A work in constant progress (and occasional regress).
Birthplace:
Stockton-on-Tees, England, UK
Born:
November 11, 1887
Died:
August 28, 1967
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.
Adaptation:
1931 Potiphar's Wife
Associate Producer:
1931 Potiphar's Wife
1944 Medal for the General
Co-Director:
1931 Potiphar's Wife
1943 The Gentle Sex
1944 Medal for the General
Director:
1913 Bridegrooms Beware!
1913 Maria Marten or The Mystery of the Red Barn
1913 Maria Marten, or Murder in the Red Barn
1913 Popsy Wopsy
1913 The Fallen idol
1913 The Great Gold Robbery
1914 Beautiful Jim
1914 Black-Eyed Susan
1914 Her Luck in London
1914 Inquisitive Ike
1914 The Cup Final Mystery
1914 The Idol of Paris
1914 The Suicide Club
1915 Florence Nightingale
1915 Love in a Wood
1918 Adam Bede
1918 Hindle Wakes
1918 Nelson
1918 The Life Story of David Lloyd George
1919 Comradeship
1919 God's Good Man
1919 The Rocks of Valpre
1919 The Swindler
1920 At the Villa Rose
1920 Bleak House
1921 A Case of Identity
1921 A Scandal in Bohemia
1921 Innocent
1921 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
1921 The Beryl Coronet
1921 The Copper Beeches
1921 The Devil's Foot
1921 The Dying Detective
1921 The Empty House
1921 The Fruitful Vine
1921 The Hound of the Baskervilles
1921 The Man with the Twisted Lip
1921 The Noble Bachelor
1921 The Priory School
1921 The Red-Headed League
1921 The Resident Patient
1921 The Solitary Cyclist
1921 The Tiger of San Pedro
1921 The Yellow Face
1922 A Debt of Honour
1922 Dick Turpin's Ride to York
1922 Man and His Kingdom
1923 Don Quixote
1923 Sally Bishop
1923 The Passionate Friends
1923 The Royal Oak
1923 The Sign of Four
1923 The Wandering Jew
1924 Curlytop
1924 Folly of Vanity
1924 Henry, King of Navarre
1924 Slaves of Destiny
1924 The Love Story of Aliette Brunton
1926 Baddesley Manor: The Phantom Gambler
1926 Glamis Castle
1926 Mademoiselle from Armentieres
1926 The Tower of London
1926 Windsor Castle
1927 Hindle Wakes
1927 Human Law
1927 Quinneys
1927 Roses of Picardy
1927 The Flag Lieutenant
1927 The Flight Commander
1927 The Glad Eye
1928 Balaclava
1928 Palais De Danse
1928 You Know What Sailors Are
1929 High Treason
1930 The School for Scandal
1931 A Honeymoon Adventure
1931 Potiphar's Wife
1931 Sally in Our Alley
1932 Diamond Cut Diamond
1932 Frail Women
1932 In a Monastery Garden
1932 The Lodger
1932 The Marriage Bond
1932 The Water Gipsies
1933 I Lived with You
1933 Soldiers of the King
1933 The Lost Chord
1933 The Wandering Jew
1933 This Week of Grace
1934 Lily of Killarney
1934 Love, Life and Laughter
1934 My Song for You
1934 Princess Charming
1934 Road House
1935 Heat Wave
1935 The Clairvoyant
1935 The Tunnel
1936 Spy of Napoleon
1936 The Man in the Mirror
1937 A Romance in Flanders
1938 The Return of the Frog
1938 Who Goes Next?
1938 Who Killed John Savage?
1939 Sons of the Sea
1939 Sword of Honour
1940 For Freedom
1940 The Spider
1940 Under Your Hat
1942 Salute John Citizen
1943 The Gentle Sex
1943 The Lamp Still Burns
1944 Medal for the General
1944 Strawberry Roan
1946 Beware of Pity
1951 The Late Edwina Black
1951 The Third Visitor
1952 My Wife's Lodger
1953 House of Blackmail
1953 Is Your Honeymoon Really Necessary?
1953 The Great Game
1954 The Gay Dog
1954 The Happiness of Three Women
1954 The Harassed Hero
1954 What Every Woman Wants
1955 Fun at St. Fanny's
1955 Room in the House
1955 You Lucky People
1956 Dry Rot
1956 Stars in Your Eyes
1957 Second Fiddle
Producer:
