Powell and Pressburger

[Steve Crook]

What? No mention of Powell and Pressburger?

The most magical, experimental, dangerous, wonderful film makers ever to come out of these isles. 22 films (the IMDb counts the re-cut of Gone to Earth as a different film) together. 15 with that wonderful joint credit "Written, Produced and Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger". And all in a mere 27 years.

The 15 with the joint credit were made in about 15 years. They worked with a wonderful team (cast & crew) collectively known as The Archers. Sadly we shall never see their like again. But we can still enjoy their work.

[theuofc]

Hi, Steve,

I'm not sure where P&P weren't mentioned, but I do know that they are not mentioned enough in light of their remarkable number of fine, fine films. When I was clueless, I admit to not really knowing, or rather, paying attention to them or most directors. My eyes were focused on the stars until I realized that directors are a prime and for some actors an important, vital element in the film. Without them, the actors would be standing alone.

The movie that made me a true believer was seeing AMOLAD, so you can see that I am recent believer, but as I think back to their other films I can see now why I liked them so much. I thought it was only the stars, but it was really the whole package that P&P's brilliance wrapped them in.

Cheers,

Barbara

[Clinton Morgan]

I love Powell and Pressburger. In both colour and monochrome. And yet after over a decade and a half of watching their films I have not seen all of them. Two candidates being 'They're A Weird Mob' and 'The Boy Who Turned Yellow'. I have watched 'The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp' over and over again. I never tire of it. Friendship, true friendship is up there on that screen. My favourite is 'The Red Shoes' which is divine. Watching it is a spiritual experience. When I first saw it I felt that I was watching something cinematic. The small television set, in other words, became a cinema screen. So goodness knows what it'll be like actually seeing it at the cinema. The ballet in Stanley Donen's 'An American In Paris' is nothing compared to 'The Ballet of The Red Shoes'. Give me Hein Heckroth's designs any day. Some people like to split up the two as Pressburger (Screenwriter) and Powell (Director). La, la, la I'm not listening to you.....It will always be

WRITTEN, PRODUCED
AND
DIRECTED
BY
MICHAEL POWELL
AND
EMERIC PRESSBURGER

[Steve Crook]

Good for you Clinton.
Although Emeric did most of the writing and came up with the basic story, Michael often helped out with the dialogue. And although Michael did most of the directing, Emeric was always on the floor ready to give a helping hand when needed. They both did the producing, although as Emeric was the more tactful he often smoothed the ripples caused by Michael :)

Emeric also helped on the editing and with the selection of the music

It really was a collaborative venture.

Steve

[Steve Crook]

Well you don't hit 1,000 posts in the BritMovie Forum every day so I thought I'd better make it a bit special. And where could be more special than in the section about Powell & Pressburger? (Well it's certainly special to me).

I thought I'd remind everyone that this is Michael Powell's centenary year and that they should expect a few notable events wherever they are.

There are various things that have already happened and more still being planned.
There will be quite a few screenings of their films, even more than usual - you can't escape them wherever you are :grin:

There's a big event going on at the Seattle Art Museum, WA, USA
There's a big conference planned in France.
There will be a big academic conference in Bangor, N. Wales
We'll be having our annual A Canterbury Tale location walk on the August Bank Holiday Sunday.
We'll be having an anniversary trip to Mull in October (it's also the 60th anniversary of I Know Where I'm Going!)

In September, on Michael's birthday, I'll be putting in a request for an English Heritage Blue Plaque on his house in London. There's already one going through for Emeric but they take a while to get through the system.

So please make sure you watch at least one Powell and Pressburger film this year and think of that quirky Englishman with a world view (very rare for the time) and the Hungarian who came to live amongst us and liked us despite all our faults. Between them they made some world class films that are just as relevent today as they were 50 years ago.

Steve

[Clinton Morgan]

Only one? Island collecting would be the proper tribute.

[Ed Parsons]

Originally posted by SteveCrook@Feb 18 2005, 01:22 AM I thought I'd remind everyone that this is Michael Powell's centenary year and that they should expect a few notable events wherever they are. There are various things that have already happened and more still being planned. There will be quite a few screenings of their films, even more than usual - you can't escape them wherever you are :grin: There's a big event going on at the Seattle Art Museum, WA, USA There's a big conference planned in France. There will be a big academic conference in Bangor, N. Wales We'll be having our annual A Canterbury Tale location walk on the August Bank Holiday Sunday. We'll be having an anniversary trip to Mull in October (it's also the 60th anniversary of I Know Where I'm Going!) So please make sure you watch at least one Powell and Pressburger film this year...

