Impressive Directorial Debuts

By: Danny Bailey

Orson Welles-Citizen Kane
Elia Kazan-A Tree Grows In Brooklyn
Bruce Robinson – Withnail and I
Sam Mendes-American Beauty
François Truffaut – The 400 Blows
Robert Redford-Ordinary People
Ridley Scott-The Duellists
Bryan Forbes-Whistle Down the Wind
Mike Nichols-Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf
Wolfgang Reitherman- One Hundred and One Dalmatians
Tony Richardson-Tom Jones
Charles Jarrott– Anne of the Thousand Days
Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones- Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Stephen Frears –Gumshoe
James L. Brooks – Terms of Endearment
Rob Reiner – This Is Spinal Tap
Jim Sheridan – My Left Foot
Tony Kaye – American History X
Frank Darabont – The Shawshank Redemption
Kimberly Peirce – Boy’s Don’t Cry
Stephen Daldry– Billy Elliot
Catherine Hardwicke – Thirteen
Andrew Jarecki – Capturing The Friedmans
Patty Jenkins – Monster
Tom Ford – A Single Man
Armando Iannucci – In the Loop
David Michôd – Animal Kingdom
Sydney Pollack– The Slender Thread ( Not on MUBI)
Sidney Lumet-12 Angry Men
John Huston – The Maltese Falcon
Louis Malle- Elevator to the Gallows
Mel Brooks – The Producers
Dennis Hopper Easy Rider
Quentin Tarantino – Reservoir Dogs
Nicholas Hytner – The Madness of King George
John Lasseter– Toy Story
Peter Cattaneo – The Full Monty
David Fincher – Alien³
Campbell Scott and Stanley Tucci – Big Night
Kevin Smith – Clerks
Pete Docter – Monsters Inc
Todd Field – In the Bedroom
Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris – Little Miss Sunshine
Sarah Polley -Away From Her
Stephen Fry – Bright Young Things
Marjane Satrapi – Persepolis
Richard Curtis – Love Actually
Hugh Hudson-Chariots of Fire
Jonathan Lynn-Clue
Scott Cooper – Crazy Heart
Larry Peerce-One Potato, Two Potato
Peter Masterson-The Trip to Bountiful

• 01
  Citizen Kane
  Orson Welles
• 02
  A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
  Elia Kazan
• 03
  Withnail and I
  Bruce Robinson
• 04
  American Beauty
  Sam Mendes
• 05
  The 400 Blows
  François Truffaut
• 06
  Ordinary People
  Robert Redford
• 07
  The Duellists
  Ridley Scott
• 08
  Whistle Down the Wind
  Bryan Forbes
• 09
  Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
  Mike Nichols
• 10
  One Hundred and One Dalmatians
  Clyde Geronimi
• 11
  Tom Jones
  Tony Richardson
• 12
  Anne of the Thousand Days
  Charles Jarrott
• 13
  Monty Python and the Holy Grail
  Terry Gilliam
• 14
  Gumshoe
  Stephen Frears
• 15
  Terms of Endearment
  James L. Brooks
• 16
  This Is Spinal Tap
  Rob Reiner
• 17
  My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown
  Jim Sheridan
• 18
  American History X
  Tony Kaye
• 19
  The Shawshank Redemption
  Frank Darabont
• 20
  Boys Don't Cry
  Kimberly Peirce
• 21
  Billy Elliot
  Stephen Daldry
• 22
  Thirteen
  Catherine Hardwicke
• 23
  Capturing the Friedmans
  Andrew Jarecki
• 24
  Monster
  Patty Jenkins
• 25
  A Single Man
  Tom Ford
• 26
  In the Loop
  Armando Iannucci
• 27
  Animal Kingdom
  David Michôd
• 28
  Twelve Angry Men
  Sidney Lumet
• 29
  The Maltese Falcon
  John Huston
• 30
  Elevator to the Gallows
  Louis Malle
• 31
  The Producers
  Mel Brooks
• 32
  Easy Rider
  Dennis Hopper
• 33
  Reservoir Dogs
  Quentin Tarantino
• 34
  The Madness of King George
  Nicholas Hytner
• 35
  Toy Story
  John Lasseter
• 36
  The Full Monty
  Peter Cattaneo
• 37
  Alien³
  David Fincher
• 38
  Big Night
  Campbell Scott
• 39
  Clerks
  Kevin Smith
• 40
  Monsters, Inc.
  Pete Docter
• 41
  In the Bedroom
  Todd Field
• 42
  Little Miss Sunshine
  Jonathan Dayton
• 43
  Away from Her
  Sarah Polley
• 44
  Bright Young Things
  Stephen Fry
• 45
  Persepolis
  Vincent Paronnaud
• 46
  Love Actually
  Richard Curtis
• 47
  Chariots of Fire
  Hugh Hudson
• 48
  Clue
  Jonathan Lynn
• 49
  Crazy Heart
  Scott Cooper
• 50
  One Potato, Two Potato
  Larry Peerce
• 51
  The Trip to Bountiful
  Peter Masterson