1913 Bridegrooms Beware!
1913 Maria Marten or The Mystery of the Red Barn
1913 Maria Marten, or Murder in the Red Barn
1913 Popsy Wopsy
1913 The Fallen idol
1913 The Great Gold Robbery
1914 Beautiful Jim
1914 Black-Eyed Susan
1914 Her Luck in London
1914 Inquisitive Ike
1914 The Cup Final Mystery
1914 The Idol of Paris
1914 The Suicide Club
1915 Florence Nightingale
1915 Love in a Wood
1916 Her Greatest Performance
1917 Masks and Faces
1918 Adam Bede
1918 Hindle Wakes
1918 Nelson
1918 The Life Story of David Lloyd George
1919 Comradeship
1919 God's Good Man
1919 The Rocks of Valpre
1919 The Swindler
1920 At the Villa Rose
1920 Bleak House
1920 Darby and Joan
1921 A Case of Identity
1921 A Scandal in Bohemia
1921 Innocent
1921 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
1921 The Beryl Coronet
1921 The Copper Beeches
1921 The Devil's Foot
1921 The Dying Detective
1921 The Empty House
1921 The Fruitful Vine
1921 The Hound of the Baskervilles
1921 The Man with the Twisted Lip
1921 The Noble Bachelor
1921 The Priory School
1921 The Red-Headed League
1921 The Resident Patient
1921 The Solitary Cyclist
1921 The Tiger of San Pedro
1921 The Yellow Face
1922 A Debt of Honour
1922 Dick Turpin's Ride to York
1922 Man and His Kingdom
1923 Don Quixote
1923 Sally Bishop
1923 The Passionate Friends
1923 The Royal Oak
1923 The Sign of Four
1923 The Wandering Jew
1924 Curlytop
1924 Folly of Vanity
1924 Henry, King of Navarre
1924 Slaves of Destiny
1924 The Love Story of Aliette Brunton
1926 Baddesley Manor: The Phantom Gambler
1926 Glamis Castle
1926 Mademoiselle from Armentieres
1926 The Tower of London
1926 Windsor Castle
1927 A Sister to Assist 'Er
1927 A Woman in Pawn
1927 Hindle Wakes
1927 Human Law
1927 Quinneys
1927 Roses of Picardy
1927 The Arcadians
1927 The Flag Lieutenant
1927 The Flight Commander
1927 The Glad Eye
1928 Balaclava
1928 Palais De Danse
1928 Sailors Don't Care
1928 You Know What Sailors Are
1929 High Treason
1930 A Sister to Assist 'Er
1930 The School for Scandal
1931 A Honeymoon Adventure
1931 Potiphar's Wife
1931 Sally in Our Alley
1932 Diamond Cut Diamond
1932 Frail Women
1932 In a Monastery Garden
1932 The Lodger
1932 The Marriage Bond
1932 The Water Gipsies
1933 I Lived with You
1933 Soldiers of the King
1933 The Lost Chord
1933 The Wandering Jew
1933 This Week of Grace
1934 Lily of Killarney
1934 Love, Life and Laughter
1934 My Song for You
1934 Princess Charming
1934 Road House
1935 Heat Wave
1935 The Clairvoyant
1935 The Tunnel
1936 Spy of Napoleon
1936 The Man in the Mirror
1937 A Romance in Flanders
1938 The Return of the Frog
1938 Who Goes Next?
1938 Who Killed John Savage?
1939 Sons of the Sea
1939 Sword of Honour
1940 For Freedom
1940 The Spider
1940 Under Your Hat
1942 Salute John Citizen
1943 The Gentle Sex
1943 The Lamp Still Burns
1944 Medal for the General
1944 Strawberry Roan
1946 Beware of Pity
1951 The Late Edwina Black
1951 The Third Visitor
1952 My Wife's Lodger
1953 House of Blackmail
1953 Is Your Honeymoon Really Necessary?
1953 The Great Game
1954 The Gay Dog
1954 The Happiness of Three Women
1954 The Harassed Hero
1954 What Every Woman Wants
1955 Fun at St. Fanny's
1955 Room in the House
1955 You Lucky People
1956 Dry Rot
1956 Stars in Your Eyes
1957 Second Fiddle
Screenplay:
