David Pursall

David spent his early life in Erdington (England), the son of an accountant; he was always interested in writing and had two murder mystery novels published by the time he was sixteen. So, on leaving school, he took an apprenticeship as a journalist and became a reporter. His ambition was to work in London but with the threat of war looming, he joined the Royal Service Voluntary Reserve of the Fleet Air Arm as a trainee pilot before taking an officer's course at The Greenwich Naval College. During the Second World War he spent the first three years flying, winning a DSC for bravery and then transferred to the Admiralty Press Division. It was whilst he was stationed in Sydney that he met Captain Anthony Kimmins, the well-known broadcaster on naval affairs, who inspired him to work in the film industry. In 1947, settling in London, he eventually landed a post as Publicity Director for The Rank Organization and, in collaboration with the iconic portrait photographer Cornel Lucas, handled the press relations for Rank film stars, some of those he mentioned include : Jean Simmons, Petula Clark, Diana Dors,Joan Collins, Jill Ireland and Brigitte Bardot.

In 1956, he joined forces with long term writing partner Jack Seddon, basing full time at Pinewood Studios, initially writing a script from his own idea Tomorrow Never Comes (1978).

However, the plot was considered too provocative at that time and it was whilst trying to interest producers in this, that they were commissioned to write the script for Count Five and Die (1957); and it wasn't until twenty-one years' later that Tomorrow Never Comes (1978), was made.

One of his favorite possessions was the gold cuff links in the shape of gramophone records given to him as a thank you by Connie Francis after the making of Where the Boys Are (1960) .

Rex Harrison commissioned him and Jack Seddon to do a screenplay of 'Pride of LIons' which he'd bought the rights of and intended to produce. (1970).