Henry Cornelius(1913-1958)
- Director
- Editor
- Producer
Born in South Africa, Henry Cornelius traveled to Europe, where he
worked as an actor and director in stage productions in Germany, France
and England. In 1933, with the Nazi takeover of Germany, Cornelius left
Germany for France, and studied at the Sorbonne. He hooked up with
director René Clair and went to England with
Clair for
The Ghost Goes West (1935) as
an assistant editor. He worked his way up the ranks to editor and
returned to South Africa, writing documentaries and producing and
directing films there. After the end of World War II he went back to
England, working as an associate producer and writer. He made his
directorial debut with
Passport to Pimlico (1949), a
well-received comedy from Ealing about a neighborhood in London that,
after the war, discovers that it is really not a part of England, and
declares its independence. He was also responsible for the delightful
Genevieve (1953), a charming comedy
about an auto club's annual race between Brighton and London.
Cornelius only directed two more films before his death, at age 44, in London in 1958.
Cornelius only directed two more films before his death, at age 44, in London in 1958.
