Ken Annakin

Directing

Ken Annakin

Born — Died

1914-08-10 — 2009-04-22

Place of birth

Beverley, Yorkshire, England, UK

Known for

Directing

Credits

46 titles

Kenneth Cooper Annakin, OBE (10 August 1914 – 22 April 2009) was an English film director. His career spanned half a century, beginning in the early 1940s and ending in 1992, and in the 1960s he was noticed by critics with large-scale adventure epic and comedies films, like Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, Battle of the Bulge, The Biggest Bundle of Them All and Monte Carlo or Bust!. During his career, Annakin directed nearly 50 pictures.

Known for

The Longest Day poster
7.6

The retelling of June 6, 1944, from the perspectives of the Germans, US, British, Canadians, and the Free French. Marshall Erwin Rommel, touring the defenses being established as part of the Reich's Atlantic Wall, notes to his officers that when the Allied invasion comes they must be stopped on the beach. "For the Allies as well as the Germans, it will be the longest day"

The Longest Day

1962

Swiss Family Robinson poster
6.8

After being shipwrecked, the Robinson family is marooned on an island inhabited only by an impressive array of wildlife. In true pioneer spirit, they quickly make themselves at home but soon face a danger even greater than nature: dastardly pirates.

Swiss Family Robinson

1960

Battle of the Bulge poster
6.9

In the winter of 1944, the Allied Armies stand ready to invade Germany at the coming of a New Year. To prevent it, Hitler orders an all-out offensive to re-take French territory and capture the major port city of Antwerp.

Battle of the Bulge

1965

The Call of the Wild poster
6.1

John Thornton, is a fearless man who's after more than gold; he wants to do what's right. Thornton works for the U.S. mail and is the only person daring and smart enough to figure out how to travel the deadly 600 miles from Skagway to Dawson, Alaska in the icy winter. His incredibly dog Buck is by his side and part of how he survives.

The Call of the Wild

1972

Monte Carlo or Bust! poster
5.9

Sequel to "Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines". This time an international car rally from England to Monte Carlo provides the comedic farce.

Monte Carlo or Bust!

1969

The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking poster
5.9

After her father's ship is carried off by a sudden storm, the spunky Pippi Longstocking is stranded with her horse, Alfonso,and her pet monkey, Mr. Neilson, and takes up residence in the old family home, which is thought by neighborhood children to be haunted. Soon, two children, Tommy and his sister Anika, venture into the house only to meet up with Pippi. The three soon become friends and get into various adventures together, including cleaning the floor with scrubbing shoes, dodging the "splunks", going down a waterfall in barrels, and helping Pippi with the problem of having to go to an orphanage. Older children will probably get the most out of this movie.

The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking

1988

Film credits

1950s · 2 titles

Behind the camera

The Longest Day poster
7.6

The retelling of June 6, 1944, from the perspectives of the Germans, US, British, Canadians, and the Free French. Marshall Erwin Rommel, touring the defenses being established as part of the Reich's Atlantic Wall, notes to his officers that when the Allied invasion comes they must be stopped on the beach. "For the Allies as well as the Germans, it will be the longest day"

The Longest Day

1962

Swiss Family Robinson poster
6.8

After being shipwrecked, the Robinson family is marooned on an island inhabited only by an impressive array of wildlife. In true pioneer spirit, they quickly make themselves at home but soon face a danger even greater than nature: dastardly pirates.

Swiss Family Robinson

1960

Battle of the Bulge poster
6.9

In the winter of 1944, the Allied Armies stand ready to invade Germany at the coming of a New Year. To prevent it, Hitler orders an all-out offensive to re-take French territory and capture the major port city of Antwerp.

Battle of the Bulge

1965

The Call of the Wild poster
6.1

John Thornton, is a fearless man who's after more than gold; he wants to do what's right. Thornton works for the U.S. mail and is the only person daring and smart enough to figure out how to travel the deadly 600 miles from Skagway to Dawson, Alaska in the icy winter. His incredibly dog Buck is by his side and part of how he survives.

The Call of the Wild

1972

Monte Carlo or Bust! poster
5.9

Sequel to "Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines". This time an international car rally from England to Monte Carlo provides the comedic farce.

Monte Carlo or Bust!

1969

Monte Carlo or Bust! poster
5.9

Sequel to "Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines". This time an international car rally from England to Monte Carlo provides the comedic farce.

Monte Carlo or Bust!

1969

The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking poster
5.9

After her father's ship is carried off by a sudden storm, the spunky Pippi Longstocking is stranded with her horse, Alfonso,and her pet monkey, Mr. Neilson, and takes up residence in the old family home, which is thought by neighborhood children to be haunted. Soon, two children, Tommy and his sister Anika, venture into the house only to meet up with Pippi. The three soon become friends and get into various adventures together, including cleaning the floor with scrubbing shoes, dodging the "splunks", going down a waterfall in barrels, and helping Pippi with the problem of having to go to an orphanage. Older children will probably get the most out of this movie.

