The

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

film-making partnership of

Michael Powell Michael Latham Powell (30 September 1905 – 19 February 1990) was an English filmmaker, celebrated for his partnership with Emeric Pressburger. Through their production company Powell and Pressburger, The Archers, they together wrote, produced ...

(1905–1990) and

Emeric Pressburger Emeric Pressburger (born Imre József Pressburger; 5 December 19025 February 1988) was a Hungarian-British screenwriter, film director, and producer. He is best known for his series of film collaborations with Michael Powell, in a collaborat ...

(1902–1988)—together often known as The Archers, the name of their production company—made a series of influential films in the 1940s and 1950s. Their collaborations—24 films between 1939 and 1972—were mainly derived from original stories by Pressburger with the script written by both Pressburger and Powell. Powell did most of the directing while Pressburger did most of the work of the producer and also assisted with the editing, especially the way the music was used. Unusually, the pair shared a writer-director-producer credit for most of their films. The best-known of these are ''

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp ''The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp'' is a 1943 British romantic-war film written, produced and directed by the British film-making team of Powell and Pressburger, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. It stars Roger Livesey, Deborah Kerr and ...

'' (1943), ''

A Canterbury Tale ''A Canterbury Tale'' is a 1944 British film by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger starring Eric Portman, Sheila Sim, Dennis Price and Sgt. John Sweet; Esmond Knight provided narration and played two small roles. For the post-war Americ ...

'' (1944), ''

I Know Where I'm Going! ''I Know Where I'm Going!'' is a 1945 romance film directed and written by the British filmmakers Powell and Pressburger, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. It stars Wendy Hiller and Roger Livesey, and features Pamela Brown (actress), Pamela ...

'' (1945), '' A Matter of Life and Death'' (1946), ''

Black Narcissus ''Black Narcissus'' is a 1947 British psychological drama film jointly written, directed and produced by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, based on the 1939 novel by Rumer Godden. It stars Deborah Kerr, Sabu, David Farrar, and Flora R ...

'' (1947), '' The Red Shoes'' (1948), and ''

The Tales of Hoffmann ''The Tales of Hoffmann'' (French: ) is an by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Jules Barbier, based on three short stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann, who is the protagonist of the story. It was Offenbach's final work; he died in ...

'' (1951). In 1981, Powell and Pressburger were recognised for their contributions to

British cinema British cinema has significantly influenced the global film industry since the 19th century. The oldest known surviving film in the world, ''Roundhay Garden Scene'' (1888), was shot in England by French inventor Louis Le Prince. Early colour ...

with the

BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award The BAFTA Fellowship, or the Academy Fellowship, is a lifetime achievement award presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in recognition of "outstanding achievement in the art forms of the moving image". The award is t ...

, the most prestigious award given by the

British Academy of Film and Television Arts The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...

History

Early films

Powell was already an experienced director, having worked his way up from making

silent films A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, wh ...

to the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

drama ''

The Spy in Black ''The Spy in Black'' (US: ''U-boat 29'') is a 1939 British spy film, and the first collaboration between the British filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. They were brought together by Alexander Korda to make the World War I spy th ...

'' (1939), his first film for Hungarian émigré producer

Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; ; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)

. Pressburger, who had come from

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

in 1935, already worked for Korda, and was asked to do some rewrites for the film.Powell 1986, pp 302–303 This collaboration was the first of 19, most over the next 18 years. After Powell had made two further films for Korda, he reunited with Pressburger in 1940 for ''

Contraband Contraband (from Medieval French ''contrebande'' "smuggling") is any item that, relating to its nature, is illegal to be possessed or sold. It comprises goods that by their nature are considered too dangerous or offensive in the eyes of the leg ...

'', the first in a run of Powell and Pressburger films set during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The second was '' 49th Parallel'' (1941), which won Pressburger an

Academy Award for Best Story The Academy Award for Best Story was an Academy Award given from the beginning of the Academy Awards until 1956. This award can be a source of confusion for modern audiences, given its co-existence with the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenpl ...

. Both are

Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featu ...

