Director Roy Ward Baker Dies at 93

Director Roy Ward Baker, whose film career stretched for over half a century, has died at the age of 93.

The London-born Baker began working on British film crews in the '30s, serving as assistant director on films such as THE LADY VANISHES (1938) and NIGHT TRAIN TO MUNICH (1940).

Baker began directing his own films in 1945. His movies include the Tyrone Power time travel fantasy I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU (1951); this film, titled THE HOUSE IN THE SQUARE in England, deserves to be much better known. Baker also directed DON'T BOTHER TO KNOCK (1952) with Richard Widmark and Marilyn Monroe and A NIGHT TO REMEMBER (1958), based on Walter Lord's classic book on the Titanic.

Baker's TV work included directing episodes of THE AVENGERS and THE SAINT.

He also directed episodes of two very fine miniseries which were broadcast in the United States on MASTERPIECE THEATRE, DANGER: UXB (1979), starring Anthony Andrews, and THE FLAME TREES OF THIKA (1981), starring Hayley Mills. I watched them when they were first shown in the U.S., and I highly recommend both programs.