David Rawnsley (1909–1977) was a British art director.

David Rawnsley
Born1909
Sevenoaks, Kent, England
Died1977
Capri, Italy
OccupationArt director
Years active1931 - 1949 (film)

For his last four films, Rawnsley oversaw a scheme to streamline production operations for the Rank Organisation. His innovations were widely ridiculed by the Rank film crews. Despite this resistance, David Rawnsley developed independent frame storyboarding and back projection, both radical improvements to the filmmaking process which are still in use today.

David Willingham Rawnsley co-founded the Chelsea pottery with his third wife, born Elaine Doran, a model and talented ceramic artist, and with her he had five children. Rawnsley moved from England to Capri in the 60s, and there he became a well-known sculptor and artist. He died in 1977 while married to his fourth wife Patricia, leaving one son from this last marriage.

Selected filmography edit

References edit

Bibliography edit

  • Macnab, Geoffrey. J. Arthur Rank and the British Film Industry. Routledge, 1994.

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