    sir carol reed (30 december 1906 â 25 april 1976) was an english film director best known for odd man out (1947), the fallen idol (1948) and the third man (1949). for oliver! (1968), he received the academy award for best director. ==early life and career== the son of actor-producer sir herbert beerbohm tree and his mistress, may pinney reed, carol reed was born, out of wedlock, in putney, south-west london, and educated at the king's school, canterbury, an independent school. he embarked on an acting career while still in his late teens. a period in the theatrical company of the thriller writer edgar wallace followed, and reed became his personal assistant in 1927.trevor hogg "a great reed: a carol reed profile (part 1)", flickering myth, 21 october 2009 apart from acting in a few wallace derived films himself, reed became involved in adapting his work for the screen during the day while he was a stage manager in the 
1906_births 1976_deaths Beerbohm_family Best_Director_Academy_Award_winners British_Army_personnel_of_World_War_II Burials_in_London Deaths_from_myocardial_infarction English_film_directors English_film_producers English_people_of_German_descent English_people_of_Lithuanian_descent Knights_Bachelor People_educated_at_The_King\'s_School,_Canterbury People_from_Putney