Desmond Saunders
Directing
- Born
- June 24, 1926 · Lewisham, London, England, UK
- Died
- April 2, 2018 (age 91)
Desmond "Des" Saunders (24 June 1926– 21 April 2018) was a British television director and film editor.
He had a long association with producer Gerry Anderson, having served as a director for the series Supercar (1961–62), Stingray (1964–65), Thunderbirds (1965–66), Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons (1967–68), Joe 90 (1968–69) and Terrahawks (1983–86). Saunders was also production controller for Joe 90 and co-wrote one of the episodes, "Lone-Handed 90". He briefly worked as a production supervisor for The Secret Service (1969).
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Elsewhere in television, Saunders had both production and post-production roles for The Protectors (1972–73).
His film editing credits are: RX for Murder (1958), A Woman's Temptation (1959), Escort for Hire (1960), Compelled (1960), Tarnished Heroes and So Evil, So Young (both 1961) and Voyage of the Damned (1976). He was sound editor for Floods of Fear (1959).
While working on puppet series for Anderson, the A.P. Films team received constant requests to make the puppets more real. Once, Saunders chose all of the male puppets and put little penises on them. When the girls came in during the morning, there was, as Saunders describes, "the most terrible uproar". In response, he said: "Well, you know, you gotta bring them to life somehow, haven't you?".
He died on 21 April 2018 at the age of 91.
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Known for
Behind the camera41
- 2026Thunderbirds 4K Double Bill - Atlantic Inferno / Attack of the Alligators! Director
- 2022Thunderbirds 55/GOGO Teleplay
- 2016HD21 The Worlds of Gerry Anderson in High Definition Director
- 2015Thunderbirds 1965: Introducing Thunderbirds Producer
- 2015Thunderbirds 1965: The Abominable Snowman Producer, Writer
- 2014This Is Supermarionation Director
- 1986Inside the Labyrinth Director
- 1983Terrahawks: Expect the Unexpected Director
- 1982Countdown to Disaster Director
- 1981