It's the last night of my week's holiday before going back to work tomorrow. After reading your post I think I'm going to put my feet up and watch 'I Know Where I'm Going!' with some supper and a brandy. I think this was the first P&P film I bought - a blind purchase of the Criterion DVD, which is absolutely superb. It's good to read that so much is happening during Michael Powell's centenary year. With a bit of luck Criterion will get round to release their strongly rumoured 'A Canterbury Tale' and '49th Parallel' DVDs this year as well.

[Steve Crook]

Originally posted by Clinton Morgan@Feb 18 2005, 10:29 PM Only one? Island collecting would be the proper tribute.

Very true.
Well if anyone can get out to Dunk Island ... :smiling:
That's the one off the Queensland coast where they filmed Age of Consent (1969).
Or to Clark Island, Sydney, NSW where they filmed the beach party for They're a Weird Mob (1966)

I'm in contact with someone who lives on Foula where they filmed The Edge of the World (1937)

And people regularly go to Mull to do the I Know Where I'm Going! pilgrimage.

That covers most of the islands he filmed on.

Steve

[Steve Crook]

Originally posted by Ed Parsons@Feb 20 2005, 10:21 PM It's the last night of my week's holiday before going back to work tomorrow. After reading your post I think I'm going to put my feet up and watch 'I Know Where I'm Going!' with some supper and a brandy. I think this was the first P&P film I bought - a blind purchase of the Criterion DVD, which is absolutely superb. It's good to read that so much is happening during Michael Powell's centenary year. With a bit of luck Criterion will get round to release their strongly rumoured 'A Canterbury Tale' and '49th Parallel' DVDs this year as well.

It'd be even more appropriate if the supper was ""Rabbits, deer (venison) and a stray hiker or two"
The rabbits must be skinned the right way of course, Catriona will show us how.
Or maybe even Rabbit a la Poona :grin:

Steve

[Clinton Morgan]

'Michael and Martin' documentary broadcast BBC Radio 4 on June 30th 2004
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/radio4_aod....hael_and_martin

[Guybrush Threepwood]

'Michael and Martin' documentary broadcast BBC Radio 4 on June 30th 2004

And bloody brilliant it was too.....the story of Martin Scorsese and Michael as told by Thelma Schoonmaker (you don't need to be told of her connection I'm sure)

Fascinating stuff....

Threep

[Steve Crook]

Originally posted by Guybrush Threepwood@Jun 30 2005, 05:33 PM And bloody brilliant it was too.....the story of Martin Scorsese and Michael as told by Thelma Schoonmaker (you don't need to be told of her connection I'm sure) Fascinating stuff.... Threep

Including a few brief words from at least one person who you've met right here.
And was that our Aphra talking about going up the stairs into the Town Hall?

You can hear the programme again for the next week or so in the BBC Radio 4 Listen Again area.

Or see the Programme description

Steve

[Clinton Morgan]

I laughed when Ian Christie said, "Still a pertinent question" when reciting Sergeant Johnson's part in 'A Canterbury Tale' (makes me want to watch that film again...and again....and again...) and I shed a tear when Thelma said she didn't feel like living anymore after Mickey's death.

But what is going to happen to the original rushes for the programme? I hope they don't get junked or worse still, wiped. I think that the full recording of Ian Christie at the town-hall should be available as a download on your website Steve, as well as Martin and Thelma's interviews in their original full-lengths.

[Holland]

Just listening to it now. Great stuff

[Steve Crook]

Originally posted by Clinton Morgan@Jun 30 2005, 10:15 PM I laughed when Ian Christie said, "Still a pertinent question" when reciting Sergeant Johnson's part in 'A Canterbury Tale' (makes me want to watch that film again...and again....and again...) and I shed a tear when Thelma said she didn't feel like living anymore after Mickey's death. But what is going to happen to the original rushes for the programme? I hope they don't get junked or worse still, wiped. I think that the full recording of Ian Christie at the town-hall should be available as a download on your website Steve, as well as Martin and Thelma's interviews in their original full-lengths.

They recorded quite a lot more than they used in the programme just on that one Sunday. We'll have to see what we can do about extracts for the web site. It's strictly illegal of course and I don't want us to lose our friends at the BBC.

We do those "playlets" every year, the Canterbury walk being every August Bank Holiday Sunday. At each location we get someone to read out part of the scene that was filmed at that location. As Ian was there it just seemed like a good idea for me to ask him to take a part. His "partner" in the playlet was Nick Burton, head of the school of film & television at Canterbury Christ Church University College. They're both game for a laugh.

And the Archers would have approved of Ian's "Still a pertinent question" comment. They were always open to any good improvisational ideas.

Steve