David Bradley (director)

David Bradley (born 1920, died 1997) was an American independent filmmaker best known for his low-budget adaptations of classic literature and his association with avant-garde cinema. He often utilized non-professional actors and experimental techniques due to budgetary limitations.

Bradley began his filmmaking career in the late 1940s. He gained recognition for his unauthorized and unlicensed 16mm adaptation of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar (1950), which, despite its amateur production values, garnered attention for its innovative use of camera angles and its stark, minimalist style. His adaptation of Peer Gynt (1941), which he later remade in 1963 with Charlton Heston as Ibsen's character, is also noteworthy.

Other films directed by Bradley include Talk About a Stranger (1957), a film noir starring George Nader; Dragonfly (1976), a horror film; and They Saved Hitler's Brain (1968), a science fiction film. While his works are often criticized for their technical limitations, Bradley is recognized for his ambition, his willingness to tackle complex subjects on a shoestring budget, and his contributions to the history of independent filmmaking. He is considered a significant figure in American avant-garde and low-budget cinema.