Harold French

London-born 'Harold French' (qv) made his name on the stage, both as an actor and director. He crossed over to films, making his acting debut in 1920. He became a director shortly before the beginning of World War II, debuting with _The Cavalier of the Streets (1937)_ (qv), and made a well-received adaptation of 'A.E.W. Mason' (qv)'s thriller, _Secret Mission (1942)_ (qv). He didn't score again until 1948, with _My Brother Jonathan (1948)_ (qv). Known more for his romantic dramas and comedies, French switched to a period action piece, _Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue (1953)_ (qv). He directed his last film, _The Man Who Loved Redheads (1955)_ (qv) in 1955 and went back to writing. Toward the end of his career he returned to directing in the theater. While he may not have been classified among the top-ranked British directors, he nevertheless turned out many well-made, entertaining films over his 20-year-plus career.::frankfob2@yahoo.com