Donald Challis (born 26 June 1929) is a British sound and dubbing editor for many critically acclaimed films, including A Taste of Honey (1961), Help! (1965), and The Three Musketeers (1973). He won a BAFTA Film Award as sound editor alongside Simon Kaye for Best Film Soundtrack in 1970 for Oh! What a Lovely War . [1]
Don Challis was born in Tottenham, England. His career started at the age of 19 in 1948 at the Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England, with the Crown Film Unit as an apprentice assistant film editor, the studios having been commandeered by the government for making propaganda films for the Ministry of Information. His Association of Cine Technicians Union membership number was 8708.
He spent some time at Beaconsfield Studios, Merton Park Studios and Countryman Films in Soho Square, London.
In 1969, he took the role of sound editor for the hit musical film Oh! What a Lovely War which went down as a huge success, winning five BAFTA Film Awards in 1970, one of which going to himself and his partner Simon Kaye (who was the sound mixer for the film) for the Best Soundtrack. [2] This huge success led him to being in the sound editing department for a range of horror and drama films including Tam-Lin (film) in 1970, Blue Blood (1973 film) and I Don't Want to Be Born in 1975. More so, the success gave him the opportunity to be the sound editor for the award-winning adaptations of The Three Musketeers (1973 live-action film) and The Four Musketeers in 1974. [3]
In 1971, Challis became the sound editor for the award-winning film adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof . However he fell ill during the production of the film so his role was taken over by Les Wiggins, a sound editor from Middlesex, England. [4] This resulted in Wiggins being credited sound editor, leaving Don Challis uncredited despite his contribution. [5]
Challis' last contribution to the sound department of the film industry was in 1976 with Emily (film) . Then, at the end of the same year, he moved from his home in Hertfordshire, England, to Essex with his wife and two daughters. Marking the move as the end of his career in the sound editing department, he settled for the ownership of a small post office.
Credited roles [6]
| Year | Film title | Role in production |
|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Beat Girl | dubbing editor |
| 1960 | A Circle of Deception | sound editor |
| 1960 | Sons and Lovers | sound editor |
| 1961 | A Taste of Honey | sound editor |
| 1961 | During One Night | sound editor |
| 1962 | The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner | sound editor |
| 1963 | Girl with Green Eyes | sound editor |
| 1963 | Tom Jones | sound editor |
| 1965 | Help! | sound editor |
| 1965 | The Knack ...and How to Get It | sound editor |
| 1965 | I Was Happy Here | sound editor |
| 1966 | A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum | sound editor |
| 1966 | The Shuttered Room | sound editor |
| 1967 | How I Won the War | dubbing editor |
| 1968 | Sebastian | dubbing editor |
| 1968 | Petulia | dubbing editor |
| 1969 | Connecting Rooms | sound editor |
| 1969 | Oh! What a Lovely War | sound editor |
| 1970 | Tam-Lin | dubbing editor |
| 1971 | The Boy Friend | dubbing editor |
| 1972 | The Ragman's Daughter | dubbing editor |
| 1972 | Nothing But the Night | sound editor |
| 1973 | The Three Musketeers | sound editor |
| 1973 | Blue Blood | sound editor |
| 1973 | The Man Called Noon | sound editor |
| 1974 | The Four Musketeers | sound editor |
| 1975 | I Don't Want to Be Born | sound editor |
| 1976 | Emily | dubbing editor |
Uncredited roles
| Year | Film title | Role in production |
|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Hindle Wakes | assistant editor |
| 1959 | The Rough and the Smooth | assistant editor |
| 1971 | Fiddler on the Roof | Sound editor** |
[**] role taken over by Les Wiggins (credited)
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