The Masters  
The Powell & Pressburger Pages

Dedicated to the work of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger and all the other people, both actors and technicians who helped them make those wonderful films.

A lot of the documents have been sent to me or have come from other web sites. The name of the web site is given where known. If I have unintentionally included an image or document that is copyrighted or that I shouldn't have done then please email me and I'll remove it.

I make no money from this site, it's purely for the love of the films.

[Any comments are by me (Steve Crook) and other members of the email list]

  Steve's Logo

Powell & Pressburger - Frequently Asked Questions

2.1. PnP on the IMDb
The Internet Movie Database (IMDb)
A very useful resource.
http://www.imdb.com/

Be warned though, the IMDb is by no means guaranteed to be 100% accurate, but what is? I liked them from when they started at Cardiff University way back in the dim and distant. They not only had a very good database structure with everything cross-referenced and searchable on more than one field. They also embraced the internet ethos that we are all experts in something and that expertise can be shared. They started off with quite a lot of information but there was a bias towards Hollywood so they asked for contributions from anyone who knew anything. I contributed lots of information about Powell and Pressburger and various other British films. They still accept contributions from anyone. They check it to see that it makes sense and isn't libellous, but they mainly rely on the integrity of their contributors. However, they aren't infallible.

The links to the IMDb I use most often are :-

  • Main IMDb front page
  • Main search page

  • Michael Powell
  • Emeric Pressburger

  • Powell AND Pressburger combined works.

  • The "Quota Quickies" of Michael Powell
    These films were where Powell learned his craft. Often dismissed because they were generally made "by the foot" with no thought to quality. Some of Powell's early films show definite promise.

  • The lost films of Michael Powell
  • The lost films of Emeric Pressburger
    Please check your attic. If you ever find a copy of any of these then a lot of people would be very interested. A print of His Lordship (1932) was found after none were known to exist for 65 years. Mind you, when told about some of the discoveries Powell said "I don't know if my reputation can stand any more of these discoveries." Some of them aren't very good but a lot of the early films show how he was experimenting with various styles and techniques.

  • Alternative titles
    The main IMDb pages show the titles the films were given in the country they were made and the commonly used alternative titles. If you want the really obscure ones then this is the place to look (if it's known). Do you want to know what 49th Parallel is called in Chile? (Cinco hombres) or what Colonel Blimp is called in Finland (Se alkoi Berliinissä) or Sweden (Det började i Berlin)? This is the place to look.

Remainder of FAQ Section 2