A Life in Movies

by Michael Powell

Michael Powell's prolific life as a filmmaker stretched over half a century, almost from the very beginnings of popular cinema. In this, the first volume of his autobiography, Powell captures the startling momentum of his early career, which began while he was still in his teens when a serendipitous meeting with the great silent filmmaker Rex Ingram garnered him a job at Victorine Studios. From there he went on to apprentice with Alfred Hitchcock and then to Alexander Korda's studio, where he would meet Emeric Pressburger, his principal collaborator for many years. With wit and candor Powell recalls their astounding work together on such classics as Black Narcissus and The Red Shoes -- all of this narrated in his inimitable prose.But A Life in Movies is more than just one man's story. Full of politics, intrigue, glamour, and grit, it's a fast-paced, atmospheric ride that sheds new light on the early days of the film business.

Genres: Film, Biography, Memoir, Nonfiction, Media Tie In

864 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

The son of Thomas William Powell & Mabel (nee Corbett). Michael Powell was always a self confessed movie addict. He was brought up partly in Canterbury ("The Garden of England") and partly in the South of France (where his parents ran an hotel). Educated at Kings School, Canterbury & Dulwich College he first worked at the National Provincial Bank from 1922 - 1925. In 1925 he joined Rex Ingram making Mare Nostrum (1926). He learnt his craft by working at various jobs in the (then) thriving English studios of Denham & Pinewood, working his way up to producer on a series of "quota quickies" (Short films made to fulfill quota/tariff agreements between Britain & America in between the wars).

Very rarely for the times, Powell had a true "world view" and although in the mould of a classic English Gentleman he was always a citizen of the World. It was therefore very fitting that he should team up with an emigree Hungarian Jew Emeric Pressburger, a foreigner who understood the English better than they did themselves. Between them, under the banner of "The Archers" they shared joint credits for an important series of films through the 1940s & 1950s. Powell went alone to make Peeping Tom (1960) which was so slated by the critics at the time, he couldn't work in England, UK for a very long time. He was "re-discovered" in the late 1960s & after Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese tried to set up joint projects with him. In 1980, he lectured at Dartmouth College, New Hampshire. He joined was Senior Director in Residence at Zoetrope studio in 1981. He married Thelma Schoonmaker. He died of cancer back in his beloved England in 1990.
(Steve Crook )

Reviews

[Rick Burin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Michael Powell is probably the best filmmaker that Britain has ever produced. He is not, though, the best writer Britain has ever produced.

This first half (!) of his autobiography is quite outrageously long-winded: there's more here than you could ever need to know about Michael Powell's uncles, Michael Powell's holidays, and the inner workings of a hop farm. But after a largely tedious first 100 pages, he begins his life in movies and from then on there's enough gold to make the long-winded diversions worthwhile.

Powell himself is vain, arrogant, silly, trivial, brilliant, honest, intuitive, incisive and annoying, and the best way for fans to experience this book may be simply to skip to their favourite films from the index. Not only are there numerous small revelations, details and pieces of gossip (Deborah Kerr and James Mason were supposed to star in I Know Where I'm Going! only for a break-up and a squabble to scupper that), but what he chooses to focus on during his discussion of each production is fascinating in itself.

While a better and more ruthless editor would have resulted in a more readable book, if the purpose of an autobiography is just to give you an unfiltered portrait of the person, then this certainly does that.

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

i've been on a michael powell kick watching some of his great movies from the 40's co-directed with Emeric Pressburger... like Black Narcissus, and "I Know Where I'm Going"... Looking forward to digging into his hard-to-find autobiography.

I got bogged down in it, and after a certain amount of time found the guy extremely irritating! -- that was a surprise.

[Barry Hammond · Rating 4 out of 5]

The director of The Red Shoes, Peeping Tom, The 49th Parallel and many others writes a memoir of the first half of his life from his boyhood, the silent era, through both World Wars and the transformation of British film production up through The Red Shoes. A comprehensive memoir of a crucial period in UK film history by a writer of scope, seriousness and humour. - BH.

[Derek Baldwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fine book which genuinely illuminates the earlier career of the great film-maker.

[David Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Along with Richard Burton's diaries and Charlie Chaplin's autobiography one of the best books I have read. It's an autobiography and a detailed description of the early days of the British Film industry (covering from the year of his birth in 1905 to the Red Shoes in 1948). Michael Powell has an unbelievable memory and recalls conversations and details from decades before, I wondered whether some of it was fabricated but I believe Powell had a photographic memory. It really is fascinating and enchanting to be in Powell's company, he was a smart man interested in cinema as art and after putting the book down I had the feeling of: "I wish I had met him". Now look forward to reading the volume covering the second part of his life.

[Ian W. Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent autobiography of an idiosyncratic filmmaker, even if some of the stories should be taken with a grain of salt. Does explain well the craft process of how his films came about and were made.

[Emily]

I'm supposed to read this for class but while it is interesting, Powell is just way too long-winded.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous. Best movie autobiography I have read.

[Jim Mcmanus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointing. It should be called A Half of a Life in Movies. Nearly 700 pages and finishes after The Red Shoes.

The book is long winded and dull. A struggle to get through and seemed more interested in the social whirl than the actual movies themselves.

At least the movies are still brilliant.

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always entertaining and sometimes revealing: but this memoir is far too long and repetitious.

[Ms.]

Could not finish