Roy William Neill

Directing·Sep 4, 1887·Ireland, United Kingdom

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Roy William Neill (4 September 1887 – 14 December 1946) was a film director best known today for directing several of the Sherlock Holmes films starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, made between 1943 and 1946 and released by Universal Studios. With his father as the captain, Neill was born on a ship off the coast of Ireland named Roland de Gostrie. He began directing silent movies in 1917 and went on to helm 107 films, 40 of them silent. Although most of Neill's films were for the most part low-budget B-movies, he was known for directing films with meticulously lit scenes with carefully layered shadows that would become the style of film noir 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 U.S. 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. However, due to delays in production, Black hired Alfred Hitchcock to direct instead. Neill died in London, England from a heart attack.

Film	Credit
Black Angel1946 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
Dressed to Kill1946 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
Terror by Night1946 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
Pursuit to Algiers1945 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
The Woman in Green1945 · Producer, Director	Producer, Director
The House of Fear1945 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
Gypsy Wildcat1944 · Director	Director
The Pearl of Death1944 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
The Scarlet Claw1944 · Producer, Director, Screenplay	Producer, Director, Screenplay
The Spider Woman1943 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
Sherlock Holmes Faces Death1943 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
Rhythm of the Islands1943 · Director	Director
Sherlock Holmes in Washington1943 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man1943 · Director	Director
Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon1942 · Director	Director
Madame Spy1942 · Director	Director
Eyes of the Underworld1942 · Director	Director
Hoots Mon1940 · Director, Screenplay	Director, Screenplay
HHis Brother’s Keeper1940 · Director	Director
MMurder Will Out1939 · Producer, Writer, Director	Producer, Writer, Director
A Gentleman's Gentleman1939 · Director	Director
TThe Good Old Days1939 · Director	Director
Everything Happens to Me1938 · Director	Director
TThank Evans1938 · Director	Director
QQuiet, Please1938 · Director	Director
TThe Viper1938 · Director	Director
DDouble or Quits1938 · Director	Director
SSimply Terrific1938 · Director	Director
Doctor Syn1937 · Director	Director
GGypsy1936 · Director	Director
The Lone Wolf Returns1935 · Director	Director
The Black Room1935 · Director	Director
Eight Bells1935 · Director	Director
Mills of the Gods1934 · Director	Director
Jealousy1934 · Director	Director
I'll Fix It1934 · Director	Director
Blind Date1934 · Director	Director
Black Moon1934 · Director	Director
Whirlpool1934 · Director	Director
The 9th Guest1934 · Director	Director
Above the Clouds1933 · Director	Director
Fury of the Jungle1933 · Director	Director
As the Devil Commands1933 · Director	Director
The Circus Queen Murder1933 · Director	Director
That's My Boy1932 · Director	Director
The Menace1932 · Director	Director
Fifty Fathoms Deep1931 · Director	Director
The Good Bad Girl1931 · Director	Director