Biography
Alexander Mackendrick (1912–1993) was an American-born Scottish film director and screenwriter. He directed nine feature films between 1949 and 1967. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Scottish parents, he was raised in Glasgow from the age of six and studied at the Glasgow School of Art.
Mackendrick began his career in advertising and animation before moving into documentaries and screenwriting. He joined Ealing Studios, where he directed Whisky Galore! (1949), The Man in the White Suit (1951) and The Ladykillers (1955). His first American film, Sweet Smell of Success (1957), was followed by The Maggie (1954), A High Wind in Jamaica (1965) and Don't Make Waves (1967).
In 1969 he became founding dean of the film school at the California Institute of the Arts, where he taught until shortly before his death.
