Anthony Asquith
A refined director from Britain's political aristocracy, he mastered elegant literary adaptations and poignant wartime dramas.
1902–1968 (age 66)·English film director·Birthday: November 9·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Anthony Asquith, son of a British Prime Minister, traded the halls of power for the film studio, becoming a deft interpreter of middle-class manners and national character. Nicknamed 'Puffin,' he was a founding member of the film society movement that championed cinema as art. His early work showed a flair for visual storytelling, but he found his greatest success in collaboration, particularly with playwright Terence Rattigan. Together, they created defining post-war British films like 'The Winslow Boy' and 'The Browning Version,' capturing repressed emotion and moral nuance with a precise, compassionate eye. Asquith also had a gift for bringing classic plays to the screen with vitality, as seen in his celebrated pre-war 'Pygmalion' (co-directed with Leslie Howard) and his glittering 1952 version of 'The Importance of Being Earnest.' His wartime films, such as 'The Way to the Stars,' blended patriotism with a deep humanism, cementing his reputation as a craftsman of intelligence and subtlety.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Anthony was born in 1902, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Anthony Was Born
The biggest hits of 1902
Anthony's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1902Born
The eruption of Mount Pelee kills 30,000 in Martinique
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1907Started school
Financial panic grips Wall Street
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1915Became a teenager
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1918Could drive
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1920Could vote
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1923Turned 21
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1932Turned 30
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1942Turned 40
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1952Turned 50
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1962Turned 60
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1968Died at 66
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
Key Achievements
- Co-directed the acclaimed 1938 film adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's 'Pygmalion,' which won an Oscar for Best Screenplay.
- Directed the influential wartime drama 'The Way to the Stars' (1945), a poignant study of Anglo-American airmen.
- Forged a successful creative partnership with playwright Terence Rattigan, resulting in films like 'The Browning Version' (1951).
- Served as President of the Association of Cinematograph Television and Allied Technicians for many years.
Did You Know?
He was the son of H. H. Asquith, the British Prime Minister from 1908 to 1916.
His nickname 'Puffin' was given to him by his family as a child.
He was a close friend and champion of composer William Walton, who scored several of his films.
“The screen is a medium of expression in its own right, with its own methods and its own possibilities.”
