---
name: "Michael Powell"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/michael-powell"
fi1m_id: "michael-powell"
imdb_id: "nm0003836"
tmdb_id: 68424
wikidata_id: "Q55234"
roles: ["Director","Producer","Writer"]
born: "30 September 1905"
died: "19 February 1990"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 8
average_fi1m_score: 88
average_as: "director"
average_over: 6
updated: "2026-09-26T12:24:39.328107+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Michael Powell

## Identity

Michael Powell

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/michael-powell
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** michael-powell
- **IMDb ID:** nm0003836
- **TMDB ID:** 68424
- **Wikidata ID:** Q55234
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Powell, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q55234, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003836/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/68424

Director and producer. Born 30 September 1905 in Bekesbourne, Kent, England. Died 19 February 1990.

## Details

- **Work:** Director, Producer, Writer
- **Born:** 30 September 1905, Bekesbourne, Kent, England
- **Died:** 19 February 1990
- **Active:** 1929–1960
- **Also known as:** 마이클 파웰, Michael Latham Powell 
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 8: 6 directing, 1 writing, 1 other
- **Frequently works with:** [Emeric Pressburger](https://film.one/person/emeric-pressburger.md), [Anton Walbrook](https://film.one/person/anton-walbrook.md), [Roger Livesey](https://film.one/person/roger-livesey.md), [Deborah Kerr](https://film.one/person/deborah-kerr.md), [Marius Goring](https://film.one/person/marius-goring.md), [Moira Shearer](https://film.one/person/moira-shearer.md)
- **BAFTA Film Awards:** 1 BAFTA (1 won)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 88, as director, over 6 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1920s 74 (1), 1940s 88 (6), 1990s 81 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 88 to 83 across 5 titles
- **Score spread:** 5 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 5, Romance 4, Comedy 3, War 2, Fantasy 1, Thriller 1
- **Screen time:** 12 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $17m across 4 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Powell, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q55234, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003836/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/68424

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*The Red Shoes*](https://film.one/film/the-red-shoes.md) (92), [*The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp*](https://film.one/film/the-life-and-death-of-colonel-blimp.md) (91), [*Black Narcissus*](https://film.one/film/black-narcissus.md) (88), [*49th Parallel*](https://film.one/film/49th-parallel.md) (79)
- **Tubi:** [*I Know Where I'm Going!*](https://film.one/film/i-know-where-im-going.md) (88), [*Blackmail*](https://film.one/film/blackmail.md) (74)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Michael Powell

> Michael Powell makes artistic obsession understandable through colour, movement and music. We would send anyone to *The Red Shoes*, though his characters can become less persuasive when they stop to explain what art means to them.

When Moira Shearer dances in *The Red Shoes* (1948), Powell gives us time to understand why Victoria Page puts her ambition first. We were swept up by her dancing, because it makes the work seem worth the upheaval surrounding it. With Emeric Pressburger, Powell takes that ambition seriously without asking us to approve of her producer’s demands. This is what we value most in his films about obsession: the effort goes into showing what attracts people to it. We do not need to share Victoria’s devotion to ballet to feel its force.

The partnership with Pressburger began in 1939, and they formed The Archers in 1942, sharing writing, producing and directing credits. *A Matter of Life and Death* (1946) gives heaven monochrome and earthly life colour, while *Black Narcissus* (1947) uses studio sets to evoke the Himalayas. His collaborators included cinematographer Jack Cardiff, a useful reminder that these carefully made worlds were never one man’s work. We admire the confidence with which Powell asks us to accept places that make no attempt to look ordinary.

Yet *The Red Shoes* also shows where Powell and Pressburger can press too hard. Their declarations about art sometimes sound grander than anything these people would say to one another, especially after Shearer has already made the point by moving. Marius Goring keeps Julian Craster’s personal stakes clear, but the romance is less compelling than the dancing. We sometimes find ourselves waiting for the conversation to finish. Giving the ballet time to develop works better than spelling out Victoria’s choice in the romantic scenes.

The interest in joining performance and fantasy continues through *The Tales of Hoffmann* (1951). After the partnership ended in 1957, *Peeping Tom* (1960) turned towards voyeurism and the act of looking through a camera. It was widely condemned on release, and Powell’s mainstream career in Britain suffered. Begin with *The Red Shoes*, even if ballet holds no interest for you, and give the dancing time to change your mind.