-like thrillers made as anti-Nazi propaganda. For these three films, Powell is the credited director (also producer on ''49th Parallel''), while Pressburger is credited with the screenplay: * ''

'' (1939) * ''

'' (1940) * '' 49th Parallel'' (1941)

Birth of The Archers

The pair adopted a joint writer-producer-director credit for their next film, '' One of Our Aircraft Is Missing'' (1942) and made reference to "The Archers" in the credits. In 1943 they incorporated their own production company, Archers Film Productions, and adopted a distinctive

archery Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a Bow and arrow, bow to shooting, shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting ...

target logo which began each film. The joint credit "Written, Produced and Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger" indicates their joint responsibility for their own work and that they weren't beholden to any studio or other producers. In a letter to

Wendy Hiller Dame Wendy Margaret Hiller (15 August 1912 – 14 May 2003) was an English film and stage actress who enjoyed a varied acting career that spanned nearly 60 years. Writer Joel Hirschorn, in his 1984 compilation ''Rating the Movie Stars'', describ ...

in 1942, asking her to appear in ''

Colonel Blimp Colonel Blimp is a British cartoon character by cartoonist David Low. It was first drawn for Lord Beaverbrook's London ''Evening Standard'' in April 1934. Blimp is pompous, irascible, jingoistic, and stereotypically British. He is identifiabl ...

'', Pressburger explicitly set out 'The Archers' Manifesto'. Its five points express the pair's intentions: # We owe allegiance to nobody except the financial interests which provide our money; and, to them, the sole responsibility of ensuring them a profit, not a loss. # Every single foot in our films is our own responsibility and nobody else's. We refuse to be guided or coerced by any influence but our own judgement. # When we start work on a new idea, we must be a year ahead, not only of our competitors, but also of the times. A real film, from idea to universal release, takes a year. Or more. # No artist believes in

escapism Escapism is mental diversion from unpleasant aspects of daily life, typically through activities involving imagination or entertainment. Escapism also may be used to occupy one's self away from persistent feelings of depression or general s ...

. And we secretly believe that no audience does. We have proved, at any rate, that they will pay to see the truth, for other reasons than her nakedness. # At any time, and particularly at the present, the self-respect of all collaborators, from star to propman, is sustained, or diminished, by the theme and purpose of the film they are working on. They began to form a group of regular cast and crew members who worked with them on many films over the next 12 years. Hardly any of these people were ever under contract to The Archers—they were hired film by film—but Powell and Pressburger soon learnt whom they worked well with and who enjoyed working with them. When

Raymond Massey Raymond Hart Massey (August 30, 1896 – July 29, 1983) was a Canadian actor known for his commanding stage-trained voice. For his lead role in '' Abe Lincoln in Illinois'' (1940), Massey was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. He r ...

was offered the part of the Prosecuting Attorney in '' A Matter of Life and Death'' his cabled reply was "For The Archers anytime, this world or the next."Powell, 1986 Powell and Pressburger also co-produced a few films by other directors under The Archers' banner: ''

The Silver Fleet ''The Silver Fleet'' is a 1943 British World War II film written and directed by Vernon Sewell and Gordon Wellesley and produced by Powell and Pressburger under the banner of "The Archers". Plot Early during the Second World War, the Nazis ove ...

'' (1943), written and directed by

Vernon Sewell Vernon Campbell Sewell (4 July 1903 – 21 June 2001) was a British film director, writer, producer and, briefly, an actor. Sewell was born in London, England, and was educated at Marlborough College. He directed more than 30 films during his c ...

and Gordon Wellesley, based on a story by Pressburger, and '' The End of the River'' (1947), directed by Derek N. Twist, to which both Powell and Pressburger contributed uncredited writing. Both Sewell and Twist had worked with Powell & Pressburger previously on other films and were being given their first chance as directors. Over the course of the war and afterwards, they released a series of acclaimed films: * '' One of Our Aircraft Is Missing'' (1942) * ''

'' (1943) * ''

'' (1943) (producers only; written and directed by the team of

and Gordon Wellesley) * '' The Volunteer'' (1944) a short propaganda film * ''

'' (1944) * ''

'' (1945) * '' A Matter of Life and Death'' (1946)

The collaboration

Generally, Pressburger created the original story (for all their films from 1940–1946) and wrote the first draft of the script. They then passed the script back and forth a few times—they could never work on it together in the same room. For the dialogue, Pressburger knew what he wanted the characters to say but Powell would often supply some of the actual words. They both acted as producers, perhaps Pressburger slightly more than Powell, since he could soothe the feathers ruffled by Powell's forthright manner. They became their own producers mainly to stop anyone else from interfering, since they had a considerable degree of freedom, especially under

Rank A rank is a position in a hierarchy. It can be formally recognized—for example, cardinal, chief executive officer, general, professor—or unofficial. People Formal ranks * Academic rank * Corporate title * Diplomatic rank * Hierarchy ...

