Clive Donner (b. 21 January 1926, London) is a British film director who started his career in the mid 1950's after working as a film editor (most notably on the comedy Genevieve,made in 1953).His best regarded work is generally thought to be the satire on the British class system Nothing But the Best (1964), starring Alan Bates and Denholm Elliott.
Donner has also frequently worked on TV on various series and TV films,notably Rogue Male (1976),featuring Peter O'Toole and Alastair Sim,and such series as Sir Francis Drake and Danger Man.
Used his clout to talk English stage stars Vivian Pickles and 'Jan Waters' into acting in a slum pub-theatre production of Robert Patrick (III)'s play "Kennedy's Children" for five pounds a week.
Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume Two, 1945-1985". Pages 282-285. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1988.
Donated his papers to BFI Special Collections
"The Pink Panther" series has left in the history as one of the most popular comedy film series ever made. In 1980 "Romance of the Pink Panther" was written by Peter Sellers and Jim Moloney. At the time director Blake Edwards and Sellers didn't want work together, so Donner was brought in. Unfortunately Sellers, who starred in Donner's "What's New, Pussycat?" (1965), died before production started.
