A former salesman and journalist, Ken Annakin got into the film industry making documentary shorts. His feature debut, _Holiday Camp finished up and the film was released in 2010.
He was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2002 Queens Birthday Honours List for his services to drama.
Following Annakins death, George Lucas stated that, contrary to previous reports, he did not name the character "Anakin Skywalker" ( Star Wars ) after Annakin.
He was named a Disney Legend in 2002.
He was awarded a Doctor of Letters degree from Hull University.
He has two daughters, Jane and Deborah.
Served with the Royal Air Force during the 1940 Battle of Britain, but was injured during the Blitz and went on to work as a camera operator making training films during the war.
Was close friends with James MacArthur , who co-starred in several pictures he directed. In 2008 MacArthur and Annakin hosted a special screening of Swiss Family Robinson --directed by Annakin and starring MacArthur--for a large family gathering at a film festival involving over 900 children. MacArthur visited Annakin frequently after Annakin suffered a heart attack and stroke in February 2008.
His daughter from a previous marriage, talent agent Jane Annakin, died of cancer in 1998.
Had an amazingly diverse early career, including as a trainee income tax inspector in Hull during the Depression. He held down other civil service jobs, as well as selling advertising space, working as a car salesman and prospecting for gold. He had a brief fling with journalism before joining the RAF during World War II. Invalided out, Annakin signed with Verity Films in 1942 as a camera assistant, working his way up to directing documentaries. His career really took off, when he joined Gainsborough as a feature director in 1946.