, to make just about any film they wanted. The direction was nearly all done by Powell, but even so The Archers generally worked as a team, with the cast and crew often making suggestions. Pressburger was always on hand, usually on the studio floor, to make sure that these late changes fit seamlessly into the story. Once the filming was finished, Powell usually went off for a walk in the hills of Scotland to clear his head, but Pressburger was often closely involved in the editing, especially in the way the music was used. Pressburger was a musician himself and had played the violin in an orchestra in Hungary. When the film was finally ready and Powell was back from the Highlands, he was usually "the front man" in any promotional work, such as interviews for the trade papers or fan magazines. Because collaborative efforts such as Powell and Pressburger's were, and continue to be, unusual in the film industry, and because of the influence of the

auteur theory An (; , ) is an artist with a distinctive approach, usually a film director whose filmmaking control is so unbounded and personal that the director is likened to the "author" of the film, thus manifesting the director's unique style or thematic ...

, which elevates the director as a film's primary creator, Pressburger has sometimes been dismissed as "Michael Powell's scriptwriter". Powell himself consistently, emphatically and categorically rejected this characterization, and was the first to say, in many interviews, that he couldn't have done most of what he did without Pressburger working as a full and equal film-making partner.

Post-war success and decline

* ''

'' (1947) * '' The End of the River'' (1947) (producers only; written by Wolfgang Wilhelm, directed by

Derek Twist Derek Norman Twist (26 May 190515 August 1979) was a British screenwriter, film editor and director. He was sometimes credited as Derek N. Twist. During the 1930s he worked at British Gaumont. Early life Twist was born in Paddington area of L ...

) * '' The Red Shoes'' (1948) * ''

The Small Back Room ''The Small Back Room'' (U.S. title: ''Hour of Glory'') is a 1949 film by the British producer-writer-director team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger starring David Farrar and Kathleen Byron and featuring Jack Hawkins and Cyril Cusac ...

'' (1949) * '' Gone to Earth'' (1950). A substantially re-edited version was released in the US as ''The Wild Heart'' (1952) by co-producer

David O. Selznick David O. Selznick (born David Selznick; May 10, 1902June 22, 1965) was an American film producer, screenwriter and film studio executive who produced ''Gone with the Wind (film), Gone with the Wind'' (1939) and ''Rebecca (1940 film), Rebecca'' (1 ...

, after a court battle with Powell and Pressburger. The film was fully restored by the British Film Archive in 1985. * '' The Elusive Pimpernel'' (1950) * ''

'' (1951)

End of the partnership

After the early 1950s, Powell and Pressburger began to produce fewer films. Their last two films were financially successful, but the duo's mid-1950s output met with less critical success than their earlier films. Powell himself felt that '' Ill Met by Moonlight'' was The Archers' worst film. * '' Oh... Rosalinda!!'' (1955) * '' The Battle of the River Plate'' (1956) * '' Ill Met by Moonlight'' (1957) The Archers' productions officially came to an end in 1957, and the pair separated to pursue their individual careers. The separation was amicable, and they remained devoted friends for the rest of their lives.

Later collaboration

The pair reunited for two films: * ''

They're a Weird Mob ''They're a Weird Mob'' is a popular 1957 Australian comic novel written by John O'Grady under the pseudonym "Nino Culotta", the name of the main character of the book. The book was the first published novel by O'Grady, with an initial print run ...

'' (1966) * '' The Boy Who Turned Yellow'' (1972) For both these films, Powell was credited as the sole director, and Pressburger as the sole screenwriter (for ''They're a Weird Mob'', Pressburger used the pseudonym "Richard Imrie"). Powell produced ''They're a Weird Mob'', Pressburger produced ''The Boy Who Turned Yellow''.

