David MacDonald
David MacDonald (9 May 1904 in Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire – 22 June 1983 in London) was a Scottish film director, writer and producer. MacDonald was the son of a wealthy landowner. His intention was to become a doctor but changed his mind and aged 17 went to Malaya to work on a rubber plantation for seven and a half years. When he had leave to return to Scotland, he travelled via Hollywood and became interested in filmmaking. He returned to Malaya and worked at a plantation in Kedah. According to one story, while in Malaya he met Douglas Fairbanks who encouraged MacDonald to try his luck in Hollywood. MacDonald broke into Hollywood by getting a job as technical adviser on a film Prestige. After that he was out of work for nine months. He eventually gained a job working for Cecil B. DeMille. MacDonald worked as DeMille's assistant on The Sign of the Cross (1932), Four Frightened People (1934), Cleopatra (also 1934) and The Crusades (1935). He worked on Lives of a Bengal Lancer (also 1935) with Henry Hathaway. He also worked for King Vidor and Raoul Walsh. He returned to England with Walsh when the latter came to direct O.H.M.S. (1937) and elected to stay.
Alias John Preston
(Director)
Devil Girl from Mars
(Director)
The Rocking Horse Winner
(Director of Photography)
The Big Frame
(Director)
The Brothers
(Director)
Good-Time Girl
(Director)
Diamond City
(Director)
Desert Victory
(Director)
It's Never Too Late to Mend
(Director)
Tread Softly
(Director)
Christopher Columbus
(Director)
Snowbound
(Director)
This Man in Paris
(Director)
Petticoat Pirates
(Director)
This England
(Director)
This Man Is News
(Director)
Cairo Road
(Director)
The Moonraker
(Director)
The Brothers
(Writer)
Operation Malaya
(Director)
Operation Malaya
(Writer)
Fortune in Diamonds
(Director)
Dead Men Tell No Tales
(Director)
Our Mother's House
(Assistant Camera)
Men of the Lightship
(Director)
One Just Man
(Director)
Man in Demand
(Director)
The Golden Rabbit
(Director)
Triple Blackmail
(Director)
Final Column
(Director)
Make It Three
(Director)
The Yellow Robe
(Director)
Death Croons the Blues
(Director)
Meet Mr. Penny
(Director)
Small Hotel
(Director)
The Bad Lord Byron
(Director)
Riding High
(Director)
Jack the Ripper
(Director)
Three Cornered Fate
(Director)
Big Brown Eyes
(Assistant Director)
Spies of the Air
(Director)
The Midas Touch
(Director)
A Spot of Bother
(Director)
Cleopatra
(Assistant Director)
The Last Curtain
(Director)
Desert Victory
(Producer)
A Lady Mislaid
(Director)
Law and Disorder
(Director)
Ivanhoe
(Director)
The Count of Monte Cristo
(Director)
Mark Saber
(Director)
Interpol Calling
(Director)
The Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel
(Director)
The Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel
(Producer)