Mary Field

Mary Field

Directing
Born 1896-01-01 Died 1968-12-23 Wimbledon, London, England, UK 116 credits
Read biography
British director and screen writer, she is not to be confused with the American actress of the same name. Mary Field is best known for directing short educational and nature films. Field became the series director of Secrets of Nature in 1929. Previously a history teacher, she joined the film industry as an historical consultant in 1925, working for British Instructional Films. Although she had no training in science or filmmaking, Field quickly proved herself to be a first-class film director, developing a unique style that fused education and instruction. Field insisted that nature films were more than just a series of impressive images: they were the result of a painstaking process that involved scriptwriting, editing, filming, cutting and montage and synchronisation, as well as the collaboration of expert consultants. She continued to direct nature films under the new title Secrets of Life from 1934 when her production team, led by H. Bruce Woolfe, moved from British Instructional Films to Gaumont-British instructional. During the Second World War, she put her skills to work in producing public information films for the British government and was later commissioned to produce a series of educational films for the British Council. Field was a pioneer in understanding how children related to the cinema, and spearheaded attempts to adapt films to their taste. Her 1954 Carnegie report, Children and Films: A Study of Boys and Girls in the Cinema, investigated the reactions of children to a series of films by means of infra-red photography. Previous reports into children’s reactions to cinema had been based on questionnaires. Field had been interested in audience’s reactions long before this – as early as the late 1920s, she was adapting many of the Secrets of Nature films based on audience feedback.
Not enough member ratings yet.
Filmography — top 60 of 116
Directing 50 credits
Mixed Bathing
Mixed Bathing
1935 · Director
Nursery Island
Nursery Island
1936 · Director
Water Baby
Water Baby
1939 · Director
Strictly Business
Strictly Business
1931 · Director
London Visitors
London Visitors
1936 · Director
Climbers
Climbers
1942 · Director
Thistledown
Thistledown
1935 · Director, Editor
Ravenous Roger
Ravenous Roger
1935 · Director
Community Life
Community Life
1936 · Director
Market Town
Market Town
1942 · Director
Swan Song
Swan Song
1938 · Director
Old Blue
Old Blue
1939 · Director
The Irresponsibles
The Irresponsibles
1929 · Director
Roots
Roots
1934 · Director, Editor
Lupins
Lupins
1936 · Director, Editor
Fish Face
Fish Face
1936 · Director
Plant Magic
Plant Magic
1927 · Director
Overlooked
Overlooked
1942 · Director
Gathering Moss
Gathering Moss
1933 · Director
Bird Sanctuary
Bird Sanctuary
1936 · Director
Magic Myxies
Magic Myxies
1931 · Director
Friendly Flies
Friendly Flies
1931 · Director
Double Thread
Double Thread
1943 · Director
Hedgerows
Hedgerows
1935 · Director, Editor
Cabbage
Cabbage
1935 · Director
48, Paddington Street
48, Paddington Street
1940 · Director
Water Folk
Water Folk
1932 · Director
Perky Cockney
Perky Cockney
1938 · Director
Living Lies
Living Lies
1935 · Director
Atlantic
Atlantic
1941 · Director
Mrs. T. and Her Cabbage Patch
Mrs. T. and Her Cabbage Patch
1941 · Director
Baby on the Rocks
Baby on the Rocks
1935 · Director
Deferred Payment
Deferred Payment
1929 · Director
The Aphis
The Aphis
1930 · Director
Living in London
Living in London
1938 · Director
White Flies and Tomatoes
White Flies and Tomatoes
1935 · Director
The World in a Wine-Glass
The World in a Wine-Glass
1931 · Director
Winter
Winter
1923 · Director
A Queer Diet
A Queer Diet
1935 · Director, Editor
Over and Under
Over and Under
1938 · Director
Devon Dairy Farming
Devon Dairy Farming
1937 · Director
Kings in Exile
Kings in Exile
1938 · Director
U-Boat in the Pond
U-Boat in the Pond
1942 · Director
Home from the South
Home from the South
1935 · Director
We Are Seven
We Are Seven
1935 · Director, Editor
Three Wicked Sisters
Three Wicked Sisters
1938 · Director
The Catch of the Season
The Catch of the Season
1938 · Director
Home in the Heather
Home in the Heather
1938 · Director
The Rock Pool
The Rock Pool
1949 · Director
Hereford Pedigree Cattle
Hereford Pedigree Cattle
1937 · Director
Other credits 9 credits
Thistledown
Thistledown
1935 · Director, Editor
Roots
Roots
1934 · Director, Editor
Lupins
Lupins
1936 · Director, Editor
Hedgerows
Hedgerows
1935 · Director, Editor
Amazing Maize
Amazing Maize
1933 · Screenplay, Editor
Tell England
Tell England
1931 · Editor
A Queer Diet
A Queer Diet
1935 · Director, Editor
Brewster's Magic
Brewster's Magic
1933 · Editor
We Are Seven
We Are Seven
1935 · Director, Editor
Acting 7 credits
Target Luna
Target Luna
1960 · Production Consultant
Pathfinders to Venus
Pathfinders to Venus
1961 · Production Consultant
Pathfinders in Space
Pathfinders in Space
1960 · Production Consultant
City Beneath the Sea
City Beneath the Sea
1962 · Production Consultant
Pathfinders to Mars
Pathfinders to Mars
1960 · Production Consultant
Secret Beneath the Sea
Secret Beneath the Sea
1963 · Production Consultant
Down Under
Down Under
1930 · Dialogue
Writing 1 credit
Amazing Maize
Amazing Maize
1933 · Screenplay, Editor
Track what you watch
DuckTrack members see which of these they have already watched, right here on this page.

Comments

0 comments

No comments yet. Sign in to be the first.