Regular cast and crew

Powell and Pressburger re-used actors and crew members in a number of films. Actors who were part of The Archers' "stock company" include: * Pamela Brown (''One of Our Aircraft Is Missing'', ''I Know Where I'm Going!'', ''The Tales of Hoffmann'') *

Kathleen Byron Kathleen Elizabeth Fell (11 January 1921 – 18 January 2009), known professionally as Kathleen Byron, was an English actress. Early life Byron was born Kathleen Elizabeth Fell in Manor Park (then part of Essex) to what she described as "stau ...

(''The Silver Fleet'', ''A Matter of Life and Death'', ''Black Narcissus'', ''The Small Back Room'') *

Robert Coote Robert Coote (4 February 1909 – 26 November 1982) was an English actor. He played aristocrats or British military types in many films, and created the role of Colonel Hugh Pickering in the long-running original Broadway production of ''My Fai ...

(''A Matter of Life and Death'', ''The Elusive Pimpernel'') *

Finlay Currie William Finlay Currie (20 January 1878 – 9 May 1968) was a Scottish actor of stage, screen, and television.McFarlane, Brian (28 February 2014). ''The Encyclopedia of British Film: Fourth edition''. Oxford University Press. pp. 175-176; He rec ...

(''The Edge of the World'', ''49th Parallel'', ''I Know Where I'm Going!'') *

Cyril Cusack Cyril James Cusack (26 November 1910 – 7 October 1993) was an Irish stage and screen actor with a career that spanned more than 70 years. During his lifetime, he was considered one of Ireland's finest thespians, and was renowned for his inte ...

(''The Small Back Room'', ''The Elusive Pimpernel'', ''Gone to Earth'', ''Ill Met by Moonlight'') * David Farrar (''Black Narcissus'', ''The Small Back Room'', ''Gone to Earth'', ''The Battle of the River Plate'') *

Marius Goring Marius Re Goring (23 May 191230 September 1998) was an English stage and screen actor. He is best remembered for the four films he made with Powell and Pressburger, Powell & Pressburger, particularly as Conductor 71 in ''A Matter of Life and D ...

(''The Spy in Black'', ''A Matter of Life and Death'', ''The Red Shoes'', ''Ill Met by Moonlight'') *

Robert Helpmann Sir Robert Murray Helpmann (né Helpman) (9 April 1909 – 28 September 1986) was an Australian ballet dancer, actor, director, and choreographer. After early work in Australia he moved to Britain in 1932, where he joined the Vic-Wells Ballet (no ...

(''One of Our Aircraft Is Missing'', ''The Red Shoes'', ''The Tales of Hoffmann'') * Valerie Hobson ('' The Silent Battle'', ''The Spy in Black'', ''Contraband'', ''

Atlantic Ferry ''Atlantic Ferry'' (alternate U.S. title: ''Sons of the Sea'') is a 1941 British film directed by Walter Forde and starring Michael Redgrave and Valerie Hobson. It was made at Teddington Studios. Plot In 1837 Liverpool, brothers Charles and ...

'') *

Kim Hunter Kim Hunter (born Janet Cole; November 12, 1922 – September 11, 2002) was an American theatre, film, and television actress. She achieved prominence for portraying Stella Kowalski in the original production of Tennessee Williams' ''A Streetcar ...

(''A Canterbury Tale'' merican version ''A Matter of Life and Death'') *

Deborah Kerr Deborah Jane Trimmer CBE (30 September 192116 October 2007), known professionally as Deborah Kerr (), was a Scottish actress. She was nominated six times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, becoming the first person from Scotland to be no ...

(''Contraband'' eleted scenes ''The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp'', ''Black Narcissus'') *

Esmond Knight Esmond Penington Knight (4 May 1906 – 23 February 1987) was an English actor. He had a successful stage and film career before World War II. For much of his later career Knight was half-blind. He had been badly wounded in 1941 while on active ...

(''Contraband'', ''The Silver Fleet'', ''A Canterbury Tale'', ''Black Narcissus'', ''The Red Shoes'', ''Gone to Earth'', ''Peeping Tom'', ''The Boy Who Turned Yellow'') *

John Laurie John Paton Laurie (25 March 1897 – 23 June 1980) was a Scottish stage, film, and television actor. He appeared in scores of feature films with directors including Alfred Hitchcock, David Lean, Michael Powell and Laurence Olivier, generally p ...

