Michael Relph

Who was Michael Relph?

Michael Relph was a British film producer, art director, writer and film director. He was the son of actor George Relph.

He began his film career in 1933 as an assistant art director under Alfred Junge at Gaumont British then headed by Michael Balcon. In 1942 Relph began work at Ealing as chief art director, where his designs included the influential supernatural anthology Dead of Night. He worked mainly on Basil Dearden's films, and in 1949 was nominated for an Academy Award for art direction for his work on the Stewart Granger vehicle Saraband for Dead Lovers.

Michael Relph also designed for the theatre, particularly the West End in the 1940s, from "The Doctor's Dilemma" and "A Month in the Country," to "Nap Hand" and "The Man Who Came to Dinner."

Later in his career, Relph worked as a producer. He served as associate producer on the Ealing comedy Kind Hearts and Coronets ; and had a significant 20-year partnership with Basil Dearden beginning in 1949 and ending with Dearden's death in 1971. From 1972 to 1979, he was chairman of the British Film Institute's Production Board.

His son, Simon Relph, is also a film producer and former chairman of BAFTA.