London Films Productions is a British film and television

production company A production company, production house, production studio, or a production team is a studio that creates works in the fields of performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, comics, interactive arts, video games, websites, music, and ...

founded in 1932 by

Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; hu, Korda Sándor; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)Denham Film Studios Denham Film Studios was a British film production studio operating from 1936 to 1952, founded by Alexander Korda. Notable films made at Denham include ''Brief Encounter'' and David Lean's '' Great Expectations''. From the 1950s to the 1970s t ...

in Buckinghamshire, near London. The company's productions included ''

The Private Life of Henry VIII ''The Private Life of Henry VIII'' is a 1933 British film directed and co-produced by Alexander Korda and starring Charles Laughton, Robert Donat, Merle Oberon and Elsa Lanchester. It was written by Lajos Bíró and Arthur Wimperis for London F ...

'' (1933), '' Things to Come'' (1936), ''

Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (, ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), usually simply known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker and draughtsman. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally consid ...

'' (1936), and ''

The Four Feathers ''The Four Feathers'' is a 1902 adventure novel by British writer A. E. W. Mason that has inspired many films of the same title. In December 1901, ''Cornhill Magazine'' announced the title as one of two new serial stories to be published in t ...

'' (1939). The facility at Denham was taken over in 1939 by

Rank Rank is the relative position, value, worth, complexity, power, importance, authority, level, etc. of a person or object within a ranking, such as: Level or position in a hierarchical organization * Academic rank * Diplomatic rank * Hierarchy * H ...

and merged with Pinewood to form D & P Studios. The outbreak of war necessitated that '' The Thief of Bagdad'' (1940) be completed in California, although Korda's handful of American-made films still displayed

Big Ben Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster, at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England, and the name is frequently extended to refer also to the clock and the clock tower. The officia ...

as their opening corporate logo.Kulik, Karol ''Alexander Korda:The Man Who Could Work Miracles''. Virgin Books, 1990. After a restructuring of Korda's UK operations in the late 1940s, London Films were made at

Shepperton Shepperton is an urban village in the Borough of Spelthorne, Surrey, approximately south west of central London. Shepperton is equidistant between the towns of Chertsey and Sunbury-on-Thames. The village is mentioned in a document of 959 AD ...

. One of these was ''

The Third Man ''The Third Man'' is a 1949 British film noir directed by Carol Reed, written by Graham Greene and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. Set in postwar Vienna, the film centres on American Holly Martins (Cotten), ...

'' (1949). The company's film ''

The Sound Barrier ''The Sound Barrier'' is a 1952 British aviation drama film directed by David Lean. It is a fictional story about attempts by aircraft designers and test pilots to break the sound barrier. It was David Lean's third and final film with his wife ...

'' (1952) won the

Academy Award for Best Sound The Academy Award for Best Sound is an Academy Award that recognizes the finest or most euphonic sound mixing, recording, sound design, and sound editing. The award used to go to the studio sound departments until a rule change in 1969 said it ...

. More than 40 years after Korda died in January 1956, the company returned to active film-making in 1997 with

Morgan Mason Alexander Morgan Mason (born June 26, 1955) is an American film producer, actor and political operative. He was born to actors Pamela Mason and James Mason, and is married to singer Belinda Carlisle. Early life Mason was born June 26, 1955 in ...

as the chief executive.Dawtrey, Adam and Rex Weiner
Mason on top of new London pix
Variety. 7 April 1997. Retrieved 25 August 2007.

Filmography

1930s

*'' la dame de chez Maxim's (1933) *''

Strange Evidence ''Strange Evidence'' (also known as ''Dance of the Witches'', and ''Wife in Pawn'') is a 1933 British crime film directed by Robert Milton (director), Robert Milton, produced by Alexander Korda and written by Lajos Bíró and Miles Malleson. Sta ...

'' (1933) *''

Counsel's Opinion ''Counsel's Opinion'' is a 1933 British romantic comedy film starring Henry Kendall and Binnie Barnes. It was one of three films directed in Britain in the early 1930s by Canadian-American Allan Dwan and was an early production from Alexande ...

