Maurice Elvey
Encyclopedia
Maurice Elvey was the most prolific film director
in British
history. He directed nearly 200 films between 1913 and 1957. During the silent film
era he directed as many as twenty films per year.
Born William Seward Folkard in Stockton-on-Tees
, Elvey began his career as an actor
at the age of 17. He quickly rose to directing and producing plays and established his own theatrical company before switching to films with The Great Gold Robbery in 1913. He directed a wide array of popular features in a variety of genres, including comedy
, drama
, literary adaptations – including Robert Louis Stevenson
's The Suicide Club (1914) and a version of William Shakespeare
's As You Like It
entitled Love in a Wood (1916) – and biographical
profiles of such luminaries as Florence Nightingale
and Lord Nelson
. The Life Story of David Lloyd George
, suppressed for political reasons just prior to its release in 1918, had its world premiere in Cardiff
in May 1996 and was hailed by critics and film historians as one of the best silent film
s produced in the UK.
In 1921, Elvey directed 16 shorts
and one full-length feature film
(The Hound of the Baskervilles
) with Ellie Norwood as Sherlock Holmes
. The actor was Arthur Conan Doyle
's favorite among those who portrayed his literary sleuth.
Elvey worked with such performers as Leslie Howard
, Gracie Fields
, Claude Rains
, Alastair Sim
, Leslie Banks
, and Fay Wray
, and mentored future directors Carol Reed
and David Lean
. In 1944, he was charmed by Petula Clark
when he saw her perform at the Royal Albert Hall
, and he launched her film career by casting her as a precocious waif in his wartime drama Medal for the General
. The two collaborated on three additional films.
Elvey was married three times, to actress Philippa Preston, sculptor Florence Hill Clarke, and actress Isobel Elsom
, whom he met on the set of The Wandering Jew in 1923. The couple went on to make eight films together.
The loss of an eye and failing health prompted Elvey's retirement at the age of 70. Ten years later he died in Brighton
.
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
in British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
history. He directed nearly 200 films between 1913 and 1957. During the silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
era he directed as many as twenty films per year.
Born William Seward Folkard in Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees is a market town in north east England. It is the major settlement in the unitary authority and borough of Stockton-on-Tees. For ceremonial purposes, the borough is split between County Durham and North Yorkshire as it also incorporates a number of smaller towns including...
, Elvey began his career as an actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
at the age of 17. He quickly rose to directing and producing plays and established his own theatrical company before switching to films with The Great Gold Robbery in 1913. He directed a wide array of popular features in a variety of genres, including comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
, drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
, literary adaptations – including Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
's The Suicide Club (1914) and a version of William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's As You Like It
As You Like It
As You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600 and first published in the folio of 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has been suggested as a possibility...
entitled Love in a Wood (1916) – and biographical
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
profiles of such luminaries as Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale OM, RRC was a celebrated English nurse, writer and statistician. She came to prominence for her pioneering work in nursing during the Crimean War, where she tended to wounded soldiers. She was dubbed "The Lady with the Lamp" after her habit of making rounds at night...
and Lord Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
. The Life Story of David Lloyd George
The Life Story of David Lloyd George
The Life Story of David Lloyd George is a 1918 British silent biopic film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Norman Page, Alma Reville and Ernest Thesiger. The film "is thought to be the first feature length biopic of a contemporary living politician"...
, suppressed for political reasons just prior to its release in 1918, had its world premiere in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
in May 1996 and was hailed by critics and film historians as one of the best silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
s produced in the UK.
In 1921, Elvey directed 16 shorts
Short subject
A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all...
and one full-length feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
(The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Hound of the Baskervilles is the third of four crime novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serialised in The Strand Magazine from August 1901 to April 1902, it is set largely on Dartmoor in Devon in England's West Country and tells the story of an...
) with Ellie Norwood as Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
. The actor was Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
's favorite among those who portrayed his literary sleuth.
