British film maker who began his career working on documentaries for the Crown Film Unit in the late 1940's. He directed his first feature films for ABPC (Associated British Picture Corporation) and Group 3 in the 50's, alternating comedies with melodramas. Frankel had a reputation as an expert director of children. From the mid-60s, he worked primarily in television, his best output being for ITC (The Baron, Department S, UFO, etc.). His last (and best known) feature film around this time was the psychological horror thriller The Witches (1966) for Hammer.