Roy William Neill (4 September 1887 – 14 December 1946) was an Irish-born American film director best known for directing the last eleven of the fourteen Sherlock Holmes films starring

Basil Rathbone Philip St. John Basil Rathbone MC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was a South African-born English actor. He rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume ...

and

Nigel Bruce William Nigel Ernle Bruce (4 February 1895 – 8 October 1953) was a British character actor on stage and screen. He was best known for his portrayal of Dr. Watson in a series of films and in the radio series '' The New Adventures of Sherloc ...

, made between 1943 and 1946 and released by

Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...

Biography

With his father as the captain, Roy William Neill was born on a ship off the coast of

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. His birth name was Roland de Gostrie. Neill began directing silent films in 1917 and went on to helm 111 films, 55 of them silent. Although most of Neill's films were low-budget

B-movies A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double featur ...

, he was known for directing films with meticulously lit scenes with carefully layered shadows that would become the style of ''

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

'' in the late 1940s. In fact, his last film, '' Black Angel'' (1946), is considered a ''film noir''. He was also credited in some works as R. William Neill, Roy W. Neill, and Roy Neill. Neill lived in the United States for most of his career and was a US citizen. He did go to London from 1935 until 1940 where better opportunities existed for American directors. During this period, British film producer Edward Black hired Neill to direct ''

The Lady Vanishes ''The Lady Vanishes'' is a 1938 British mystery thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Margaret Lockwood and Michael Redgrave. Written by Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder, based on the 1936 novel ''The Wheel Spins'' by Ethel Lina ...

''. However, due to delays in production, Black hired

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. 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 featur ...

to direct instead. Neill died in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, England, from a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which m ...

Filmography

*''

The Girl, Glory ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (1917) *''

The Mother Instinct ''The Mother Instinct'' is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Lambert Hillyer and Roy William Neill and starring Enid Bennett, Rowland V. Lee and Margery Wilson.Golden p.33 Cast * Enid Bennett as Eleanor Coutierre * Rowland V. Lee ...

'' (1917) *'' They're Off'' (1917) *''

The Price Mark ''The Price Mark'' is a 1917 American drama silent film directed by Roy William Neill and written by John B. Ritchie. The film stars Dorothy Dalton, William Conklin, Thurston Hall, Adele Farrington, Edwin Wallock and Dorcas Matthews. The film wa ...

'' (1917) *'' Love Letters'' (1917) *'' Flare-Up Sal'' (1918) *'' Love Me'' (1918) *'' Free and Equal'' (1918) *'' Tyrant Fear'' (1918) *'' The Mating of Marcella'' (1918) *'' The Kaiser's Shadow'' (1918) *'' Green Eyes'' (1918) *''

Vive la France! ''Vive la France!'' is an extant 1918 silent film war drama directed by Roy William Neill and starring Dorothy Dalton. It was distributed by Famous Players-Lasky and Paramount Pictures. Plot Cast * Dorothy Dalton - Genevieve Bouchette *Edmund ...

'' (1918) *''

Puppy Love Puppy love, also known as a crush, is an informal term for feelings of romantic love, often felt during childhood and early adolescence. It is an infatuation usually developed by someone's looks and attractiveness at first sight. Such feelings f ...

'' (1919) *''

Charge It to Me Charge It to Me is a 1919 American silent comedy film directed by Roy William Neill and written by L. V. Jefferson. The film stars Margarita Fischer and Emory Johnson Alfred Emory Johnson (March 16, 1894 – April 18, 1960) was an Ame ...

'' (1919) *'' Trixie from Broadway'' (1919) *'' The Career of Katherine Bush'' (1919) *'' The Bandbox'' (1919) *''

The Woman Gives ''The Woman Gives'' is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by Roy William Neill Roy William Neill (4 September 1887 – 14 December 1946) was an Irish-born American film director best known for directing the last eleven of the fourt ...

'' (1920) *''

The Inner Voice ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speak ...

'' (1920) *''

Yes or No? ''Yes or No?'' is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by Roy William Neill and starring Norma Talmadge in a duo role. It is based on the 1917 Broadway play ''Yes or No'' by Arthur Goodrich. Talmadge and Joe Schenck produced the picture ...

'' (1920) *'' Good References'' (1920) *'' Dangerous Business'' (1920) *'' Something Different'' (1920) *'' The Idol of the North'' (1921) *''

The Conquest of Canaan ''The Conquest of Canaan'' is a 1921 American silent drama film produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It starred Thomas Meighan and Doris Kenyon and was directed by Roy William Neill. It was filmed in Ashevi ...

'' (1921) *''

The Iron Trail ''The Iron Trail'' is a 1921 American silent adventure film directed by Roy William Neill and written by Dorothy Farnum. The film stars Wyndham Standing, Thurston Hall, Reginald Denny, Alma Tell, and Harlan Knight. The film was released on Oct ...

