Born December 10, 1920, in Hull, England; died of a heart attack, November 9,1993, in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England. Producer and director for film and television. Thomas made a name for himself as the producer and director of the popular British film series "Carry On ...," which pokes bawdy fun at a variety of subjects, including historical figures and events. He embarkedon his cinematic career as an editor, working on such films as Hamlet, The Third Man, and Disney's The Sword and the Rose. He began directing films in the 1950s, with his first film, Circus Friends, followed by features such as Time Lock and The Duke Wore Jeans. In 1959 he directed a short feature titled Carry on Sergeant, which proved so successful with audiences that it spawned aseries of feature-length films that continued into the 1990s. With titles such as Carry on Cleo, Carry on Nurse Teacher, and Carry on Cowboy, the films presented lowbrow comedy with plenty of sexual humor and double entendres. While Thomas found success with other film projects, none matched the popularityof the "Carry On ..." series. His last film was Carry on Columbus in 1992. In addition to his film work, Thomas also produced and directed television material, including the series Rob Roy, Odd Man Out, and a succession of "CarryOn ..." specials. In 1990 he was honored with a lifetime achievement award for film comedy.
BOOKS
Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic: