জীবনী
David grew up in Erdington, England, the son of an accountant. Fascinated by writing from an early age, he had two murder mystery novels published by sixteen. After finishing school, he apprenticed as a journalist and became a reporter. Although his goal was to work in London, the looming threat of war led him to join the Royal Service Voluntary Reserve of the Fleet Air Arm as a trainee pilot, followed by an officer's course at The Greenwich Naval College. During World War II, he spent three years flying, earning a DSC for bravery before transferring to the Admiralty Press Division. While stationed in Sydney, he met Captain Anthony Kimmins, a renowned naval broadcaster who inspired him to enter the film industry. In 1947, after settling in London, David secured a position as Publicity Director for The Rank Organization. Collaborating with the famed portrait photographer Cornel Lucas, he managed press relations for Rank film stars such as Jean Simmons, Petula Clark, Diana Dors, Joan Collins, Jill Ireland, and Brigitte Bardot. In 1956, teaming up with longtime writing partner Jack Seddon and based full-time at Pinewood Studios, he penned a script from his own idea, Tomorrow Never Comes (1978). Although the plot was deemed too provocative at the time, their efforts to interest producers led to their commission to write Count Five and Die (1957). It wasn’t until twenty-one years later that Tomorrow Never Comes was produced. Continuing as a freelance film and TV scriptwriter, David focused primarily on war and murder mystery themes. His last television movie was Black Arrow in 1985, a 15th-century historical war drama. He worked tirelessly, producing numerous commissioned scripts, treatments, and original stories, many of which never made it to production. He also explored theatre writing, briefly worked in Bollywood, recorded a documentary at the front lines during the Six Day War in Israel, and later served as a Film and TV adviser while continuing to write newspaper articles. David embraced a vibrant lifestyle; a popular and charismatic conversationalist, an ideas man who relished traveling the world twice over, attending parties and theatre, watching night shoots at Pinewood Studios, completing The Daily Telegraph cryptic crossword daily, driving fast cars, and mentoring young talents in film and media. At 69, from his hospital bed, he declared that having written everything he wished to, it was time to depart. He left behind a devoted wife and daughter.