'' (1933) *''

Wedding Rehearsal ''Wedding Rehearsal'' is a 1932 British romantic comedy film directed by Alexander Korda and starring Roland Young as a bachelor forced to seek a wife. Plot "Reggie", the carefree Marquis of Buckminster, is happy to serve as best man at his ...

'' (1933) *'' Men of Tomorrow'' (1933) *''

Cash In economics, cash is money in the physical form of currency, such as banknotes and coins. In bookkeeping and financial accounting, cash is current assets comprising currency or currency equivalents that can be accessed immediately or near-imm ...

'' (1933) *''

The Girl from Maxim's ''The Girl from Maxim's'' is a 1933 British musical comedy film directed by Alexander Korda and starring Frances Day, Leslie Henson, Lady Tree and Stanley Holloway. It was an adaptation of the 1899 play '' La Dame de chez Maxim'' by Georges F ...

'' (1933) *''

Catherine the Great , en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes , house = , father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst , mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp , birth_date = , birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anhal ...

'' (1934) *''

The Private Life of the Gannets ''The Private Life of the Gannets'' is a 1934 British short documentary film, directed by Julian Huxley, about a colony of Northern Gannets (''Morus bassanus'') on the small rocky island of Grassholm, off the coast of Wales. It received a speci ...

'' (1934, documentary short) *''

The Private Life of Don Juan ''The Private Life of Don Juan'' is a 1934 British comedy-drama film directed by Alexander Korda and starring Douglas Fairbanks, Merle Oberon and Benita Hume. At the age of 51, it was the final role of Fairbanks, who died five years later. The f ...

'' (1934) *''

The Scarlet Pimpernel ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'' is the first novel in a series of historical fiction by Baroness Orczy, published in 1905. It was written after her stage play of the same title (co-authored with Montague Barstow) enjoyed a long run in London, having ...

'' (1934) *''

Sanders of the River ''Sanders of the River'' is a 1935 British film directed by the Hungarian-British director, Zoltán Korda, based on the stories of Edgar Wallace. It is set in Colonial Nigeria. The lead Nigerian characters were played by African Americans Paul Ro ...

'' (1935) *''

Moscow Nights __NOTOC__ "Moscow Nights" ( rus, Подмосковные вечера, r=Podmoskovnyje večera, ), later covered as "Midnight in Moscow", is a Soviet Russian song. Composition and initial success Composer Vasily Solovyov-Sedoi and poet Mikhai ...

'' (1935) *''

The Ghost Goes West ''The Ghost Goes West'' is a 1935 British romantic comedy/fantasy film starring Robert Donat, Jean Parker, and Eugene Pallette, and directed by René Clair, his first English-language film. The film shows an Old World ghost dealing with American ...

'' (1935) *'' Things to Come'' (1936) *''

'' (1936) *''

Men Are Not Gods ''Men Are Not Gods'' is a 1936 British film starring Miriam Hopkins and co-starring Gertrude Lawrence, Sebastian Shaw and Rex Harrison. It was a success in the UK when released largely due to the popularity of the two female stars Hopkins and L ...

'' (1936) *''

The Man Who Could Work Miracles ''The Man Who Could Work Miracles'' is a 1937 London Films British fantasy-comedy film directed by Lothar Mendes and produced by Alexander Korda. The film stars Roland Young with a cast of supporting players including Sir Ralph Richardson. Pos ...

'' (1936) *''

Forget Me Not Forget-me-not refers to any member of the flowering plant genus ''Myosotis'', particularly: * Flowers in the genus ''Myosotis'' * ''Myosotis sylvatica'' or wood forget-me-not * ''Cynoglossum amabile'' or Chinese forget-me-not Forget me not may a ...

'' (1936) *''Fox Hunt'' (1936) *''

Conquest of the Air ''Conquest of the Air'' is a 1936 documentary film or docudrama on the history of aviation up to that time. The film features historical footage, and dramatic re-creations, of the developments of commercial and military aviation; including the e ...

