Arthur B. Woods

Hailed as one of Britain's most promising pre-war film directors, Arthur Woods' career was cut tragically short by his death in World War II at the age of 39. He was the only British director to serve in combat and to be decorated for valor. The only son of an Anglo-Argentine shipping magnate, Woods was educated at Downside School and Christ's College, Cambridge. A talented artist and musician, he eventually dropped out of medical school to join the Festival Repertory Theatre, where he gained a reputation for scenic design. This in turn led to a job as an editor and art director at British Instructional Films. When the studio merged with British International Pictures, Woods took up screenwriting and direction. In 1933 he became the studio's youngest director and within a year was assigned several of BIP's biggest productions. Shortly afterward, Woods left Elstree for Warner Bros., and at its Teddington studio directed some of the finest quota films of the decade, including the classic thriller They Drive by Night (1938). A major international career seemed assured when MGM chose Woods to direct Haunted Honeymoon (1940). However, at the outbreak of World War II, Woods--a skilled pilot who flew his own movie stunts--volunteered for service in the Royal Air Force. He was killed in 1944 while serving as a night fighter pilot with 85 Squadron.