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IMDbPro

James Clavell(1921-1994)

  • Writer
  • Director
  • Producer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
James Clavell
James Clavell was born on October 10, 1921, in Sydney, New South Wales, as Charles Edmund Dumaresq Clavell. He was a film and TV writer and producer. During World War II, he was a British soldier and a Japanese prisoner on Java and in Singapore, which led to his great interest in things East Asian and Japanese, and the experiences of prisoners of war. Clavell is very well-known for "The Great Escape" (1963), "The Satan Bug" (1965), "King Rat" (1965), "To Sir, with Love" (1967), "Tai-Pan" (1986), "Noble House" (1988), and especially "Shogun" (1980). Shogun won the Golden Globe Award for Best TV-Series - Drama and the Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series: James Clavell (executive producer).

Clavell was married to April Stride, and they were parents of two children. He died on September 7, 1994, in Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland.
BornOctober 10, 1921
DiedSeptember 7, 1994(72)
BornOctober 10, 1921
DiedSeptember 7, 1994(72)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • Won 1 Primetime Emmy
    • 1 win & 3 nominations total

Known for

Richard Attenborough, Steve McQueen, and James Garner in The Great Escape (1963)
The Great Escape
8.2
  • Writer
  • 1963
David Hedison and Patricia Owens in The Fly (1958)
The Fly
7.1
  • Writer
  • 1958
Sidney Poitier in To Sir, with Love (1967)
To Sir, with Love
7.6
  • Writer
  • 1967
Michael Caine, Omar Sharif, and Florinda Bolkan in The Last Valley (1971)
The Last Valley
7.0
  • Writer
  • 1971

Credits

IMDbPro

Writer



  • Hiroyuki Sanada in Shōgun (2024)
    Shōgun
    8.6
    TV Series
    • based on the novel by
    • 2024
  • Noble House (1988)
    Noble House
    7.6
    TV Mini Series
    • novel
    • 1988
  • James Clavell's Shogun
    Video Game
    • based on novel by
    • 1986
  • Bryan Brown and Joan Chen in Tai-Pan (1986)
    Tai-Pan
    5.6
    • novel
    • 1986
  • The Children's Story (1982)
    The Children's Story
    7.9
    TV Movie
    • novel
    • 1982
  • Richard Chamberlain and Yôko Shimada in Shogun (1980)
    Shogun
    8.1
    TV Mini Series
    • novel
    • 1980
  • Shogun (1980)
    Shogun
    7.8
    TV Movie
    • novel
    • 1980
  • Král Krysa
    TV Movie
    • novel "King Rat"
    • 1979
  • Hari Rhodes in To Sir, with Love (1974)
    To Sir, with Love
    7.8
    TV Movie
    • screenplay
    • 1974
  • Michael Caine, Omar Sharif, and Florinda Bolkan in The Last Valley (1971)
    The Last Valley
    7.0
    • written for the screen by
    • 1971
  • Paul Richards and Yôko Tani in Savage Justice (1967)
    Savage Justice
    7.0
    • Writer
    • 1967
  • Sidney Poitier in To Sir, with Love (1967)
    To Sir, with Love
    7.6
    • written for the screen by
    • 1967
  • King Rat (1965)
    King Rat
    7.5
    • novel: "King Rat" - 1962
    • 1965
  • The Satan Bug (1965)
    The Satan Bug
    6.1
    • screenplay
    • 1965
  • 633 Squadron (1964)
    633 Squadron
    6.4
    • screen play by
    • 1964

Director



  • The Children's Story (1982)
    The Children's Story
    7.9
    TV Movie
    • Director
    • 1982
  • Michael Caine, Omar Sharif, and Florinda Bolkan in The Last Valley (1971)
    The Last Valley
    7.0
    • Director
    • 1971
  • Stanley Baker, Fiona Lewis, and Tommy Steele in Where's Jack? (1969)
    Where's Jack?
    6.4
    • Director
    • 1969
  • Paul Richards and Yôko Tani in Savage Justice (1967)
    Savage Justice
    7.0
    • Director
    • 1967
  • Sidney Poitier in To Sir, with Love (1967)
    To Sir, with Love
    7.6
    • directed by
    • 1967
  • Ripcord (1961)
    Ripcord
    7.4
    TV Series
    • Director
    • 1961–1962
  • The only authorized DVD edition of all episodes in  Season One.
    The Rifleman
    8.3
    TV Series
    • Director
    • 1960–1961
  • The Detectives (1959)
    The Detectives
    7.5
    TV Series
    • Director
    • 1961
  • Jack Lord, Nobu McCarthy, James Shigeta, and Mel Tormé in Walk Like a Dragon (1960)
    Walk Like a Dragon
    6.6
    • Director
    • 1960
  • Five Gates to Hell (1959)
    Five Gates to Hell
    5.7
    • Director
    • 1959

Producer



  • Noble House (1988)
    Noble House
    7.6
    TV Mini Series
    • executive producer
    • 1988
  • The Children's Story (1982)
    The Children's Story
    7.9
    TV Movie
    • producer
    • 1982
  • Richard Chamberlain and Yôko Shimada in Shogun (1980)
    Shogun
    8.1
    TV Mini Series
    • executive producer
    • 1980
  • Shogun (1980)
    Shogun
    7.8
    TV Movie
    • executive producer
    • 1980
  • Michael Caine, Omar Sharif, and Florinda Bolkan in The Last Valley (1971)
    The Last Valley
    7.0
    • producer
    • 1971
  • Stanley Baker, Fiona Lewis, and Tommy Steele in Where's Jack? (1969)
    Where's Jack?
    6.4
    • producer
    • 1969
  • Paul Richards and Yôko Tani in Savage Justice (1967)
    Savage Justice
    7.0
    • producer
    • 1967
  • Sidney Poitier in To Sir, with Love (1967)
    To Sir, with Love
    7.6
    • producer
    • 1967
  • Richard Attenborough, Steve McQueen, and James Garner in The Great Escape (1963)
    The Great Escape
    8.2
    • producer (uncredited)
    • 1963
  • Jack Lord, Nobu McCarthy, James Shigeta, and Mel Tormé in Walk Like a Dragon (1960)
    Walk Like a Dragon
    6.6
    • producer
    • 1960
  • Five Gates to Hell (1959)
    Five Gates to Hell
    5.7
    • producer
    • 1959

Personal details

  • Born
    • October 10, 1921
    • Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  • Died
    • September 7, 1994
    • Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland(cancer)
  • Spouse
    • April StrideFebruary 26, 1949 - September 7, 1994 (his death, 2 children)
  • Children
      Michaela Clavell
  • Parents
      Richard Clavell
  • Other works
    Best known for his "Asian Saga" novels: King Rat, Tai-Pan, Shogun, Noble House, Whirlwind and Gai-Jin. Also wrote The Children's Story.

Did you know

  • Trivia
    During the Second World War, he joined the Royal Artillery. Aged eighteen, he was captured by the Japanese on the island of Java in 1942, and subsequently imprisoned in the notorious Changi jail. Changi became the setting of his first novel, "King Rat".
  • Quotes
    I'm not a novelist, but a storyteller. I'm not a literary figure at all.

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