David MacDonald (director)  David MacDonald (9 May 1904 in Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire – 22 June 1983 in London) was a Scottish film director, writer and producer. His first major film as director was "The Brothers". MacDonald was the son of a wealthy landowner. He was meant to be a doctor but changed his mind and aged 17 went to Malaya to work on a rubber plantation for seven and a half years. When he had leave to return to Scotland, he went via Hollywood and became interested in filmmaking. He returned to Malaya and worked at a plantation in Kedah. According to one story, while in Malaya he met Douglas Fairbanks who encouraged MacDonald to try his luck in Hollywood. MacDonald broke into Hollywood by getting a job as technical adviser on a film "Prestige". After that he was out of work for nine months. He eventually got a job working for Cecil B. DeMille on "Four Frightened People" directed by DeMille. MacDonald worked as DeMille's assistant on "The Sign of the Cross", "Cleopatra" and "The Crusades". He worked on "Lives of a Bengal Lancer" with Henry Hathaway. He also worked for King Vidor and Raoul Walsh. He returned to England with Walsh when the latter came to direct "O.H.M.S." and elected to stay. "OHMS" was made for Michael Balcon at Shepherd's Bush studio in London. Balcon recommended MacDonald to make his directorial debut with a "B" quota quickies: "Double Alibi" (1937). MacDonald followed it with other quota quickies: an adaptation of "It's Never Too Late to Mend" (1937) with Tod Slaughter; "The Last Curtain" (1937); "Death Croons the Blues" (1937); "Riding High" (1937); "Make It Three" (1938); "A Spot of Bother" (1938); and "Meet Mr. Penny" (1938). Some of these were produced by Anthony Havelock-Allan who also produced MacDonald's "This Man Is News" (1938), which became a surprise hit. It starred Barry K. Barnes. MacDonald went on to make "Dead Men Tell No Tales" (1938); "This Man in Paris" (1939), a sequel to "This Man Is News", with Barnes; "Spies of the Air" (1939); "The Midas Touch" (1940); "Law and Disorder" (1940); and "This England" (1940).