'' (1936) *''

A Romance in Flanders ''A Romance in Flanders'' is a 1937 British drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Paul Cavanagh, Marcelle Chantal, Olga Lindo and Alastair Sim. It is set during the First World War with the British Expeditionary Force in Flanders. It ...

'' (1937) *''

Fire Over England ''Fire Over England'' is a 1937 London Film Productions film drama, notable for providing the first pairing of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh. It was directed by William K. Howard and written by Clemence Dane from the 1936 novel ''Fire Over ...

'' (1937) *'' Dark Journey'' (1937) *''

Storm in a Teacup Tempest in a teapot (American English), or storm in a teacup (British English), is an idiom meaning a small event that has been exaggerated out of proportion. There are also lesser known or earlier variants, such as ''tempest in a teacup'', ''stor ...

'' (1937) *'' Elephant Boy'' (1937) *''

Farewell Again ''Farewell Again'' is a 1937 British drama film directed by Tim Whelan and starring Leslie Banks, Flora Robson, Sebastian Shaw and Robert Newton. The film is a portmanteau illustrating the calls of duty on various soldiers and their families. In ...

'' (1937) *''

Knight Without Armour ''Knight Without Armour'' (styled as ''Knight Without Armor'' in some releases) is a 1937 British historical drama film starring Marlene Dietrich and Robert Donat. It was directed by Jacques Feyder and produced by Alexander Korda from a screenpl ...

'' (1937) *''

Action for Slander ''Action for Slander'' is a 1937 British drama film directed by Tim Whelan and starring Clive Brook, Ann Todd and Googie Withers. The plot is about an army officer who is falsely accused at cheating at cards by a man whose wife he had an affai ...

'' (1937) *''

Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel ''The Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel'' is a 1937 British thriller film directed by Hanns Schwarz and starring Barry K. Barnes, Sophie Stewart, Margaretta Scott and James Mason. It is a sequel to the 1934 film ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'' based on ...

'' (1937) *''

I, Claudius ''I, Claudius'' is a historical novel by English writer Robert Graves, published in 1934. Written in the form of an autobiography of the Roman Emperor Claudius, it tells the history of the Julio-Claudian dynasty and the early years of the Roma ...

'' (1937) – project abandoned *'' The Squeaker'' (1937) *'' Paradise for Two'' (1937) *''

The Divorce of Lady X ''The Divorce of Lady X'' is a 1938 British Technicolor romantic comedy film produced by London Films; it stars Merle Oberon, Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson and Binnie Barnes. It was film director, directed by Tim Whelan and produced by Alex ...

'' (1938) *'' South Riding'' (1938) *'' The Drum'' (1938) *'' The Challenge'' (1938) *''

Prison Without Bars ''Prison Without Bars'' is a 1938 British black-and-white crime film directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and starring Corinne Luchaire, Edna Best and Barry K. Barnes. It is set in a girl's reform school, and was based on a play by Gina Kaus, previo ...

'' (1938) *''

Q Planes ''Q Planes'' (known as ''Clouds Over Europe'' in the United States) is a 1939 British comedy spy film starring Ralph Richardson, Laurence Olivier and Valerie Hobson. Olivier and Richardson were a decade into their fifty-year friendship and were ...

'' (1939) *''

'' (1939) *'' Over the Moon'' (1939) *''

The Lion Has Wings ''The Lion Has Wings'' is a 1939 British, black-and-white, documentary-style, propaganda film, propaganda war film that was directed by Adrian Brunel, Brian Desmond Hurst, Alexander Korda and Michael Powell. The film was produced by London Film ...

'' (1939) *''

The Spy in Black ''The Spy in Black'' (US: ''U-Boat 29'') is a 1939 British film, and the first collaboration between the British filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. They were brought together by Alexander Korda to make the World War I spy thrill ...