(''Red Ensign'', ''Her Last Affaire'', ''The Edge of the World'', ''The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp'', ''I Know Where I'm Going!'', ''Return to the Edge of the World'') *

Roger Livesey Roger Livesey (25 June 1906 – 4 February 1976) was a British stage and film actor. He is most often remembered for the three Powell and Pressburger, Powell & Pressburger films in which he starred: ''The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp'', '' ...

(''The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp'', ''I Know Where I'm Going!'', ''A Matter of Life and Death'') *

(''49th Parallel'', ''A Matter of Life and Death'') *

Léonide Massine Leonid Fyodorovich Myasin (), better known in the West by the French transliteration as Léonide Massine (15 March 1979), was a Russian choreographer and ballet dancer. Massine created the world's first symphonic ballet, ''Les Présages'', and ...

(''The Red Shoes'', ''The Tales of Hoffmann'', ''Honeymoon'') *

Eric Portman Eric Harold Portman (13 July 1901 – 7 December 1969) was an English stage and film actor. He is probably best remembered for his roles in three films for Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger during the 1940s. Early life Born in Halifax, ...

(''49th Parallel'', ''One of Our Aircraft Is Missing'', ''A Canterbury Tale'', ''

Squadron Leader X ''Squadron Leader X'' is a 1943 British World War II spy drama directed by Lance Comfort and starring Eric Portman and Ann Dvorak. The screenplay was adapted by Miles Malleson and Wolfgang Wilhelm from a short story by Emeric Pressburger. Unf ...

'', '' Wanted for Murder'') * Sir Ralph Richardson (''The Lion Has Wings'', ''The Silver Fleet'', ''

Smith Smith may refer to: People and fictional characters * Metalsmith, or simply smith, a craftsman fashioning tools or works of art out of various metals * Smith (given name) * Smith (surname), a family name originating in England ** List of people ...

'', ''The Volunteer'') *

Moira Shearer Moira Shearer King, Lady Kennedy (17 January 1926 – 31 January 2006) was a Scottish ballet dancer and actress. She was famous for her performances in Powell and Pressburger's ''The Red Shoes (1948 film), The Red Shoes'' (1948) and ''The Tales ...

(''The Red Shoes'', ''The Tales of Hoffmann'', ''Peeping Tom'') *

Conrad Veidt Hans Walter Conrad Veidt ( , ; 22 January 1893 – 3 April 1943) was a German and British actor. He attracted early attention for his roles in the films ''Different from the Others'' (1919), ''The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari'' (1920), and ''The Man ...

(''The Spy in Black'', ''Contraband'', '' The Thief of Bagdad'') *

Anton Walbrook Adolf Anton Wilhelm Wohlbrück (19 November 18969 August 1967) was an Austrian actor who settled in the United Kingdom under the name Anton Walbrook. A popular performer in Austria and pre-war Germany, he left Germany in 1936 out of concerns f ...

(''49th Parallel'', ''The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp'', ''The Red Shoes'', ''Oh... Rosalinda!!'') * Mogens Wieth (''Aila, Pohjolan tytär'', ''The Tales of Hoffmann'') *

Googie Withers Georgette Lizette "Googie" Withers (12 March 191715 July 2011) was an English entertainer. She was a dancer and actress, with a lengthy career spanning some seventy-three years in theatre, film, and television. She was a well-known actress and ...

(''Her Last Affaire'', ''One of Our Aircraft Is Missing'', ''The Silver Fleet'') Notable crew members include: * Ivor Beddoes (Assistant Art Director: ''The Small Back Room'', ''The Fighting Pimpernel'', ''Gone to Earth'', ''The Tales of Hoffmann''; ''Peeping Tom''; Scenic Artist: ''Black Narcissus'', ''The Red Shoes'') *

Sir Thomas Beecham Sir Thomas Beecham, 2nd Baronet, (29 April 18798 March 1961) was an English conductor and impresario best known for his association with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philh ...

(Conductor: ''The Red Shoes'', ''The Tales of Hoffmann'') * George Blackler (Makeup Artist: ''49th Parallel'', ''The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp'', ''A Canterbury Tale'', ''A Matter of Life and Death'', ''Black Narcissus'', ''The Red Shoes'') *

Jack Cardiff Jack Cardiff (18 September 1914 – 22 April 2009) was a British cinematographer, film and television director, and photographer. His career spanned the development of cinema, from silent film, through early experiments in Technicolor, to film ...