The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking

1988

The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking poster
5.9

After her father's ship is carried off by a sudden storm, the spunky Pippi Longstocking is stranded with her horse, Alfonso,and her pet monkey, Mr. Neilson, and takes up residence in the old family home, which is thought by neighborhood children to be haunted. Soon, two children, Tommy and his sister Anika, venture into the house only to meet up with Pippi. The three soon become friends and get into various adventures together, including cleaning the floor with scrubbing shoes, dodging the "splunks", going down a waterfall in barrels, and helping Pippi with the problem of having to go to an orphanage. Older children will probably get the most out of this movie.

The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking

1988

The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking poster
5.9

After her father's ship is carried off by a sudden storm, the spunky Pippi Longstocking is stranded with her horse, Alfonso,and her pet monkey, Mr. Neilson, and takes up residence in the old family home, which is thought by neighborhood children to be haunted. Soon, two children, Tommy and his sister Anika, venture into the house only to meet up with Pippi. The three soon become friends and get into various adventures together, including cleaning the floor with scrubbing shoes, dodging the "splunks", going down a waterfall in barrels, and helping Pippi with the problem of having to go to an orphanage. Older children will probably get the most out of this movie.

The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking

1988

Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes poster
6.8

In order to boost circulation of his newspaper, Lord Rawnsley announces an air race and offers £10,000 to the first person who can fly across the English Channel. But one of the participants, Percy, plots to sabotage his competitor's planes. Will Percy triumph?

Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes

1965

Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes poster
6.8

In order to boost circulation of his newspaper, Lord Rawnsley announces an air race and offers £10,000 to the first person who can fly across the English Channel. But one of the participants, Percy, plots to sabotage his competitor's planes. Will Percy triumph?

Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes

1965

Third Man on the Mountain poster
6.8

Famous British mountaineer Winter wants to climb a difficult summit, the Citadel. He goes to a small village but no guide wants to accompany him. A young man from the village, Rudi Matt, whose father died fifteen years earlier during an attempt to climb the Citadel, is determined to accompany him, with the help of his uncle. Winter also manages to hire a guide from a neighboring village and competitor, Emil Saxo. The roped party of four men then begins the ascent of the still untouched summit.

Third Man on the Mountain

1959

The Pirate Movie poster
5.3

Left behind by her friends on a boat trip, contemporary teen Mabel takes pursuit but is knocked unconscious on an island, where she has a dream involving pirates, sisters, a modern major-general, romance, and adventure.

The Pirate Movie

1982

The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men poster
6.2

Young Robin Hood, in love with Maid Marian, enters an archery contest with his father at the King's palace. On the way home his father is murdered by henchmen of Prince John. Robin takes up the life of an outlaw, gathering together his band of merry men with him in Sherwood Forest, to avenge his father's death and to help the people of the land that Prince John are over taxing.

The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men

1952

The Fifth Musketeer poster
4.9

King Louis XIV has without his knowledge a twin brother, Philippe, but when he is told, he immediately locks up his brother in the Bastille. The king wants to increase his popularity and stages an assassination against himself where Philippe is dressed as king Louis. But Philippe manages to escape the assassination and everybody believes him to be the real king...

The Fifth Musketeer

1979

The Long Duel poster
5.2

An idealistic colonial police officer is sent to capture a rebel leader who threatens the stability of the Raj's north-west frontier. Despite his official colonial capacity, the policeman is impressed by the ingenuity and integrity of his enemy and is determined to arrest him alive rather than bring him in dead as his superiors might wish.

The Long Duel

1967

The Long Duel poster
5.2

An idealistic colonial police officer is sent to capture a rebel leader who threatens the stability of the Raj's north-west frontier. Despite his official colonial capacity, the policeman is impressed by the ingenuity and integrity of his enemy and is determined to arrest him alive rather than bring him in dead as his superiors might wish.

The Long Duel

1967

The Informers poster
6.8

When the detective in charge of investigating a series of bank robberies starts to get too close to the culprits, they set up a blackmail scheme to warn him off. But when the crooks begin to fall out with each other, the police learn the truth.

The Informers

1963

The Sword and the Rose poster
6.4

Tells the story of Mary Tudor and her troubled path to true love. Henry VIII, for political reasons, determines to wed her to the King of France. She tries to flee to America with her love but is captured when she is "un-hatted" on board ship. In return for her consent to the marriage with France, Henry agrees to let her choose her second husband. When King Louis of France dies, Mary is kidnaped by the Duke of Buckingham. He tries to force her to marry him but she is rescued by her love in an exciting battle on the beach.