'' (1921) *''

What's Wrong with the Women? ''What's Wrong with the Women?'' is 1922 American silent Jazz Age drama film, directed by Roy William Neill, produced by Daniel Carson Goodman, and starring Wilton Lackaye, Barbara Castleton, and Constance Bennett. It is not known whether ...

'' (1922) *'' The Man From M.A.R.S.'' (1922) *'' Toilers of the Sea'' (1923) *'' By Divine Right'' (1924) *''

Vanity's Price ''Vanity's Price'' is a lost 1924 American silent drama film directed by Roy William Neill and starring Anna Q. Nilsson. It was produced by the Gothic Productions company and released by FBO.Broken Laws ''Broken Laws'' is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by Roy William Neill, remarkable for the appearance of Dorothy Davenport, who is billed as "Mrs. Wallace Reid".

'' (1924) *''

Percy The English surname Percy is of Norman origin, coming from Normandy to England, United Kingdom. It was from the House of Percy, Norman lords of Northumberland, derives from the village of Percy-en-Auge in Normandy. From there, it came into us ...

'' (1925) *''

Marriage in Transit ''Marriage in Transit'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film directed by Roy William Neill. It stars Edmund Lowe and Carole Lombard. Plot As described in a film magazine review, a Secret Service agent is assigned to recover a government code a ...

'' (1925) *'' The Kiss Barrier'' (1925) *'' Greater Than a Crown'' (1925) *'' The Cowboy and the Countess'' (1926) *'' The Fighting Buckaroo'' (1926) *''

A Man Four-Square ''A Man Four-Square'' is a lost 1926 American silent Western film directed by Roy William Neill and starring Buck Jones, Marion Harlan and Harry Woods.Solomon p.377 Cast * Buck Jones as Craig Norton * Marion Harlan as Polly * Harry Woods ...

'' (1926) *''

Black Paradise ''Black Paradise'' is a 1926 American silent adventure film directed by Roy William Neill and starring Madge Bellamy, Leslie Fenton, and Edmund Lowe Edmund Dantes Lowe (March 3, 1890 – April 21, 1971) was an American actor. His formativ ...

'' (1926) *'' The City'' (1926) *''

Marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

'' (1927) *''

The Arizona Wildcat ''The Arizona Wildcat'' is a 1939 American comedy Western film directed by Herbert I. Leeds and starring Leo Carrillo and Jane Withers. Plot The orphaned Mary Jane Patterson (Jane Withers) is under the guardianship of Manuel Hernandez ( Leo ...

'' (1927) *''

The Lady of Victories ''The Lady of Victories'' is a 1928 MGM silent fictionalized film short in two-color Technicolor. It was the third short film produced as part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's "Great Events" series. Production The film began production at the Tec-Art S ...

'' (1928) - short *''

The Czarina's Secret ''The Czarina's Secret'' is a 1928 MGM silent fictionalized film short in two-color Technicolor. It was the fourth film produced as part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's "Great Events" series. Production The film was shot over five days at the Tec-A ...

'' (1928) - short *'' San Francisco Nights'' (1928) *'' The Virgin Queen'' (1928) - short *'' The Olympic Hero'' (1928) *'' Lady Raffles'' (1928) *''

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Philopator ( grc-gre, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ}, "Cleopatra the father-beloved"; 69 BC10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler. ...

'' (1928) - short *''

The Heart of General Robert E. Lee ''The Heart of General Robert E. Lee'' is a 1928 MGM short silent fictionalized film short in two-color Technicolor. It was the seventh film produced as part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro- ...

'' (1928) - short *'' The Viking'' (1928) *'' Madame DuBarry'' (1928) - short *'' Behind Closed Doors'' (1929) *''

Wall Street Wall Street is an eight-block-long street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It runs between Broadway in the west to South Street and the East River in the east. The term "Wall Street" has become a metonym for ...

'' (1929) *'' The Melody Man'' (1930) *'' Cock 'o the Walk'' (1930) -

lost film A lost film is a feature or short film that no longer exists in any studio archive, private collection, public archive or the U.S. Library of Congress. Conditions During most of the 20th century, U.S. copyright law required at least one copy ...

*'' Just Like Heaven'' (1930) *'' Fifty Fathoms Deep'' (1931) *'' The Avenger'' (1931) *'' The Good Bad Girl'' (1931) *'' Fifty Fathoms Deep'' (1931) *'' The Menace'' (1932) *''

American Madness ''American Madness'' is a 1932 American pre-Code film directed by Frank Capra and starring Walter Huston as a New York banker embroiled in scandal. Plot At the Union National Bank, the directors are concerned because they think that bank presi ...

'' (1932) - uncredited *'' That's My Boy'' (1932) *'' The Circus Queen Murder'' (1933) *'' As the Devil Commands'' (1933) *'' Fury of the Jungle'' (1933) *'' Above the Clouds'' (1933) *'' The Ninth Guest'' (1934) *''

Whirlpool A whirlpool is a body of rotating water produced by opposing currents or a current running into an obstacle. Small whirlpools form when a bath or a sink is draining. More powerful ones formed in seas or oceans may be called maelstroms ( ). ''Vo ...

