Ralph Thomas

English film director (1915–2001)

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 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 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 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 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".

They had a massive box office hit with Doctor in 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, 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 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 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 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, 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 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 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 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 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 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.