(Cinematographer: ''A Matter of Life and Death'', ''Black Narcissus'', ''The Red Shoes''; Cameraman: ''The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp'') * Christopher Challis (Cinematographer: ''The End of the River'', ''The Small Back Room'', ''The Elusive Pimpernel'', ''Gone to Earth'', ''The Tales of Hoffmann'', ''The Sorcerer's Apprentice'', ''Oh... Rosalinda!!'', ''Ill Met by Moonlight''; Cameraman: ''A Matter of Life and Death'', ''Black Narcissus'', ''The Red Shoes''; Associate Director: ''The End of the River'') * Walter Percy Day (Special Effects: ''The Spy in Black'', ''The Thief of Bagdad'', ''49th Parallel'', ''The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp'', ''A Canterbury Tale'', ''I Know Where I'm Going!'', ''A Matter of Life and Death'', ''Black Narcissus'', ''The Elusive Pimpernel'', ''Gone to Earth'' *

Brian Easdale Brian Easdale (10 August 1909 – 30 October 1995) was a British composer of operatic, orchestral, choral and film music, best known for his ballet film score ''The Red Shoes'' of 1948. Life Easdale was born in Manchester, and was educated at ...

(Composer: ''Black Narcissus'', ''The Red Shoes'', ''The Small Back Room'', ''The Elusive Pimpernel'', ''Gone to Earth'', ''The Battle of the River Plate'', ''Peeping Tom'', ''Return to the Edge of the World'') * Peter Ellenshaw (Assistant Matte Artist: ''The Thief of Bagdad'', ''A Matter of Life and Death'', ''Black Narcissus'', ''The Red Shoes'') * Ernest Gasser (Makeup Artist: ''A Canterbury Tale'', ''Black Narcissus'', ''The Red Shoes'') * Allan Gray (Composer: ''The Silver Fleet'', ''The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp'', ''The Volunteer'', ''A Canterbury Tale'', ''I Know Where I'm Going!'', ''A Matter of Life and Death'') * Erwin Hillier (Cinematographer: ''The Silver Fleet'', ''A Canterbury Tale'', ''I Know Where I'm Going!'') *

Hein Heckroth Hein Heckroth (14 April 1901 in Gießen - 7 July 1970 in Amsterdam) was a German painter and art director of stage and film productions. Heckroth was born in 1901 in Giessen, Germany. As a young man, he moved to Frankfurt, where he studied as a p ...

(Costume Designer: ''A Matter of Life and Death'', ''Black Narcissus'', ''The Red Shoes'', ''The Small Back Room'', ''The Tales of Hoffmann''; Production Designer: (''The Red Shoes'', ''The Elusive Pimpernel'', ''Gone to Earth'', ''The Tales of Hoffmann'', ''The Sorcerer's Apprentice'', ''Oh... Rosalinda!!'', ''Herzog Blaubarts Burg'') *

Alfred Junge Alfred Junge (29 January 1886, Görlitz, Silesia (now Saxony), Germany – 16 July 1964, Bad Kissingen, West Germany) was a German production designer who spent a large part of his career working in the British film industry. Biography Jung ...

(Production Designer: ''The Silver Fleet'', ''The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp'', ''The Volunteer'', ''A Canterbury Tale'', ''I Know Where I'm Going!'', ''Stairway to Heaven'', ''Black Narcissus''; Art Director: ''The Fire Raisers'', ''Red Ensign'', ''I Know Where I'm Going!'' Set dresser: ''Blackout'') * Laurie Knight (Third Assistant Director: ''A Matter of Life and Death'', ''Black Narcissus'', ''The End of the River'', ''The Red Shoes'' * Arthur Lawson (Production Designer: ''The Battle of the River Plate''; Art Director: ''The Red Shoes'', ''The Elusive Pimpernel'', ''Gone to Earth'', ''The Tales of Hoffmann'', ''Peeping Tom''; Assistant Art Director: ''A Matter of Life and Death'', ''Black Narcissus'', ''Oh... Rosalinda!!''; floor manager: ''The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp'') *

David Lean Sir David Lean (25 March 190816 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor, widely considered one of the most important figures of Cinema of the United Kingdom, British cinema. He directed the large-scale epi ...

