
Directing
Roy Ward Baker
Born — Died
1916-12-19 — 2010-10-05
Place of birth
London, England
Known for
Directing
Credits
50 titles
Roy Ward Baker was an English film director born in London on 19 December 1916. His best known film is A Night to Remember which won a Golden Globe for best foreign English language film in 1959. His later career was varied, and included many horror films and television shows. Baker's early career, from 1934 to 1939, was spent working for Gainsborough Pictures, a British film production company based in Islington, North London, famous for its prestige productions. His first jobs were menial - making tea for crew members, for example - but by 1938 he had risen through the ranks to work as assistant director on Alfred Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes. He served in the army during World War II, …
Known for
7.7The sinking of the Titanic is presented in a highly realistic fashion in this tense British drama. The disaster is portrayed largely from the perspective of the ocean liner's second officer, Charles Lightoller. Despite numerous warnings about ice, the ship sails on, with Capt. Edward John Smith keeping it going at a steady clip. When the doomed vessel finally hits an iceberg, the crew and passengers discover that they lack enough lifeboats, and tragedy follows.
A Night to Remember
1958
6.4In the heart of Styria the Karnstein Family, even after their mortal deaths, rise from their tombs spreading evil in the countryside in their lust for fresh blood. Baron Hartog whose family are all victims of Karnstein vampirism, opens their graves and drives a stake through their diabolical hearts. One grave he cannot locate is that of the legendary beautiful Mircalla Karnstein. Years of peace follow that grisly night until Mircalla reappears to avenge her family's decimation and satisfy her desire for blood.
The Vampire Lovers
1970
7.1Mark Gatiss examines the history of the horror film, from classic Hollywood monsters to Hammer's glory days and beyond.
A History of Horror
2010
6.7A mysterious artifact unearthed below a London Underground station proves to have powerful psychic effects on the people around.
Quatermass and the Pit
1967
6.4The sequel to Tales from the Crypt. Five strangers trapped in a basement vault converse about their recurring nightmares. Their stories include vampires, bodily dismemberment, east Indian mysticism, an insurance scam, and an artist who kills by painting his victims' deaths.
The Vault of Horror
1973
6.1A young psychiatrist applies for a job at a mental asylum and must pass a test by interviewing four patients. He must figure out which of the patients, is in fact, the doctor that he would be replacing if hired.
Asylum
1972
Film credits
2000s · 5 titles
7.2Focussing on his early career, this profile looks at director Alfred Hitchcock’s breakthrough in silent films, acclaimed thrillers such as “The 39 Steps” (1935) and the influences which prompted his departure for a new life in America in 1939. Featuring Hugh Stewart, editor of “The Man Who Knew Too Much” (1934).
A Profile of Hitchcock: The Early Years
2000
9.0No synopsis available yet.
The Saint Steps In... To Television
2008
8.0An overview of the history of Great Britain's Amicus Films, which was a rival of Hammer Studios in the horror field. Included are interviews with company co-founder Max Rosenberg, cameraman Freddie Francis and director Roy Ward Baker, and clips from various Amicus productions.
Inside the Fear Factory
2003
NRA comprehensive documentary guide to the legendary British horror film studio, Hammer Films. united
Hammer Horror: A Fan's Guide
2008
7.2Documentary about a German Luftwaffe fighter pilot, Franz von Werra, the only German soldier of the Second World War who managed to escape from captivity as a prisoner of war and return to Germany.
Von Werra
2002
1990s · 2 titles
7.3Explore the most legendary horror studio of all time with this fascinating, frightening journey hosted by terror titans Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. England's most successful independent film company, the "fear factory" of Hammer Studios, has a history filled with feuds, censorship battles and streaks of luck both good and bad. Now the legacy of horror returns, featuring interviews with such Hammer legends as Raquel Welch, Veronica Carlson, Caroline Munro, Ingrid Pitt, Jimmy Sangster, Hazel Court, Martine Beswicke, Freddie Francis, Val Guest and Ray Harryhausen. Plus you'll be treated to behind-the-scenes home movies and nonstop shock scenes from over 40 classic films, including Horror of Dracula, Curse of Frankenstein, The Devil Rides Out, Curse of the Werewolf and many more! It's the definitive study of one of the greatest names in horror!
Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror
1994
7.0Documentary the career of Alfred Hitchcock with Tippi Hedren bringing up allegations against the director.
Hitchcock: Alfred the Great
1994
Series credits
7.1Mark Gatiss examines the history of the horror film, from classic Hollywood monsters to Hammer's glory days and beyond.
A History of Horror
2010
6.4The Midnight Sun Film Festival is held every June in the Finnish village of Sodankylä beyond the arctic circle — where the sun never sets. Founded by Aki and Mika Kaurismäki along with Anssi Mänttäri and Peter von Bagh in 1985, the festival has played host to an international who’s who of directors and each day begins with a two-hour discussion. To mark the festival’s silver anniversary, festival director Peter von Bagh edited together highlights from these dialogues to create an epic four-part choral history of cinema drawn from the anecdotes, insights, and wisdom of his all-star cast: Coppola, Fuller, Forman, Chabrol, Corman, Demy, Kieslowski, Kiarostami, Varda, Oliveira, Erice, Rouch, Gilliam, Jancso — and 64 more. Ranging across innumerable topics (war, censorship, movie stars, formative influences, America, neorealism) these voices, many now passed away, engage in a personal dialogue across the years that’s by turns charming, profound, hilarious and moving.
Sodankylä Forever
2010
Behind the camera
7.7The sinking of the Titanic is presented in a highly realistic fashion in this tense British drama. The disaster is portrayed largely from the perspective of the ocean liner's second officer, Charles Lightoller. Despite numerous warnings about ice, the ship sails on, with Capt. Edward John Smith keeping it going at a steady clip. When the doomed vessel finally hits an iceberg, the crew and passengers discover that they lack enough lifeboats, and tragedy follows.
A Night to Remember
1958
6.4In the heart of Styria the Karnstein Family, even after their mortal deaths, rise from their tombs spreading evil in the countryside in their lust for fresh blood. Baron Hartog whose family are all victims of Karnstein vampirism, opens their graves and drives a stake through their diabolical hearts. One grave he cannot locate is that of the legendary beautiful Mircalla Karnstein. Years of peace follow that grisly night until Mircalla reappears to avenge her family's decimation and satisfy her desire for blood.
The Vampire Lovers
1970
6.7A mysterious artifact unearthed below a London Underground station proves to have powerful psychic effects on the people around.
Quatermass and the Pit
1967
6.4The sequel to Tales from the Crypt. Five strangers trapped in a basement vault converse about their recurring nightmares. Their stories include vampires, bodily dismemberment, east Indian mysticism, an insurance scam, and an artist who kills by painting his victims' deaths.
The Vault of Horror
1973
6.1A young psychiatrist applies for a job at a mental asylum and must pass a test by interviewing four patients. He must figure out which of the patients, is in fact, the doctor that he would be replacing if hired.
Asylum
1972
5.8A vampire attacks a horror author on the street and then invites him to a nearby club as a gesture of gratitude, which turns out to be a meeting place for assorted creatures of the night. The vampire then regales him with three stories, each interspersed with musical performances at the club.
The Monster Club
1981
5.9Professor Van Helsing had been asked to help against the tyranny of skeletal creatures that are responsible for terror and death amongst the peasants in rural China. He is the only person qualified to deal with the cause of these phenomena, for the undead are controlled by the most diabolical force of all.... Count Dracula. But he is not alone- to aid him comes a mystical brotherhood of seven martial arts warriors.
The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires
1974
5.9The Prince of Darkness casts his undead shadow once more over the cursed village of Kleinenberg when his ashes are splashed with bat's blood and Dracula is resurrected. And two innocent victims search for a missing loved one... loved to death by Dracula's mistress. But after they discover his blood-drained corpse in Dracula's castle necropolis, the Vampire Lord's lustful vengeance begins.