Elvey worked with such performers as Leslie Howard
Leslie Howard (actor)
Leslie Howard was an English stage and film actor, director, and producer. Among his best-known roles was Ashley Wilkes in Gone with the Wind and roles in Berkeley Square , Of Human Bondage , The Scarlet Pimpernel , The Petrified Forest , Pygmalion , Intermezzo , Pimpernel Smith...
, Gracie Fields
Gracie Fields
Dame Gracie Fields, DBE , was an English-born, later Italian-based actress, singer and comedienne and star of both cinema and music hall.-Early life:...
, Claude Rains
Claude Rains
Claude Rains was an English stage and film actor whose career spanned 66 years. He was known for many roles in Hollywood films, among them the title role in The Invisible Man , a corrupt senator in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington , Mr...
, Alastair Sim
Alastair Sim
Alastair George Bell Sim, CBE was a Scottish character actor who appeared in a string of classic British films. He is best remembered in the role of Ebenezer Scrooge in the 1951 film Scrooge, and for his portrayal of Miss Fritton, the headmistress in two St. Trinian's films...
, Leslie Banks
Leslie Banks
Leslie Banks, CBE was an English theatre and cinema actor, director and producer, now best remembered playing gruff, menacing characters in black and white movies of the 1930s and 1940s.-Early life:...
, and Fay Wray
Fay Wray
Fay Wray was a Canadian-American actress most noted for playing the female lead in King Kong...
, and mentored future directors Carol Reed
Carol Reed
Sir Carol Reed was an English film director best known for Odd Man Out , The Fallen Idol , The Third Man and Oliver!...
and David Lean
David Lean
Sir David Lean CBE was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor best remembered for big-screen epics such as The Bridge on the River Kwai , Lawrence of Arabia ,...
. In 1944, he was charmed by Petula Clark
Petula Clark
Petula Clark, CBE is an English singer, actress, and composer whose career has spanned seven decades.Clark's professional career began as an entertainer on BBC Radio during World War II...
when he saw her perform at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
, and he launched her film career by casting her as a precocious waif in his wartime drama Medal for the General
Medal for the General
Medal for the General is a 1944 British comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey. The screenplay by Elizabeth Baron is based on the novel of the same title by James Ronald.-Plot:...
. The two collaborated on three additional films.
Elvey was married three times, to actress Philippa Preston, sculptor Florence Hill Clarke, and actress Isobel Elsom
Isobel Elsom
Isobel Elsom was an English screen, stage, and television actress.-Career:Born as Isobel Jeannette Reed in Cambridge, England, Elsom usually was cast as an aristocratic lady of the upper class. Over the course of three decades she appeared in 17 Broadway productions, beginning with The Ghost Train...
, whom he met on the set of The Wandering Jew in 1923. The couple went on to make eight films together.
The loss of an eye and failing health prompted Elvey's retirement at the age of 70. Ten years later he died in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
.
Selected filmography
- Maria MartenMaria Marten (1913 film)Maria Marten is a 1913 British silent melodrama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Nessie Blackford, Fred Groves and Douglas Payne. It was based on the 1827 Red Barn Murder. A Suffolk squire murders a young pregnant woman who demands that he marries her...
(1913) - Honeymoon for ThreeHoneymoon for ThreeHoneymoon for Three is a 1915 British comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey.-Cast:* Charles Hawtrey as Prince Ferdinand* Elisabeth Risdon as Molly Van Dam* Fred Groves as Cornelius V. Van Dam* A. V. Bramble as Duke of Monte Casa...
(1915) - The Gay Lord QuexThe Gay Lord Quex (film)The Gay Lord Quex is a 1917 British silent comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Ben Webster, Irene Vanbrugh and Lilian Braithwaite...
(1917) - Hindle WakesHindle Wakes (1918 film)Hindle Wakes is a 1918 British silent film drama, directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Colette O'Niel and Hayford Hobbs. It is the first of four screen versions of the celebrated and controversial 1912 play by Stanley Houghton, which was a sensation in its time for its daring assertions that a...