## Biography

Michael Powell (30 September 1905 – 19 February 1990) was an English film director, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his long creative partnership with Emeric Pressburger. Working under the name The Archers, they wrote, produced and directed a series of British films, often sharing equal credit.

Their collaborations included *The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp* (1943), *A Matter of Life and Death* (1946), *Black Narcissus* (1947) and *The Red Shoes* (1948). Powell had earlier directed films for Alexander Korda and formed the production company with Pressburger in the early 1940s. Later solo work included the controversial *Peeping Tom* (1960).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, britannica.com, screenonline.org.uk.*

## On Fi1m (8)

### Directed (6) — the average rests on these

- *The Red Shoes* (1948), Fi1m 92, Producer, Writer, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/the-red-shoes.md)
- *Black Narcissus* (1947), Fi1m 88, Producer, Director, Writer — [page](https://film.one/film/black-narcissus.md)
- *A Matter of Life and Death* (1946), Fi1m 92, Screenplay, Director, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/a-matter-of-life-and-death.md)
- *I Know Where I'm Going!* (1945), Fi1m 88, Writer, Producer, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/i-know-where-im-going.md)
- *The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp* (1943), Fi1m 91, Writer, Director, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-life-and-death-of-colonel-blimp.md)
- *49th Parallel* (1941), Fi1m 79, Producer, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/49th-parallel.md)

### Wrote (1)

- *Blackmail* (1929), Fi1m 74, Assistant Camera, Writer — [page](https://film.one/film/blackmail.md)

### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited

- *Orlando* (1992), Fi1m 81, Thanks — [page](https://film.one/film/orlando.md)

## Complete filmography (88)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *AMR: Dying to Change the World* (2025), Sound
- *The Line, the Cross & the Curve* (1994), Thanks
- *Orlando* (1992), Thanks — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/orlando.md)
- *I Hired a Contract Killer* (1990), In Memory Of
- *Anna Pavlova* (1983), Editor
- *A Pretty British Affair* (1981), as Interviewee
- *Picture Business: Michael Powell at Dartmouth* (1980), Actor
- *Return to the Edge of the World* (1978), Director, Producer
- *The Boy Who Turned Yellow* (1972), Director
- *Age of Consent* (1969), Director, Producer
- *Sebastian* (1968), Producer
- *They're a Weird Mob* (1966), Director, Producer
- *Bluebeard's Castle* (1963), Director
- *Espionage* (1963), series, Director
- *The Queen's Guards* (1961), Producer, Director
- *The Defenders* (1961), series, Director
- *Peeping Tom* (1960), as Mark's Father - A.N. Lewis (uncredited) · Director, Producer
- *Honeymoon* (1959), as Guide Describing the Lovers of Teruel (voice) (uncredited) · Director, Writer
- *Ill Met by Moonlight* (1957), Director, Writer, Producer
- *The Battle of the River Plate* (1956), Director, Writer, Producer
- *Oh... Rosalinda!!* (1955), Director, Writer, Producer
- *The Sorcerer's Apprentice* (1955), Director
- *The Tales of Hoffmann* (1951), Director, Writer, Producer
- *Aila – Pohjolan tytär* (1951), Producer
- *The Elusive Pimpernel* (1950), Director, Producer, Writer
- *Gone to Earth* (1950), Director, Producer, Screenplay
- *The Small Back Room* (1949), Director, Writer, Producer
- *The Red Shoes* (1948), Producer, Director, Writer — Fi1m 92, [page](https://film.one/film/the-red-shoes.md)
- *“The Red Shoes” Sketches* (1948), Writer
- *The End of the River* (1947), Producer
- *Black Narcissus* (1947), Director, Writer, Producer — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/black-narcissus.md)
- *A Matter of Life and Death* (1946), Director, Screenplay, Producer — Fi1m 92, [page](https://film.one/film/a-matter-of-life-and-death.md)
- *I Know Where I'm Going!* (1945), Director, Producer, Writer — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/i-know-where-im-going.md)
- *A Canterbury Tale* (1944), Director, Writer, Producer
- *The Volunteer* (1944), Writer, Director, Producer
- *The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp* (1943), Director, Writer, Producer — Fi1m 91, [page](https://film.one/film/the-life-and-death-of-colonel-blimp.md)
- *The Silver Fleet* (1943), Producer
- *One of Our Aircraft Is Missing* (1942), as Despatching Officer · Director, Writer, Producer
- *49th Parallel* (1941), Director, Producer — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/49th-parallel.md)
- *An Airman's Letter to His Mother* (1941), Director, Writer, Producer
- *Contraband* (1940), Director, Scenario Writer
- *The Thief of Bagdad* (1940), Director
- *The Lion Has Wings* (1939), Director
- *The Spy in Black* (1939), Director
- *Smith* (1939), Director
- *The Edge of the World* (1937), as Mr. Graham - the Yachtsman (uncredited) · Director, Writer
- *The Man Behind the Mask* (1936), Director
- *Crown v. Stevens* (1936), Director
- *The Brown Wallet* (1936), Director
- *Someday* (1935), Director
- *Her Last Affaire* (1935), Director
- *The Price of a Song* (1935), Director
- *The Phantom Light* (1935), Director
- *The Love Test* (1935), Director
- *Lazybones* (1935), Director
- *The Girl in the Crowd* (1935), Director
- *Oh, Daddy!* (1935), Scenario Writer
- *Something Always Happens* (1934), Director
- *The Night of the Party* (1934), Director
- *Red Ensign* (1934), Director, Writer
- *The Fire Raisers* (1934), Story, Director
- *Born Lucky* (1933), Director
- *Perfect Understanding* (1933), Screenplay
- *His Lordship* (1932), Director
- *Hotel Splendide* (1932), as Bugging Device Engineer (uncredited) · Director
- *The Rasp* (1932), Director, Screenplay
- *My Friend the King* (1932), Director
- *C.O.D.* (1932), Director
- *The Star Reporter* (1931), Director
- *77, rue Chalgrin* (1931), Screenplay
- *Rynox* (1931), Screenplay, Director
- *Two Crowded Hours* (1931), Director
- *77 Park Lane* (1931), Writer
- *Caste* (1930), Writer
- *The Compulsory Husband* (1929), as Man
- *Blackmail* (1929), Assistant Camera, Writer — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/blackmail.md)
- *A Knight in London* (1928), Editor
- *The First Born* (1928), Still Photographer
- *Champagne* (1928), Set Designer, Still Photographer
- *The Garden of Allah* (1927), as A Tourist
- *Riviera Revels - Travelaugh No. 12* (1927), as Cicero Baedeker Symp
- *Riviera Revels - Travelaugh No. 11: Scents and Nonsense* (1927), as Cicero Baedeker Symp
- *Riviera Revels - Travelaugh No. 10: Fauny Business* (1927), as Cicero Baedeker Symp
- *Riviera Revels - Travelaugh No. 9: Cold Feats* (1927), as Cicero Baedeker Symp
- *Riviera Revels - Travelaugh No. 6* (1927), as Cicero Baedeker Symp
- *Riviera Revels - Travelaugh No. 2: A Nasty Jar* (1927), as Cicero Baedeker Symp
- *Riviera Revels - Travelaugh No. 1: Spooky Islands* (1927), as Cicero Baedeker Symp
- *The Magician* (1926), as Man with Balloon at Snake Charming (uncredited) · Assistant Director

