Quiz

Began directing a farcical detective thriller, "Monsieur Lecoq", in 1967 and filmed for several weeks in mostly bad weather which caused considerable delays. Eventually Columbia Pictures decided it would be cheaper to abandon the uncompleted film. John Le Mesurier, who had a small role, suggested in his autobiography that Holt never recovered from this career blow.

Brother-in-law of Robert Hamer.

A few days before the end of filming Exorcismus - Cleo, la dea dell'amore (1971) he held a dinner party, after which he collapsed and died of a heart attack.

In the early 1960s he and Zero Mostel prepared a screenplay based on Agatha Christie's "The ABC Murders", planning a film in which Holt would direct Mostel in the role of Hercule Poirot. However, this was postponed, and when the film was eventually made (as Poirot e il caso Amanda (1965)), Frank Tashlin directed Tony Randall as Poirot, using a new script.

Among the film projects Holt announced at various times were "A Piece Of The Action", an original screenplay set in Las Vegas by David T. Chantler, which was to have been produced by Robert Aldrich; "Lady Into Fox", a version of the celebrated novel by David Garnett; "Gratz", an original screenplay by J.P. Donleavy; "The Anarchist", a biopic about Mikhail Bakunin written by literary critic Alfredo Álvarez; a modern-dress version of Thomas Middleton's 17th-century play "Women, Beware Women"; and a thriller written by John Howlett to be called "The Velvet Well". None of these projects came to fruition.

Was slated to direct Se.... (1968), but his physical and mental conditions had deteriorated to the point where Lindsay Anderson took over the picture.

He was described by Kenneth Tynan as "the best conversationalist in London".

Brother of actress Joan Holt.