Muriel Box
Encyclopedia
Muriel Box was a prolific English
screenwriter
and director
in what at the time was basically a male industry, and is generally considered to be one of the most successful females in the history of British film.
She was born Violette Muriel Baker in Tolworth
, Surrey
, England
in 1905. When her attempts at acting and dancing proved to be unsuccessful, she accepted work as a continuity girl for British International Pictures. In 1935, she met and married journalist
Sydney Box
, with whom she collaborated on nearly forty plays with mainly female roles for amateur theatre groups. Their production company, Verity Films, first released short propaganda films (including The English Inn in 1941
, her first directing effort) during World War II
, after which it branched into fiction.
The couple achieved their greatest joint success when they won the 1946
Academy Award
for Best Writing, Original Screenplay for The Seventh Veil
.
After the war, the Rank Organisation
hired her husband to head Gainsborough Pictures
, where she was in charge of the scenario department, writing scripts for a number of light comedies, including two for child star Petula Clark
, Easy Money
and Here Come the Huggetts
, both in 1948
. She occasionally assisted as a dialogue director, or re-shot scenes during post-production. Her extensive work on The Lost People
(1949
) earned her a credit as co-director, her first for a full-length feature.
In 1951, her husband created London Independent Producers, allowing Box more opportunities to direct. Many of her early films were adaptations of plays, and as such had a stage-bound feel, since she rarely shot on location. They were noteworthy more for their strong performances than they were for a distinctive directorial style. She favored scripts with topical and frequently controversial themes, including Irish
politics, teenage sex, abortion
, illegitimacy, and syphilis
, and several of her films were banned by local authorities.
She pursued her favorite subject - the female experience - in a number of films, including Street Corner
(1953
) about women police officers, Somerset Maugham's The Beachcomber (1954
), with Glynis Johns
as a resourceful missionary, and a series of comedies about the battle of the sexes, including The Passionate Stranger
(1957
), The Truth About Women
(1958
) and her final film, Rattle of a Simple Man
(1964
).
Box often experienced prejudice in a man-dominated industry, especially hurtful when perpetrated by another female. In 1950
, Jean Simmons
had her replaced on So Long at the Fair
, and Kay Kendall
unsuccessfully attempted to do the same with Simon and Laura
in 1955
. Many producers questioned her competence to direct large-scale feature films, and while the press was quick to note her position as one of very few women directors in the British film industry, their tone tended to be condescending rather than filled with praise.
She left film-making to write novels and created a successful publishing house, Femina, which proved to be a rewarding outlet for her feminism
. She divorced Sydney Box
in 1969. The following year, she married Gerald Gardiner, who had been Lord Chancellor
. She died in Hendon
, London
in 1991.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
in what at the time was basically a male industry, and is generally considered to be one of the most successful females in the history of British film.
She was born Violette Muriel Baker in Tolworth
Tolworth
Tolworth is a mostly residential area of outer South London in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, located south west of Charing Cross. Neighbouring places include: New Malden, Kingston, Surbiton, Berrylands, Chessington, Ewell and Worcester Park....
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1905. When her attempts at acting and dancing proved to be unsuccessful, she accepted work as a continuity girl for British International Pictures. In 1935, she met and married journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
Sydney Box
Sydney Box
Sydney Box was a British film producer and screenwriter, brother of another prominent British filmmaker, Betty Box. He produced the postwar screenplay, The Seventh Veil, which earned him the 1946 Oscar for best original screenplay with his then wife Muriel Box after which the couple were hired by...
, with whom she collaborated on nearly forty plays with mainly female roles for amateur theatre groups. Their production company, Verity Films, first released short propaganda films (including The English Inn in 1941
1941 in film
The year 1941 in film involved some significant events.-Events:Citizen Kane, consistently rated as one of the greatest films of all time, was released in 1941.-Top grossing films :-Academy Awards:...
, her first directing effort) during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, after which it branched into fiction.
The couple achieved their greatest joint success when they won the 1946
1946 in film
The year 1946 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*November 21 - William Wyler's The Best Years of Our Lives premieres in New York featuring an ensemble cast including Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, and Harold Russell.*December 20 - Frank Capra's It's a...
Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
for Best Writing, Original Screenplay for The Seventh Veil
The Seventh Veil
The Seventh Veil is a 1945 British melodrama film made by Ortus Films, a company established by producer Sydney Box, who here released through General Film Distributors in the UK and Universal Pictures in the United States.-Plot:...
.
After the war, the Rank Organisation
Rank Organisation
The Rank Organisation was a British entertainment company formed during 1937 and absorbed in 1996 by The Rank Group Plc. It was the largest and most vertically-integrated film company in Britain, owning production, distribution and exhibition facilities....
hired her husband to head Gainsborough Pictures
Gainsborough Pictures
Gainsborough Pictures was a British film studio based on the south bank of the Regent's Canal, in Poole Street, Hoxton in the former Metropolitan Borough of Shoreditch, London. Gainsborough Studios were active between 1924 and 1951. Built as a power station for the Great Northern & City Railway it...
, where she was in charge of the scenario department, writing scripts for a number of light comedies, including two for child star Petula Clark
Petula Clark
Petula Clark, CBE is an English singer, actress, and composer whose career has spanned seven decades.Clark's professional career began as an entertainer on BBC Radio during World War II...
, Easy Money
Easy Money (1948 film)
Easy Money, a satirical 1948 British film about one of the most beloved traditions of the English middle class, the football pool, is composed of four tales about the effect a major win has on four different groups in the postwar period...
and Here Come the Huggetts
Here Come the Huggetts
Here Come the Huggetts is a 1948 British film, the first of the Huggetts Trilogy about a working class English family. All three films were directed by Ken Annakin and released by Gainsborough Pictures....
, both in 1948
1948 in film
The year 1948 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Laurence Olivier's Hamlet becomes the first British film to win the American Academy Award for Best Picture.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :...
. She occasionally assisted as a dialogue director, or re-shot scenes during post-production. Her extensive work on The Lost People
The Lost People
The Lost People is a 1949 British drama film directed by Muriel Box and Bernard Knowles and starring Dennis Price, Mai Zetterling and Richard Attenborough. After the Second World War, some British soldiers are guarding a theatre in Germany containing various refugees and prisoners trying to work...
(1949
1949 in film
The year 1949 in film involved some significant events.-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:*Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff, starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello...
) earned her a credit as co-director, her first for a full-length feature.
In 1951, her husband created London Independent Producers, allowing Box more opportunities to direct. Many of her early films were adaptations of plays, and as such had a stage-bound feel, since she rarely shot on location. They were noteworthy more for their strong performances than they were for a distinctive directorial style. She favored scripts with topical and frequently controversial themes, including Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
politics, teenage sex, abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, illegitimacy, and syphilis
Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...
, and several of her films were banned by local authorities.
She pursued her favorite subject - the female experience - in a number of films, including Street Corner
Street Corner (1953 film)
Street Corner is a 1953 British drama film. It was written by Muriel and Sydney Box and directed by Muriel. It was marketed as Both Sides of the Law in the United States. While not quite a documentary, the film depicts the daily routine of women in the police force from three different angles...
(1953
1953 in film
The year 1953 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*September 16 — The Robe debuts as the first anamorphic, widescreen CinemaScope film.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:A...
) about women police officers, Somerset Maugham's The Beachcomber (1954
1954 in film
The year 1954 in film involved some significant events and memorable ones.-Events:*May 12 - The Marx Brothers' Zeppo Marx divorces wife Marion Benda...
), with Glynis Johns
Glynis Johns
Glynis Johns is a South African-born Welsh stage and film actress, dancer, pianist and singer . With a career spanning seven decades, Johns is often cited as the "complete actress", who happens to be a trained pianist and singer...
as a resourceful missionary, and a series of comedies about the battle of the sexes, including The Passionate Stranger
The Passionate Stranger
The Passionate Stranger is a 1957 British drama film, directed by Muriel Box and starring Margaret Leighton and Ralph Richardson. It uses the film within a film device, with the "real" part of the plot shot in black-and-white and the "fictional" element in colour...
(1957
1957 in film
The year 1957 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* October 21 - The movie Jailhouse Rock, starring Elvis Presley, opens.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue-Awards:...
