FILM DIRECTOR
David Lean
1908 - 1991

David Lean
Sir David Lean (25 March 1908 – 16 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor, widely considered one of the most important figures of British cinema. He directed the large-scale epics The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Doctor Zhivago (1965), Ryan's Daughter (1970), and A Passage to India (1984). He also directed the film adaptations of Charles Dickens novels Great Expectations (1946) and Oliver Twist (1948), as well as the romantic drama Brief Encounter (1945). Originally a film editor in the early 1930s, Lean made his directorial debut with 1942's In Which We Serve, which was the first of four collaborations with Noël Coward. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. David Lean is the 99th most popular film director (up from 118th in 2019), the 598th most popular biography from United Kingdom (down from 549th in 2019) and the 9th most popular British Film Director.
David Lean is most famous for his films such as The Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, and Doctor Zhivago.
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Among FILM DIRECTORS
Among film directors, David Lean ranks 99 out of 2,041. Before him are Wolfgang Petersen, Aki Kaurismäki, Dario Argento, Christopher Nolan, Carlos Saura, and Richard Attenborough. After him are René Clair, Andrzej Żuławski, Jacques Audiard, Jacques Tati, Sidney Lumet, and Bong Joon-ho.
Most Popular Film Directors in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsWolfgang Petersen
1941 - 2022
HPI: 71.17
Rank: 93
Aki Kaurismäki
1957 - Present
HPI: 71.17
Rank: 94
Dario Argento
1940 - Present
HPI: 71.13
Rank: 95
Christopher Nolan
1970 - Present
HPI: 71.08
Rank: 96
Carlos Saura
1932 - 2023
HPI: 71.07
Rank: 97
Richard Attenborough
1923 - 2014
HPI: 71.07
Rank: 98
David Lean
1908 - 1991
HPI: 71.06
Rank: 99
René Clair
1898 - 1981
HPI: 70.96
Rank: 100
Andrzej Żuławski
1940 - 2016
HPI: 70.90
Rank: 101
Jacques Audiard
1952 - Present
HPI: 70.81
Rank: 102
Jacques Tati
1907 - 1982
HPI: 70.76
Rank: 103
Sidney Lumet
1924 - 2011
HPI: 70.73
Rank: 104
Bong Joon-ho
1969 - Present
HPI: 70.72
Rank: 105
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1908, David Lean ranks 40. Before him are Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Joseph Rotblat, Nelson Rockefeller, Manoel de Oliveira, Alfred Hershey, and Willard Libby. After him are Victor Weisskopf, Tameo Ide, Joseph McCarthy, Werner von Haeften, Cesare Pavese, and William Saroyan. Among people deceased in 1991, David Lean ranks 25. Before him are Marcel Lefebvre, Lazar Kaganovich, Ragnar Granit, Soichiro Honda, Oona O'Neill, and Margot Fonteyn. After him are Max Frisch, Arno Breker, Henri Lefebvre, Michael Landon, Demetrios I of Constantinople, and Rajiv Gandhi.
Others Born in 1908
Go to all RankingsPrincess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
POLITICIAN
1908 - 1972
HPI: 71.39
Rank: 34
Joseph Rotblat
PHYSICIST
1908 - 2005
HPI: 71.35
Rank: 35
Nelson Rockefeller
POLITICIAN
1908 - 1979
HPI: 71.35
Rank: 36
Manoel de Oliveira
FILM DIRECTOR
1908 - 2015
HPI: 71.28
Rank: 37
Alfred Hershey
BIOLOGIST
1908 - 1997
HPI: 71.22
Rank: 38
Willard Libby
CHEMIST
1908 - 1980
HPI: 71.09
Rank: 39
David Lean
FILM DIRECTOR
1908 - 1991
HPI: 71.06
Rank: 40
Victor Weisskopf
PHYSICIST
1908 - 2002
HPI: 70.58
Rank: 41
Tameo Ide
SOCCER PLAYER
1908 - 1998
