Star Archive


George King (1899 - 1966)

The quota quickie era that followed the Cinematograph Act of 1927 advanced the careers of many British film makers. Some sank under the pressure of low budget production, some gained enough experience to enter more respectable realms, and some were so perfectly attuned to the sensibilities of the quota that their work justifies the era. Producer/director George King defined the era and it's only his films that are regularly revived. 

King was born in West Ham and got into the film business in his early twenties. He gained experience in a variety of roles and when the quota came in he grabbed his chance to direct and produce. He seemed to thrive in the pressurised environment with 21 films released in the 1933-34 period.      

It was in 1935 that his most significant partnership began when he produced Maria Marten, or The Murder in the Red Barn starring Tod Slaughter. Slaughter's shabby Victorian villainy was perfect for low budget film-making: well-known, out-of-copyright titles; stories that could easily be transferred to screen without feeling stage-bound; and a lead performance so over-the-top it needed few closeups. It was a match made in heaven. Together they made eight films which still entertain audiences.

King continued production after the end of the quota in 1937 thanks to the success of Slaughter. When war came, he took the opportunity to move into more legitimate film making producing The First of the Few and directing several respectable dramas and even a musical: Gaiety George.

He finished his career in television.

Filmography 

1930 Too Many Crooks dir
1930 Leave It To Me prod & dir
1931 Midnight dir
1931 Deadlock prod & dir
1931 Number, Please dir
1932 Men of Steel dir
1932 Self-made Lady prod & dir
1932 Handle With Care prod
1933 Too Many Wives dir
1933 Matinee Idol dir
1933 High Finance dir
1933 Her Imaginary Lover dir
1933 Enemy of the Police dir
1933 Beware of Women dir
1933 To Brighton with Gladys dir
1933 Mayfair Girl dir
1933 Smithy dir
1933 I Adore You dir
1934 The Silver Spoon dir
1934 The Little Stranger prod & dir
1934 Get Your Man prod & dir
1934 Oh No Doctor! dir
1934 Murder at the Inn dir
1934 Guest of Honour dir
1934 Nine Forty-Five dir
1934 To Be a Lady prod & dir
1934 The Office Wife dir
1934 The Blue Squadron dir
1934 Adventurers Ltd dir
1935 Windfall prod & dir
1935 The Man Without a Face dir
1935 Lend Me Your Husband prod
1935 Handle With Care prod
1935 Full Circle dir
1935 Maria Marten, or The Murder in the Red Barn prod
1935 Gay Old Dog prod & dir
1936 Reasonable Doubt dir
1936 Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street dir
1936 The Crimes of Stephen Hawke prod & dir
1937 Wanted! prod & dir
1937 Merry Comes to Town prod & dir
1937 Under a Cloud prod & dir
1937 The Ticket of Leave Man dir
1937 The Elder Brother prod
1937 House of Silence prod & dir
1937 It's Never Too Late to Mend prod
1937 Merry Comes to Town prod
1937 Double Exposure prod
1937 Riding High prod
1938 Silver Top prod & dir
1938 Sexton Blake and the Hooded Terror prod & dir
1938 John Halifax prod & dir
1939 The Face at the Window prod & dir
1940 The Crimes at the Dark House prod & dir
1940 The Chinese Bungalow prod & dir
1940 The Case of the Frightened Lady dir
1940 Two for Danger dir
1940 George and Margaret dir
1940 The First of the Few prod
1943 Tomorrow We Live dir
1944 Candlelight in Algeria dir
1946 Gaiety George prod & dir
1947 The Shop at Sly Corner prod & dir
1948 Forbidden prod & dir
1954 Eight O'Clock Walk prod
 

 George King at Amazon UK

 George King at Amazon US