John Paddy Carstairs(1910-1970)
- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Writer-director John Paddy Carstairs was born Nelson Keys, the son of
actor Nelson Keys and the brother of
producer Anthony Nelson Keys, in
London, England, in 1910. Beginning his career as an assistant
cameraman, he worked his way up to screenwriter and made his
directorial debut in 1933. While never at the front rank of British
directors, he consistently turned out solid, well-crafted--and, more
importantly, successful--films that kept him in the director's chair
for the next 29 years. In 1953 he was put at the helm of a
Norman Wisdom comedy,
Trouble in Store (1953),
although he wasn't particularly known as a comedy director.
Nevertheless, the film was a huge hit in the UK--Wisdom, like most
British comics, never caught on in the US--and Carstairs became known
as the go-to director for new screen comedians. He made a string of
Wisdom comedies, in addition to films for such up-and-comers as
Tommy Steele,
Frankie Howerd,
Bob Monkhouse and
Ronald Shiner. While they may not have
achieved critical acclaim, audiences nevertheless liked them and, for
the most part, they made a potful of money.
After making The Devil's Agent (1962), a spy thriller, Carstairs left the film industry to pursue his two main passions, writing and painting. He died in London, age 60, in 1970.
After making The Devil's Agent (1962), a spy thriller, Carstairs left the film industry to pursue his two main passions, writing and painting. He died in London, age 60, in 1970.
