. Box , who was married to Carry On producer Peter Rogers . Thomas was a nephew of producer Victor Saville . Born in Hull , East Riding of Yorkshire, Thomas studied law at Middlesex University College. He entered the film business as a clapper boy at Shepperton Studios in 1932 during his summer vacation while at college. Following graduation, instead of becoming a lawyer he decided to enter
810-542: Was an unhappy experience for Thomas. It was the only time he worked with major Hollywood stars. He returned to "Doctor" series with Doctor at Large (1957), the second most popular movie at the British box office in its year of release. This success encouraged Rank to finance Thomas and Box for a series of expensive adventure films starring Dirk Bogarde shot on location, aimed at the international market: Campbell's Kingdom (1957), A Tale of Two Cities (1958) and The Wind Cannot Read (also 1958). None of these achieved
840-513: Was announced Betty Box , Muriel Box and Thomas had formed Feature Film Facilities, to make six or seven films, starting with an adaptation of several Guy de Maupassant stories. This never happened. However, when Thomas left Sydney Box to go under contract with the Rank Organisation to make The Clouded Yellow (1950), he brought Betty with him as a producer. They ended up making over twenty films together. Box defined their relationship in
870-442: Was enormous; I had a lot of energy and made all kinds of pictures. If you make all kinds, you score a hit sometimes. I made thrillers, comedies, love stories, war stories, one or two adventure things. Some filmmakers have a lot of talent and genius for it; others simply have a lot of energy and I'm afraid I belong in the latter category! Director Writer Producer Editor Military Cross The Military Cross ( MC )
900-557: Was highly acclaimed critically – perhaps the most admired of all Thomas' movies. Thomas and Box then made two low-budget comedies. No My Darling Daughter (1961) and A Pair of Briefs (1962). Thomas did some uncredited work on Carry On Cruising (1962), before making a university drama with Box, The Wild and the Willing (1962), an " angry young man "-style melodrama which was the first film for Ian McShane , John Hurt and Samantha Eggar . None of these were particularly popular at
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