About

Known credits:
109
Birthday:
1887-09-04
Place of birth:
Ireland, United Kingdom
Website:
N/A

Roy William Neill

Overview

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.

Known for

Directing
1946 Black Angel Directing Director 58
Average
1946 Dressed to Kill Directing Director 59
Average
1946 Terror by Night Directing Director 60
Fair
1945 Pursuit to Algiers Directing Director 59
Average
1945 The Woman in Green Directing Director 59
Average
1945 The House of Fear Directing Director 60
Fair
1944 Gypsy Wildcat Directing Director 59
Average
1944 The Pearl of Death Directing Director 60
Fair
1944 The Scarlet Claw Directing Director 60
Fair
1943 The Spider Woman Directing Director 60
Fair
1943 Sherlock Holmes Faces Death Directing Director 60
Fair
1943 Rhythm of the Islands Directing Director 58
Average
1943 Sherlock Holmes in Washington Directing Director 59
Average
1943 Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man Directing Director 59
Average
1942 Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon Directing Director 59
Average
1942 Madame Spy Directing Director 59
Average
1942 Eyes of the Underworld Directing Director 58
Average
1940 Hoots Mon Directing Director 59
Average
1940 His Brother’s Keeper Directing Director N/A
N/A
1939 Murder Will Out Directing Director N/A
N/A
1939 A Gentleman's Gentleman Directing Director N/A
N/A
1939 The Good Old Days Directing Director N/A
N/A
1938 Everything Happens to Me Directing Director N/A
N/A
1938 Thank Evans Directing Director N/A
N/A
1938 Quiet, Please Directing Director N/A
N/A
1938 The Viper Directing Director N/A
N/A
1938 Double or Quits Directing Director N/A
N/A
1938 Simply Terrific Directing Director N/A
N/A
1937 Doctor Syn Directing Director 59
Average
1936 Gypsy Directing Director N/A
N/A
1935 The Lone Wolf Returns Directing Director 59
Average
1935 The Black Room Directing Director 59
Average
1935 Eight Bells Directing Director 59
Average
1934 Mills of the Gods Directing Director N/A
N/A
1934 Jealousy Directing Director 58
Average
1934 I'll Fix It Directing Director N/A
N/A
1934 Blind Date Directing Director 59
Average
1934 Black Moon Directing Director 58
Average
1934 Whirlpool Directing Director 58
Average
1934 The 9th Guest Directing Director 58
Average
1933 Above the Clouds Directing Director 59
Average
1933 Fury of the Jungle Directing Director N/A
N/A
1933 As the Devil Commands Directing Director N/A
N/A
1933 The Circus Queen Murder Directing Director 58
Average
1932 That's My Boy Directing Director N/A
N/A
1932 The Menace Directing Director 58
Average
1931 Fifty Fathoms Deep Directing Director 58
Average
1931 The Good Bad Girl Directing Director 59
Average
1931 The Avenger Directing Director 59
Average
1930 Just Like Heaven Directing Director 59
Average
1930 Cock o' the Walk Directing Director 58
Average
1930 The Melody Man Directing Director 58
Average
1929 Wall Street Directing Director 59
Average
1929 Behind Closed Doors Directing Director N/A
N/A
1928 The Viking Directing Director 59
Average
1928 Lady Raffles Directing Director N/A
N/A
1928 Cleopatra Directing Director N/A
N/A
1928 The Olympic Hero Directing Director N/A
N/A
1928 The Virgin Queen Directing Director N/A
N/A
1928 San Francisco Nights Directing Director N/A
N/A
1927 The Arizona Wildcat Directing Director N/A
N/A
1926 The City Directing Director N/A
N/A
1926 Black Paradise Directing Director 58
Average
1926 A Man Four-Square Directing Director N/A
N/A
1926 The Fighting Buckaroo Directing Director N/A
N/A
1926 The Cowboy and the Countess Directing Director N/A
N/A
1925 Greater Than a Crown Directing Director N/A
N/A
1925 My Lady's Lips Directing Director N/A
N/A
1925 Percy Directing Director N/A
N/A
1925 Marriage in Transit Directing Director 58
Average
1924 Broken Laws Directing Director N/A
N/A
1924 Vanity's Price Directing Director N/A
N/A
1924 By Divine Right Directing Director N/A
N/A
1922 The Man from M.A.R.S. Directing Director N/A
N/A
1922 What's Wrong with the Women? Directing Director N/A
N/A
1921 The Iron Trail Directing Director N/A
N/A
1921 The Conquest of Canaan Directing Director N/A
N/A
1920 Dangerous Business Directing Director N/A
N/A
1920 The Inner Voice Directing Director N/A
N/A
1920 Good References Directing Director 58
Average
1920 Yes or No Directing Director 58
Average
1920 The Woman Gives Directing Director N/A
N/A
1919 The Career of Katherine Bush Directing Director N/A
N/A
1918 Vive la France! Directing Director 59
Average
1918 Green Eyes Directing Director N/A
N/A
1918 The Kaiser's Shadow Directing Director N/A
N/A
1918 Love Me Directing Director 58
Average
1917 Love Letters Directing Director N/A
N/A
1917 The Price Mark Directing Director N/A
N/A
1917 The Girl, Glory Directing Director N/A
N/A

Writing
1944 The Scarlet Claw Writing Screenplay 60
Fair
1943 Two Tickets to London Writing Story 59
Average
1940 Hoots Mon Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1939 Murder Will Out Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1928 The Viking Writing Writer 59
Average

Production
1946 Black Angel Production Producer 58
Average
1946 Dressed to Kill Production Producer 59
Average
1946 Terror by Night Production Producer 60
Fair
1945 Pursuit to Algiers Production Producer 59
Average
1945 The Woman in Green Production Producer 59
Average
1945 The House of Fear Production Producer 60
Fair
1944 The Pearl of Death Production Producer 60
Fair
1944 The Scarlet Claw Production Producer 60
Fair
1943 The Spider Woman Production Producer 60
Fair
1943 Sherlock Holmes Faces Death Production Producer 60
Fair
1943 Sherlock Holmes in Washington Production Producer 59
Average
1939 Murder Will Out Production Producer N/A
N/A

Crew
1940 His Brother’s Keeper Crew Script N/A
N/A
1930 Cock o' the Walk Crew Cinematography 58
Average