Gerald Thomas

English-born director Gerald Thomas never wanted to direct movies. Well into his 20s, Thomas had set his sights on becoming a physician, and was studying medicine in college when World War II broke out. Thomas immediately enlisted in the British Army, and served in both Europe and the Middle East. By the time the war ended in 1945, Thomas had decided he no longer wanted to study medicine and began a career in film that lasted six decades. Although he directed nearly 50 films across the span of his career, Thomas is remembered almost exclusively for directing the low-budget British comedies known as the "Carry On" movies. These innuendo-laden comedies were heavy on slapstick, farce, and parody, and British audiences loved them. In all, Thomas directed 29 "Carry On" movies from 1958 to 1978, as well as three separate "Carry On" television shows that ran on British TV during the 1980s and early 1990s.