1913 Bridegrooms Beware!
1913 Maria Marten or The Mystery of the Red Barn
1913 Maria Marten, or Murder in the Red Barn
1913 Popsy Wopsy
1913 The Fallen idol
1913 The Great Gold Robbery
1914 Beautiful Jim
1914 Black-Eyed Susan
1914 Her Luck in London
1914 Inquisitive Ike
1914 The Cup Final Mystery
1914 The Idol of Paris
1914 The Suicide Club
1915 Florence Nightingale
1915 Love in a Wood
1916 Her Greatest Performance
1917 Masks and Faces
1918 Adam Bede
1918 Hindle Wakes
1918 Nelson
1918 The Life Story of David Lloyd George
1919 Comradeship
1919 God's Good Man
1919 The Rocks of Valpre
1919 The Swindler
1920 At the Villa Rose
1920 Bleak House
1920 Darby and Joan
1921 A Case of Identity
1921 A Scandal in Bohemia
1921 Innocent
1921 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
1921 The Beryl Coronet
1921 The Copper Beeches
1921 The Devil's Foot
1921 The Dying Detective
1921 The Empty House
1921 The Fruitful Vine
1921 The Hound of the Baskervilles
1921 The Man with the Twisted Lip
1921 The Noble Bachelor
1921 The Priory School
1921 The Red-Headed League
1921 The Resident Patient
1921 The Solitary Cyclist
1921 The Tiger of San Pedro
1921 The Yellow Face
1922 A Debt of Honour
1922 Dick Turpin's Ride to York
1922 Man and His Kingdom
1923 Don Quixote
1923 Sally Bishop
1923 The Passionate Friends
1923 The Royal Oak
1923 The Sign of Four
1923 The Wandering Jew
1924 Curlytop
1924 Folly of Vanity
1924 Henry, King of Navarre
1924 Slaves of Destiny
1924 The Love Story of Aliette Brunton
1926 Baddesley Manor: The Phantom Gambler
1926 Glamis Castle
1926 Mademoiselle from Armentieres
1926 The Tower of London
1926 Windsor Castle
1927 A Sister to Assist 'Er
1927 A Woman in Pawn
1927 Hindle Wakes
1927 Human Law
1927 Quinneys
1927 Roses of Picardy
1927 The Arcadians
1927 The Flag Lieutenant
1927 The Flight Commander
1927 The Glad Eye
1928 Balaclava
1928 Palais De Danse
1928 Sailors Don't Care
1928 You Know What Sailors Are
1929 High Treason
1930 A Sister to Assist 'Er
1930 The School for Scandal
1931 A Honeymoon Adventure
1931 Potiphar's Wife
1931 Sally in Our Alley
1932 Diamond Cut Diamond
1932 Frail Women
1932 In a Monastery Garden
1932 The Lodger
1932 The Marriage Bond
1932 The Water Gipsies
1933 I Lived with You
1933 Soldiers of the King
1933 The Lost Chord
1933 The Wandering Jew
1933 This Week of Grace
1934 Lily of Killarney
1934 Love, Life and Laughter
1934 My Song for You
1934 Princess Charming
1934 Road House
1935 Heat Wave
1935 The Clairvoyant
1935 The Tunnel
1936 Spy of Napoleon
1936 The Man in the Mirror
1937 A Romance in Flanders
1938 The Return of the Frog
1938 Who Goes Next?
1938 Who Killed John Savage?
1939 Sons of the Sea
1939 Sword of Honour
1940 For Freedom
1940 The Spider
1940 Under Your Hat
1942 Salute John Citizen
1943 The Gentle Sex
1943 The Lamp Still Burns
1944 Medal for the General
1944 Strawberry Roan
1946 Beware of Pity
1951 The Late Edwina Black
1951 The Third Visitor
1952 My Wife's Lodger
1953 House of Blackmail
1953 Is Your Honeymoon Really Necessary?
1953 The Great Game
1954 The Gay Dog
1954 The Happiness of Three Women
1954 The Harassed Hero
1954 What Every Woman Wants
1955 Fun at St. Fanny's
1955 Room in the House
1955 You Lucky People
1956 Dry Rot
1956 Stars in Your Eyes
1957 Second Fiddle
Theatre Play:
