From Beverley to Beverly Hills - An Annakin Story
Photo by Lloyd Dirks on Unsplash
From the streets of Beverley, to the roads of Beverly Hills, Ken Annakin blazed a trail. He was and is regarded as being one of the great Hollywood directors, responsible for classics such as, "Swiss Family Robinson", "Across the Bridge", "Battle of the Bulge", and "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines".
What isn’t as well known, is the fact that Annakin hailed from a small town in the East Riding of Yorkshire called Beverley, itself near Kingston-upon-Hull. To have such a highly acclaimed and noteworthy filmmaker as Ken Annakin hail from the region, is in my mind an incredible achievement and brings forth a tremendous sense of pride.
Annakin himself lived in Los Angeles, California in the later years of his life, but he wrote a beautifully written biography entitled "So You Wanna Be a Director?" which was my first exposure to the man.
In it, he details his life right from his early years in Beverley, to his current state of affairs in still trying to bring projects to fruition, despite his advancing years. It is a testament to the man that he never stopped working, even into his nineties, and his vigour and love for not only life but his career shines through in the book.
Annakin came from a relatively normal working class family in Beverley and didn’t seem to lead a particularly eventful life. It wasn’t until his twenties that he began his first forays into the wider world, going on an extensive travel tour of New Zealand, Australia, and then North America.
There he went through some particularly hair-raising events, such as picking up a suspicious looking Hitchhiker, who later revealed he was on the verge of killing Annakin and taking his car.
Surviving the trip, he returned to the UK and eventually broke into the documentary business, producing documentaries covering events in World War II, and seeing many of the atrocities of that War up close and personal. Following these experiences, he was able to rise up the ranks and began directing feature length films in the late Forties, before expanding his experience into American films in the Fifties.
Eventually, he established a fruitful working relationship with one Walt Disney, who hired him to direct several feature films under the Disney banner, the most notable of which being "Swiss Family Robinson", which is a film I have a particular fondness for as a childhood favourite.
Annakin’s association with Disney was not to last however, and as detailed in his biography, the mere act of witnessing Disney’s wife nearby stumble and fall down the steps of Annakin’s house in London, following a dinner party they held, was enough to put an end to their friendship and professional relationship.
They never worked together again.
Despite this, Annakin continued working and went onto to direct more than 30 feature films, including a segment of the famous World War II film, "The Longest Day", working with the notorious super-producer Darryl F.Zanuck.
It was during the making of this film, that Annakin suggested the idea to Zanuck of using the images of the U.S Cemetery crosses as the opening and closing credits of the film, and although this request was denied, Annakin notes how Steven Spielberg used a similar idea for Saving Private Ryan.
Annakin’s career seemed to wane in the Seventies and Eighties, with the musical film, "The Pirates Movie", released in 1982, regarded by many as something of a miss-fire. He did however keep working and up until the day he passed away, he was still actively working on a biographical film of Genghis Khan, footage for which has apparently already been shot.
Whether this film will ever see the light of day is questionable, but one thing remains for certain: Annakin’s legacy will continue to be seen, enthralling generations of movie-goers as they sit down in the dark, ready to be entertained by the light from many of Annakin’s fine works.