David Lean
- Known for
- Directing
- Born
- March 25, 1908
- Died
- April 16, 1991
- Birthplace
- Croydon, Surrey, England, UK
Sir David Lean CBE (25 March 1908 – 16 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Widely considered one of the most important figures in British cinema, he is best remembered for adapting the works of Charles Dickens and Noël Coward, and for his large scale period epics such as The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Doctor Zhivago (1965), Ryan's Daughter (1970), and A Passage to India (1984). Acclaimed and praised by directors such as Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick, Lean was voted 9th greatest film director of all time in the British Film Institute Sight & Sound "Directors Top Directors" poll 2002. Nominated seven times for the Academy Award for Best Director, winning twice for The Bridge on the River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia, he has seven films in the British Film Institute's Top 100 British Films (with three of them being in the top five).
Filmography
Maverick: The Epic Adventures of David Lean 2026
as Self (archive footage)
Omar Sharif: Citizen of the World 2020
as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
E. M. Forster: His Longest Journey 2019
as Self (archive footage)
Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast 2019
as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
Nostromo: David Lean's Impossible Dream 2017
as Self (archive footage)
Doctor Zhivago: A Celebration 2010
as Self (Archive Footage)
The Making of Lawrence of Arabia 2001
as Self (archive footage)
David Lean: A Life in Film 1985
as Self
- The Golden Gong: The Story of Rank Films - British Cinema's Legendary Studio
The Golden Gong: The Story of Rank Films - British Cinema's Legendary Studio 1985
as Self
A Passage to India 1984
Director, Screenplay, Editor
Lost and Found: The Story of Cook's Anchor 1979
as himself, Director, Writer
David Lean: A Self Portrait 1971
as Self
- Ryan's Daughter Featurette
Ryan's Daughter Featurette 1971
as Self
Ryan's Daughter 1970
Director
Moscow in Madrid 1965
as Self
Pasternak 1965
as Self (archive footage)
Doctor Zhivago 1965
Director
The Greatest Story Ever Told 1965
Second Unit Director
- David Lean's Film of Doctor Zhivago
David Lean's Film of Doctor Zhivago 1965
as Self
Zhivago: Behind the Camera with David Lean 1965
as Self
Wind, Sand and Star 1963
Actor
Lawrence of Arabia 1962
as Motorcyclist by Suez Canal (uncredited), Director, Producer
...On Seeing Film 1958
as Self
The Rise and Fall of a Jungle Giant 1958
as Self
The Bridge on the River Kwai 1957
Director
Summertime 1955
Director, Screenplay
Hobson's Choice 1954
Director, Screenplay, Producer
The Sound Barrier 1952
Director, Producer
Madeleine 1950
Director
The Passionate Friends 1949
Director, Adaptation
Oliver Twist 1948
Director, Screenplay
Great Expectations 1946
Director, Screenplay
Brief Encounter 1945
Director, Additional Writing
Blithe Spirit 1945
Director, Screenplay
This Happy Breed 1944
Director, Screenplay
In Which We Serve 1942
Director
One of Our Aircraft Is Missing 1942
Editor
49th Parallel 1941
Editor
Major Barbara 1941
Assistant Director
Spy for a Day 1940
Editor
French Without Tears 1940
Editor
Spies of the Air 1939
Editor
Pygmalion 1938
Editor
- The Wife of General Ling
The Wife of General Ling 1937
Editor
Dreaming Lips 1937
Editor
As You Like It 1936
Editor
Ball at Savoy 1936
Editor
The Crouching Beast 1935
Editor
Escape Me Never 1935
Editor
- The King of Paris
The King of Paris 1934
Editor
Tiger Bay 1934
Editor
The Secret of the Loch 1934
Editor
Dangerous Ground 1934
Editor
The Fortunate Fool 1933
Editor
Song of the Plough 1933
Editor
Money for Speed 1933
Editor
The Ghost Camera 1933
Editor
Insult 1932
Editor
These Charming People 1931
Editor
The Night Porter 1930
Editor
- Sailors Don't Care
Sailors Don't Care 1928
Assistant Camera
- Quinneys
Quinneys 1927
Production Runner
Credits from TMDB.