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.
| 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 |