), The Truth About Women
The Truth About Women
The Truth About Women is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Muriel Box and starring Laurence Harvey, Julie Harris, Mai Zetterling and Diane Cilento...
(1958
1958 in film
The year 1958 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 16- "In the Money" by William Beaudine is released on this date. It would be the last installment of The Bowery Boys series which began back in 1946....
) and her final film, Rattle of a Simple Man
Rattle of a Simple Man
Rattle of a Simple Man is a 1964 British comedy film directed by Muriel Box and starring Diane Cilento, Harry H. Corbett and Michael Medwin. After travelling down from Manchester to watch the FA Cup final, a naive young man becomes involved with a prostitute.-Selected cast:* Diane Cilento as...
(1964
1964 in film
The year 1964 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 29 - The film Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is released....
).
Box often experienced prejudice in a man-dominated industry, especially hurtful when perpetrated by another female. In 1950
1950 in film
The year 1950 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 15 - Walt Disney Studios' animated film Cinderella debuts.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:*Ambush...
, Jean Simmons
Jean Simmons
Jean Merilyn Simmons, OBE was an English actress. She appeared predominantly in motion pictures, beginning with films made in Great Britain during and after World War II – she was one of J...
had her replaced on So Long at the Fair
So Long at the Fair
So Long at the Fair is a 1950 British thriller film directed by Terence Fisher and Anthony Darnborough, and starring Jean Simmons and Dirk Bogarde. It was adapted from the 1947 novel of the same name by Anthony Thorne...
, and Kay Kendall
Kay Kendall
Kay Kendall was an English actress.Kendall began her film career in the 1946 musical London Town. Though the film was a financial failure, Kendall continued to work regularly until her appearance in the comedy Genevieve brought her widespread recognition...
unsuccessfully attempted to do the same with Simon and Laura
Simon and Laura
Simon and Laura is a 1955 British drama film directed by Muriel Box and starring Peter Finch, Kay Kendall and Muriel Pavlow. A married couple are hired for a television programme to portray domestic happiness, although in real life their marriage is breaking down.-Cast:* Peter Finch - Simon Foster*...
in 1955
1955 in film
The year 1955 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* November 3 - The musical Guys and Dolls, starring Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra, debuts.* June 27 - The last ever Republic serial, King of the Carnival, is released....
. Many producers questioned her competence to direct large-scale feature films, and while the press was quick to note her position as one of very few women directors in the British film industry, their tone tended to be condescending rather than filled with praise.
She left film-making to write novels and created a successful publishing house, Femina, which proved to be a rewarding outlet for her feminism
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
. She divorced Sydney Box
Sydney Box
Sydney Box was a British film producer and screenwriter, brother of another prominent British filmmaker, Betty Box. He produced the postwar screenplay, The Seventh Veil, which earned him the 1946 Oscar for best original screenplay with his then wife Muriel Box after which the couple were hired by...
in 1969. The following year, she married Gerald Gardiner, who had been Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
. She died in Hendon
Hendon
Hendon is a London suburb situated northwest of Charing Cross.-History:Hendon was historically a civil parish in the county of Middlesex. The manor is described in Domesday , but the name, 'Hendun' meaning 'at the highest hill', is earlier...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1991.
Screenwriting credits
- Too Young to LoveToo Young to Love (film)Too Young to Love is a 1960 British drama film directed by Muriel Box and starring Pauline Hahn, Joan Miller and Austin Willis. It was based on the play Pickup Girl by Elsa Shelley.-Cast:* Pauline Hahn - Elizabeth Collins* Joan Miller - Mrs Collins...
(1960) - The Truth About WomenThe Truth About WomenThe Truth About Women is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Muriel Box and starring Laurence Harvey, Julie Harris, Mai Zetterling and Diane Cilento...
(1957) - The Passionate StrangerThe Passionate StrangerThe Passionate Stranger is a 1957 British drama film, directed by Muriel Box and starring Margaret Leighton and Ralph Richardson. It uses the film within a film device, with the "real" part of the plot shot in black-and-white and the "fictional" element in colour...
(1957) - Street CornerStreet Corner (1953 film)Street Corner is a 1953 British drama film. It was written by Muriel and Sydney Box and directed by Muriel. It was marketed as Both Sides of the Law in the United States. While not quite a documentary, the film depicts the daily routine of women in the police force from three different angles...