The Sword and the Rose

1953

Crooks Anonymous poster
6.1

A former burglar trying to go straight joins a rehabilitation scheme using much the same methods as AA. Through the process, he takes work as a department store Santa, where the endless parade of goods and money, not to mention the pretty young shop hands have him like a moth to a flame in no time flat.

Crooks Anonymous

1962

Crooks Anonymous poster
6.1

A former burglar trying to go straight joins a rehabilitation scheme using much the same methods as AA. Through the process, he takes work as a department store Santa, where the endless parade of goods and money, not to mention the pretty young shop hands have him like a moth to a flame in no time flat.

Crooks Anonymous

1962

Trio poster
6.4

W. Somerset Maugham introduces three more of his stories about human foibles.

Trio

1950

The Biggest Bundle of Them All poster
5.6

A kidnapped mobster persuades his captors to help him rob platinum ingots from a train.

The Biggest Bundle of Them All

1968

Broken Journey poster
6.1

A plane flying over the Swiss Alps develops engine trouble and is forced to crash-land on a glacier. Unable to radio for help because of damaged batteries and with limited food supplies, the survivors must come to a decision -- whether to stay and wait for help they believe is coming or to leave the shelter of the wrecked plane and set out in bad weather to try to reach civilization.

Broken Journey

1948

The Fast Lady poster
5.8

A naïve Scottish civil servant must learn how to drive a Bentley to impress his girlfriend's tycoon father.

The Fast Lady

1962

Three Men in a Boat poster
6.2

Three London gentlemen take a vacation rowing down the Thames, encountering various mishaps and misadventures along the way.

Three Men in a Boat

1956

Murder at the Mardi Gras poster
7.0

A bubble-brained Philadelphia waitress witnesses a murder during the Mardi Gras festivities in New Orleans and finds herself stalked by the killer.

Murder at the Mardi Gras

1978

Value for Money poster
6.9

A wealthy young man from Yorkshire visits a London nightclub and meets a performer. She decides to take him for every penny he is worth, and he decides to let her.

Value for Money

1955

The Planter's Wife poster
6.6

The wife of a rubber plantation owner must put her marriage problems on hold when her family is forced to defend themselves during a native uprising.

The Planter's Wife

1952

Here Come the Huggetts poster
6.7

The Huggetts have their first telephone installed, sleep rough on The Mall whilst waiting for the Royal Wedding and deal with a fire at the 'Oatibix' factory.

Here Come the Huggetts

1948

Institute for Revenge poster
6.7

A sophisticated computer named IFR (the film's title is its nickname) supervises an organization dedicated to correcting wrongs against the defenseless and assigns human operatives to track down the evildoers and bring them to justice non-violently.

Institute for Revenge

1979

Cheaper to Keep Her poster
4.3

A newly divorced swinger on the prowl goes to work as a detective for a neurotic feminist attorney.

Cheaper to Keep Her

1981

Across the Bridge poster
6.7

In Mexico, a financier on the run poses as a man he just murdered, only to find out that the man was also a murderer.

Across the Bridge

1957

Paper Tiger poster
6.2

A somewhat prim and proper Englishman is hired as the tutor to the son of the Japanese ambassador. His life changes when he and the boy are kidnapped by terrorists for political purposes.

Paper Tiger

1975

Loser Takes All poster
6.0

Bertrand, an accountant employed by a large London firm, is called to the office of the Managing Director, Dreuther, to explain a mistake in the accounts. Dreuther is highly impressed by the young accountant's skilful explanation of the error and, hearing that Bertrand is soon to marry his spirited young fiancée, tells him to spend the honeymoon not in Bournemouth, but Monte Carlo at the company s expense! However, events in the fabulous Mediterranean paradise do not work out quite as Bertrand had envisaged...

Loser Takes All

1956

Nor the Moon by Night poster
6.2

When Alice Lang flies out to Kenya to marry gamekeeper Andrew Miller she is met by his brother Rusty, who is initially opposed to the marriage. The two become attracted to each other, but when Andrew is attacked by a lion, Alice nurses him back to health. Now torn between affection and duty, she must decide which path to follow.

Nor the Moon by Night

1958

Fenlands poster
7.0

A look at life in the Fenlands (a coastal, marshy plain in eastern England) in 1940's.

Fenlands

1946

Fenlands poster
7.0

A look at life in the Fenlands (a coastal, marshy plain in eastern England) in 1940's.

Fenlands

1946

Fenlands poster
7.0

A look at life in the Fenlands (a coastal, marshy plain in eastern England) in 1940's.

Fenlands

1946

Miranda poster
6.2

A young married physician discovers a mermaid, and gives into her request to be taken to see London. Comedy and romantic entanglements ensue.

Miranda

1948