1913 Bridegrooms Beware!
1913 Maria Marten or The Mystery of the Red Barn
1913 Maria Marten, or Murder in the Red Barn
1913 Popsy Wopsy
1913 The Fallen idol
1913 The Great Gold Robbery
1914 Beautiful Jim
1914 Black-Eyed Susan
1914 Her Luck in London
1914 Inquisitive Ike
1914 The Cup Final Mystery
1914 The Idol of Paris
1914 The Suicide Club
1915 Florence Nightingale
1915 Love in a Wood
1916 Her Greatest Performance
1917 Masks and Faces
1918 Adam Bede
1918 Hindle Wakes
1918 Nelson
1918 The Life Story of David Lloyd George
1919 Comradeship
1919 God's Good Man
1919 The Rocks of Valpre
1919 The Swindler
1920 At the Villa Rose
1920 Bleak House
1920 Darby and Joan
1921 A Case of Identity
1921 A Scandal in Bohemia
1921 Innocent
1921 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
1921 The Beryl Coronet
1921 The Copper Beeches
1921 The Devil's Foot
1921 The Dying Detective
1921 The Empty House
1921 The Fruitful Vine
1921 The Hound of the Baskervilles
1921 The Man with the Twisted Lip
1921 The Noble Bachelor
1921 The Priory School
1921 The Red-Headed League
1921 The Resident Patient
1921 The Solitary Cyclist
1921 The Tiger of San Pedro
1921 The Yellow Face
1922 A Debt of Honour
1922 Dick Turpin's Ride to York
1922 Man and His Kingdom
1923 Don Quixote
1923 Sally Bishop
1923 The Passionate Friends
1923 The Royal Oak
1923 The Sign of Four
1923 The Wandering Jew
1924 Curlytop
1924 Folly of Vanity
1924 Henry, King of Navarre
1924 Slaves of Destiny
1924 The Love Story of Aliette Brunton
1926 Baddesley Manor: The Phantom Gambler
1926 Glamis Castle
1926 Mademoiselle from Armentieres
1926 The Tower of London
1926 Windsor Castle
1927 A Sister to Assist 'Er
1927 A Woman in Pawn
1927 Hindle Wakes
1927 Human Law
1927 Quinneys
1927 Roses of Picardy
1927 The Arcadians
1927 The Flag Lieutenant
1927 The Flight Commander
1927 The Glad Eye
1928 Balaclava
1928 Palais De Danse
1928 Sailors Don't Care
1928 You Know What Sailors Are
1929 High Treason
1930 A Sister to Assist 'Er
1930 The School for Scandal
1931 A Honeymoon Adventure
1931 Potiphar's Wife
1931 Sally in Our Alley
1932 Diamond Cut Diamond
1932 Frail Women
1932 In a Monastery Garden
1932 The Lodger
1932 The Marriage Bond
1932 The Water Gipsies
1933 I Lived with You
1933 Soldiers of the King
1933 The Lost Chord
1933 The Wandering Jew
1933 This Week of Grace
1934 Lily of Killarney
1934 Love, Life and Laughter
1934 My Song for You
1934 Princess Charming
1934 Road House
1935 Heat Wave
1935 The Clairvoyant
1935 The Tunnel
1936 Spy of Napoleon
1936 The Man in the Mirror
1937 A Romance in Flanders
1938 The Return of the Frog
1938 Who Goes Next?
1938 Who Killed John Savage?
1939 Sons of the Sea
1939 Sword of Honour
1940 For Freedom
1940 The Spider
1940 Under Your Hat
1942 Salute John Citizen
1943 The Gentle Sex
1943 The Lamp Still Burns
1944 Medal for the General
1944 Strawberry Roan
1946 Beware of Pity
1951 The Late Edwina Black
1951 The Third Visitor
1952 My Wife's Lodger
1953 House of Blackmail
1953 Is Your Honeymoon Really Necessary?
1953 The Great Game
1954 The Gay Dog
1954 The Happiness of Three Women
1954 The Harassed Hero
1954 What Every Woman Wants
1955 Fun at St. Fanny's
1955 Room in the House
1955 You Lucky People
1956 Dry Rot
1956 Stars in Your Eyes
1957 Second Fiddle
Writer:
1913 Bridegrooms Beware!
1913 Maria Marten or The Mystery of the Red Barn
1913 Maria Marten, or Murder in the Red Barn
1913 Popsy Wopsy
1913 The Fallen idol
1913 The Great Gold Robbery
1914 Beautiful Jim
1914 Black-Eyed Susan
1914 Her Luck in London
1914 Inquisitive Ike
1914 The Cup Final Mystery
1914 The Idol of Paris
1914 The Suicide Club
1915 Florence Nightingale
1915 Love in a Wood
1916 Her Greatest Performance
1917 Masks and Faces
1918 Adam Bede
1918 Hindle Wakes
1918 Nelson
1918 The Life Story of David Lloyd George
1919 Comradeship
1919 God's Good Man
1919 The Rocks of Valpre
1919 The Swindler
1920 At the Villa Rose
1920 Bleak House
1920 Darby and Joan
1921 A Case of Identity
1921 A Scandal in Bohemia
1921 Innocent
1921 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
1921 The Beryl Coronet
1921 The Copper Beeches
1921 The Devil's Foot
1921 The Dying Detective
1921 The Empty House
1921 The Fruitful Vine
1921 The Hound of the Baskervilles
1921 The Man with the Twisted Lip
1921 The Noble Bachelor
1921 The Priory School
1921 The Red-Headed League
1921 The Resident Patient
1921 The Solitary Cyclist
1921 The Tiger of San Pedro
1921 The Yellow Face
1922 A Debt of Honour
1922 Dick Turpin's Ride to York
1922 Man and His Kingdom
1923 Don Quixote
1923 Sally Bishop
1923 The Passionate Friends
1923 The Royal Oak
1923 The Sign of Four
1923 The Wandering Jew
1924 Curlytop
1924 Folly of Vanity
1924 Henry, King of Navarre
1924 Slaves of Destiny
1924 The Love Story of Aliette Brunton
1926 Baddesley Manor: The Phantom Gambler
1926 Glamis Castle
1926 Mademoiselle from Armentieres
1926 The Tower of London
1926 Windsor Castle
1927 A Sister to Assist 'Er
1927 A Woman in Pawn
1927 Hindle Wakes
1927 Human Law
1927 Quinneys
1927 Roses of Picardy
1927 The Arcadians
1927 The Flag Lieutenant
1927 The Flight Commander
1927 The Glad Eye
1928 Balaclava
1928 Palais De Danse
1928 Sailors Don't Care
1928 You Know What Sailors Are
1929 High Treason
1930 A Sister to Assist 'Er
1930 The School for Scandal
1931 A Honeymoon Adventure
1931 Potiphar's Wife
1931 Sally in Our Alley
1932 Diamond Cut Diamond
1932 Frail Women
1932 In a Monastery Garden
1932 The Lodger
1932 The Marriage Bond
1932 The Water Gipsies
1933 I Lived with You
1933 Soldiers of the King
1933 The Lost Chord
1933 The Wandering Jew
1933 This Week of Grace
1934 Lily of Killarney
1934 Love, Life and Laughter
1934 My Song for You
1934 Princess Charming
1934 Road House
1935 Heat Wave
1935 The Clairvoyant
1935 The Tunnel
1936 Spy of Napoleon
1936 The Man in the Mirror
1937 A Romance in Flanders
1938 The Return of the Frog
1938 Who Goes Next?
1938 Who Killed John Savage?
1939 Sons of the Sea
1939 Sword of Honour
1940 For Freedom
1940 The Spider
1940 Under Your Hat
1942 Salute John Citizen
1943 The Gentle Sex
1943 The Lamp Still Burns
1944 Medal for the General
1944 Strawberry Roan
1946 Beware of Pity
1951 The Late Edwina Black
1951 The Third Visitor
1952 My Wife's Lodger
1953 House of Blackmail
1953 Is Your Honeymoon Really Necessary?
1953 The Great Game
1954 The Gay Dog
1954 The Happiness of Three Women
1954 The Harassed Hero
1954 What Every Woman Wants
1955 Fun at St. Fanny's
1955 Room in the House
1955 You Lucky People
1956 Dry Rot
1956 Stars in Your Eyes
1957 Second Fiddle
Most data and links to images for the Movies section come from TheMovieDB (TMDB).
Additional data for Film Titles come from The Open Movie Database (OMDb).
At least one plug-in comes from IMDb.
Data are -- hey, it's a plural -- subject to the limitations of their sources. (For example, TMDB search results currently max out at 20.) I am limiting myself to free data sources for now. (No, a "free trial" is not free.)
While much of the above data are retrieved directly from outside APIs and other such sources, data from American Film Institute (AFI) and British Film Institute (BFI) were manually entered the old fashioned way into a MySQL database. Re BFI I took the following liberties:
Regarding profile removals and data corrections:
Filtering is applied here to film projects flagged as "adult" by TheMovieDB. Pending "popular demand" I am contemplating a login and profile system with preferences (such as whether to allow adult images to appear) and permissions (such as data entry).
Whereas the overall purpose of this website is to serve as a personal demo/portfolio/workshop of web and data skills, this Movies section is not meant to compete with or substitute for far more definitive movie websites.
Whether or not he still clings to an award which he won in 1986 as a film critic for his college's newspaper, Jeffrey Hartmann is not responsible for the texts of overviews and biographies supplied by external data sources.