## Gallery

- ![Michael Powell](https://film.one/media/person/59059/gallery-b77b5d007546.jpg) Michael Powell — James, P G (Lt), Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/Michael_Powell-1943_%28cropped_2%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Publicity photo of Glynis Johns for 49th Parallel, 1941. (1942)](https://film.one/media/person/59059/gallery-1408798b6337.png) Publicity photo of Glynis Johns for 49th Parallel, 1941. (1942) — Columbia Pictures, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Glynis_Johns_-_studio_portrait_%281941%29.png?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Film director Michael Powell in 1943](https://film.one/media/person/59059/gallery-112d1629b779.jpg) Film director Michael Powell in 1943 — James, P G (Lt), Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Michael_Powell-1943.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Michael Powell](https://film.one/media/person/59059/gallery-72c6fc9f2c60.jpg) Michael Powell — Image via TMDB
- ![Michael Powell](https://film.one/media/person/59059/gallery-bfcd00b631ba.jpg) Michael Powell — Image via TMDB
- ![Michael Powell](https://film.one/media/person/59059/gallery-4e78e2df4cec.jpg) Michael Powell — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 1943: Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominated), for *One of Our Aircraft Is Missing*

### BAFTA Film Awards — 1 won

- 1981: BAFTA Fellowship (won)

### Venice Film Festival — 1 won

- 1982: Lifetime Achievement (won)

### Berlin International Film Festival — 1 won

- 1951: Silver Bear (won), for *The Tales of Hoffmann*

### Other awards — 1 won

- Doctor of Letters 1978: Doctor of Letters (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/michael-powell