Maurice Elvey

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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.

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  • wc Gender: Male
  • calendar_month Birth Date: 1887-11-11
  • event Death Date 1967-08-28
  • school Known for: Directing
  • star Popularity: 4.5
  • info Birth Place Stockton-on-Tees, England, UK
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image Images

smart_display Movies and TV shows by Maurice Elvey

movie_edit Directing

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The Tunnel

1935-10-27

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The Clairvoyant

1935-06-07

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Room in the House

1955-07-25

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Bridegrooms Beware!

1913-11-03

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The Fallen idol

1913-09-01

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The Great Gold Robbery

1913-11-01

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Maria Marten, or Murder in the Red Barn

1913-01-01

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The Cup Final Mystery

1914-01-01

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Popsy Wopsy

1913-01-01

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Her Luck in London

1914-01-01

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Black-Eyed Susan

1914-01-01

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Beautiful Jim

1914-01-01

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Inquisitive Ike

1914-01-01

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The Idol of Paris

1914-01-01

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The Wandering Jew

1923-05-01

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Adam Bede

1918-04-01

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Bleak House

1920-01-15

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At the Villa Rose

1920-03-01

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Beware of Pity

1946-07-22

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Beware of Pity

1946-07-22

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Hindle Wakes

1927-09-12

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The Life Story of David Lloyd George

1918-01-01

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High Treason

1929-03-25

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Dry Rot

1956-10-31

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The Late Edwina Black

1951-03-31

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Sons of the Sea

1939-12-23

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The Gay Dog

1954-06-01

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I Lived with You

1933-06-13

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Princess Charming

1934-04-24

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House of Blackmail

1953-07-13

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The Dying Detective

1921-04-08

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The Wandering Jew

1933-11-15

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The Lodger

1932-09-08

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You Lucky People

1955-01-01

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Medal for the General

1944-11-06

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Fun at St. Fanny's

1955-12-15

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The Harassed Hero

1954-01-01

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The Water Gipsies

1932-03-21

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A Honeymoon Adventure

1931-09-21

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This Week of Grace

1933-06-30

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The Devil's Foot

1921-04-27

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The Man with the Twisted Lip

1921-04-27

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Sally in Our Alley

1931-07-09

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Love, Life and Laughter

1934-03-01

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The Lamp Still Burns

1943-11-29

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Nelson

1918-01-02

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Spy of Napoleon

1936-09-09

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The Great Game

1953-01-01

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The Third Visitor

1951-01-31

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My Song for You

1934-07-30

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The Sign of Four

1923-06-01

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My Wife's Lodger

1952-10-01

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The Hound of the Baskervilles

1921-08-01

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Baddesley Manor: The Phantom Gambler

1926-01-01

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Curlytop

1924-12-28

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A Romance in Flanders

1937-01-01

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The Man in the Mirror

1936-10-15

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Under Your Hat

1940-09-01

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Road House

1934-11-29

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Heat Wave

1935-05-30

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The Rocks of Valpre

1919-06-01

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Her Greatest Performance

1916-08-01

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Frail Women

1932-01-15

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The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

1921-01-01

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For Freedom

1940-05-04

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Maria Marten or The Mystery of the Red Barn

1913-11-30

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Florence Nightingale

1915-03-05

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Second Fiddle

1957-06-10

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You Know What Sailors Are

1928-12-14

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Sword of Honour

1939-08-13

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Sword of Honour

1939-08-13

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Balaclava

1928-06-06

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In a Monastery Garden

1932-03-11

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Hindle Wakes

1927-09-12

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Sons of the Sea

1939-12-23

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What Every Woman Wants

1954-06-10

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The Flag Lieutenant

1927-10-03

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Love in a Wood

1915-01-10

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The Lost Chord

1933-04-07

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The Spider

1940-04-12

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Lily of Killarney

1934-01-05

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Slaves of Destiny

1924-03-31

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A Debt of Honour

1922-12-01

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Dick Turpin's Ride to York

1922-09-01

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Henry, King of Navarre

1924-03-01

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The Love Story of Aliette Brunton

1924-08-01

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Man and His Kingdom

1922-08-01

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The Fruitful Vine

1921-09-01

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The Happiness of Three Women

1954-12-09

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The Happiness of Three Women

1954-12-09

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The School for Scandal

1930-09-05

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The School for Scandal

1930-09-05

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A Sister to Assist 'Er

1930-03-04

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Strawberry Roan

1944-12-31

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Soldiers of the King

1933-03-13

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Is Your Honeymoon Really Necessary?

1953-09-22

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Diamond Cut Diamond

1932-08-17

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The Marriage Bond

1932-03-22

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Potiphar's Wife

1931-03-28

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Potiphar's Wife

1931-03-28

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The Passionate Friends

1923-01-15

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Sally Bishop

1923-12-01

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Human Law

1927-02-28

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Salute John Citizen

1942-09-28

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Who Goes Next?

1938-03-01

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The Swindler

1919-12-28

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The Tower of London

1926-01-01

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Glamis Castle

1926-01-01

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Windsor Castle

1926-01-01

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Hindle Wakes

1918-01-01

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Darby and Joan

1920-09-01

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Don Quixote

1923-12-01

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A Sister to Assist 'Er

1927-09-01

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Quinneys

1927-12-01

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The Arcadians

1927-10-01

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A Woman in Pawn

1927-10-01

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Who Killed John Savage?

1938-06-05

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Sailors Don't Care

1928-01-01

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The Glad Eye

1927-06-01

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Comradeship

1919-01-24

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Roses of Picardy

1927-04-01

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The Return of the Frog

1938-11-24

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Masks and Faces

1917-03-01

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Palais De Danse

1928-07-27

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The Suicide Club

1914-07-01

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God's Good Man

1919-08-01

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Innocent

1921-03-01

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The Sign of Four

1923-06-01

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The Gentle Sex

1943-05-23

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Mademoiselle from Armentieres

1926-09-01

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Roses of Picardy

1927-04-01

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The Glad Eye

1927-06-01

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The Flight Commander

1927-09-01

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Folly of Vanity

1924-12-21

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Medal for the General

1944-11-06

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Stars in Your Eyes

1956-12-06

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The Royal Oak

1923-10-01

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The Red-Headed League

1921-04-01

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A Case of Identity

1921-04-01

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The Yellow Face

1921-04-01

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The Resident Patient

1921-04-01

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A Scandal in Bohemia

1921-04-01

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The Beryl Coronet

1921-04-01

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The Noble Bachelor

1921-04-01

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The Copper Beeches

1921-04-01

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The Empty House

1921-04-01

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The Tiger of San Pedro

1921-04-01

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The Priory School

1921-04-01

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The Solitary Cyclist

1921-04-01