(1918) - Adam BedeAdam Bede (film)Adam Bede is a 1918 British silent drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Bransby Williams, Ivy Close and Malvina Longfellow. It is an adaptation of the novel Adam Bede by George Eliot.-Cast:* Bransby Williams - Adam Bede...
(1918) - NelsonNelson (1918 film)Nelson is a 1918 British historical film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Donald Calthrop, Malvina Longfellow and Ivy Close. It was based on the biography of Admiral Horatio Nelson by Robert Southey.-Cast:* Donald Calthrop - Horatio Nelson...
(1918) - The Life Story of David Lloyd GeorgeThe Life Story of David Lloyd GeorgeThe Life Story of David Lloyd George is a 1918 British silent biopic film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Norman Page, Alma Reville and Ernest Thesiger. The film "is thought to be the first feature length biopic of a contemporary living politician"...
(1918/1996) - ComradeshipComradeship (1919 film)Comradeship is a 1919 British silent film drama, directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Lily Elsie, Gerald Ames and Guy Newall. The film's action covers the entire span of World War I, from the months before the outbreak of hostilities to the declaration of peace.-Background:Comradeship was the...
(1919) - Mr WuMr. Wu (1919 film)Mr. Wu is a 1919 British drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Matheson Lang, Lillah McCarthy and Meggie Albanesi. A Chinese Mandarin murders his daughter after she falls in love with an Englishman. It was based on a 1913 play Mr. Wu by Maurice Vernon and Harold Owen. Durin the filming...
(1919) - The Elusive PimpernelThe Elusive Pimpernel (1919 film)The Elusive Pimpernel is a 1919 British silent adventure film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Cecil Humphreys, Marie Blanche and Norman Page. It was based on the novel The Elusive Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy...
(1919) - The Amateur GentlemanThe Amateur Gentleman (1920 film)The Amateur Gentleman is a 1920 British drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Langhorn Burton, Madge Stuart and Cecil Humphreys. The film is adapted from the 1913 novel The Amateur Gentleman by Jeffrey Farnol...
(1920) - Dick Turpin's Ride to YorkDick Turpin's Ride to YorkDick Turpin's Ride to York is a 1922 British historical silent film drama directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Matheson Lang, Isobel Elsom and Cecil Humphreys...
(1922) - Guy FawkesGuy Fawkes (film)Guy Fawkes is a 1923 British historical film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Matheson Lang, Nina Vanna and Hugh Buckler. The film depicts the Gunpowder plot of 1605 in which a group of plotter planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament.-Cast:...
(1923) - The Passionate FriendsThe Passionate FriendsThe Passionate Friends is a 1949 British romantic drama film directed by David Lean. The film is based on The Passionate Friends: A Novel, a 1913 story by H. G. Wells It describes a love triangle in which a woman cannot give up her affair with another man...
(1923) - Henry, King of NavarreHenry, King of NavarreHenry, King of Navarre is a 1924 British silent historical film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Matheson Lang, Gladys Jennings and Henry Victor. It was based on a novel by Alexandre Dumas.-Cast:* Matheson Lang as Henry...
(1924) - Folly of Vanity (1924)
- My Husband's WivesMy Husband's WivesMy Husband's Wives is a 1924 silent American drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Shirley Mason. The film is considered to be lost.- Cast :* Shirley Mason as Vale Harvey* Bryant Washburn as William Harvey* Evelyn Brent as Marie Wynn...
(1924) - Mademoiselle from ArmentieresMademoiselle from Armentieres (film)Mademoiselle from Armentieres is a 1926 British World War I silent film drama, directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Estelle Brody and John Stuart. The film was Elvey's first collaboration with producer Victor Saville.-Plot:...
(1926) - Hindle WakesHindle Wakes (1927 film)Hindle Wakes is a 1927 British silent film drama, directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Estelle Brody and John Stuart. The film is adapted from Stanley Houghton's 1912 stage play of the same name, and reunites Brody and Stuart following their hugely popular pairing in the previous year's...
(1927) - QuinneysQuinneys (1927 film)Quinneys is a 1927 British romance film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring John Longden, Alma Taylor and Henry Vibart. It is an adaptation of the play Quinneys by Horace Annesley Vachell. David Lean worked on the film as a camera assistant...
(1927) - BalaclavaBalaclava (film)Balaclava is a 1928 British war film directed by Maurice Elvey and Milton Rosmer and starring Cyril McLaglen, Benita Hume, Alf Goddard, Harold Huth and Wally Patch. A British army officer is cashiered, and re-enlists as Private to take part in the Crimean War and succeeds in capturing a top Russian...
(1928) - You Know What Sailors AreYou Know What Sailors Are (1928 film)You Know What Sailors Are is a 1928 British comedy drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Alf Goddard, Cyril McLaglen and Chili Bouchier...
(1928) - High Treason (1929)
- School for ScandalSchool for Scandal (film)School for Scandal is a 1930 British comedy film directed by Thorold Dickinson and Maurice Elvey and starring Basil Gill, Madeleine Carroll and Ian Fleming. It is based on the play School for Scandal by Richard Brinsley Sheridan.-Cast:...
(1930) - In a Monastery Garden (1932)
- The LodgerThe Lodger (1932 film)The Lodger is a British thriller film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Ivor Novello, Elizabeth Allan and Jack Hawkins. It is based on the novel The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes, also filmed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1927, by John Brahm in 1944, as Man in the Attic directed by Hugo Fregonese,...
(1932) - Frail Women (1932)
- This Week of GraceThis Week of GraceThis Week of Grace is a 1933 British comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Gracie Fields, Henry Kendall and John Stuart. A poor, unemployed woman is made housekeeper at the estate of a wealthy duchess. It was promoted with the tagline "Cinderella in modern dress"...
(1933) - The Lost ChordThe Lost Chord (film)The Lost Chord is a 1933 British drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring John Stuart, Elizabeth Allan and Jack Hawkins. A musician becomes embroiled in the domestic rows of an aristocratic family.-Cast:* John Stuart ... David Graham...
(1933) - I Lived with YouI Lived with YouI Lived with You is a 1933 British romantic comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Ivor Novello, Ursula Jeans and Ida Lupino. It is based on the play I Lived With You by Novello.-Cast:* Ivor Novello - Prince Felix Lenieff...
(1933) - Heat Wave (1935)
- The ClairvoyantThe ClairvoyantThe Clairvoyant is a 1934 drama film made in the UK, starring Claude Rains, Fay Wray, and Jane Baxter, directed by Maurice Elvey, and based on the novel of the same name by Ernst Lothar.-Plot:...
(1935) - The TunnelThe Tunnel (1935 film)The Tunnel, also known as Transatlantic Tunnel in the United States, is a 1935 British science fiction film based on the 1913 novel Der Tunnel by Bernhard Kellermann, about the building of a transatlantic tunnel. It was directed by Maurice Elvey and stars Richard Dix, Leslie Banks, Madge Evans,...
(1935) - Spy of NapoleonSpy of NapoleonSpy for Napoleon is a 1936 British historical drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Richard Barthelmess, Dolly Haas, Frank Vosper, Henry Oscar and James Carew...
(1936) - Man in the MirrorMan in the Mirror"Man in the Mirror" is a song recorded by Michael Jackson and written and composed by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett. It peaked at number one in the United States when released as a single in January 1988 off his seventh solo album, Bad. It is one of Jackson's most critically acclaimed songs and...
(1936) - Change for a Sovereign (1937)
- A Romance in FlandersA Romance in FlandersA Romance in Flanders is a 1937 British drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Paul Cavanagh, Marcelle Chantal, Olga Lindo and Alastair Sim. It is set during the First World War with the British Expeditionary Force in Flanders...
(1937) - Melody and RomanceMelody and RomanceMelody and Romance is a 1937 British musical comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Hughie Green, Margaret Lockwood and Jane Carr. Two teenagers with aspirations to become stars fall in love.-Cast:* Hughie Green - Hughie Hawkins...
(1937) - Who Killed John Savage?Who Killed John Savage?Who Killed John Savage? is a 1937 British mystery film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Nicholas Hannen, Barry MacKay, Kathleen Kelly, Henry Oscar and Edward Chapman. A businessman is found dead, leaving police detectives to work out if it was suicide or murder. The film is based on a novel...
(1937) - The Return of the FrogThe Return of the FrogThe Return of the Frog is a 1938 British crime film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Gordon Harker, Hartley Power and René Ray. It was a sequel to the 1937 film The Frog which was based on an Edgar Wallace novel...
(1938) - Who Goes Next?Who Goes Next?Who Goes Next? is a 1938 British war film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Barry K. Barnes, Sophie Stewart and Jack Hawkins. During the First World War, a number of captured British officers attempt to escape a Prisoner of War camp.-Cast:...
(1938) - Lightning ConductorLightning Conductor (film)Lightning Conductor is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Gordon Harker, John Davis Lodge and Sally Gray. A London bus driver becomes embroiled in a plot by foreign agents to steal secret documents.-Cast:...
(1938) - Sword of HonourSword of Honour (film)Sword of Honour is a 1939 British drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Geoffrey Toone, Sally Gray, Wally Patch and Peter Gawthorne...
(1939) - A People Eternal (1939)
- Sons of the SeaSons of the Sea (film)Sons of the Sea is a 1939 British drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Leslie Banks, Kay Walsh, Mackenzie Ward and Cecil Parker.-Synopsis:...
(1939) - Room for TwoRoom for TwoRoom for Two is a 1940 British comedy film.The story takes place in Venice, where a womanising Englishman Vic Oliver takes a strong interest to married tourist played by Frances Day. Oliver disguises himself in drag and gets himself hired as the Days' maid. When Day's philandering husband, played...
(1940) - For FreedomFor FreedomFor Freedom is a 1940 British drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and Castleton Knight. It was made largely for propaganda purposes during the Second World War. It featured Will Fyffe, Guy Middleton, and Terry-Thomas....
(1940) - The SpiderThe Spider (1940 film)The Spider is a 1940 British, black-and-white, crime, drama, thriller, directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Ronald Shiner as . It was produced by Admiral Films.-Synopsis:...
(1940) - Goofer Trouble (1940)
- Under Your HatUnder Your HatUnder Your Hat is a 1940 British comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Jack Hulbert, Cicely Courtneidge, Austin Trevor, Leonora Corbett and Cecil Parker. The film is set in pre-Second World War England where a leading film star and his wife attempt to recover a secret carburettor...
(1940) - Salute John CitizenSalute John CitizenSalute John Citizen is a 1942 British drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Edward Rigby, Mabel Constanduros and Jimmy Hanley. The Bunting family face up to the fortunes of war during the Second World War. It was based on the novels Mr. Bunting and Mr. Bunting at War by Robert...
(1942) - The Gentle SexThe Gentle SexThe Gentle Sex is a 1943 British, black-and-white romantic comedy-drama war film directed and narrated by Leslie Howard. It was produced by Concanen Productions, Two Cities Films and Derrick de Marney.-Synopsis:...
(1943) - The Lamp Still BurnsThe Lamp Still BurnsThe Lamp Still Burns is a 1943 British drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Rosamund John, Stewart Granger, Godfrey Tearle and Sophie Stewart. An architect retrains as a nurse...
(1943) - Medal for the GeneralMedal for the GeneralMedal for the General is a 1944 British comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey. The screenplay by Elizabeth Baron is based on the novel of the same title by James Ronald.-Plot:...
(1944) - Strawberry RoanStrawberry Roan (film)Strawberry Roan is a 1945 British drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring William Hartnell and Carol Raye. The screenplay was developed from the 1932 novel of the same name by Wiltshire author A. G. Street, at the time a very popular, well-known and widely-admired work...
(1945) - Beware of PityBeware of PityBeware of Pity is a 1946 British romantic drama film starring Lilli Palmer, Albert Lieven and Cedric Hardwicke. It is based on the novel of the same name by Stefan Zweig...