'' (1939)

1940s

*''

21 Days ''21 Days'' (also known as ''21 Days Together'', ''The First and the Last'' and ''Three Weeks Together'') is a 1940 British drama film based on the short 1919 play '' The First and the Last'' by John Galsworthy. It was directed by Basil Dean and ...

'' (1940) *'' The Thief of Bagdad'' (1940) *'' Perfect Strangers'' (1945) *''

An Ideal Husband ''An Ideal Husband'' is a four-act play by Oscar Wilde that revolves around blackmail and political corruption, and touches on the themes of public and private honour. It was first produced at the Haymarket Theatre, London in 1895 and ran for ...

'' (1947) *''

Mine Own Executioner ''Mine Own Executioner'' is a 1947 British psychological thriller drama film starring Burgess Meredith and directed by Anthony Kimmins, and based on the novel of the same name by Nigel Balchin. It was entered into the 1947 Cannes Film Festival. ...

'' (1947) *''

Anna Karenina ''Anna Karenina'' ( rus, «Анна Каренина», p=ˈanːə kɐˈrʲenʲɪnə) is a novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, first published in book form in 1878. Widely considered to be one of the greatest works of literature ever writte ...

'' (1948) *'' The Fallen Idol'' (1948) *''

Bonnie Prince Charlie Bonnie, is a Scottish given name and is sometimes used as a descriptive reference, as in the Scottish folk song, My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean. It comes from the Scots language word "bonnie" (pretty, attractive), or the French bonne (good). That ...

'' (1948) *''

The Small Back Room ''The Small Back Room'', released in the United States as ''Hour of Glory'', is a 1949 film by the British producer-writer-director team of Powell and Pressburger, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger starring David Farrar (actor), David Farrar ...

'' (1949) *''

That Dangerous Age ''That Dangerous Age'' is a 1949 British romance film directed by Gregory Ratoff and starring Myrna Loy, Roger Livesey and Peggy Cummins. It was adapted from the play ''Autumn'' by Margaret Kennedy and Ilya Surguchev. The film was released und ...

'' (1949) *''

The Last Days of Dolwyn ''The Last Days of Dolwyn'' (renamed ''Woman of Dolwyn'' for the American market) is a 1949 Welsh drama film directed by Emlyn Williams and starring Edith Evans, Emlyn Williams, Richard Burton and Anthony James. The screenplay focuses on a Welshm ...

'' (1949) *'' Saints and Sinners'' (1949) *''

'' (1949)

1950s

*'' The Elusive Pimpernel'' (1950) *''

The Cure for Love ''The Cure for Love'' is a 1949 British comedy film starring and directed by Robert Donat. The cast also includes Renee Asherson and Dora Bryan. The film was based on a hit play of the same name by Walter Greenwood about a mild-mannered soldier ...

'' (1950) *'' The Happiest Days of Your Life'' (1950) *'' The Angel with the Trumpet'' (1950) *'' Bridge of Time'' (1950) *'' State Secret'' (1950) *'' My Daughter Joy'' (1950) *''

Seven Days to Noon ''Seven Days to Noon'' is a 1950 British drama/thriller film directed by John and Roy Boulting. Paul Dehn and James Bernard won the Academy Award for Best Story for their work on the film. Plot In 1950, the British Prime Minister receives a l ...

'' (1950) *'' Gone to Earth'' (1950; US: ''The Wild Heart'', 1952) *''

The Wooden Horse ''The Wooden Horse'' is a 1950 British Second World War war film directed by Jack Lee and starring Leo Genn, David Tomlinson and Anthony Steel. It is based on the book of the same name by Eric Williams, who also wrote the screenplay. The f ...

'' (1950) *''

The Long Dark Hall ''The Long Dark Hall'' is a 1951 British mystery, suspense, courtroom-drama, crime film directed by Reginald Beck and Anthony Bushell and starring Rex Harrison, Lilli Palmer and Raymond Huntley. It was based on the 1947 novel ''A Case to Answe ...

