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Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies
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Brock Peters to Jonathan Prince
Michael Powell Biography (1905-1990)
Full name, Michael Latham Powell; born September 30, 1905, in Bekesbourne, England; died of prostate cancer, February 19, 1990, in Avening, Gloucestershire, England; son of Thomas William and Mabel (Corbett) Powell; married FrancesReidy, 1943 (died, 1983); married Thelma Colbert Schoonmaker (a film editor), 1984; children: (first marriage) Kevin, Columba (sons).
- Nationality
- English
- Gender
- Male
- Occupation
- director, producer, writer, actor
- Birth Details
- September 30, 1905
- Bekesbourne, England
- Death Details
- February 19, 1990
- Avening, Gloucestershire, England
Famous Works
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Credits; Film Work; Director, Except Where Indicated
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Rynox, Ideal, 1931.
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The Rasp, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1931.
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Two Crowded Hours, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1931.
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My Friend the King, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1931.
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The Star Reporter, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1931.
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Born Lucky, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), 1932.
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C.O.D., Westminster, 1932.
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His Lordship, United Artists (UA), 1932.
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Hotel Splendide, Ideal, 1932.
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The Fire Raisers (also see below), W & F, 1933.
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The Night of the Party, Gaumont, 1934.
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Something Always Happens, Warner Brothers, 1934.
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Strike! (also known as Red Ensign; based on a story by Powell and Jerome Jackson; also see below), Gaumont, 1934.
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The Girl in the Crowd, First National-Warner Brothers, 1934.
- (And producer) The Price of a Song, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1935.
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Some Day, Warner Brothers, 1935.
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Her Last Affaire, Producers Distributors Corp., 1935.
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Lazybones, RKO Radio Pictures, 1935.
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The Phantom Light, Gaumont, 1935.
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The Love Test, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1935.
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The Man behind the Mask, MGM, 1936.
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The Brown Wallet, Warner Brothers, 1936.
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Crown vs. Stevens, First National, 1936.
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The Edge of the World (also see below), Pax, 1937.
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U-Boat 29 (also known as The Spy in Black), Columbia, 1939.
- (With Ludwig Berger, Tim Whelan, Zoltan Korda, William Cameron Menzies, and Alexander Korda) The Thief of Baghdad, UA, 1940.
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Blackout (also known as Contraband; based on a story by Emeric Pressburger; also see below), UA, 1940.
- (With Brian Desmond Hurst and Adrian Brunel) The Lion Has Wings, UA, 1940.
- (And producer with John Sutro) The Invaders (also known as 49thParallel), Columbia, 1941.
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Honeymoon, RKO Radio Pictures, 1958.
- (And producer) Peeping Tom (also known as Face of Fear; also see below), Astor, 1960.
- (And producer) The Queen's Guards, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1963.
- (And producer) They're a Weird Mob, British Empire, 1966.
- Producer (with Herbert Brodkin), Sebastian, Paramount, 1968.
- (And producer with James Mason) Age of Consent, Columbia, 1969.
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The Boy Who Turned Yellow, Children's Film, 1972.
- Also director of An Airman's Letter to His Mother, 1941, and Bluebeard's Castle, 1964; director and producer of The Tempest (alsosee below), 1974, and Return to the Edge of the World, late 1970s.
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Credits; Film Work; With Emeric Pressburger, Except Where Indicated
- Director and producer, One of Our Aircraft Is Missing (also see below), UA, 1942.
- Director, The Volunteer, Anglo, 1943.
- Director and producer, A Canterbury Tale (also see below), Eagle-Lion, 1944.
- Director, and producer with Pressburger, Colonel Blimp (also knownas The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp; also see below), General Films Distributors, 1945.
- Producer with Pressburger and Ralph Richardson, The Silver Fleet,Producers Releasing Corporation, 1945.
- Director and producer, Stairway to Heaven (also known as A Matter of Life and Death; also see below), Universal, 1946.
- Producer, The End of the River, General Films Distributors, 1947.
- Director and producer, Black Narcissus (based on the novel by Rumer Godden; also see below), General Film, 1947.
- Director and producer, I Know Where I'm Going (also see below), General Films Distributors-Universal, 1947.
- Director and producer, The Red Shoes (also see below), Eagle-Lion-J. Arthur Rank, 1948.
- Director and producer, Hour of Glory (also known as The Small Back Room; based on the novel by Nigel Balchin; also see below), British Lion, 1949.
- Director, The Fighting Pimpernel (also known as The Elusive Pimpernel; based on the novel The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy; also see below), British Lion, 1950.
