John and Roy Boulting were English film-makers, who became known for their popular series of satirical comedies in the 1950s and 1960s.

Biography

The twin brothers were born in Bray, Berkshire, England on November 21, 1913 to Arthur Boulting and Rose Bennet. They worked together as producer and director whenever they could, and often alternated these duties depending on the nature of the film they were working on, although they also made films separately. The two worked as screenwriters on their own films.

They began with serious, tight, economical drama films such as Seven Days to Noon (1950) and Graham Greene's Brighton Rock (1947) (both with producer: Roy, director: John). They then became known for a series of satirical comedy films which are considered British classics today, such as Private's Progress (1956), Lucky Jim (1957) and I'm All Right Jack (1959), all with the same credits as above, and usually with John as co-writer. The comedies often starred Ian Carmichael as the lead, along with Richard Attenborough and Terry-Thomas; and often Dennis Price, John Le Mesurier, Irene Handl and Miles Malleson.

I'm All Right Jack also starred Peter Sellers and boosted his film career, winning him a BAFTA Best Actor Award. He also appeared in other Boulting brothers films later. The Family Way (1966) was a slightly controversial film about a young married couple and their down-to-earth family.

Roy Boulting did some work in British TV in the eighties including directing one of the popular BBC Miss Marple mysteries. He married Hayley Mills, whom he met on the set of The Family Way, in 1971, and they had a son, Crispian Mills. They divorced in 1977.

John died on June 17, 1985, in Sunningdale, Berkshire and Roy on November 5, 2001.

Their elder brother Sydney Boulting, became an actor and stage producer as Peter Cotes.

Filmography

John

• Journey Together (1945)
• Brighton Rock (1947)
• Seven Days to Noon (1950)
• The Magic Box (1951)
• Private's Progress (1956)
• Lucky Jim (1957)
• Heavens Above! (1963)
• Rotten to the Core (1965)
• The Number (1979)

Roy

• Inquest (1940)
• Thunder Rock (1942)
• Tunisian Victory (1944, documentary co-directed with Frank Capra)
• Fame is the Spur (1947)
• The Guinea Pig (1948)
• Singlehanded (1951)
• High Treason (1951)
• Seagulls Over Sorrento (1954)
• Josephine and Men (1955)
• Run for the Sun (1956)
• Happy is the Bride (1957)
• Brothers in Law (1957)
• I'm All Right Jack (1959)
• Carlton-Browne of the F.O. (1959)
• Suspect (1960)
• A French Mistress (1960)
• The Family Way (1966)
• Twisted Nerve (1968)
• There's a Girl in My Soup (1970)
• Soft Beds, Hard Battles (1973)

References

• Burton Alan, O'Sullivan Tim, Wells Paul; Eds. 2000. The Family Way: The Boulting Brothers and British Film Culture. Trowbridge: Flicks Books. ISBN 0-948911-59-X