(Editor: ''49th Parallel'', ''One of Our Aircraft Is Missing'') * Gordon McCallum (Dubbing: ''Black Narcissus'', ''The End of the River'', ''The Red Shoes''; Sound Recordist: ''The Battle of the River Plate'', ''Ill Met by Moonlight'', ''Peeping Tom''; Sound Editor: ''The Edge of the World'', ''I Know Where I'm Going''; Boom Operator: A Canterbury Tale) *

Reginald Mills Reginald Mills (15 September 1912 – July 1990) was a British film editor and one-time film director with more than thirty feature film credits. Among his prominent films are '' The Red Shoes'' (1948), for which he received his only Academy Aw ...

(Editor: ''A Matter of Life and Death''; ''Black Narcissus''; ''The Red Shoes'', ''The Elusive Pimpernel'', ''Gone to Earth'', ''The Tales of Hoffmann'', ''The Sorcerer's Apprentice'', ''Oh... Rosalinda!!'', ''The Battle of the River Plate'') * Charles Poulton (Sound: ''The Red Shoes'', ''The Elusive Pimpernel'', ''Gone to Earth'' * Kenneth K. Rick (Second Assistant Director: ''Black Narcissus'', ''The Red Shoes'') *

Miklós Rózsa Miklós Rózsa (; April 18, 1907 – July 27, 1995) was a Hungarian-American composer trained in Germany (1925–1931) and active in France (1931–1935), the United Kingdom (1935–1940), and the United States (1940–1995), with extensi ...

(Composer: ''The Spy in Black'', ''The Thief of Bagdad'') * John Seabourne (Writer: ''Aila, Pohjolan tytär''; Editor: ''Blackout'', ''The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp'', ''The Volunteer'', ''A Canterbury Tale'', ''I Know Where I'm Going!'', ''Aila, Pohjolan tytär''; Associate Director: ''One of Our Aircraft Is Missing'') * Sydney Streeter (Producer: ''Return to the Edge of the World''; Associate Producer: ''Oh... Rosalinda!!'', ''The Battle of The River Plate'', ''Ill Met by Moonlight''; Assistant Director: ''Black Narcissus'', ''The Red Shoes'', ''The Small Back Room'', ''The Elusive Pimpernel'', ''Gone to Earth'', ''The Tales of Hoffmann''; Production Manager: ''One of Our Aircraft Is Missing'', ''The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp'', ''The Volunteer''; Associate Art Director: ''49th Parallel''; Chief of Construction: ''The Edge of the World'') Powell & Pressburger also produced two films written and directed by crewmembers or compatriots of through their production company. * ''

'', based on an original story by Pressburger, was written and directed by

and Gordon Wellesley, who like Powell and Pressburger worked as a team and were both credited in both roles. Sewell had previously worked for Powell as a crew member on ''

The Edge of the World ''The Edge of the World'' is a 1937 British film directed by Michael Powell, loosely based on the evacuation of the Scottish archipelago of St Kilda. It was Powell's first major project. The title is a reference to the expression '' ultima Th ...

'', and Wellesley had co-written ''

'' with Pressburger. * '' The End of the River'' was written by Wolfgang Wilhelm and directed by

. In the 30's, Twist had edited '' The Fire Raisers'', '' The Phantom Light'', ''The Edge of the World'', and ''

The Lion Has Wings ''The Lion Has Wings'' is a 1939 British, black-and-white, documentary-style, propaganda film, propaganda war film that was directed by Adrian Brunel, Brian Desmond Hurst, Alexander Korda and Michael Powell. The film was produced by London Film ...

'', all directed or co-directed by Powell. Wilhelm had co-written the screenplay of 1943's ''

'' from a story by Pressburger.

Critical opinions

British film critics gave the films of Powell and Pressburger a mixed reaction at the time, acknowledging their creativity, but sometimes questioning their motivations and taste. For better or worse, The Archers were always out of step with mainstream British cinema. From the 1970s onwards, British critical opinion began to revise this lukewarm assessment, with their first

BFI The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, d ...

retrospective in 1970 and another in 1978. They are now seen as playing a key part in the history of British film, and have become influential and iconic for many film-makers of later generations, such as

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...

Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola ( ; born April 7, 1939) is an American filmmaker. He is considered one of the leading figures of the New Hollywood and one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. List of awards and nominations received by Francis Ford Coppo ...

and George A. Romero, among others.