(1953) - The Happy FamilyThe Happy Family (1952 film)The Happy Family is a 1952 British comedy film directed by Muriel Box and starring Stanley Holloway, Kathleen Harrison and Naunton Wayne. The plot of the film centres on resistance by a family to the disruption caused by the construction of the Festival of Britain. It is also known by the...
(1952) - Christopher Columbus (1949)
- Here Come the HuggettsHere Come the HuggettsHere Come the Huggetts is a 1948 British film, the first of the Huggetts Trilogy about a working class English family. All three films were directed by Ken Annakin and released by Gainsborough Pictures....
(1948) - The Blind GoddessThe Blind Goddess (1948 film)The Blind Goddess is a 1948 British drama film directed by Harold French and starring Eric Portman, Anne Crawford and Hugh Williams. A secretary sets out to his expose his boss, Lord Brasted, for embezzlement...
(1948) - DaybreakDaybreak (1948 film)Daybreak is a 1948 British film noir drama film, directed by Compton Bennett and starring Eric Portman, Ann Todd and Maxwell Reed. A sombre, bleak film, Daybreak was filmed in 1946, but ran into trouble with the BBFC, resulting in a delay of almost two years before its release...
(1948) - Good-Time GirlGood-Time GirlGood-Time Girl is a 1948 British drama film directed by David MacDonald. The film was based on Arthur La Bern's novel "Night Darkens the Street."-Plot:...
(1948) - Easy MoneyEasy Money (1948 film)Easy Money, a satirical 1948 British film about one of the most beloved traditions of the English middle class, the football pool, is composed of four tales about the effect a major win has on four different groups in the postwar period...
(1948) - Portrait from LifePortrait from LifePortrait from Life is a 1948 British drama film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Mai Zetterling and Robert Beatty.-Cast:* Mai Zetterling as Lidia* Robert Beatty as Campbell Reid* Guy Rolfe as Major Lawrence* Herbert Lom as Fritz Kottler Hendlemann...
(1948) - When the Bough BreaksWhen the Bough Breaks (1947 film)When the Bough Breaks is a 1947 film by Gainsborough Pictures, J. Arthur Rank and Sydney Box Productions. It is an adaptation of an original story-line by Herbert Victor on adoption and the competing ties of one child's birth and foster family.-Cast:...
(1947) - Holiday CampHoliday CampHoliday Camp is a 1947 British comedy drama film directed by Ken Annakin, starring Jack Warner, Jimmy Hanley, Kathleen Harrison and Dennis Price.-Synopsis:...
(1947) - Dear MurdererDear MurdererDear Murderer is a 1947 British thriller, directed by Arthur Crabtree for Gainsborough Pictures, and starring Eric Portman and Greta Gynt. The film was well-received for its tautness and ingenuity, with one reviewer noting: "Dear Murderer is a shrewd, semi-psychological thriller with Eric Portman,...
(1947) - The BrothersThe Brothers (1947 film)The Brothers is a British film melodrama of 1947, starring Patricia Roc and John Laurie, from a novel of the same name by L.A.G. Strong. It is set in the Western Isles of Scotland, and the long and murderous grudge between two clans there, the Macraes and McFarishes...
(1947) - The Man WithinThe Man Within (film)The Man Within is a 1947 British, Technicolor, adventure, crime, drama film, directed by Bernard Knowles and starring Ronald Shiner as Cockney Harry, Michael Redgrave, Jean Kent, Joan Greenwood and Richard Attenborough. It was produced by Triton Films and Production Film Service. The film was also...
(1947) - A Girl in a Million (1946)
- The Years BetweenThe Years Between (film)The Years Between is a 1946 British film starring Michael Redgrave, Valerie Hobson and Flora Robson in an adaptation of The Years Between by Daphne du Maurier...
(1946) - The Seventh VeilThe Seventh VeilThe Seventh Veil is a 1945 British melodrama film made by Ortus Films, a company established by producer Sydney Box, who here released through General Film Distributors in the UK and Universal Pictures in the United States.-Plot:...
(1945) - 29 Acacia Avenue29 Acacia Avenue29 Acacia Avenue is a play by Denis and Mabel Constanduros, and its 1945 film adaptation, directed by Henry Cass and released in the U.S. as The Facts of Love.-Plot:...