Scars of Dracula
1970
5.4Sherlock Holmes has retired. But when MacDonald asks him to take on another case, he says yes. There have been some mysterious murders, and there are no visible causes for the deaths. At the same time Holmes gets this case, Graf Udo Von Felseck gives him another case: find a young and missing prince to prevent war between Germany and England. But Von Felseck is not as honest as he seems...
The Masks of Death
1984
6.7An airline pilot pursues a live-in babysitter at his hotel and gradually realizes she is not as stable as perhaps she should be.
Don't Bother to Knock
1952
6.2In foggy London Dr Jekyll experiments on newly deceased women determined to discover an elixir for immortal life. Success enables his spectacular transformation into the beautiful but psychotic Sister Hyde who stalks the dark alleys of Whitechapel for young, innocent, female victims, ensuring continuation of the bloodstained research. With each transformation Sister Hyde becomes the more dominant personality, determined to eventually suppress the frail, ineffectual Dr Jekyll forever.
Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde
1971
6.6Mrs Taggart always celebrates her anniversary with her grown sons. It’s a tradition practised since the death of her husband and she is determined for it to continue. None of her three sons have dared to cross their ruthless domineering mother but this anniversary they intend to try. With cruel and brutal twists, the family get-together becomes a social nightmare beyond endurance.
The Anniversary
1968
6.2When selfish and arrogant millionaire Donald Carson fractures his leg during a desert vacation, his wife, Geraldine, leaves with their friend Joseph Duncan to supposedly get help. However, the two of them are really lovers who are leaving Carson to die in the heat. Slowly, Carson realizes he is on his own and vows revenge on the traitorous couple. Having had a privileged life, Carson must now use his wits to stay alive.
Inferno
1953
6.4Atomic scientist Peter Standish travels back in time to 1784, an era he has read about in his forefather's diaries. He falls in love with his forefather's cousin, Helen, but his contemporaries of 1784 are perplexed by his strange talk and the odd knowledge he possesses.
The House in the Square
1951
5.9In the late 18th century, two newlyweds move into the stately mansion of the Fengriffen family. The young bride is victim of terrifying visions and apparitions, threatening her very sanity. A London psychiatrist comes to her help and uncovers the terrible secret that haunts the estate.
And Now the Screaming Starts!
1973
6.3Domestic difficulties develop in a working-class family when their daughter falls in love with a Jamaican man.
Flame in the Streets
1961
6.3Domestic difficulties develop in a working-class family when their daughter falls in love with a Jamaican man.
Flame in the Streets
1961
6.8Based on the true story of Oberleutnant Franz von Werra, the only German prisoner of war captured in Britain to escape back to Germany during the Second World War.
The One That Got Away
1957
4.9On the Moon in the year 2021, a former-astronaut-turned-salvager helps a millionaire space industrialist capture a 6000-ton sapphire asteroid, while also assisting a woman in finding her missing miner/prospector brother
Moon Zero Two
1969
5.8Upon awaking in the morning, a man finds his thoughts clouded by the possibility that he committed a murder.
Night Without Sleep
1952
7.2Simon Templar is hired by a friend in the book publishing trade to protect one of his stars, a secretive recluse named Amos Klein who writes a popular (and lucrative) series of adventure novels about a manly and suave spy.
The Fiction Makers
1968
5.0Spy Killer stars Robert Horton as a secret agent turned private eye. Framed for murder, Horton is released, but only after promising that he'll track down a book containing a list of government agents who are operating covertly in Red China. The reluctant spy discovers that he can't completely trust anyone in this endeavor--not even his former chief
The Spy Killer
1969
NROur heroes find themselves at the famed Cannes Film Festival to help foil a plot to murder a former American union boss cum government witness, Kyle Sander. Suspects include the beautiful Marissa and boyfriend, who have a few surprises in store. Lord Sinclair and Danny then travel to Switzerland, where they have to help an elderly Duchess protect her jewels by finding proof of past marriage to a prince.
