Roy William Neill

Roy William Neill

  • Birthday: 1887-09-04
  • Deathday: 1946-12-14
  • Place of birth: Ireland, United Kingdom
  • Also know as: R. William Neill

Biography

Roy William Neill (4 September 1887 – 14 December 1946) was a film director best known today for directing several of the Sherlock Holmes films starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, made between 1943 and 1946 and released by Universal Studios. With his father as the captain, Neill was born on a ship off the coast of Ireland named Roland de Gostrie. He began directing silent movies in 1917 and went on to helm 107 films, 40 of them silent. Although most of Neill's films were for the most part low-budget B-movies, he was known for directing films with meticulously lit scenes with carefully layered shadows that would become the style of film noir in the late 1940s. In fact, his last film, Black Angel (1946), is considered a film noir. He was also credited in some works as R. William Neill, Roy W. Neill, and Roy Neill. Neill lived in the United States for most of his career and was a U.S. citizen. He did go to London from 1935 until 1940 where better opportunities existed for American directors. During this period, British film producer Edward Black hired Neill to direct The Lady Vanishes. However, due to delays in production, Black hired Alfred Hitchcock to direct instead. Neill died in London, England from a heart attack.

Production

Cock o' the Walk

1930

As Cinematography

The Spider Woman

1943

As Director

Terror by Night

1946

As Director

Dressed to Kill

1946

As Director

Black Angel

1946

As Director

The Scarlet Claw

1944

As Director

The Pearl of Death

1944

As Director

The House of Fear

1945

As Director

The Black Room

1935

As Director

The Woman in Green

1945

As Director

Doctor Syn

1937

As Director

Black Moon

1934

As Director

Pursuit to Algiers

1945

As Director

Eyes of the Underworld

1942

As Director

The Circus Queen Murder

1933

As Director

Vive la France!

1918

As Director

The Lone Wolf Returns

1935

As Director

The Menace

1932

As Director

The 9th Guest

1934

As Director

Just Like Heaven

1930

As Director

Hoots Mon

1940

As Director

Gypsy Wildcat

1944

As Director

The Good Bad Girl

1931

As Director

Whirlpool

1934

As Director

Cock o' the Walk

1930

As Director

Mills of the Gods

1934

As Director

Blind Date

1934

As Director

Above the Clouds

1933

As Director

The City

1926

As Director

The Avenger

1931

As Director

The Iron Trail

1921

As Director

San Francisco Nights

1928

As Director

The Viking

1928

As Director

Eight Bells

1935

As Director

A Gentleman's Gentleman

1939

As Director

My Lady's Lips

1925

As Director

As the Devil Commands

1933

As Director

Rhythm of the Islands

1943

As Director

Madame Spy

1942

As Director

The Girl, Glory

1917

As Director

Good References

1920

As Director

The Woman Gives

1920

As Director

Yes or No

1920

As Director

Dangerous Business

1920

As Director

Fifty Fathoms Deep

1931

As Director

Wall Street

1929

As Director

Thank Evans

1938

As Director

The Melody Man

1930

As Director

Jealousy

1934

As Director

I'll Fix It

1934

As Director

That's My Boy

1932

As Director

The Price Mark

1917

As Director

Broken Laws

1924

As Director

Love Letters

1917

As Director

The Conquest of Canaan

1921

As Director

Behind Closed Doors

1929

As Director

The Man from M.A.R.S.

1922

As Director

Black Paradise

1926

As Director

Cleopatra

1928

As Director

Love Me

1918

As Director

Green Eyes

1918

As Director

The Arizona Wildcat

1927

As Director

The Fighting Buckaroo

1926

As Director

Percy

1925

As Director

Marriage in Transit

1925

As Director

A Man Four-Square

1926

As Director

Lady Raffles

1928

As Director

Greater Than a Crown

1925

As Director

Fury of the Jungle

1933

As Director

The Kaiser's Shadow

1918

As Director

Murder Will Out

1939

As Director

The Virgin Queen

1928

As Director

By Divine Right

1924

As Director

The Spider Woman

1943

As Producer

The House of Fear

1945

As Producer

The Pearl of Death

1944

As Producer

The Woman in Green

1945

As Producer

Pursuit to Algiers

1945

As Producer

Dressed to Kill

1946

As Producer

Terror by Night

1946

As Producer

Black Angel

1946

As Producer

The Scarlet Claw

1944

As Producer

Murder Will Out

1939

As Producer

The Scarlet Claw

1944

As Screenplay

The Viking

1928

As Writer

Hoots Mon

1940

As Screenplay

Two Tickets to London

1943

As Story

Murder Will Out

1939

As Writer

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