John Dighton(1909-1989)

Diminutive, softly-spoken British playwright and screenwriter, who usually worked in collaboration. Educated at Charterhouse and Cambridge University, Dighton wrote for the stage until entering films in 1935. After initially working for Michael Balcon at Gaumont-British, he was briefly under contract to Warner Brothers. At Ealing from 1939, he had his most productive spell with popular original screenplays and adaptations from the classics. He is best remembered for two quintessential British comedies, both starring Alec Guinness: Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) and The Man in the White Suit (1951). Another popular farce, The Happiest Days of Your Life (1950), was based on his own hit West End play. Dighton also had a brief tenure in Hollywood, his most popular venture there being the classic romantic comedy Roman Holiday (1953).