Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume One, 1890-1945". Pages 152-154. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1987.
Directed 2 actors to Oscar nominations: Alec Guinness (Best Actor, The Lavender Hill Mob (1951)), and Kevin Kline (Best Supporting Actor, A Fish Called Wanda (1988)). Kline won the Oscar for his turn.
Was the original director of Birdman of Alcatraz (1962), but was replaced after two weeks of shooting by John Frankenheimer.