Maurice Elvey

Directing·Nov 11, 1887·Stockton-on-Tees, England, UK

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Maurice Elvey was born in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, England, the oldest son of William Clarence Folkard, an inspecting engineer, and Sarah Anna Seward Folkard (formerly Pearce). He never had a formal education, and was working on the streets of London by the age of nine after having run away from home. For a time he worked as a page boy in the Hyde Park Hotel, and a lucky encounter with a wealthy American set him on the road to a career in first the theatre and then in films. It was while in New York when working as a stage producer that he saw his first film, The Flying Dutchman (1923). This made such an impression on him that when he came back to England he was determined to produce and direct films; thus began a career spanning 44 years, during which time he made over 300 feature films and innumerable shorts. Amongst the "firsts" that Maurice Elvey can claim as a director are: Gaumont's first talking film (High Treason (1929)) and the first British colour film Sons of the Sea (1939)). Carol Reed and David Lean began their distinguished careers in film by working for him, and he directed Gracie Fields in her first movie, Sally in Our Alley (1931). Maurice Elvey was the older brother of Fred V. Merrick, and during the 1920s and 1930s they worked on a number of films together. In May 1996 the world premiere of a long-lost film about David Lloyd George, directed by Elvey, took place in Cardiff more than 70 years later than scheduled. The three-hour film was suppressed on the eve of its release under circumstances that have still not been fully explained. The film was acclaimed by cinema historians as a milestone in film making, and it is believed that had it been released in 1918, as originally planned, it may well have changed the course of British cinema. Maurice Elvey was married three times. His first marriage took place on 31st December 1910 to Adeline Maud Charlton Preston (aka actress 'Philippa Preston'. This marriage ended in divorce. He then married Florence Hill Clarke (a sculptor) on 2nd February 1916. This marriage, too, ended in divorce. On 13th January 1923 he married Isabella Reed (aka actress Isobel Elsom), but this marriage also ended in divorce. As Elvey's niece and god-daughter I was privileged to unveil a plaque in April 1997 at the Green Dragon Museum, Stockton-on-Tees as part of the Centenary of Cinema Celebrations.

Film	Credit
Silent Sherlock: Three Classic Cases2025 · Director	Director
Second Fiddle1957 · Director	Director
Stars in Your Eyes1956 · Director	Director
Dry Rot1956 · Director	Director
Fun at St. Fanny's1955 · Director	Director
Room in the House1955 · Director	Director
You Lucky People!1955 · Director	Director
The Happiness of Three Women1954 · Director	Director
What Every Woman Wants1954 · Director	Director
The Gay Dog1954 · Director	Director
The Harassed Hero1954 · Director	Director
Is Your Honeymoon Really Necessary?1953 · Director	Director
House of Blackmail1953 · Director	Director
The Great Game1953 · Director	Director
My Wife's Lodger1952 · Director	Director
The Late Edwina Black1951 · Director	Director
The Third Visitor1951 · Director	Director
Beware of Pity1946 · Producer, Director	Producer, Director
Strawberry Roan1944 · Director	Director
Medal for the General1944 · Director	Director
The Lamp Still Burns1943 · Director	Director
Salute John Citizen1942 · Director	Director
Room for Two1940 · Director	Director
Under Your Hat1940 · Director	Director
FFor Freedom1940 · Director	Director
TThe Spider1940 · Director	Director
Sons of the Sea1939 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
SSword of Honour1939 · Producer, Director	Producer, Director
The Return of the Frog1938 · Director	Director
WWho Killed John Savage?1938 · Director	Director
Who Goes Next?1938 · Director	Director
CChange for a Sovereign1937 · Director	Director
A Romance in Flanders1937 · Director	Director
The Man in the Mirror1936 · Director	Director
SSpy of Napoleon1936 · Director	Director
The Tunnel1935 · Director	Director
The Clairvoyant1935 · Director	Director
Heat Wave1935 · Director	Director
RRoad House1934 · Director	Director
My Song for You1934 · Director	Director
LLily of Killarney1934 · Director	Director
Princess Charming1934 · Director	Director
Love, Life and Laughter1934 · Director	Director
The Wandering Jew1933 · Director	Director
This Week of Grace1933 · Director	Director
I Lived with You1933 · Director	Director
The Lost Chord1933 · Director	Director
Soldiers of the King1933 · Director	Director