Don Chaffey

Directing

Don Chaffey

Born — Died

1917-08-05 — 1990-11-13

Place of birth

Hastings, Sussex, England

Known for

Directing

Credits

41 titles

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 t…

Known for

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

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

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 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

Film credits

Behind the camera

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

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

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 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

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

Clinic Exclusive poster
3.4

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

Clinic Exclusive

1971

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

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

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

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

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

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 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

The Webster Boy poster
10.0

A gambler comes out of prison, returns to his old-flame, and finds that she has a teenage son, who begins to believe that the ex-con is his father.

The Webster Boy

1962

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

The Gift of Love poster
6.7

Inspired by O. Henry's short story about a young bride and groom, each of whom foolishly--but quite lovingly--sacrifices a treasured possession to buy the perfect Christmas gift for their mate.

The Gift of Love

1978

The Girl in the Picture poster
6.5

A crime reporter investigating a murder discovers the case hinges on a mysterious woman he had photographed earlier.

The Girl in the Picture

1957

A Jolly Bad Fellow poster
5.0

An English professor decides that there are too many useless people in the world and invents a gas that will kill them off. But first they'll at least have a good laugh.

A Jolly Bad Fellow

1964

Watch Out poster
3.0

Escapades of Dickie Duffle, handyman, as he tours a film studio.

Watch Out

1953

Time Is My Enemy poster
6.5

A happily-married woman is blackmailed by her first husband, who she wrongly believed was killed in the Blitz.

Time Is My Enemy

1954

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

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

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

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

A Question of Adultery poster
4.5

Mark Loring is madly jealous of his wife, Mary, former American cabaret singer. Due to an automobile accident, she loses her unborn child, and Mark becomes sterile. His father, Brit-stuffy Sir John Loring, has never approved of the marriage and, again, tries to break it up. Believing that a child will hold the marriage together, Mary suggests artificial insemination to Mark, who finally agrees to accompany her to a clinic in Switzerland. However, when she is again pregnant, Mark finds it impossible to reconcile himself to the situation and leaves her. Prompted by his father, Mark sues for divorce, accusing her of adultery. She contests the divorce and a trial concerns itself with whether or not artificial insemination is a question of adultery. The Catholic Church's National League of Decency placed this film on its Condemned" list.

A Question of Adultery

1958

No artwork available
7.0

In a working-class Jewish family in Dublin, a young boy becomes increasingly close to an old orthodox Jew and assimilates his views, much to the dismay of his family.

Lies My Father Told Me

1960

Born to Run poster
8.0

Journey to the land down under for a warm, thrilling story of a once proud racehorse stableowner, his adventurous grandson, and their dream to revive the golden days of horse racing glory.

Born to Run

1977

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

Casino poster
10.0

Mike Connors is a suave gambler who owns a floating hotel/casino which takes a turn when the passengers are stalked by a saboteur during the casino ship's maiden voyage.

Casino

1980

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

Journey to the Unknown poster
NR

TV Movie consisting of two episodes of the UK TV series "Journey to the Unknown" (1968): 'Matakitas is Coming' (episode 1.3) and 'The Last Visitor' (episode 1.9).

Journey to the Unknown

1969

Bouncer Breaks Up! poster
NR

Story of a young girl and boy and a picture-dog that comes to life.

Bouncer Breaks Up!

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

No artwork available
8.0

The Case of The Missing Scene is a children's crime thriller that has been designed in the tradition of classic British children's films. A camera team takes pictures of rare birds from a hide when a poacher happens to get into the picture. The evidence (namely shot 63) disappears under mysterious circumstances. As always in these films, the case can only be solved with the help of a few bright children.

The Case of the Missing Scene

1951

The Crooked Road poster
5.5

An investigative reporter travels to a small European country with the hope of exposing its dictator's family secrets.

The Crooked Road

1965

The Crooked Road poster
5.5

An investigative reporter travels to a small European country with the hope of exposing its dictator's family secrets.

The Crooked Road

1965

The Fourth Wish poster
10.0

The poignant struggle of a man to grant his terminally ill son three wishes - and the obstacles cast in his way of achieving this goal.

The Fourth Wish

1976

A Good Pull-Up poster
2.0

Story of a handyman who gets into trouble at a workman's cafe.

A Good Pull-Up

1953