Sir David Lean
Sir David Lean, (1908-91). British film director and screenwriter. Having begun his career as a studio tea boy, Lean later became a respected film editor. During World War II he collaborated with Noel Coward on several films, including the classic romance Brief Encounter (1945). He then made his international reputation with the Dickens adaptation Great Expectations (1946). During the 1950s and 1960s Lean directed a series of spectacular big-budget epics that pleased critics and audiences alike; The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) was followed by Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and Doctor Zhivago (1965). By contrast Ryan’s Daughter (1970) was poorly received. After a break of 14 years, Lean returned to directing with A Passage to India (1984), a successful adaptation of the Forster novel.
