David Rawnsley
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 Rawnsley
- Name
- David Rawnsley
- Born
- 1909
- Birthplace
- Sevenoaks, Kent, England
- Died
- 1977
- Place of death
- Capri, Italy
- Occupation
- Art director
- Nationality
- Italy
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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.
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Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q19872576 · wikipedia · David Rawnsley
In this article
Biography
Biography
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 Phyllis (May), leaving one son from this last marriage.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — David Rawnsley • Born — 1909 • Birthplace — Sevenoaks, Kent, England • Died — 1977 • Place of death — Capri, Italy • Occupation — Art director • Years Active — 1931 - 1949 (film) David Rawnsley (1909–1977) was a British art director.
Selected filmography
Selected filmography
• Out of the Blue (1931) • Fascination (1931) • Verdict of the Sea (1932) • Brother Alfred (1932) • The Maid of the Mountains (1932) • For the Love of Mike (1932) • Facing the Music (1933) • Letting in the Sunshine (1933) • Love at Second Sight (1934) • Over the Garden Wall (1934) • The Improper Duchess (1936) • A Star Fell from Heaven (1936) • A Royal Divorce (1938) • 49th Parallel (1941) • One of Our Aircraft Is Missing (1942) • In Which We Serve (1942) • They Flew Alone (1942) • The Way Ahead (1944) • They Were Sisters (1945) • The Rake's Progress (1945) • I See a Dark Stranger (1946) • Night Boat to Dublin (1946) • Under the Frozen Falls [1948) • Warning to Wantons (1949) • Floodtide (1949) • Stop Press Girl (1949)
Identity
Identity
David Rawnsley is recorded as art director and ceramicist.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1909
David Rawnsley born at Sevenoaks.
1977
David Rawnsley died at Capri.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Sevenoaks.
Birth place
Capri.
Death place
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “David Rawnsley”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q19872576: David Rawnsley
General reference · Wikidata
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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