Sad to report that esteemed British director Ronald Neame passed away last week. Though his impressive resume includes such well-received movies as Tunes of Glory, The Chalk Garden, The Prme of Miss Jean Brodie, and The Odessa Files, to me is the hero who directed my favorite movie of all-time, The Poseidon Adventure. Though the press gave most of the credit to the film's huge success to producer Irwin Allen, when interviewed the cast gave props to the soft-spoken, elegant Neame. So impressed with him, he was able to persuade his all-star cast to forego stunt doubles and do most of their stunts themselves for the sake of realism. Carol Lynley had an intense fear of heights, but Neame got her to climb Christmas trees and ladders, and trek across a catwalk over 100 feet in the air.Click the below link to read more about him:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/19/magazine/19neame.html