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Alexander Mackendrick | |
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| Born | September 8, 1912 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | December 22, 1993 (aged 81) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Film director, screenwriter, academic |
| Spouse(s) | Eileen Ashcroft (1934–1943) Hilary Lloyd (1948–1993) |
| Relatives | Roger MacDougall[1] |
Alexander Mackendrick (September 8, 1912 – December 22, 1993) was an American-born Scottish film director and screenwriter. Born to Scottish immigrant parents in Boston, he was raised in Glasgow from the age of 6. He began making television commercials before moving into post-production editing and directing films, most notably for Ealing Studios where his films include Whisky Galore! (1949), The Man in the White Suit (1951) - which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay, The Maggie (1954), and The Ladykillers (1955).
In 1957, Mackendrick directed his first American film Sweet Smell of Success, which was a critical and commercial success. However, his directing career declined throughout the following decade, and he was fired or replaced from several projects. He eventually became Dean (and later a Professor) of the CalArts School of Film/Video in California.
- ^ "Mackendrick, Alexander (1912–1993)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/52240. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)