Director
Michael Powell
1905 – 1990
Full page on IMDbWho they are
- Born
- 30 September 1905, Bekesbourne, Kent, England
- Died
- 19 February 1990
- Known for
- The Red Shoes
, Black Narcissus, A Matter of Life and Death
Michael Powell (1905–1990) was an English director who, with writer-producer Emeric Pressburger, formed the production company The Archers. Their films of the 1940s combined visual daring with romantic and fantastical storytelling. His 1960 thriller Peeping Tom was savaged on release, damaging his career, but it was later recognised as a masterpiece.
Where to start
The Red Shoes (1948)Full guide
Lavish ballet drama in Technicolor, the Archers' most celebrated film and a lasting influence on filmmakers.
Black Narcissus (1947)In the library
Intense drama of nuns in a Himalayan convent, famed for its painterly colour and studio-built setting.
A Matter of Life and Death (1946)Log in to add it to the library
Fantasy romance moving between colour Earth and monochrome afterlife; an imaginative Archers landmark.
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)Log in to add it to the library
Wartime epic following one soldier across decades, notable for its humane, questioning view of Britishness.
Peeping Tom (1960)In the library
Disturbing study of a voyeuristic killer that provoked outrage, stalled his career, and was later reappraised.
Their films in the library
Awards
No major awards are documented here.
The full list · 78
- 1926The MagicianLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Man with Balloon at Snake Charming (uncredited)
- 1927Riviera Revels - Travelaugh No. 12Log in to add it to the libraryActor as Cicero Baedeker Symp
- 1927Riviera Revels - Travelaugh No. 11: Scents and NonsenseLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Cicero Baedeker Symp
- 1927Riviera Revels - Travelaugh No. 6Log in to add it to the libraryActor as Cicero Baedeker Symp
- 1927Riviera Revels - Travelaugh No. 2: A Nasty JarLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Cicero Baedeker Symp
- 1927Riviera Revels - Travelaugh No. 10: Fauny BusinessLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Cicero Baedeker Symp
- 1927The Garden of AllahLog in to add it to the libraryActor as A Tourist
- 1927Riviera Revels - Travelaugh No. 1: Spooky IslandsLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Cicero Baedeker Symp
- 1927Riviera Revels - Travelaugh No. 9: Cold FeatsLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Cicero Baedeker Symp
- 1929The Compulsory HusbandLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Man
- 1931RynoxLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1931Two Crowded HoursLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1931The Star ReporterLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1932Hotel SplendideLog in to add it to the libraryDirector · Actor as Bugging Device Engineer (uncredited)
- 1932His LordshipLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1932The RaspLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1932My Friend the KingLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1932C.O.D.Log in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1933Born LuckyLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1934Red EnsignLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1934The Fire RaisersLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1934The Night of the PartyLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1934Something Always HappensLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1935The Phantom LightLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1935LazybonesLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1935The Love TestLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1935Her Last AffaireLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1935The Price of a SongLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1935The Girl in the CrowdLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1935SomedayLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1936Crown v. StevensLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1936The Man Behind the MaskLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1936The Brown WalletLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1937The Edge of the WorldLog in to add it to the libraryDirector · Actor as Mr. Graham - the Yachtsman (uncredited)
- 1939The Spy in BlackLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1939The Lion Has WingsLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1939SmithLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1940The Thief of BagdadLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1940ContrabandLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 194149th ParallelLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1941An Airman's Letter to His MotherLog in to add it to the libraryDirector · Actor as Reader of Prologue (uncredited)
- 1942One of Our Aircraft Is MissingLog in to add it to the libraryDirector · Actor as Despatching Officer
- 1943The Life and Death of Colonel BlimpLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1944A Canterbury TaleLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1944The VolunteerLog in to add it to the libraryDirector · Actor as Self
- 1945I Know Where I'm Going!Log in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1946A Matter of Life and DeathLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1947Black NarcissusLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1948The Red ShoesLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1949The Small Back RoomLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1950Gone to EarthLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1950The Elusive PimpernelLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1951The Tales of HoffmannLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1955Oh... Rosalinda!!Log in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1955The Sorcerer's ApprenticeLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1956The Battle of the River PlateLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1957Ill Met by MoonlightLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1959HoneymoonLog in to add it to the libraryDirector · Actor as Guide Describing the Lovers of Teruel (voice) (uncredited)
- 1960Peeping TomLog in to add it to the libraryDirector · Actor as Mark's Father - A.N. Lewis (uncredited)
- 1961The Queen's GuardsLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1963Bluebeard's CastleLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1966They're a Weird MobLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1969Age of ConsentLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1972The Boy Who Turned YellowLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
- 1978Return to the Edge of the WorldLog in to add it to the libraryDirector · Actor as Self
- 1980Picture Business: Michael Powell at DartmouthLog in to add it to the libraryActor
- 1981A Pretty British AffairLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Interviewee
- 1985The Golden Gong: The Story of Rank Films - British Cinema's Legendary StudioLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self
- 1986FearLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Himself
- 1986LaughterLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Himself
- 1986TearsLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Himself
- 1990The Scorsese MachineLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self
- 1997A Very British PsychoLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Himself
- 2003Chaplin Today: A Woman of ParisLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self (archive sound)
- 2010Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack CardiffLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self (voice) (archive sound)
- 2014Inside Rupert PupkinLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self (archive footage)
- 2019Churchill and the Movie MogulLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self (archive footage)
- 2024Made in England: The Films of Powell and PressburgerLog in to add it to the libraryActor as Self (archive footage)
Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.