Filmography

* ''

'' (1939) * ''

'' (1940) * '' 49th Parallel'' (1941) * '' One of Our Aircraft Is Missing'' (1942) * ''

'' (1943) * '' The Volunteer'' (1944) * ''

'' (1944) * ''

'' (1945) * '' A Matter of Life and Death'' (1946) * ''

'' (1947) * '' The Red Shoes'' (1948) * ''

'' (1949) * '' Gone to Earth'' (1950) * '' The Elusive Pimpernel'' (1950) * ''

'' (1951) * '' Oh... Rosalinda!!'' (1955) * '' The Battle of the River Plate'' (1956) * '' Ill Met by Moonlight'' (1957) * ''

'' (1966) * '' The Boy Who Turned Yellow'' (1972)

Awards, nominations and honours

Four of their films are among the Top 50 British films of the 20th century according to the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

, with '' The Red Shoes'' placing in the top 10. Powell and Pressburger, the people and their films have been the subject of many documentaries and books as well as doctoral research. An

English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, a battlefield, medieval castles, Roman forts, historic industrial sites, Lis ...

blue plaque A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom, and certain other countries and territories, to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving a ...

to commemorate Powell and Pressburger was unveiled on 17 February 2014 by

and

Thelma Schoonmaker Thelma Schoonmaker (; born January 3, 1940) is an American film editor, best known for her collaboration over five decades with director Martin Scorsese. She has received numerous accolades, including three Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and ...

at Dorset House,

Gloucester Place Gloucester Place is a street in Marylebone in Central London. Located in the City of Westminster, it runs north from Portman Square across the Marylebone Road eventually merging into Park Road. It is parallel to Baker Street to the east and form ...

, London, where The Archers had their offices from 1942–47.

References

;Notes ;Bibliography * Christie, Ian. ''Arrows of Desire: The Films of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger''. London: Waterstone, 1985. , later edition, 1994. (pbk). * Christie, Ian. ''Powell, Pressburger and Others''. London: British Film Institute, 1978. . * Christie, Ian and Andrew Moor, eds. ''The Cinema of Michael Powell: International Perspectives on an English Filmmaker''. London: BFI, 2005. . ** Darakhvelidze, Georgy. Vinnitsa, Ukraine: Globe Press, 2008–2019. . * Esteve, Llorenç. ''Michael Powell y Emeric Pressburger'' (in Spanish). Madrid: Catedra, 2002. . * Howard, James. ''Michael Powell''. London: BT Batsford Ltd, 1996. . * Lazar, David, ed. ''Michael Powell: Interviews''. Jackson, Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi, 2003. . * Macdonald, Kevin. ''Emeric Pressburger: The Life and Death of a Screenwriter''. London: Faber & Faber, 1994. * Moor, Andrew. ''Powell and Pressburger: A Cinema of Magic Spaces''. London: I.B. Tauris, 2005. . * Powell, Michael. ''A Life in Movies'' (autobiography). London: Heinemann, 1986. , later edition, 1993. (pbk). * Powell, Michael. ''Million Dollar Movie'' (The second volume of his autobiography). London: Heinemann, 1992. , later edition, 2000. (pbk). * Thiéry, Natacha. Photogénie du désir: Michael Powell et Emeric Pressburger 1945–1950 (in French). Rennes, France: Presse Universitaires de Rennes, 2009. .

External links

The Archers
at the

The Archers
at BFI's screenonline.org.uk
The Archers productions
from the

Internet Movie Database IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...

* *
, 111805&afiPersonalNameId=null Michael Powell
at

TCM Movie Database Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie-oriented pay-TV network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasting campus in the Midtown business district of ...

Emeric Pressburger
at

Powell and Pressburger
at

Senses of Cinema ''Senses of Cinema'' is a quarterly online film magazine founded in 1999 by filmmaker Bill Mousoulis. Based in Melbourne, Australia, ''Senses of Cinema'' publishes work by film critics from all over the world, including critical essays, career ...

The Powell and Pressburger Pages

The Action/Suspense Movies of Powell & Pressburger
{{DEFAULTSORT:Powell And Pressburger Filmmaking duos Film production companies of the United Kingdom

Films by Powell and Pressburger A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

British male screenwriters British film producers British film directors