(1945) - Alibi Inn (1935)
Directing Credits
- Rattle of a Simple ManRattle of a Simple ManRattle of a Simple Man is a 1964 British comedy film directed by Muriel Box and starring Diane Cilento, Harry H. Corbett and Michael Medwin. After travelling down from Manchester to watch the FA Cup final, a naive young man becomes involved with a prostitute.-Selected cast:* Diane Cilento as...
(1964) - The Piper's Tune (1962)
- Too Young to LoveToo Young to Love (film)Too Young to Love is a 1960 British drama film directed by Muriel Box and starring Pauline Hahn, Joan Miller and Austin Willis. It was based on the play Pickup Girl by Elsa Shelley.-Cast:* Pauline Hahn - Elizabeth Collins* Joan Miller - Mrs Collins...
(1960) - Subway in the SkySubway in the SkySubway in the Sky is a 1959 British crime film directed by Muriel Box and starring Van Johnson, Hildegard Knef and Albert Lieven. An American soldier in West Berlin deserts and goes on the run when he is faced with a false murder charge eventually taking shelter with a cabaret singer.-Cast:* Van...
(1959) - This Other EdenThis Other Eden (film)This Other Eden is a 1959 Irish comedy drama film directed by Muriel Box and starring Audrey Dalton, Leslie Phillips and Niall MacGinnis.-Synopsis:...
(1959) - The Truth About WomenThe Truth About WomenThe Truth About Women is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Muriel Box and starring Laurence Harvey, Julie Harris, Mai Zetterling and Diane Cilento...
(1957) - The Passionate StrangerThe Passionate StrangerThe Passionate Stranger is a 1957 British drama film, directed by Muriel Box and starring Margaret Leighton and Ralph Richardson. It uses the film within a film device, with the "real" part of the plot shot in black-and-white and the "fictional" element in colour...
(1957) - EyewitnessEyewitness (1956 film)Eyewitness is a 1956 British thriller film directed by Muriel Box and starring Donald Sinden, Muriel Pavlow, Belinda Lee, Michael Craig, Nigel Stock and Richard Wattis. It was made by the Rank Organisation.-Plot:...
(1956) - Simon and LauraSimon and LauraSimon and Laura is a 1955 British drama film directed by Muriel Box and starring Peter Finch, Kay Kendall and Muriel Pavlow. A married couple are hired for a television programme to portray domestic happiness, although in real life their marriage is breaking down.-Cast:* Peter Finch - Simon Foster*...
(1955) - To Dorothy a SonTo Dorothy a SonTo Dorothy a Son is a 1954 British comedy film directed by Muriel Box and starring Shelley Winters, John Gregson and Peggy Cummins. It is also known as Cash on Delivery. It is based on a play by Roger MacDougall...
(1954) - The BeachcomberThe Beachcomber (film)The Beachcomber is a 1954 British comedy-drama film directed by Muriel Box starring Donald Sinden, Glynis Johns, Robert Newton, Paul Rogers, Donald Pleasence and Michael Hordern. The film is based on the story The Vessel of Wrath by W. Somerset Maugham and was adapted by Sydney Box. It was the...
(1954) - A Prince for Cynthia (1953)
- Street CornerStreet Corner (1953 film)Street Corner is a 1953 British drama film. It was written by Muriel and Sydney Box and directed by Muriel. It was marketed as Both Sides of the Law in the United States. While not quite a documentary, the film depicts the daily routine of women in the police force from three different angles...
(1953) - The Happy FamilyThe Happy Family (1952 film)The Happy Family is a 1952 British comedy film directed by Muriel Box and starring Stanley Holloway, Kathleen Harrison and Naunton Wayne. The plot of the film centres on resistance by a family to the disruption caused by the construction of the Festival of Britain. It is also known by the...
(1952) - The Lost PeopleThe Lost PeopleThe Lost People is a 1949 British drama film directed by Muriel Box and Bernard Knowles and starring Dennis Price, Mai Zetterling and Richard Attenborough. After the Second World War, some British soldiers are guarding a theatre in Germany containing various refugees and prisoners trying to work...
(1949)