Big City (1948 film)
Big City is a 1948 film.
Hanro Smitsman
Hanro Smitsman, born in 1967 in Breda( Netherlands), is a writer and director of film and television.
Howard W. Koch
Howard Winchel Koch( April 11, 1916 – February 16, 2001) was an American producer and director of film and television.
Lew Landers
Lew Landers( born Louis Friedlander, January 2, 1901 – December 16, 1962) was an American independent film and television director.
Double Danger (1938 film)
Double Danger is a 1938 American crime drama directed by Lew Landers, using a screenplay by Arthur T. Horman and J. Robert Bren based on Horman's story.
The film stars Preston Foster and Whitney Bourne, with supporting roles by Donald Meek and Samuel S. Hinds.
Produced by RKO Radio Pictures, it was released on January 28, 1938.
S. S. Vasan
Subramaniam Srinivasan( 4 January 1904 – 26 August 1969), popularly known by his screen name S. S. Vasan, was an Indian journalist, writer, advertiser, film producer, director and business tycoon.
He is the founder of the Tamil- language magazine" Ananda Vikatan" and the film production company Gemini Studios, Gemini Film Laboratories and Gemini Picture Circuit.
He was a member of parliament( Rajya Sabha) from 1964 and served his term till his death.
Vasan was born in Thiruthuraipoondi in the then Tanjore district but was forced to migrate to Madras following the death of his father at an early age.
Vasan discontinued his studies before graduation and set up a flourishing mail order and advertising business.
In 1928, Vasan purchased a struggling Tamil magazine" Ananda Vikatan" that was published by Pudhoor Vaidyanadhaiyar since February 1926 and has stopped publication in December 1927.
Vasan bought the publication in January 1928 and relaunched it with the same name but in a different format from February 1928.
" Ananda Vikatan", subsequently, emerged as the leading Tamil magazine in the then Madras Presidency and continues to be the oldest and most respected Tamil magazine till this day.
Vasan entered the Tamil film industry in 1936 when his novel" Sathi Leelavathi" was made into a film.
In 1940, he purchased the Motion Picture Producers Combine, a film studio and renamed it Gemini Studios.
Gemini Studios made a number of successful Tamil, Telugu and Hindi movies from 1940 to 1969, notable ones being" Mangamma Sapatham Aboorva Sagotharargal," Nandanaar Bala Nagamma Miss MaliniChandralekhaVanjikkottai ValibanNishaanMangalaInsaaniyatGrahastiGharanaZindagiVazhkai PadaguMotor Sundaram PillaiOlivilakkuChakradhariAuratAvvaiyarPaigham" and" Irumbu Thirai".
Vasan also directed some of his later movies, the first being" Chandralekha", which is considered by critics and film historians to be a milestone in Indian cinema.
Vasan died in Madras on 26 August 1969, at the age of 65.
Vasan was an accomplished writer and translator and a hugely successful journalist.
As a director, Vasan was known for his grandiose sets and innovative techniques that he introduced.
Film historian Randor Guy hailed Vasan as the" Cecil B. De Mille of India".
He was the first film and media personality to be invited to be a member of parliament in India's Rajya Sabha where he advocated the granting of industry status to the film trade( a battle still being fought).
He was one of the founders of Film Federation India, Producer's Guild of India and the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce.
He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1969, the year of his death, by the government of India for his extraordinary contribution to Indian media.
The Government of India and the Postal department released postage stamps bearing his likeness on 26 August 2004, the year of his centenary.
Brian Johnson (special effects artist)
Brian Johnson( born 1939 or 1940) is a British designer and director of film and television special effects.
Chandralekha (1948 film)
Chandralekha( also spelt Chandraleka) is a 1948 Indian historical adventure film produced and directed by S. S. Vasan.
Starring T. R. Rajakumari, M. K. Radha and Ranjan in the lead roles, the film follows two brothers( Veerasimhan and Sasankan) who fight over ruling their father's kingdom and marrying the village dancer, Chandralekha.
Its development began during the early 1940s when, after two successive box- office hits, Vasan announced that his next film would be entitled" Chandralekha".
However, when the producer launched an advertising campaign for the film he only had the name of the heroine from a Gemini Studios storyline he had rejected.
Veppathur Kittoo( one of Vasan's storyboard artists) developed a story based on a chapter of George W. M. Reynolds' novel," Robert Macaire: or, The French bandit in England".
Original director T. G. Raghavachari left the film more than halfway through because of disagreements with Vasan, who took over in his directorial debut.
Originally made in Tamil and later in Hindi," Chandralekha" spent five years in production( 1943 – 1948).
It underwent a number of scripting, filming and cast changes, and was the most-expensive film made in India at the time.
Vasan mortgaged all his property and sold his jewellery to complete the film, whose cinematographers were Kamal Ghosh and K. Ramnoth.
The music, largely inspired by Indian and Western classical music, was composed by S. Rajeswara Rao and M. D. Parthasarathy with lyrics by Papanasam Sivan and Kothamangalam Subbu.
" Chandralekha" was released on 9 April 1948.
Although the film received generally- positive reviews, it did not recoup its production costs.
Vasan directed a Hindi version with some changes, including some re-shot scenes, a slightly altered cast, and Hindi dialogues from Agha Jani Kashmiri and Pandit Indra.
The Hindi version was released on 24 December of that year, becoming a box- office success.
South Indian cinema became prominent throughout India with the film's release, and it inspired South Indian producers to market their Hindi films in North India.
Dubbed in English, Japanese, Danish and other languages, it was screened at Indian and international film festivals.
Ian Barry (director)
Ian Barry is an Australian director of film and TV.
Peter Levin
Peter Levin is an American director of film, television and theatre.

Question: Are both director of film Double Danger (1938 Film) and director of film Chandralekha (1948 Film) from the same country?
Answer: no