'' (1934) *''

Black Moon Black Moon may refer to: * Black moon, one of four astronomical events involving new or dark moons * Black Moon (person) (c. 1821–1893), Lakota (American Indian) headman * Black Moon or Lilith (hypothetical moon), a hypothetical natural satellit ...

'' (1934) *''

Blind Date A blind date is a social engagement between two people who have not met, usually arranged by a mutual acquaintance. Structure A blind date is arranged for by a mutual acquaintance of both participants. The two people who take part in the blind ...

'' (1934) *'' I'll Fix It'' (1934) *''

Jealousy Jealousy generally refers to the thoughts or feelings of insecurity, fear, and concern over a relative lack of possessions or safety. Jealousy can consist of one or more emotions such as anger, resentment, inadequacy, helplessness or disgust ...

'' (1934) *'' Mills of the Gods'' (1934) *'' Eight Bells'' (1935) *'' The Black Room'' (1935) *'' The Lone Wolf Returns'' (1935) *''

Gypsy The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with si ...

'' (1937) *''

Doctor Syn The Reverend Doctor Christopher Syn is the smuggler hero of a series of novels by Russell Thorndike. The first book, ''Doctor Syn: A Tale of the Romney Marsh'' was published in 1915. The story idea came from smuggling in the 18th-century Romne ...

'' (1937) *'' Quiet Please'' (1938) *'' The Viper'' (1938) *'' Simply Terrific'' (1938) *'' Double or Quits'' (1938) *'' Thank Evans'' (1938) British *'' Many Tanks Mr. Atkins'' (1938) *'' Everything Happens to Me'' (1938) *'' A Gentleman's Gentleman'' (1939) *'' Murder Will Out'' (1939) *'' His Brother's Keeper'' (1940) *'' Hoots Mon!'' (1940) *'' The Good Old Days'' (1939) *'' Eyes of the Underworld'' (1942) *'' Madame Spy'' (1942) *''

Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon ''Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon'' (1942) is the fourth in the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce series of 14 Sherlock Holmes films which updated the characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to the then present day. The film is credited a ...

'' (1942) *''

Sherlock Holmes in Washington Sherlock may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Sherlock Holmes, a fictional detective created by Arthur Conan Doyle ** ''Sherlock'' (TV series), a BBC TV series that started in 2010 ** Sherlock Hemlock, a Muppet from the TV show ''Sesame Stre ...

'' (1943) *''

Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man ''Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man'' is a 1943 American horror film directed by Roy William Neill and starring Lon Chaney Jr. as the Wolf Man and Bela Lugosi as Frankenstein's monster. This was the first of a series of later called "monster rall ...

'' (1943) *'' Rhythm of the Islands'' (1943) *'' Sherlock Holmes Faces Death'' (1943) *''

The Spider Woman ''The Spider Woman'' (alternatively titled ''Sherlock Holmes and the Spider Woman'' and ''Spider Woman'') is a 1943 mystery film starring Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson, the seventh of fourteen such films the ...

'' (1943) *''

The Scarlet Claw ''The Scarlet Claw'' is a 1944 American mystery thriller film based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes detective stories. Directed by Roy William Neill and starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, it is the eighth film of the Rathbon ...

'' (1944) *''

The Pearl of Death ''The Pearl of Death'' is a 1944 Sherlock Holmes film starring Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson, the ninth of fourteen such films the pair made. The story is loosely based on Conan Doyle's short story "The Adventure of the ...

'' (1944) *'' Gypsy Wildcat'' (1944) *''

Sherlock Holmes and the House of Fear ''The House of Fear'' is a 1945 crime film directed by Roy William Neill. It is loosely based on the 1891 short story "The Five Orange Pips" by Arthur Conan Doyle, and features the characters Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. It is the 10th film ...

'' (1945) *''

The Woman in Green ''The Woman in Green'' is a 1945 American film, the eleventh of the fourteen ''Sherlock Holmes'' films based on the characters created by Arthur Conan Doyle. Directed by Roy William Neill, it stars Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel B ...

'' (1945) *''

Pursuit to Algiers ''Pursuit to Algiers'' (1945) is the twelfth entry in the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce Sherlock Holmes film series of fourteen. Elements in the story pay homage to an otherwise unrecorded affair mentioned by Dr. Watson at the beginning of the 190 ...

'' (1945) *'' Terror by Night'' (1946) *'' Dressed to Kill'' (1946) *'' Black Angel'' (1946)

References

External links

* *
Passport portrait of Roy William Neil
{{DEFAULTSORT:Neill, Roy 1887 births 1946 deaths People born at sea Irish film directors American film directors Horror film directors Irish emigrants to the United States (before 1923)