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Michael Latham Powell (September 30, 1905-February 19,1990) was a British film director, renowned for his partnership with Emeric Pressburger which produced a series of classic British films.

Powell was born in Bekesbourne, Kent, and educated at The King's School, Canterbury and then at Dulwich College. He worked in a bank before becoming an actor and entering the film industry through working with Rex Ingram in France. He developed his skills directing 'quota quickies', sometimes making up to 7 films a year. In 1939 he met Emeric Pressburger whilst they worked together on The Spy in Black. Working together as co-producers, writers and directors in a partnership they dubbed "The Archers", they made nineteen feature films, many of which received critical and commercial success, and their best films are still regarded as classics of 20th century British cinema.

Although proponents would argue that Powell ought to rank alongside Hitchcock and Lean as one of the greatest British film directors, his career suffered a severe reversal after the release of the confronting psychological thriller film Peeping Tom in 1960 as a solo effort. The film was excoriated by British critics, who were offended by its Freudian overtones and challenged by its reflexive subtext, and Powell was ostracised by the film industry and found it almost impossible to work thereafter. His offence, it seemed, was to have made a horror movie that was genuinely horrific. However, his reputation was restored over the years, and by the time of his death he and Pressburger were recognised as one of the foremost film partnerships of all time - and cited as a key infuence by many noted film-makers such as Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola.

He was married to Thelma Schoonmaker from May 17, 1984 until his death.

Filmography

For his films with Emeric Pressburger, see Powell and Pressburger and Films by Powell and Pressburger

Early work

Many of his early film are disparigingly referred to as 'quota quickies'. Not all of them were actually quota films, and of the ones that are they are often a much higher standard than most other quota films. Some of his early films are now missing, believed lost. But those that have survived often show some very sophisticated techniques and early versions of ideas that were used again, done better, in his later films.

  • 1928: Riviera Revels (co-director)
  • 1930: Caste (uncredited) *
  • 1931: Two Crowded Hours *
  • 1932: His Lordship *
  • 1932: C.O.D. *
  • 1932: Hotel Splendide
  • 1932: The Star Reporter *
  • 1932: Rynox
  • 1932: The Rasp *
  • 1932: My Friend the King *
  • 1933: Born Lucky *
  • 1934: Something Always Happens
  • 1934: Red Ensign (US title: Strike!)
  • 1934: The Fire Raisers
  • 1935: Some Day (aka Young Nowheres) *
  • 1935: The Price of a Song *
  • 1935: The Phantom Light
  • 1935: The Night of the Party (US title: The Murder Party)
  • 1935: The Love Test
  • 1935: Lazybones
  • 1935: The Girl in the Crowd *
  • 1936: The Man Behind the Mask (reissued as Behind the Mask)
  • 1936: Crown Vs. Stevens (aka Third Time Unlucky)
  • 1936: The Brown Wallet *
  • 1936: Her Last Affaire

Those marked with a * are "Missing, believed lost"

Other films

From late 1930s onwards, most of Powell's films were in collaboration with Pressburger. His solo films were:

Powell also directed episodes of the TV series The Defenders, Espionage and The Nurses.

Other works

Books

  • 1938: 200,000 feet on Foula - the story of the making of The Edge of the World
  • 1956: The Last Voyage of the Graf Spee - includes a lot of information that they couldn't fit in the film The Battle of the River Plate. ISBN 0727402560
  • 1975: A Waiting Game - A novel of Ireland. ISBN 0718113683
  • 1978: The Red Shoes. ISBN 0804426872 (pbk), ISBN 0312140347, ISBN 0312156375 (pbk)
  • 1986: A Life In Movies - autobiography (Part I). ISBN 043459945X, ISBN 0413165108 (pbk), ISBN 0394559355, ISBN 0749311770, ISBN 057120431 (pbk)
  • 1990: The Edge of the World - updated reprint of 200,000 feet on Foula. ISBN 0571153062
  • 1992: Million Dollar Movie - autobiography (Part II). ISBN 0434599476, ISBN 0679434437
  • 1994: The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp- Includes memos from Churchill and notes showing how the script developed. ISBN 0571143555

Theatre

  • 1944: Directed January de Hartog's Skipper Next To God at the Theatre Royal, Windsor
  • 1944: Directed Ernest Hemingway's The Fifth Column at the Theatre Royal, Glasgow
  • 1951: Directed James Forsyth's Heloise at the Golders Green Theatre, London

Awards, nominations and honours

  • 1981: Made fellow of BAFTA

Legacy

References

  • Powell, Pressburger and Others by Ian Christie, London: British Film Institute, 1978.
  • Arrows of Desire: The Films of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger by Ian Christie. London: Waterstone, 1985. ISBN 0947752137, ISBN 0571162711
  • Michael Powell y Emeric Pressburger by Llorenç Esteve. Spain, Catedra, 2002.
  • Michael Powell: Interviews edited by David Lazar. University Press of Mississippi, 2003. ISBN 1578064988
  • Powell and Pressburger: A Cinema of Magic Spaces by Andrew Moor. I.B. Tauris, 2005. ISBN 1850439478
  • The Cinema of Michael Powell: International Perspectives on an English Filmmaker edited by Ian Christie and Andrew Moor. BFI, 2005. ISBN 1844570932, ISBN 1844570940 (pbk)

External links

1905 births | 1990 deaths | English film directors | English film producers | English screenwriters | Natives of Kent | English-language film directors | Propagandists | Michael Powell | Michael Powell

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Michael Powell (director)".

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