'' (1951) *''

The Wonder Kid ''The Wonder Kid'' is a 1952 British drama film directed by Karl Hartl and starring Bobby Henrey, Elwyn Brook-Jones and Oskar Werner. The film was completed in 1950, premiered in Europe in January 1951 but was not given a full release in Britain ...

'' (1951) *''

The Tales of Hoffmann ''The Tales of Hoffmann'' (French: ) is an by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Jules Barbier, based on three short stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann, who is the protagonist of the story. It was Offenbach's final work; he died ...

'' (1951) *''

Lady Godiva Rides Again ''Lady Godiva Rides Again'' is a 1951 British comedy film starring Pauline Stroud, George Cole and Bernadette O'Farrell, with British stars in supporting roles or making cameo appearances. It concerns a small-town English girl who wins a local ...

'' (1951) *''

Mr. Denning Drives North ''Mr. Denning Drives North'' is a 1951 British mystery film directed by Anthony Kimmins and starring John Mills, Phyllis Calvert and Sam Wanamaker. The plot concerns an aircraft manufacturer (Mills) who accidentally kills the boyfriend (Herbert ...

'' (1951) *''

Outcast of the Islands ''Outcast of the Islands'' is a 1951 British adventure drama film directed by Carol Reed based on Joseph Conrad's 1896 novel ''An Outcast of the Islands''. The film features Trevor Howard, Ralph Richardson, Robert Morley and Wendy Hiller. Pl ...

'' (1952) *''

Cry, the Beloved Country ''Cry, the Beloved Country'' is a 1948 novel by South African writer Alan Paton. Set in the prelude to apartheid in South Africa, it follows a black village priest and a white farmer who must deal with news of a murder. American publisher Benne ...

'' (1952) *''

'' (1952) * '' Home at Seven'' (1952) *'' The Ringer'' (1952) *''

The Holly and the Ivy "The Holly and the Ivy" is a traditional British folk Christmas carol, listed as number 514 in the Roud Folk Song Index. The song can be traced only as far as the early nineteenth century, but the lyrics reflect an association between holly a ...

'' (1952) *''

The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan ''The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan'' (also known as ''Gilbert & Sullivan'' and ''The Great Gilbert and Sullivan'') is a 1953 British musical drama film dramatisation of the collaboration between Gilbert and Sullivan. Librettist W. S. Gilbert an ...

'' (1953) *''

The Captain's Paradise ''The Captain's Paradise'' is a 1953 British comedy film produced and directed by Anthony Kimmins, and starring Alec Guinness, Yvonne De Carlo and Celia Johnson. Guinness plays the captain of a passenger ship that travels regularly between Gibr ...

'' (1953) *'' Twice Upon a Time'' (1953) *''

The Heart of the Matter ''The Heart of the Matter'' (1948) is a novel by English author Graham Greene. The book details a life-changing moral crisis for Henry Scobie. Greene, a former Secret Intelligence Service, British intelligence officer in Freetown, British Sie ...

'' (1953) *''

The Iron Petticoat ''The Iron Petticoat'' (aka ''Not for Money'') is a 1956 British Cold War comedy film starring Bob Hope and Katharine Hepburn, and directed by Ralph Thomas. The screenplay by Ben Hecht became the focus of a contentious history behind the produ ...

'' (1953) *''

The Man Between ''The Man Between'' (also known as ''Berlin Story'') is a 1953 UK, British thriller film directed by Carol Reed and starring James Mason, Claire Bloom and Hildegard Knef. The screenplay concerns a British woman on a visit to post-war Berlin, who ...

'' (1953) *''

Hobson's Choice A Hobson's choice is a free choice in which only one thing is actually offered. The term is often used to describe an illusion that multiple choices are available. The most well known Hobson's choice is "I'll give you a choice: take it or leave ...

'' (1954) *'' Aunt Clara'' (1954) *''

The Belles of St. Trinian's ''The Belles of St Trinian's'' is a 1954 British comedy film, directed by Frank Launder, co-written by Launder and Sidney Gilliat, and starring Alastair Sim, Joyce Grenfell, George Cole, Hermione Baddeley. Inspired by British cartoonist Ronald ...

