An Oscar-winning director was born in this Croydon house… can you guess who?
- The Oscar-winning director was born in Blenheim Crescent in South Croydon in 1908
- He directed the films Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and A Passage to India
- The two-bedroom apartment in Blenheim Crescent is on the market for £325,000
This South Croydon property currently for sale is where an Oscar-winning director was born, but can you guess who?
The Englishman directed the films The Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and A Passage to India.
He was also voted the ninth greatest film director of all time in the 2002 British Film Institute poll.
And he has been nominated seven times for the Academy Award for Best Director – which he won twice for The Bridge on the River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia.
A star is born: an Oscar-winning director started life in this building in South Croydon, where an apartment is now for sale
The director who was born in this property for sale in Blenheim Crescent in South Croydon is Sir David Lean.
He was born on 25 March 1908 to Quaker parents and was later a pupil at the Quaker-founded Leighton Park School in Reading.
Sir David Lean has been nominated seven times for the Academy Award for Best Director – winning twice for The Bridge on the River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia
As an adult, he worked as an accountant during the day but spent every evening at the movies.
In 1927, after an aunt advised him to find a job he liked, he visited Gaumont Studios, where he was given a month’s unpaid probation.
He was hired as a tea boy, promoted to clapper boy and quickly rose to third assistant director.
The ground floor apartment of the property is for sale for £352,000 through agents eXp World UK
In the 1950s, Sir David’s films were rarer, but much larger in scale, and more widely released internationally.
He had his biggest box office success with Doctor Zhivago (1965), which as of 2020 is reportedly the ninth highest grossing film of all time, adjusted for inflation.
It’s a far cry from its humble beginnings in South Croydon, where the property has now been divided into apartments.
The apartment for sale has two bedrooms, including this one with a door to the garden
It is the ground floor flat that is currently for sale, listed for £352,000 through agents eXp World UK.
The leasehold flat has two bedrooms and is spread over 697 square meters.
It displays a blue plaque on the front indicating that it is the birthplace of Sir David.
There is a large communal garden to the rear of the property, which borders Haling Grove Park.
There is a large communal garden for sale at the rear of the property, which is adjacent to Haling Grove Park
It has good access to transport links, being close to Purley Oaks and Sanderstead stations, which connect to East Croydon mainline station.
From there, London’s central stations can be reached within 20 minutes.
Daniel Copley, from Zoopla, said: ‘This beautiful modern home benefits from high quality finishes including built-in wardrobes and a beautiful fireplace.
‘The property also has another subject: the blue plaque on the outside marks the property as the birthplace of film director David Lean CBE.’
