Editing Lewis Gilbert (section)

==Directorial career==
After the war, he continued to write and direct documentary shorts for [[Gaumont British]], before entering low budget feature film production.<ref name="BFI_biography"/> Gilbert made his name as a director in the 1950s and 1960s with a series of successful films, often working as the film's writer and producer as well. These films were often based on true stories from the Second World War. Examples include ''[[Reach for the Sky]]'' (1956) (based on the life of air ace [[Douglas Bader]]), ''[[Carve Her Name with Pride]]'' (1958) (the story of [[Special Operations Executive|SOE]] agent [[Violette Szabo]]) and ''[[Sink the Bismarck!]]'' (1960).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B07E5D7173DE333A25751C1A9649C946191D6CF|title=Movie Review – Of Men and Ships |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |author=A.H. Weiler |author-link=A.H. Weiler |date=12 February 1960}}</ref>

===''Alfie''===
Gilbert directed ''[[Alfie (1966 film)|Alfie]]'' (1966)<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9507EEDE1F31E43BBC4D51DFBE66838D679EDE | author=Bosley Crowther | author-link=Bosley Crowther | date = 25 August 1966 | title=Screen: 'Alfie,' Story of a Cockney Anti-Hero, Begins Run Here:Movie More Effective Than Stage Play Other Features Open 'Batman' Has Debut}}</ref> starring [[Michael Caine]]. Gilbert's wife Hylda discovered the play by [[Bill Naughton]] when she visited the hair salon and sat next to an actress who was in a production. Upon seeing the play, Hylda urged Gilbert to make it into a film. Gilbert used the technique of having the lead character speak directly to the viewer, a technique he later also used in ''[[Shirley Valentine (film)|Shirley Valentine]]'' (1989). Gilbert said ''Alfie'' was only made because the low budget was "the sort of money Paramount executives normally spend on cigar bills".<ref>''Halliwell's Film & Video Guide 2000'', 1999, London: HarperCollins, p15</ref> The film won the Jury Special Prize at the [[Cannes Film Festival]], and was nominated for five [[Academy Awards]] including Best Picture.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1967|title=The 39th Academy Awards – 1967|date=4 October 2014 }}</ref> Gilbert was also nominated for a [[Golden Globe]] for Best Director.

In 1967, Gilbert was chosen to direct [[Lionel Bart]]'s musical version of ''[[Oliver! (film)|Oliver!]]'', but he was already contracted to another project and had to pull out; he recommended [[Carol Reed]], who took over.<ref name="BFI_biography"/> "It was the lowest point in my life," said Gilbert. "I'd developed ''Oliver!'' with [[Lionel Bart]]. I had to do ''The Adventurers'' instead... While doing this film, I signed to do ''[[The Godfather]]''. Because of their financial problems, Paramount could only find $2m to make it. I said it needed $7m". So, instead, Gilbert made ''[[Friends (1971 film)|Friends]]'' (1971 movie).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2000/mar/10/culture.features2|title=Of human Bondage|date=9 March 2000|author=Nicholas Jones |newspaper=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref>

===James Bond===
Although known for character dramas, Gilbert directed three of the [[James Bond]] films. After some reluctance, he was persuaded by [[Harry Saltzman]] and [[Albert R. Broccoli]] to direct ''[[You Only Live Twice (film)|You Only Live Twice]]'' (1967).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C07E5DE173FE53BBC4C52DFB066838C679EDE|title=Movie Review – Screen: Sayonara, 007:Connery Is at It Again as Whatshisname | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | author=Bosley Crowther | author-link=Bosley Crowther | date= 14 June 1967}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19670619/REVIEWS/706190301/1023|title=You Only Live Twice Movie Review (1967) – Roger Ebert|first=Roger|last=Ebert}}</ref> He turned down the opportunity to direct ''[[On Her Majesty's Secret Service (film)|On Her Majesty's Secret Service]]''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Field|first=Matthew|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/930556527|title=Some kind of hero : 007 : the remarkable story of the James Bond films|date=2015|others=Ajay Chowdhury|isbn=978-0-7509-6421-0|location=Stroud, Gloucestershire|oclc=930556527}}</ref> Gilbert returned to the series in the 1970s to make ''[[The Spy Who Loved Me (film)|The Spy Who Loved Me]]'' (1977)<ref name=NYT/> and ''[[Moonraker (film)|Moonraker]]'' (1979).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E07E6DA143EE732A2575AC2A9609C946890D6CF |title=Movie Review – Screen: 'Moonraker' Puts Bond in Orbit:Old, Old Friends| newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | author=Vincent Canby | author-link=Vincent Canby | date=29 June 1979}}</ref> After the high production costs of ''Moonraker'' and the financial failure of [[Michael Cimino]]'s ''[[Heaven's Gate (film)|Heaven's Gate]]'', [[United Artists]] was unable to afford to hire him to direct the next Bond film ''[[For Your Eyes Only (film)|For Your Eyes Only]]''.<ref name=":0" />

===Later career===
In the 1980s, he returned to more small-scale dramas with film versions of [[Willy Russell]]'s plays ''[[Educating Rita (film)|Educating Rita]]'' (1983)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9F00E3D71138F932A1575AC0A965948260 |title=Movie Review – Film: 'Educating Rita,' school days | newspaper=[[The New York Times]]
| author=Janet Maslin
| author-link=Janet Maslin
| date=21 September 1983}}</ref> and ''[[Shirley Valentine]]'' (1989).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=950DE7D61F3AF933A0575BC0A96F948260|title=Movie Review – Review/Film; Shirley Valentine Talks With Others | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | author=Caryn James | author-link=Caryn James | date=30 August 1989}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19890915/REVIEWS/909150303/1023|title=Shirley Valentine Movie Review (1989) – Roger Ebert|first=Roger|last=Ebert}}</ref> Gilbert also directed the film ''[[Stepping Out (1991 film)|Stepping Out]]'' (1991).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9D0CE5DC113CF937A35753C1A967958260 |title=Movie Review – Review/Film; Turning Klutzes Into Tap Dancers | newspaper=[[The New York Times]]
| author=Stephen Holden
| author-link=Stephen Holden
| date=4 October 1991}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-10-03-ca-4608-story.html|title=Lewis Gilbert Taps Minnelli's Talents for 'Stepping Out' : Movies: On heels of 'Shirley Valentine,' the director wraps his third film that caters to women—on the set and in the audience.|first=David|last=Gritten|date=3 October 1991|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref>

Gilbert was appointed a [[Order of the British Empire|Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) in the [[1997 Birthday Honours]] for services to the film industry.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=54794 |date=13 June 1997 |page=8 |supp=y}}</ref> In 2001, Gilbert was made a [[British Film Institute Fellowship|Fellow of the British Film Institute]], the highest accolade in the British film industry.<ref name="BFI_biography"/>

In June 2010, he appeared on the [[BBC Radio 4]] programme ''[[Desert Island Discs]]''. In it, he said that his 1970 film ''[[The Adventurers (1970 film)|The Adventurers]]'' was a disaster, and that he should never have made it. On working with [[Orson Welles]] on ''[[Ferry to Hong Kong]]'', he said that it was: "dreadful, it was my nightmare film. It was a dreadful film, and everything was wrong with it; principally him [Welles]." He also said that his biggest mistake was failing to direct the film version of the musical ''[[Oliver! (film)|Oliver!]]''. Its composer [[Lionel Bart]] had assured Gilbert that nobody else would do the film, but Gilbert was contractually committed to Paramount to make a film (that he has since refused to name), which caused him to withdraw from the project.