19 Facts About Alexander Mackendrick

Alexander Mackendrick was an American-born Scottish film director and screenwriter.

Alexander Mackendrick directed nine feature films between 1949 and 1967, before retiring from filmmaking to become an influential professor at the California Institute of the Arts.

In 1957, Mackendrick directed his first American film Sweet Smell of Success, which was a critical and commercial success.

Alexander Mackendrick was born on September 8,1912, the only child of Francis and Martha Mackendrick who had emigrated to the United States from Glasgow in 1911.

Alexander Mackendrick's father was a ship builder and a civil engineer.

When Mackendrick was six, his father died of influenza as a result of the influenza pandemic that swept the world just after World War I His mother, in desperate need of work, decided to become a dress designer.

Alexander Mackendrick attended Hillhead High School in Glasgow from 1919 to 1926 and then went on to spend three years at the Glasgow School of Art.

Alexander Mackendrick later reflected that his work in the advertising industry was invaluable, in spite of his extreme dislike of the industry itself.

At the start of the Second World War, Alexander Mackendrick was employed by the Ministry of Information making British propaganda films.

Alexander Mackendrick then shot newsreels, documentaries, made leaflets, and did radio news.

Alexander Mackendrick often spoke of his dislike of the film industry and decided to leave the United Kingdom for Hollywood in 1955.

Alexander Mackendrick got along poorly with the producers of the film because they felt that he was too much of a perfectionist.

Alexander Mackendrick made a handful of films throughout the Sixties including Sammy Going South for former Ealing producer Michael Balcon now with Bryanston Pictures, A High Wind in Jamaica, and Don't Make Waves.

Alexander Mackendrick was replaced on The Guns of Navarone for allegedly being too much of a perfectionist for spending more time than planned on scouting Mediterranean locations and insisting on elements of ancient Greek literature in the screenplay.

For several years, Alexander Mackendrick was set to direct a biopic of Mary, Queen of Scots, starring Mia Farrow and Oliver Reed.

Alexander Mackendrick was disillusioned by the experience and retired from directing shortly thereafter.

Alexander Mackendrick suffered from severe emphysema for many years and as a result, was unable to go home to Europe during much of his time at the college.

Alexander Mackendrick stayed with the school until he died of pneumonia in 1993, aged 81.

Alexander Mackendrick's remains are buried at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.