Anthony Kimmins

Who was Anthony Kimmins?

Anthony Kimmins was a director, playwright, screenwriter, producer and actor.

Kimmins was born in Harrow, Middlesex, England on 10 November 1901, the son of the social activists Charles William Kimmins and Grace Kimmins. He served in the Royal Navy, and upon leaving the navy he became an actor.

His first directorial assignment was Keep Fit. Kimmins wrote and directed many of George Formby’s best comedies. During World War II he returned to the Navy, running the Navy newspaper in Sydney during the Pacific war.

After the war he produced an eclectic mix of films, such as the psychological thriller Mine Own Executioner, Bonnie Prince Charlie and Mr. Denning Drives North.

In the 1950s Kimmin’s work included the Sir Alec Guinness comedy The Captain's Paradise and the children’s ‘’Smiley’’ series of films.

His final film harked back to his early days – it was The Amorous Prawn, a farce.