'' (1954) *''

Raising a Riot ''Raising a Riot'' is a 1955 British comedy film directed by Wendy Toye and starring Kenneth More, Shelagh Fraser and Mandy Miller about a naval officer who attempts to look after his three children in his wife's absence. It was shot at Shepperto ...

'' (1955) *''

The Man Who Loved Redheads ''The Man Who Loved Redheads'' is a 1955 British comedy film directed by Harold French and starring Moira Shearer, John Justin and Roland Culver. The film is based on the play '' Who is Sylvia?'' (1950) by Terence Rattigan, which is reputedly a ...

'' (1955) *''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...

'' (1955) *''

The Constant Husband ''The Constant Husband'' is a 1955 British comedy film, directed by Sidney Gilliat and starring Rex Harrison, Margaret Leighton, Kay Kendall, Cecil Parker, George Cole and Raymond Huntley. The story was written by Gilliat together with Val ...

'' (1955) *'' Summertime'' (1955) *'' A Kid for Two Farthings'' (1955) *'' The Deep Blue Sea'' (1955) *''

Storm Over the Nile ''Storm Over the Nile'' is a 1955 British adventure film adaptation of the 1902 novel ''The Four Feathers'', directed by Terence Young and Zoltan Korda. The film not only extensively used footage of the action scenes from the 1939 film versi ...

'' (1955) *''

Smiley A smiley, sometimes referred to as a smiley face, is a basic ideogram that represents a smiling face. Since the 1950s it has become part of popular culture worldwide, used either as a standalone ideogram, or as a form of communication, such a ...

'' (1956)

1970s

*''

Poldark ''Poldark'' is a series of historical novels by Winston Graham, published from 1945 to 1953 and continued from 1973 to 2002. The first novel, '' Ross Poldark'', was named for the protagonist of the series. The novel series was adapted twice fo ...

'' (BBC TV, 1975–1977)

1980s

*''

'' (1982) *''The Country Girls'' (1984) *''

Kim Kim or KIM may refer to: Names * Kim (given name) * Kim (surname) ** Kim (Korean surname) *** Kim family (disambiguation), several dynasties **** Kim family (North Korea), the rulers of North Korea since Kim Il-sung in 1948 ** Kim, Vietnamese f ...

'' (1984)

1990s

*''The Best of Friends'' (1991) *''The Time Game'' (1992) *'' Big Ideas'' (1992) *''

An Ungentlemanly Act ''An Ungentlemanly Act'' is a 1992 BBC television film about the first days of the invasion of the Falkland Islands in 1982. Production The film was written and directed by Stuart Urban, and commissioned to mark the tenth anniversary of the F ...

'' (1992) *''

'' (TV series, 1999)

Alexander Korda Films Inc. (USA)

1930s

*'' The Drum'' (1938)

1940s

*''

That Hamilton Woman ''That Hamilton Woman'', also known as ''Lady Hamilton'', is a 1941 black-and-white historical film drama produced and directed by Alexander Korda for his British company during his exile in the United States. Set during the Napoleonic Wars, th ...

'' (1941) *''

Lydia Lydia (Lydian language, Lydian: ‎𐤮𐤱𐤠𐤭𐤣𐤠, ''Śfarda''; Aramaic: ''Lydia''; el, Λυδία, ''Lȳdíā''; tr, Lidya) was an Iron Age Monarchy, kingdom of western Asia Minor located generally east of ancient Ionia in the mod ...

'' (1941) *''

Jungle Book ''The Jungle Book'' (1894) is a collection of stories by the English author Rudyard Kipling. Most of the characters are animals such as Shere Khan the tiger and Baloo the bear, though a principal character is the boy or "man-cub" Mowgli, who ...

'' (1942)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:London Films Mass media companies established in 1932 Film production companies of the United Kingdom 1932 establishments in England