- Turned down the chance to direct the first James Bond movie, Dr. No (1962), because he thought it was going to be "just another bang-bang movie".
- Served with Roger Moore in the British Army of Occupation in Germany in 1947.
- In a BBC News report in 2004, it was reported that he had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1975, but has been in remission for almost 30 years. He put his subsequent remission down to a gluten-free diet and a loving wife.
- Owned and operated a small book shop in the village of Virginia Water from 1968-91.
- Had a bad relationship with writer William Goldman on The Stepford Wives (1975), claiming he found Goldman arrogant and reluctant to rewrite his first-draft screenplay. Goldman in turn claimed that Forbes ruined the film by casting his wife Nanette Newman in a key role and that Forbes did all the rewriting himself at nights during filming. Despite this antagonism, Goldman got on well with Forbes' closest friend, Richard Attenborough, when they worked together soon after on both A Bridge Too Far (1977) and Magic (1978). Many years later Attenborough hired Forbes to write the screenplay for Chaplin (1992), but his draft was subsequently rewritten by . . . William Goldman (and others). As he made clear on Sir Richard Attenborough (1992), Forbes was very upset by this; he had no screenplay credits since then.
- He met Nanette Newman after she turned up at a late night shoot at Marylebone shunting yards in the hope of getting a small part in Wheel of Fate (1953) but it turned out that that was the last night of filming. She told him she'd traveled all the way from Streatham, and he said he'd drive her home and that she'd be safe with him. That resulted in them being together for 50 years.
- A plaque to honour his career was unveiled at Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, on 3 February 2008. In addition to Forbes and his wife Nanette Newman, Richard Attenborough, one of Forbes' oldest friends, made a surprise guest appearance. This was the first visit by Forbes, the former Head of Production/Managing Director at EMI-MGM Elstree, for many years.
- His salary as Head of Production/Managing Director EMI-MGM Elstree was reported by The Times (March 26th 1971) as £35,000 p.a. The same article reported that at this time he could have been earning up to £150,000 per film had he continued his own successful career as actor/screenwriter/producer/director.
- Established Allied Film Makers (AFM) in 1959 along with Richard Attenborough, Guy Green, Basil Dearden, Michael Relph and Jack Hawkins. AFM acted as a producers co-operative in conjunction with The Rank Organisation which provided 10% of the costs (but no artistic control). The first collaboration was The League of Gentlemen (1960), which was the sixth most successful box-office film of 1960.
- Directed three actresses to Oscar nominations: Leslie Caron (Best Actress, The L-Shaped Room (1962)), Kim Stanley (Best Actress, Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964)), Edith Evans (Best Actress, The Whisperers (1967)).
- In 1976 he wrote a shooting script from a screenplay by Christopher Wicking and John Starr for an unproduced Hammer film called "Nessie", about the Loch Ness monster.
- His first role as film director was on Whistle Down the Wind (1961) at the encouragement of Richard Attenborough after the original director, Guy Green, dropped out.
- Donated his production files to The Margaret Herrick Library at the Fairbanks Centre for Motion Picture Study.
- Together with his long-time friend and collaborator Richard Attenborough, he established Beaver Films Limited, an independent production company that went on to produce three respected films; The Angry Silence (1960), Whistle Down the Wind (1961) and Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964). The name "Beaver" was apparently the invention of their wives, Nanette Newman and Sheila Sim. Today, now-Lord Attenborough, lives at Beaver Lodge.
- Collaborated with composer John Barry on many of the films he directed, starting in 1962 with The L-Shaped Room (1962).
- He was made a CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in the 2004 Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to the arts.
- Of his script in The League of Gentlemen (1960), in which Forbes also played a major role, "Wall Street Journal" critic David Mermelstein said (in 2011) that "with the exception of The Coen Brothers, no one writes screenplays like that anymore".
- An Associate Member of RADA.
- Educated at West Hammersmith Secondary School, Hammersmith, Middlesex, England.
- In June 2004 he was appointed President of the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain.
- He was replaced by Richard Lester as the director of Juggernaut (1974).
- Left RADA before graduating after he was refused permission to take on professional acting roles to supplement his income.
- Read the address at a small gathering of friends remembering the life of Jane Baxter (1909-96) at her local church in Wimbledon. She had made a specific request in her will that no formal memorial service be held.
- Took over the direction of The Madwoman of Chaillot (1969) after John Huston walked out shortly before filming was due to start.
- Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume Two, 1945-1985". Pages 345-349. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1988.
- He retained, for many years, the services of a cuttings agency which sent him newspaper and magazine stories and reviews pertaining to himself. Journalists who had had the effrontery to be critical of him often received sharp notes of disapproval.
- Was originally to direct Hopscotch (1980).
- He was a keen admirer of Tory Prime Minister Edward Heath and even directed a television Party Political Broadcast to promote Heath's government in the early '70s.
- Started his feature-film career in 1948 when he appeared in Hour of Glory (1949) just 6 years after making his stage debut in 'The Corn is Green'.
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