J. Lee Thompson was born on August 1, 1914 in Bristol, England. He was a director and writer, known for The Guns of Navarone (1961), Woman in a Dressing Gown (1957) and Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972). He was married to Lucille Kelly, Penny Thompson, Florence (Bill) Bailey and Joan Henry. He died on August 30, 2002 in Sooke, British Columbia, Canada.