Judith Crawley

Judith Rosemary (Sparks) Crawley (April 21, 1914 – September 16, 1986) was a Canadian film producer, cinematographer, director, and screenwriter. She and her husband Frank Radford "Budge" Crawley co-founded the production company Crawley Films in 1939. Crawley is best known for writing the Academy Award-winning documentary The Man Who Skied Down Everest. She is considered to be the first Canadian female filmmaker, and is recognized as being a pioneer for women who work in the film industry. Early life Judith "Judy" Sparks was born in Ottawa, Ontario to Roderick Percy Sparks, a prominent tariff counsel and Rheba (Fraser) Sparks. She studied at the Ottawa Ladies' College, and later studying English and economics from 1933 to 1936, graduated from McGill University, having earned a Bachelor of Arts. After her marriage to her next door neighbour, "Budge" Crawley, on October 1, 1938, Crawley became interested in filmmaking.