James Clavell was born on October 10, 1921 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia as Charles Edmund DuMaresq de Clavelle. He was a writer and producer, known for The Great Escape (1963), To Sir, with Love (1967) and Shogun (1980). He was married to April Stride. He died on September 7, 1994 in Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland.