Michael Powell

Under the authoritarian rule of charismatic ballet impressario Boris Lermontov, his proteges realize the full promise of their talents, but at a price: utter devotion to their art and complete loyalty to Lermontov himself. Under his near-obsessive guidance, young ballerina Victoria Page is poised for superstardom, but earns Lermontov's scorn when she falls in love with Julian Craster, composer of "The Red Shoes," the ballet Lermontov is staging to showcase her talents. (imdb)

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), transcends its narrow wartime propaganda to portray in warm-hearted detail the life and loves of one extraordinary man (imdb)

Anglican nuns, led by the stern Sister Clodagh, attempt to establish a religious community in the Himalayas, and must battle not only suspicious locals and the elements, but their own demons as well. (imdb)

A British wartime aviator who cheats death must argue for his life before a celestial court. (imdb)

A young man murders women, using a movie camera to film their dying expressions of terror.

Prince Ahmad is the rightful King of Bagdad but he has been blinded and cast out as a beggar. Now a captive of the wicked Grand Vizier Jaffar he is cast into a dungeon where he meets Abu, the best thief in all Bagdad. (imdb)

This a film version of the opera "The Tales of Hoffmann", however it is NOT just a film of a staged performance... (imdb)

Young middle-class Englishwoman Joan Webster is determined to have the finer things in life, and to that end she plans to marry Sir Robert Bellinger... (imdb)

A 'Land Girl', an American GI, and a British soldier find themselves together in a small Kent town on the road to Canterbury... (imdb)

A trio wanders the cliffs of a Shetland island and encounters a gravestone at the edge of a precipice; it reads, "Peter Manson ... gone over." One man in the trio knows the story of the gravestone and tells it to the others... (imdb)

A damaged U-boat is stranded in a Canadian bay in the early years of World War II. The Fanatical Nazi captain and his crew must reach the neutral United States or be captured. Along the way they meet a variety of characters each with their own views on the war and nationalism. In this film Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger show their ideas of why the United States should join the Allied fight against the Nazis. (imdb)

Mark Dightam and his class go on a school trip to the Tower of London. While he is there he loses his pet mouse and vows to return and find her later. Back in school, he is not very attentive and falls asleep during a lesson about electricity so his teacher sends him home. On the 'tube' there is a sudden flash & Mark, the train & everyone on it have turned yellow... (imdb)

An elderly artist thinks he has become too stale and is past his prime. His friend (and agent) persuades him to go to an offshore island to try once more. On the island he re-discovers his muse in the form of a young girl. (imdb)

Nino Culotta is an Italian immigrant who arrived in Australia with the promise of a job as a journalist on his cousins magazine, only to find that when he gets there the magazine's folded, the cousins done a runner & the money his cousin sent for the fare was borrowed from the daughter of the boss of a local construction firm. So Nino tries to get a job & finishes up ... laying bricks. (imdb)

Based on the Bela Bartok opera, Bluebeard woos his women and then swiftly disposes of them. (imdb)

Captains John Fellows and Henry Wynne-Walton finish their Army training at Sandhurst Military Academy and are sent to the Middle-East. John is to lead a parachute battalion while Henry is put in charge of a platoon of armoured cars of the Household Cavalry. John is constantly being told by his father, an ex-Guards officer that he is not as good as his brother who was killed during the war. (imdb)

Australian famer Kit Kelly and his new bride Anna are driving through Europe when they help a stranded motorist. They discover he is Antonio, a famous dancer. Upon learning that Anna was a ballerina before she married, Antonio attempts to persuade her to join his company. (imdb)

Based on the true story of how, during World War II, a gang of desparadoes (British officers enlisted for "hostilities only" and local partisans) went to the occupied island of Crete and kidnapped a German General from under the nose of his army. That was the easy bit !!! They then had to get him back to Cairo, dodging an intense air and land search. (imdb)

Set during the early years of World War II, the War in the Atlantic. The Royal Navy was fighting a desperate battle to keep the convoy routes open to keep the British Isles supplied. One great danger was the surface raiders, huge cruisers called "pocket battleships" that slipped out of German waters just before war was declared... (imdb)

"Die Fledermaus" (The Bat) is the pseudonym adopted by Dr Falke. Floating on the buoyant waltzes of Strauss, this Viennese romp is sure to please. Disguises, tricks and every kind of deception combine to reveal a would-be cheat in hot pursuit of his own wife, much to his chagrin... (imdb)

Hazel Woodus is a beautiful but innocent country girl who loves all the creatures around her, especially her pet fox cub. She is given a rough time by her father but can escape to run barefoot through the woods when her harsh life gets too much for her... (imdb)

A British aristocrat goes in disguise to France to rescue people from The Terror of the guillotine. (imdb)

The best bomb disposal officer during World War II was badly injured and is in frequent pain. He finds solace and relief from his pain in the whisky bottle & the pills that are never far away. A new type of booby trapped bomb push his nerves & resolution to the limit. (imdb)