(1946) - The Third VisitorThe Third VisitorThe Third Visitor is a 1951 British crime film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Sonia Dresdel, Guy Middleton and Karel Stepanek. A police detective investigating a murder, discovers that the dead man is not in fact dead. It was based on a play by Gerald Anstruther.-Cast:* Sonia Dresdel ... ...
(1951) - The Late Edwina BlackThe Late Edwina BlackThe Late Edwina Black is a 1951 British drama film, directed by Maurice Elvey and starring David Farrar, Geraldine Fitzgerald and Roland Culver...
(1951) - My Wife's LodgerMy Wife's LodgerMy Wife's Lodger is a 1952 British comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Dominic Roche, Olive Sloane and Leslie Dwyer. A soldier returns home after the Second World War only to find a spiv lodger has established himself in his place. He begins plotting to restore his place as the head...
(1952) - The Great GameThe Great Game (1953 film)The Great Game is a 1953 British sports comedy-drama directed by Maurice Elvey and starring James Hayter, Thora Hird and Diana Dors. It was based on a play by Basil Thomas. Many of the scenes were shot at Griffin Park the home of Brentford F.C....
(1953) - Is Your Honeymoon Really Necessary?Is Your Honeymoon Really Necessary?Is Your Honeymoon Really Necessary? is a 1953 British comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey. The film was based on Vivian Tidmarsh's play by the same name.-Plot:...
(1953) - House of BlackmailHouse of BlackmailHouse of Blackmail is a 1953 British drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Mary Germaine, William Sylvester and Alexander Gauge. A soldier and his girlfriend become mixed up with a blackmailer.-Cast:* Mary Germaine ... Carol Blane...
(1953) - What Every Woman WantsWhat Every Woman Wants (1954 film)What Every Woman Wants is a 1954 British comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring William Sylvester, Elsie Albiin and Brenda De Banzie. It was based on a play Relations Are Best Apart by Edwin Lewis...
(1954) - The Happiness of Three Women (1954)
- The Harassed HeroThe Harassed HeroThe Harassed Hero is a 1954 British comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Guy Middleton, Joan Winmill Brown and Elwyn Brook-Jones. It was based on a novel by Ernest Dudley.-Partial cast:* Guy Middleton - Murray Selwyn...
(1954) - The Gay DogThe Gay DogThe Gay Dog is a 1954 British comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Wilfred Pickles, Petula Clark and Megs Jenkins. A family acquire ownership of a greyhound which they plan to enter into a race.-Cast:* Wilfred Pickles - Jim Gay...
(1954) - You Lucky PeopleYou Lucky PeopleYou Lucky People is a 1955 British comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Tommy Trinder, Mary Parker and Dora Bryan. It was released in CinemaScope.-Partial cast:* Tommy Trinder as Tommy Smart* Mary Parker as Private Sally Briggs...
(1955) - Room in the HouseRoom in the HouseRoom in the House is a 1955 film that was directed by Maurice Elvey. The film's screenplay, by Alfred Shaughnessy, is based on Eynon Evans's novel of the same name.-Cast and characters:...
(1955) - Fun at St. Fanny's (1956)
- Dry RotDry Rot (film)Dry Rot is a 1956 British comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Ronald Shiner, Brian Rix, Peggy Mount and Sid James.The story is an adaptation of a 1954 farce by John Roy Chapman who also wrote the screenplay, in which the sketchy story plays second fiddle to the quick-paced action and...
(1956) - Stars in Your EyesStars in Your EyesStars in Your Eyes is a 1956 British musical film directed by Maurice Elvey.-Plot:As the world of vaudeville gradually loses its attraction, more and more entertainers are losing their jobs. In hopes of fixing their financial problems, a group of entertainers band together and buy a run-down...
(1956) - Second FiddleSecond Fiddle (1957 film)Second Fiddle is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Adrienne Corri, Thorley Walters, Lisa Gastoni and Richard Wattis....
(1957)