Charles Frend worked as an editor from 1931 on Alfred
Hitchcock efforts Secret
Agent (1936), Sabotage
(1936) and Young
and Innocent (1937). For several years, Frend was headquartered
at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's British facilities at Elstree,
where he edited MGM's A Yank at Oxford (1938), The
Citadel (1938) and Goodbye
Mr. Chips (1939). Frend graduated to director in 1942, helming a
series of above-average propaganda pictures and documentaries. After
the war, several prestigious assignments were sent Frend's way, including
Scott of the Antarctic
(1948) and The Cruel
Sea (1953).
While most of his films were large-scale and dramatic in nature, Frend
was also capable of turning out such modest comedies as A
Run For Your Money (1949) and Barnacle
Bill (1957). Charles Frend's last credit as principal director was
1967's The Sky Bike; he closed out his career as one of the second-unit
directors for David Lean's Ryan's
Daughter (1970).