HPI: 70.30
Rank: 42
Joseph McCarthy
POLITICIAN
1908 - 1957
HPI: 70.14
Rank: 43
Werner von Haeften
POLITICIAN
1908 - 1944
HPI: 69.97
Rank: 44
Cesare Pavese
WRITER
1908 - 1950
HPI: 69.44
Rank: 45
William Saroyan
WRITER
1908 - 1981
HPI: 69.42
Rank: 46
Others Deceased in 1991
Go to all RankingsMarcel Lefebvre
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1905 - 1991
HPI: 72.59
Rank: 19
Lazar Kaganovich
POLITICIAN
1893 - 1991
HPI: 72.54
Rank: 20
Ragnar Granit
PHYSICIAN
1900 - 1991
HPI: 72.21
Rank: 21
Soichiro Honda
BUSINESSPERSON
1906 - 1991
HPI: 72.20
Rank: 22
Oona O'Neill
ACTOR
1925 - 1991
HPI: 71.69
Rank: 23
Margot Fonteyn
DANCER
1919 - 1991
HPI: 71.10
Rank: 24
David Lean
FILM DIRECTOR
1908 - 1991
HPI: 71.06
Rank: 25
Max Frisch
WRITER
1911 - 1991
HPI: 70.83
Rank: 26
Arno Breker
ARCHITECT
1900 - 1991
HPI: 70.57
Rank: 27
Henri Lefebvre
PHILOSOPHER
1901 - 1991
HPI: 70.49
Rank: 28
Michael Landon
ACTOR
1936 - 1991
HPI: 70.35
Rank: 29
Demetrios I of Constantinople
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1914 - 1991
HPI: 70.30
Rank: 30
Rajiv Gandhi
POLITICIAN
1944 - 1991
HPI: 70.28
Rank: 31
In United Kingdom
Among people born in United Kingdom, David Lean ranks 598 out of 8,785. Before him are Alexander Pope (1688), Frederick Gowland Hopkins (1861), Christopher Nolan (1970), Richard Williamson (1940), Gary Moore (1952), and Richard Attenborough (1923). After him are Thomas Carlyle (1795), William Oughtred (1574), Tim Curry (1946), Charles Dance (1946), Ronald Coase (1910), and Philip Sclater (1829).
Others born in United Kingdom
Go to all RankingsAlexander Pope
WRITER
1688 - 1744
HPI: 71.09
Rank: 592
Frederick Gowland Hopkins
CHEMIST
1861 - 1947
HPI: 71.09
Rank: 593
Christopher Nolan
FILM DIRECTOR
1970 - Present
HPI: 71.08
Rank: 594
Richard Williamson
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1940 - 2025
HPI: 71.07
Rank: 595
Gary Moore
MUSICIAN
1952 - 2011
HPI: 71.07
Rank: 596
Richard Attenborough
FILM DIRECTOR
1923 - 2014
HPI: 71.07
Rank: 597
David Lean
FILM DIRECTOR
1908 - 1991
HPI: 71.06
Rank: 598
Thomas Carlyle
PHILOSOPHER
1795 - 1881
HPI: 71.05
Rank: 599
William Oughtred
MATHEMATICIAN
1574 - 1660
HPI: 71.03
Rank: 600
Tim Curry
ACTOR
1946 - Present
HPI: 71.03
Rank: 601
Charles Dance
ACTOR
1946 - Present
HPI: 71.03
Rank: 602
Ronald Coase
ECONOMIST
1910 - 2013
HPI: 71.03
Rank: 603
Philip Sclater
BIOLOGIST
1829 - 1913
HPI: 71.02
Rank: 604
Among FILM DIRECTORS In United Kingdom
Among film directors born in United Kingdom, David Lean ranks 9. Before him are Ken Loach (1936), Tony Scott (1944), Alan Parker (1944), Peter Brook (1925), Christopher Nolan (1970), and Richard Attenborough (1923). After him are Peter Greenaway (1942), Michael Powell (1905), Danny Boyle (1956), Stephen Frears (1941), Tony Richardson (1928), and Frank Lloyd (1886).
Ken Loach
1936 - Present
HPI: 74.28
Rank: 3
Tony Scott
1944 - 2012
HPI: 72.09
Rank: 4
Alan Parker
1944 - 2020
HPI: 71.91
Rank: 5
Peter Brook
1925 - 2022
HPI: 71.67
Rank: 6
Christopher Nolan
1970 - Present
HPI: 71.08
Rank: 7
Richard Attenborough
1923 - 2014
HPI: 71.07
Rank: 8
David Lean
1908 - 1991
HPI: 71.06
Rank: 9
Peter Greenaway
1942 - Present
HPI: 69.18
Rank: 10
Michael Powell
1905 - 1990
HPI: 69.08
Rank: 11
Danny Boyle
1956 - Present
HPI: 67.46
Rank: 12
Stephen Frears
1941 - Present
HPI: 67.34
Rank: 13
Tony Richardson
1928 - 1991
HPI: 67.09
Rank: 14
Frank Lloyd
1886 - 1960
HPI: 66.93
Rank: 15