Director Ken Annakin dies at 94

British film-maker Ken Annakin, who directed World War II films "The Longest Day" and "Battle of the Bulge," has died in Los Angeles, it was reported Thursday. He was 94.


This picture taken in 1957 shows US actor Rod Steiger (L) talking with his director Ken.

Annakin, who also directed the "The Swiss Family Robinson" and "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines," passed away at his home in Beverly Hills on Wednesday, his family told the Los Angeles Times.

Born in Beverley, Yorkshire in 1914, Annakin directed more than 50 films in a five-decade movie career.

He was one of several co-directors on the star-studded 1962 World War II epic "The Longest Day" which featured John Wayne, Gregory Peck, Henry Fonda and Robert Mitchum amongst others.

Robert Wagner, who worked with Annakin on 1968 crime caper "The Biggest Bundle of Them All," described the film-maker as someone who "just loved the movies, and he brought so much enthusiasm to it."

"He had a tremendous curiosity and up until the end of his life, he was still involved with the intrigue and the romance of making movies," Wagner told the Times.

Jill Serjeant, uk.news.yahoo.com copyright.