- Director and producer, The Tales of Hoffmann (based on the opera by Jacques Offenbach; also see below), Lopert, 1951.
- Director, The Wild Heart (also known as Gone to Earth and Gypsy Blood; based on the novel Gone to Earth by Mary Webb; alsosee below), RKO Radio Pictures-Selznick, 1952.
- Director and producer, Oh Rosalinda (based on the opera Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss; also see below), AFB-Pathe, 1956.
- Director and producer, Pursuit of the Graf Spee (also known as The Battle of the River Plate; also see below), J. Arthur Rank, 1957.
- Director and producer, Night Ambush (also known as Ill Met by Moonlight; based on the book Ill Met by Moonlight by W. Stanley Moss; also see below), J. Arthur Rank, 1958.
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Credits; Other Film Work
- Worked with silent-film director Rex Ingram on Mare Nostrum, MGM,1926; The Magician, 1926; and The Garden of Allah, 1927. Also worked on The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1955; on Pavlova: A Woman for All Time (also see below), 1982; and worked as still photographer for Alfred Hitchcock's Champagne.
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Credits; Film Appearances
- Man, The Compulsory Husband, British International, 1930.
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The Edge of the World, Pax, 1937.
- Dispatching officer, One of Our Aircraft Is Missing, UA, 1942.
- Mr. Lewis, Peeping Tom (also known as Face of Fear), Astor,1960.
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Credits; Stage Work
- Director of several theater productions during 1940s and 1950s, includingFifth Column, c. 1944, and Hanging Judge.
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Credits; Television Work; Director; Episodic
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The Defenders, CBS, 1961-65.
- Also directed episodes of Espionage and The Nurses, both during 1960s.
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Credits; Other Television Work
- Worked on Pavlova: A Woman for All Time (movie), c. 1989.
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Credits; Screenplays
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Caste (based on a play by T. W. Robertson), UA, 1930.
- (With Reginald Berkeley) 77 Park Lane (based on a play by Walter Hackett), UA, 1931.
- (With Miles Malleson) Perfect Understanding (based on a story by Malleson), UA, 1933.
- (With Jerome Jackson) The Fire Raisers, W & F, 1933.
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The Edge of the World, Pax, 1937.
- (With Brock Williams) Blackout (also known as Contraband; based on a story by Pressburger), UA, 1940.
- (With Pressburger) One of Our Aircraft Is Missing, UA, 1942.
- (With Pressburger) A Canterbury Tale, Eagle-Lion, 1944.
- (With Pressburger) Colonel Blimp (also known as The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp), General Films Distributors, 1945.
- (With Pressburger) Stairway to Heaven (also known as A Matter of Life and Death), Universal, 1946.
- (With Pressburger) Black Narcissus (based on the novel by Rumer Godden), General Film, 1947.
- (With Pressburger) I Know Where I'm Going, General Films Distributors-Universal, 1947.
- (With Pressburger and Keith Winter) The Red Shoes, Eagle-Lion-J. Arthur Rank, 1948.
- (With Pressburger) Hour of Glory (also known as The Small BackRoom; based on the novel by Nigel Balchin), British Lion, 1949.
- (With Pressburger) The Fighting Pimpernel (also known as The Elusive Pimpernel; based on the novel The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy), British Lion, 1950.
- (With Pressburger) The Tales of Hoffmann (based on the opera by Jacques Offenbach), Lopert, 1951.
- (With Pressburger) The Wild Heart (also known as Gone to Earth and Gypsy Blood; based on the novel Gone to Earth by Mary Webb), RKO Radio Pictures-Selznick, 1952.
- (With Pressburger) Oh Rosalinda (based on the opera Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss), AFB-Pathe, 1956.
- (With Pressburger) Pursuit of the Graf Spee (also known as TheBattle of the River Plate), J. Arthur Rank, 1957.
- (With Pressburger) Night Ambush (also known as Ill Met by Moonlight; based on the book Ill Met by Moonlight by W. Stanley Moss),J. Arthur Rank, 1958.
- Also author of screenplay for The Tempest, 1974.
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Credits; Other
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A Waiting Game (novel), Joseph, 1975.
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A Life in Movies (autobiography), Knopf, 1987.
- Also author of 200,000 Feet on Foula, c. 1938.
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Credits; Adaptations
- The film Strike! (also known as Red Ensign), written by L.duGarde Peach and released by Gaumont, 1934, is based on a story by Powell and Jerome Jackson.
Further Reference
Periodicals
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Film Comment, July/August, 1981.
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Hollywood Reporter, February 22, 1990.
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New York Times, February 21, 1990.
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Variety, February 28, 1990, pp. 9, 18, 59.
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