Michael Latham Powell (30 September 1905 – 19 February 1990) was an English filmmaker, best known for his films which were made in partnership with Emeric Pressburger.
Early films
editMany of his early films are disparagingly referred to as "quota quickies". Not all of them were really quota films, and the ones that were are often of a much higher standard than most other quota films. Some of his early films are now missing and are believed lost. But those that have survived often show some very sophisticated techniques and early versions of ideas that were reused, done better, in his later films. Those marked with an * are "Missing, believed lost".[1]
| Year | Title | Production Company | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 | Riviera Revels | G. Ventimigla and Marcel Lucien | A series of comedy shorts. Powell co-directed with Harry Lachman |
| 1930 | Caste | Harry Rowson (Ideal) | Uncredited as director, main director was Campbell Gullan |
| 1931 | Two Crowded Hours * | Film Engineering | |
| 1932 | My Friend the King * | Film Engineering | |
| Rynox | Film Engineering | ||
| The Rasp * | Film Engineering | ||
| The Star Reporter * | Film Engineering | ||
| Hotel Splendide | Film Engineering. A Gaumont-British Picture Corporation Ltd |
||
| C.O.D. * | Westminster Films | ||
| His Lordship | Westminster Films | ||
| 1933 | Born Lucky * | Westminster Films | |
| 1934 | The Fire Raisers | Gaumont-British | |
| Red Ensign | Gaumont-British | US title: Strike! | |
| Something Always Happens | Warner Brothers. First National Productions Ltd |
||
| 1935 | The Girl in the Crowd * | First National | |
| Lazybones | A Real Art Production | ||
| The Love Test | Fox British | ||
| The Night of the Party | Gaumont-British Picture Corporation | US title: The Murder Party | |
| The Phantom Light | A Gainsborough Picture | ||
| The Price of a Song * | Fox British | ||
| Someday * | Warner British | a.k.a. Young Nowheres | |
| 1936 | Her Last Affaire | New Ideal Productions Ltd | |
| The Brown Wallet * | Warner Brothers. First National |
||
| Crown v. Stevens | Warner Brothers. First National Productions Ltd | a.k.a. Third Time Unlucky | |
| The Man Behind the Mask | Joe Rock Studios | reissued as Behind the Mask. Only exists as a cut-down US print. |
Major films
editAside from some short films, Powell wrote, produced and directed all of his films from 1939 to 1957 with Emeric Pressburger
| Year | Title | Production Company | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | The Edge of the World | Joe Rock Productions | |
| 1939 | The Spy in Black | Harefield | US title: U Boat 29 |
| Smith | D&P Productions. Embankment Fellowship Co. |
10-minute short film | |
| The Lion Has Wings | London Film Productions | RAF documentary footage with some fictional intercuts | |
| 1940 | Contraband | British National | US title: Blackout |
| The Thief of Bagdad | Alexander Korda Films Inc. | co-director | |
| 1941 | An Airman's Letter to His Mother | a 5-minute short | |
| 49th Parallel | Ortus Films (and Ministry of Information (United Kingdom)) |
US title: The Invaders | |
| 1942 | One of Our Aircraft Is Missing | The Archers. British National |
|
| 1943 | The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp | The Archers/ Independent Producers |
|
| The Volunteer | The Archers. Ministry of Information (United Kingdom) |
a short propaganda film | |
| 1944 | A Canterbury Tale | The Archers | |
| 1945 | I Know Where I'm Going! | The Archers | |
| 1946 | A Matter of Life and Death | The Archers | US title: Stairway To Heaven |
| 1947 | Black Narcissus | The Archers for Independent Producers Ltd. |
|
| 1948 | The Red Shoes | The Archers | |
| 1949 | The Small Back Room | The Archers. London Films |
|
| 1950 | Gone to Earth | The Archers. London Films |
US title: The Wild Heart (1952) – substantially re-edited version additional scenes directed by Rouben Mamoulian |
| The Elusive Pimpernel | London Film Productions (and The Archers) |
US title: The Fighting Pimpernel | |
| 1951 | The Tales of Hoffmann | British Lion Film Corporation (with Vega Productions and The Archers) |
|
| 1955 | Oh... Rosalinda!! | Associated British Picture Corporation. Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger |
|
| 1956 | The Sorcerer's Apprentice | 20th Century-Fox Film Corporation/ Norddeutscher Rundfunk |
a short ballet |
| The Battle of the River Plate | Arcturus Productions. Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger |
US title: The Pursuit of the Graf Spee | |
| 1957 | Ill Met by Moonlight | Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger for Rank Organisation Film Productions (and Vega Productions) |
US title: Night Ambush |
| 1959 | Luna de Miel | Michael Powell Production for Suevia Films-Cesáreo González (Spain)/Everdene (GB) |
a.k.a. Honeymoon |
| 1960 | Peeping Tom | Michael Powell Production | |
| 1961 | The Queen's Guards | Imperial. Michael Powell Production |
|
| 1963 | Herzog Blaubarts Burg | Süddeutscher Rundfunk. Norman Foster Produktion | a.k.a. Bluebeard's Castle |
| 1966 | They're a Weird Mob | J. C. Williamson Film Company (Australia)/ Michael Powell Production |
Pressburger wrote the script as Richard Imrie |
| 1969 | Age of Consent | Nautilus Productions | |
| 1972 | The Boy Who Turned Yellow | Roger Cherrill Ltd for the Children's Film Foundation |
Script by Pressburger |
| 1978 | Return to the Edge of the World | Poseidon Films/ BBC Television |
For British TV, framing of the original 1937 film |
Television work
editPowell also directed episodes of the TV series The Defenders, Espionage and The Nurses.
| Year | Title | Production Company | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Never Turn Your Back on a Friend | Herbert Brodkin Ltd. | Episode for the Espionage series |
| 1964 | The Frantick Rebel | Herbert Brodkin Ltd. | Episode for the Espionage series |
| 1964 | A Free Agent | Herbert Brodkin Ltd. | Episode for the Espionage series |
| 1965 | The Sworn Twelve | Herbert Brodkin Ltd. | Episode for The Defenders series |
| 1965 | A 39846 | Herbert Brodkin Ltd. | Episode for The Nurses series |
Non-directorial work
editPowell was also involved in the following films in a non-directorial role:
- The Silver Fleet (1943) – Producer
- The End of the River (1947) – Producer
- Aila, pohjolan tytär (a.k.a. Arctic Fury) (1951) – Producer
- Sebastian (1968) – Producer
- Anna Pavlova (1983) – Associate Producer
References
edit- ^ "Early Michael Powell". BFI Screenonline.