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T.E.B. 'Tibby' Clarke earned a law degree from Cambridge University but found his true talent lay in writing. He began his career as a magazine writer in Australia before returning to London to freelance as a journalist. Clarke held various positions, including roles on Fleet Street, in advertising, as a door-to-door salesman, briefly in the police force, and contributed articles as a foreign correspondent in Argentina during a military coup. Alongside these endeavors, he authored five novels, the first of fifteen major works under his name.
An interview with a scenario editor at Ealing Studios secured him a contract, and from 1943 to 1957, Clarke worked as a screenwriter, initially collaborating with others. Starting with Hue and Cry (1947), he earned solo writing credits and gained acclaim for a series of timeless comedies about English eccentricities that continue to be popular. Known for his meticulous research, Clarke sought historical foundations for his imaginative premises. Fascinated by archaic laws, he researched the medieval duchy of Burgundy for Passport to Pimlico (1949), posing the question: what if Charles the Bold had survived the 1447 Battle of Nancy and claimed political asylum in England, specifically Pimlico, which would then be considered a Burgundian principality?
For The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), Clarke approached a Bank of England teller with a note requesting 'Information required on means of stealing gold bullion.' Soon, three bank executives, including the managers of bullion and transport, helped him resolve plot details regarding the feasibility of such a heist. The film won Clarke the 1952 Academy Award for Best Story and Screenplay. He used similar tactics for The Titfield Thunderbolt (1953), consulting British Railways officials, and for All at Sea (1957), seeking advice from Lloyd's Shipping registrars.
After departing Ealing, Clarke worked intermittently in film. Drawing on his police experience, he wrote the police drama Gideon of Scotland Yard (1958) for John Ford, following his earlier success with The Blue Lamp (1950). In 1959, he co-adapted D.H. Lawrence's Sons and Lovers (1960) with Gavin Lambert, earning an Academy Award nomination. In 1974, Clarke published his revealing autobiography about his time at Ealing, titled This Is Where I Came In.
