Michael Powell filmography
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
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
Aside 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
Powell 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
Powell 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
- ^ "Early Michael Powell". BFI Screenonline.