The Switch
1976
6.4A Roman Catholic priest defies a Mexican bandit whose gang kills villagers in alphabetical order.
The Singer Not the Song
1961
6.4A Roman Catholic priest defies a Mexican bandit whose gang kills villagers in alphabetical order.
The Singer Not the Song
1961
6.2Jim Ackland, who suffers from a head injury sustained in a bus crash, is the chief suspect in a murder hunt, when a girl that he has just met is found dead on the local common, and he has no alibi for the time she was killed.
The October Man
1947
6.2Jacqueline is the daughter of Belfast shipyard worker Mike McNeil. The worker's worth is compromised by his crippling fear of heights. Dismissed from his job, he finds solace in the bottle. All seems hopeless until Jacqueline breaks through her father's self-imposed gloom and helps him to regenerate. An adaptation of the novel 'A Grand Man', by Catherine Cookson.
Jacqueline
1956
6.7In wartime, a young officer is killed during a raid to kill a German general at the house that used to belong to his grandmother. Before he dies he talks about a treasure that was hidden there. Several years later, the members of that group are still together as a street band living in a cellar. The last of the gang, who was chosen for his skills as a ruthless killer, escapes from prison in a rampage of killing and, obsessed with the treasure, takes the gang to France to recover it.
Tiger in the Smoke
1956
5.0Paper Orchid is a 1949 British crime film directed by Roy Ward Baker, with a script written by Val Guest. It featured Hugh Williams, Hy Hazell and Garry Marsh. It is perhaps most notable for an early film appearance of Sid James, later to find success through the Carry On series.
Paper Orchid
1949
6.0Based on David Stuart Leslie's novel Two Left Feet is a story about Alan Crabbe (Michael Crawford) a callow youth desperate for a date with any girl who can offer him the experience he lacks. Every time Alan tries a manful stride into the jungle of sex, his two left feet turn the attempt into a trip-and-stumble. Then he meets Eileen (Nyree Dawn Porter), the new waitress at the corner cafe, who signal unmistakable messages with her large inviting eyes.
Two Left Feet
1963
6.0Based on David Stuart Leslie's novel Two Left Feet is a story about Alan Crabbe (Michael Crawford) a callow youth desperate for a date with any girl who can offer him the experience he lacks. Every time Alan tries a manful stride into the jungle of sex, his two left feet turn the attempt into a trip-and-stumble. Then he meets Eileen (Nyree Dawn Porter), the new waitress at the corner cafe, who signal unmistakable messages with her large inviting eyes.
Two Left Feet
1963
5.9Two episodes of the TV series "The Persuaders" joined into a movie. Two playboys investigate crimes along the French Riviera.
Mission: Monte Carlo
1974
6.9The crew of a submarine is trapped on the sea floor when it sinks. How can they be rescued before they run out of air?
Morning Departure
1950
6.7A British housewife does her own battles against the enemy during World War II.
The Weaker Sex
1948
8.3Having placed mines on the hull of a British warship whilst it is safe in harbour during the second World War , the two man crew of an Italian miniature submarine are captured and held prisoner whist the crew try and discover the nature of their mission!
The Valiant
1962
6.7A former British Secret Service agent is persuaded to negotiate a spy exchange with Russia, only to find himself drawn into political intrigues.
Foreign Exchange
1970
Ministry of Information dramatized vocational film on assistance in finding jobs after the Second World War.
What's the Next Job?
1945
5.9Set in 1931, the film takes place aboard a merchant ship, briefly harboured in South America. A young woman (Diane Cilento) boards the ship as a passenger, resulting in disharmony among the superstitious crew members. Virtuous seaman Anthony Steel protects the girl from the lecherous advances of captain Peter Finch.
Passage Home
1955
An account of the technique of reading the tabloid press in an intelligent manor via differing editorial techniques that leads to three styles of newspapers giving varying accounts of a strip-tease act.
Read All About It
1945
6.0A US newsman and a British entomologist spy on germ-warfare research in a mythical country.
Highly Dangerous
1950
