Don Chaffey

Directing

Don Chaffey

Born 1917-08-05 · Hastings, Sussex, England

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).

Acting credits

Behind the camera

Clinic Exclusive poster
3.4

A beautiful massage parlor/sex clinic owner financially & emotionally mistreats her customers.

Clinic Exclusive

1971

Jason and the Argonauts poster
7.2

Jason, a fearless sailor and explorer, returns to his home land of Thessaly after a long voyage to claim his rightful throne. He learns, however, that he must first find the magical Golden Fleece. To do so, he must embark on an epic quest fraught with fantastic monsters and terrible perils.

Jason and the Argonauts

1963

Pete's Dragon poster
6.3

Pete, a young orphan, runs away to a Maine fishing town with his best friend a lovable, sometimes invisible dragon named Elliott! When they are taken in by a kind lighthouse keeper, Nora, and her father, Elliott's prank playing lands them in big trouble. Then, when crooked salesmen try to capture Elliott for their own gain, Pete must attempt a daring rescue.

Pete's Dragon

1977

One Million Years B.C. poster
6.2

As the Earth wrestles with its agonizing birth, the peoples of this barren and desolate world struggle to survive. Driven by animal instinct they compete against the harsh conditions, their giant predators, and warring tribes. When two people from opposing clans fall in love, existing conventions are shattered forever as each tribe struggles for supremacy and Man embarks on his tortuous voyage of civilization.

One Million Years B.C.

1966

The Prince and the Pauper poster
7.2

In the London of 1537, two boys resembling each other exactly meet accidentally and exchange "roles" for a short while. After many adventures, the prince regains his rightful identity and graciously makes his "twin" a ward of the court.

The Prince and the Pauper

1962

Lassie: The New Beginning poster
5.4

The Stratton kids, Samantha and Chip, and their grandmother, Ada, drive to visit their Uncle Stuart. Grandma collapses and dies in a strange town, leaving the kids and Lassie on their own.

Lassie: The New Beginning

1978

Skid Kids poster
5.0

Story about a group of young cyclist track riders and their effort to retain their track against long odds.

Skid Kids

1953

Mission: Impossible - The Golden Serpent poster
NR

Jim Phelps and his team of agents get the mission to destroy a South East Asian drug smuggling organisation known as "The Golden Serpent", and to locate their business dealing records. The identity of the organisation's leader has always remained a mystery. The thing that is known, however, is that another team of IMF-agents recently moving in on one of the organisation's key people, Prince Selimun of Benarli, have just had their mission blown and their leader murdered.

Mission: Impossible - The Golden Serpent

1989

Greyfriars Bobby poster
6.9

In Scotland 1865, An old shepherd and his little Skye terrier go to Edinburgh. But when the shepherd dies of pneumonia, the dog remains faithful to his master, refuses to be adopted by anyone, and takes to sleeping on his master's grave in the Greyfriars kirkyard, despite a caretaker with a "no dogs" rule. And when Bobby is taken up for being unlicensed, it's up to the children of Edinburgh and the Lord Provost to decide what's to be done.

Greyfriars Bobby

1961

The Horse Without a Head poster
6.0

Five pampered French children with their wheeled, headless, toy horse accidentally become tangled up in a plot to rob the Dijon- Paris express of 100,000,000. They foil the robbery when a thief stashes the key to his hiding place inside 'The Horse Without A Head'.

The Horse Without a Head

1964

Persecution poster
3.6

A cat lover (Lana Turner) kills her husband, blackmails her lover (Trevor Howard) and torments her son (Ralph Bates).

Persecution

1974

Danger Within poster
6.3

Drama set in an Italian prisoner of war camp during World War 2, where a group of British soldiers find their plans for escape thwarted by a mysterious traitor in their midst.

Danger Within

1959

Creatures the World Forgot poster
4.9

As the first nomadic tribes wander across the vast wilderness of the infant planet they confront hostilities created by the harsh environment and each other. After a massive volcanic eruption a tribal chief is killed and his two sons fight for supremacy, not only for the leadership of the tribe but also for the love of a beautiful young woman. The age-old battlegrounds of rivalry, envy and passion are explored in this tale of prehistoric adventure.

Creatures the World Forgot

1971

The Three Lives of Thomasina poster
6.8

Thomasina the cat brings a family together through her mysterious death and reappearance.

The Three Lives of Thomasina

1963

The Flesh Is Weak poster
5.9

Giani is a pimp who preys on the naïve, ‘just off the bus’ young women who come to post-war London for fortune.

The Flesh Is Weak

1957

Ride a Wild Pony poster
6.6

Scott, a poor farm boy, is given a wild pony from a wealthy ranch owner's herd to ride to and from school. Scott and his pony soon become an inseparable team, until one day the pony suddenly disappears. Soon after, the ranch owner's handicapped daughter Josie has a wild pony especially trained to pull her cart. But Scott is convinced that Josie's pony is actually his, which leads to a court battle that divides their small Australian town. One child must ultimately lose the pony when true ownership is decided.

Ride a Wild Pony

1975

The Viking Queen poster
4.8

Set in ancient Britain, at a time when much of Europe was ruled with harsh tyranny by Rome, a tribe of Britons led by Selina, set out to defy the invaders and discard their yoke of bondage. The Roman commander, Justinian, is sent to quell the uprising, punishing the dissenters with brute force but when he becomes emotionally attached to Selina, he is torn between his duty to Rome and his love for the Viking Queen.

The Viking Queen

1967

International Airport poster
6.0

Manager of a large metropolitan airport tries to deal with the stress of his job, and the various characters that work for him.

International Airport

1985

A Matter of WHO poster
6.4

Health officials from the World Health Organization link a smallpox outbreak in Europe to oil drilling in the Middle East.

A Matter of WHO

1961

The Magic of Lassie poster
5.6

Lassie is claimed from his family by a "former owner" and then braves a cross country trip to rejoin the ones that love her.

The Magic of Lassie

1978

Charley-One-Eye poster
5.3

A black Union Army deserter and his crippled American Indian hostage form a strained partnership in the interests of surviving the advancing threats of a racist bounty hunter and neighboring bandits.

Charley-One-Eye

1973

A Twist of Sand poster
4.9

A former British Naval Officer now makes his living by smuggling goods around the Mediterranean. After being forced to dump his cargo after nearly being caught by the authorities in Malta, he is eager to recoup his losses. When a former colleague appears and tells a wild story about smuggling diamonds out of South West Africa, he sees his chance to make a lot of money....

A Twist of Sand

1968

Dentist in the Chair poster
6.0

The misfortunes that befall three dental students when they become unwitting accessories to a burglary.

Dentist in the Chair

1960

C.H.O.M.P.S. poster
5.0

A young man invents a robot dog that has super strength, x-ray vision and can detect crimes being committed. A greedy businessman tries to steal the boy's invention from him.

C.H.O.M.P.S.

1979