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Emeric Pressburger

Emeric Pressburger

Writer, producer and director, also actor · Died February 5, 1988, aged 85 · Miskolc, Austria-Hungary [now Hungary]

Emeric Pressburger (born Imre József Pressburger; 5 December 1902 – 5 February 1988) was a Hungarian British screenwriter, film director, and producer. He is best known for his series of film collaborations with Michael Powell, in an award-winning collaboration partnership known as the Archers and produced a series of films, notably 49th Parallel (1941), The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), A Matter of Life and Death (1946, also called Stairway to Heaven), Black Narcissus (1947), The Red Shoes (1948), and The Tales of Hoffmann (1951).

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 5, 1902
Died
February 5, 1988 (aged 85)
From
Miskolc, Austria-Hungary [now Hungary]
Works as
Writer, producer and director, also actor
Titles
26 on MovieCove · 62 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 5% in 30 days

What are Emeric Pressburger's films like?

Across their 27 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 87th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 73rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 43rd percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
24%
Bonds
22%
Survival
17%
Self
14%
Society
14%
Power
5%
Ideas
5%
Romantic love9 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival7 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty6 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeWar3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 27 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 11 · Serious 5 · Dark 11

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 15 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 6

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 9 · Charged 11 · Intense 7

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 15 · Shifting 12 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 15 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 5

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 13 · Even-paced 14 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 8 · Engaged 18 · Full focus 1

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 11 · Affecting 8 · Heavy 8

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 23 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
15
Melancholic
9
Warm
8
Joyful
8
Romantic
7
Other
22

How their films linger

Feel-good10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy14
  • Bittersweet8
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Emeric Pressburger's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 16 of their 26 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (11).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Emeric Pressburger's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

62 credits, 26 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • A Pretty British Affair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Interviewee

  • The Boy Who Turned Yellow(1972)

    Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • They're a Weird Mob(1966)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Operation Crossbow(1965)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Behold a Pale Horse(1964)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Miracle in Soho (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Producer · Writer

  • Night Ambush(1957)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Men Against Britannia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Writer

  • Pursuit of the Graf Spee(1956)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Oh... Rosalinda!!(1955)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Twice Upon a Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

  • The Tales of Hoffmann(1951)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • The Elusive Pimpernel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • The Wild Heart(1950)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • The Small Back Room(1949)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • The Red Shoes(1948)

    Director · Producer · Story · Writer · as Extra at Cannes train station (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • “The Red Shoes” Sketches (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Writer

  • The End of the River(1947)

    Producer · Script Supervisor · Writer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Black Narcissus(1947)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • A Matter of Life and Death(1946)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Wanted for Murder(1946)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • I Know Where I'm Going!(1945)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • A Canterbury Tale(1944)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Volunteer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp(1943)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Silver Fleet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Producer · Story

  • Squadron Leader X (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Story

  • One of Our Aircraft Is Missing(1942)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Breach of Promise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Screenplay · Story

  • Rings on Her Fingers(1942)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • The 49th Parallel(1941)

    Original Story · Scenario Writer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Sons of the Sea(1941)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Blackout(1940)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Spy for a Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Writer

  • U-Boat 29(1939)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • The Silent Battle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Writer

  • The Challenge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Screenplay

  • The Great Barrier (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Writer

  • Port Arthur (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Writer

  • Port Arthur (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Adaptation

  • One Rainy Afternoon(1936)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Under Western Eyes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Adaptation

  • Parisian Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Writer

  • Parisian Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Scenario Writer

  • Monsieur Sans-Gêne (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Writer

  • My Heart Calls You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Writer

  • Milyon avcilari(1934)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Child, I'm Happy on Your Coming (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Writer

  • And the Puszta Gleams (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Writer

  • The Old Scoundrel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Writer

  • A Girl and a Million (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Writer

  • Gilgi: One of Us (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Writer

  • Sehnsucht 202 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Writer

  • The Beautiful Adventure (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Writer

  • Ronny (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Writer

  • Emil and the Detectives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Screenplay

  • I'd Rather Have Cod Liver Oil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Writer

  • The Small Gap (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Scenario Writer

  • The Little Escapade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Writer

  • The Scoundrel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Screenplay

  • Farewell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Writer

  • The Great Desire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Writer

Career shape

A full career of 62 titles from 1930 to 1981.

Biggest box office

Black Narcissus (1947)

$303K worldwide

Highest rated

Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger (2024)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

The Red Shoes (1948)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting2 of 62: 1 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting16 of 62: 0 only directing, 16 with another role · typical Midcredits score84thWriting61 of 62: 41 only writing, 20 with another role · typical Midcredits score76thProducing20 of 62: 0 only producing, 20 with another role · typical Midcredits score84thOther crew1 of 62: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

62 titles, 20 with more than one role — writing and producing overlap on 20 of them.

By decade

1930s28 · crew1940s20 · 1 acting · 20 crew1950s9 · crew1960s3 · crew1970s1 · crew1980s1 · acting

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Emeric Pressburger's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 76th percentile, the median of all 26; across their 27 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 75th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Approval · how many liked their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Reach · how many have seen their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Midcredits score across 26 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up13
  • 50th to 74th9
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

15 of their 26 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser15
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · writer

Milyon avcilari (1934)

99th percentile spread · 33% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor, director, writer, producer

The Red Shoes (1948)

Midcredits 98th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 60/100 and the plot and story 53/100 in their films, across 26 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Emeric Pressburger's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 25 · mildMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 12 · minimalMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 1 · minimalMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 30 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 49 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Emeric Pressburger work with?

People who share at least 2 of Emeric Pressburger's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Michael Powell shares the most, 20.

Directors

  • Michael Powell20 titles · 18 as director    See newest 12 of 20 shared titles with Michael Powell

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles