Director best known for the 1981 film classic Clash of the TitansDesmond Davis, who has died aged 95, was a
British director widely known for his 1981
Hollywood film fantasy Clash of the Titans, a saga of Greek myths and legends, thrilling duels to the death, and fearsome creatures and visual effects that were brought to the screen by the great animator Ray Harryhausen.
![Desmond Davis obituary](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/5464b25c6248fda500464064928c91a424a8ba9f/0_2_2990_1794/master/2990.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctZGVmYXVsdC5wbmc&enable=upscale&s=b2d4f56f0deb2e2e6f4eb9ab49d28aa7)
Harryhausen’s creativity was matched by a stellar cast, with two film newcomers, Harry Hamlin as Perseus and Judi Bowker as Andromeda, joined by Laurence Olivier as Zeus, Claire Bloom as Hera and Maggie Smith as Thetis.