During the Allied Bombing offensive of World War II the public was often informed that "A raid took place last night over ..., One (or often more) of Our Aircraft Is Missing". Behind these sombre words hid tales of death, destruction and derring-do. This is the story of one such bomber crew who were shot down and the brave Dutch patriots who helped them home. (imdb)

This is the tale of life in a British port in the first year of World War II. Spies and smugglers abound in the blackout and unreal shore life of the "phoney war" (before the shooting started). (imdb)

A "documentary" style film to praise the R.A.F. at the start of World War II. The 'Michael Powell' touch adds to the stock footage to bring us the people involved in a bomber attack on the Keil Canal and a Spitfire night fighter repulsion of the Nazi bombers. (imdb)

When a German U-Boat captain is sent on a spying mission to the North of Scotland during World War One, he finds more than he bargained for in his contact, the local schoolmistress. (imdb)

An English baronet with little money falls for an American heiress but is apprehensive about proposing.She soon discovers her fortune is gone, however, and the tables turn.

A war recruitment film for the Fleet Air Arm done in a semi-documentary style.

Based on the story by Goethe about a Sorcerer's apprentice who gets into trouble while the master is away.

Essentially a re-release of Michael Powell's 'The Edge of the World (1937)' , but with colour 'bookends' in which director and actors revisit the island of Foula forty years later and talk about their experiences. (imdb)

A murderer is out for revenge on those who gave evidence against him. No prints of this film can be found. (imdb)

A taxi driver becomes involved in a plot to kidnap Ruritanian child king Ludwig and, disguised as a countess, rescues the young king from the revolutionaries. No prints of this film can be found. (imdb)

When cabinet minister John Hoode is murdered at his country house, his secretary, Alan Deacon, is the prime suspect and is arrested. Reporter Anthony Gethryn determines to unmask the real murderer. No prints of this film can be found. (imdb)

Business tycoon F.X. Benedik claims he has been threatened by a mysterious stranger Boswell Marsh. When F.X. Benedik is found murdered. Tony takes over the business and tries to track down the mysterious Marsh. Long considered lost, a print was discovered in 1990 after 50 years languishing in the vaults at Pinewood Studios, acquired by the National Film Archive and transferred on to safety film. (imdb)

The story of a smash and grab robbery is followed up by a reporter who tracks down the villains and helps to bring them to justice. No prints of this film can be found. (imdb)

Jerry Mason inherits a seaside hotel but discovers that a gang of robbers have buried their loot on the site where the hotel now stands. This film was believed lost, but a copy was found and was shown at the NFT in London in March 2000. (imdb)

When Frances discovers her stepfather dead in the library, she pays Peter Craven to help her hide the body. When the body is discovered, Frances is suspected of murder but Craven decides to find the real killer. No prints of this film can be found. (imdb)

Bert Gibbs becomes a Lord but agrees to pose as the fiance of a movie star to please his mother. A print of this film was found after none were known for 65 years. (imdb)

The letter in question appeared in The Times of London, written by a pilot who was missing and presumed dead.

A lighthouse keeper has been murdered in mysterious circumstances and, during the ensuing investigation a Phantom Light keeps appearing at the scene of his death. (imdb)

Jim Bronson is an insurance investigator, but he's unhappy with his work and gets involved with a gang of arsonists. His conscience is troubling him ... (imdb)

David Barr is the manager and chief designer of a British shipyard (when we still built ships). The shipyard is in financial trouble but Barr has a design for a new ship that will save them all. Can he get the ship built in spite of the opposition from his own bankers as well as the rival shipbuilders and their infiltrated militants. (imdb)

When an ex-dancer marries a man for his money she is suprised find he is a real skinflint. She owes a lot of money to a loan-shark who is after her. However, her husband does carry a lot of insurance. (imdb)

The wife of a politician is found dead at a country inn, where she had been seen with the politicians secretary, Alan. He is the immediate suspect but has a valid alibi. (imdb)

Mary Lee is the new head of a Chemistry Laboratory. Thompson and his work-mates are resentful of her appointment and try to make her fall in love with John in the hope that this will make her neglect her work. (imdb)

A young couple attend a masked ball before their planned (but secret) elopement. Suddenly everything goes wrong when the young woman is attacked and held hostage by a crazed attacker. (imdb)

A major newspaper publisher dies in suspicious circumstances during a parlour game at a dinner party. The publishers secretary is the obvious suspect, but the Inspector isn't so sure. (imdb)

Unemployed car salesman Peter is encouraged by his girlfriend Cynthia to approach the head of a petrol company with his plan for making petrol stations more attractive to customers. When the man rejects the idea Peter joins a rival company and becomes a great success. (Steve Crook)

John Smith, a middle-aged married man, is made redundant by his employer; at a loss and despairing, his friend Harry Jones suggests applying to the Embankment Fellowship Centre, a charity that provides hostelling, retraining and help finding work for men in his position.