Born in London, England. Trained as an actor at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he appeared in several stage plays and in the picture CAESAR AND CLEOPATRA (1946). A film editor from the early 1950s, he worked on many distinguished British productions before turning director in the late 1960s. As a director, he impressed with his second film, the historical drama THE LION IN WINTER (1968) but disappointed with his fourth, THE ABDICATION (1974), another historical epic, which lacked the former film's power and pace. Notable credits include: (As editor) PRIVATE'S PROGRESS and ON SUCH A NIGHT (both 1956), BROTHERS IN LAW (1957), HAPPY IS THE BRIDE and TREAD SOFTLY STRANTER (both 1958), CARLTON-BROWNE OF THE F.O. and I'M ALL RIGHT JACK (both 1959), THE MILLIONAIRESS and THE ANGRY SILENCE (both 1960), LOLITA and THE L-SHAPED ROOM (both 1962), DR. STRANGELOVE... (1964), THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD (1965), THE WHISPERERS and THE DUTCHMAN (also director) (both 1966); (as director) DUTCHMAN (1967), THE LION IN WINTER (1968), THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS (1971), "The Glass Menagerie" (1973, ABC-TV, with Katharine Hepburn, Sam Waterston, Joanna Miles and Michael Moriarty), EAGLE'S WING (1979), PLAYERS (1979), RICHARD'S THINGS (1980), "The Patricia Neal Story" (1981, TV, starring Glenda Jackson in the title role and Dirk Bogarde as Roald Dahl), GRACE QUIGLEY (1984, with Katharine Hepburn and Nick Nolte) and his last project, the made-for-TV movie "This Can't Be Love" (1994), with Miss Hepburn and Anthony Quinn.  Nominated for Directing 1968: THE LION IN WINTER 1 nomination