Editing Richard Todd (section)

===Associated British Picture Corporation===
After the war, Todd was unsure what direction to take in his career. His former agent, Robert Lennard, had become a casting agent for [[Associated British Picture Corporation]] and advised him to try out for the Dundee Repertory Company. Todd did so, performing in plays such as ''Claudia'', where he appeared with Catherine Grant-Bogle, who became his first wife. Lennard arranged for a screen test and Associated British offered him a seven year contract in 1948. Todd was cast in the lead in ''[[For Them That Trespass]]'' (1949), directed by [[Alberto Cavalcanti]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article47223206 |title=Richard Todd is newest find for British films. |newspaper=[[The Australian Women's Weekly]] | date=9 July 1949 |access-date=25 July 2012 |page=38 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The film was a minor hit and Todd's career was launched.<ref>Nepean, E. (1957, Feb 09). Round the British studios. Picture show, 68, 11</ref>

Todd had appeared in the Dundee Repertory stage version of [[John Patrick (dramatist)|John Patrick]]'s play ''[[The Hasty Heart]]'', portraying the role of Yank and was chosen to appear in the 1948 London stage version of the play, this time in the leading role of Cpl. Lachlan McLachlan. This led to his being cast in that role in the [[The Hasty Heart|film adaptation of the play]], filmed in Britain, alongside [[Ronald Reagan]] and [[Patricia Neal]] for [[Warner Bros.]] (which was a part owner of Associated British). Todd was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Actor]] for the role in 1949.<ref name=caught>Todd, Richard. ''Caught in the Act'', Hutchinson, 1986 {{ISBN|0-09-163800-3}}</ref> He was also voted favourite British male film star in Britain's National Film Awards.
<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article84371574 |title=Jean Simmons Named No. 1 British Film Star. |newspaper=[[Daily News (Perth, Western Australia)|The Daily News]] |location=Perth |date=22 April 1950 |access-date=18 December 2013 |page=5|edition=FIRST|via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The film was the tenth most popular movie at the British box office in 1949.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49700937 |title=TOPS AT HOME. |newspaper=[[The Courier-Mail]] |location=Brisbane |date=31 December 1949 |access-date=24 April 2012 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

Todd was now much in demand. He was lent to Constellation Films to appear in the thriller ''[[The Interrupted Journey]]'' (1949). [[Alfred Hitchcock]] then used him in ''[[Stage Fright (1950 film)|Stage Fright]]'' (1950), opposite [[Marlene Dietrich]] and [[Jane Wyman]] – Hitchcock's first British film since 1939. Associated British put him in the drama ''[[Portrait of Clare (film)|Portrait of Clare]]'' (1950), which did not perform well at the box office. Neither did ''[[Flesh and Blood (1951 film)|Flesh and Blood]]'' (1951) for London Films, in which Todd had a dual role. Director [[King Vidor]] offered Todd a lead in  ''[[Lightning Strikes Twice (1951 film)|Lightning Strikes Twice]]'' (1951), for Warners. Far more popular was ''[[The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men]]'' (1952), in which Todd played the title role for Walt Disney Productions.

Associated British put him in ''[[24 Hours of a Woman's Life]]'' (1952), with [[Merle Oberon]]. The Rank Organisation borrowed him for ''[[Venetian Bird]]'' (1952), directed by [[Ralph Thomas]]. Todd turned down the lead in ''[[The Red Beret]]'' because he disliked the script. Disney reunited the ''Robin Hood'' team in ''[[The Sword and the Rose]]'' (1953), with Todd as [[Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk]]. It was not as popular as ''Robin Hood'' in the U.S. but performed well in Europe. The same went for Disney's ''[[Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue]]'' (1953), in which Todd played the title role. Disney pulled back on making costume films as a result.<ref>Disney Reports Income Gain Los Angeles Times 4 June 1954: A7.</ref>

In 1953, he appeared in a [[Wuthering Heights (1953 TV play)|BBC television adaptation]] of the novel ''[[Wuthering Heights]]'' as Heathcliff. [[Nigel Kneale]], responsible for the adaptation, said the production came about purely because Todd had turned up at the BBC and told them that he would like to play Heathcliff for them. Kneale had only a week to write the script, as the broadcast was rushed into production.<ref name="kneale">{{cite book|last=Murray|first=Andy |title=Into the Unknown: The Fantastic Life of Nigel Kneale|type=paperback|year=2006|location=London|publisher=[[Headpress]]|isbn=978-1-900486-50-7|page=34}}</ref>