Dilys Powell
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth Dilys Powell was a British
journalist, author and film critic.
She was born into a middle class family in Bridgnorth
, Shropshire
. Her mother was Mary Jane Lloyd; her father, Thomas Powell, a bank manager. She went to Talbot Heath School
in Bournemouth
and afterwards obtained a first class honours degree in modern languages at Somerville College, Oxford
. While at Oxford she met an archaeologist, Humfry Payne
, whom she was to marry in 1926. After graduation Powell spent a period as personal assistant to Ottoline Morrell
before being appointed to the literary department of The Sunday Times
in 1928.
In 1929 her husband was appointed director of the British School of Archaeology at Athens
and from 1931 until his death in 1936 (they had no children) Powell spent part of each year in Greece, frequently attending excavations, where her husband was working. She continued these visits when she was able until the Second World War intervened. On her return to Britain Powell was appointed film critic on The Sunday Times, and in 1941 she found war work with a Greek connection in the Political Warfare Executive
, which oversaw Britain's propaganda in occupied Europe. In June 1943 she married Leonard Russell (1906–1974), an executive at The Sunday Times.
Powell was one of the founder members of the Independent Television Authority
(ITA) from 1954, despite initial concerns about her possible conflicts of interest (she wrote for a newspaper that was backing one of the ITV
franchises, but its bid was eventually withdrawn). She resigned her post at the ITA in 1956 in protest at the government's refusal to come up with funding which it had promised to the authority in the 1954 Television Act
.
Her journalism led a change in the writing of cinema criticism. To quote from the British Film Institute: "... she was open to new directions in cinema and was not constrained by the middle class shibboleths of "good taste", unlike her rival C. A. Lejeune
, film critic for the Observer
newspaper from 1928 to 1960". She remained as film critic at The Sunday Times until 1976; her collected reviews were published in 1989. She later became film critic for Punch
until its first closure in 1992, and she continued to write for The Sunday Times, now commenting on films being shown on television, until the week of her death.
She had a gift for the pithy comment, and her memorable phrases about films and the people of the film world are still frequently quoted by other journalists. In addition to her journalism she appeared on radio, as a contestant on the BBC
radio panel game My Word!
, and wrote books about film and travel, particularly about Greece.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
journalist, author and film critic.
She was born into a middle class family in Bridgnorth
Bridgnorth
Bridgnorth is a town in Shropshire, England, along the Severn Valley. It is split into Low Town and High Town, named on account of their elevations relative to the River Severn, which separates the upper town on the right bank from the lower on the left...
, Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
. Her mother was Mary Jane Lloyd; her father, Thomas Powell, a bank manager. She went to Talbot Heath School
Talbot Heath School
Talbot Heath School is a selective, independent day and boarding school for girls aged 3–18 located in Talbot Woods, Bournemouth.The school was founded in 1886 as Bournemouth High School, by Mary Broad, with eighteen pupils. In 1935 the school moved from its original site in Westbourne to Talbot...
in Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
and afterwards obtained a first class honours degree in modern languages at Somerville College, Oxford
Somerville College, Oxford
Somerville College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, and was one of the first women's colleges to be founded there...
. While at Oxford she met an archaeologist, Humfry Payne
Humfry Payne
Humfry Gilbert Garth Payne was an English archaeologist, director of the British School of Archaeology in Athens from 1929 to his death.-Personal:...
, whom she was to marry in 1926. After graduation Powell spent a period as personal assistant to Ottoline Morrell
Lady Ottoline Morrell
The Lady Ottoline Violet Anne Morrell was an English aristocrat and society hostess. Her patronage was influential in artistic and intellectual circles, where she befriended writers such as Aldous Huxley, Siegfried Sassoon, T. S. Eliot and D. H...
before being appointed to the literary department of The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
in 1928.
In 1929 her husband was appointed director of the British School of Archaeology at Athens
British School at Athens
The British School at Athens is one of the 17 Foreign Archaeological Institutes in Athens, Greece.-General information:The School was founded in 1886 as the fourth such institution in Greece...
and from 1931 until his death in 1936 (they had no children) Powell spent part of each year in Greece, frequently attending excavations, where her husband was working. She continued these visits when she was able until the Second World War intervened. On her return to Britain Powell was appointed film critic on The Sunday Times, and in 1941 she found war work with a Greek connection in the Political Warfare Executive
Political Warfare Executive
During World War II, the Political Warfare Executive was a British clandestine body created to produce and disseminate both white and black propaganda, with the aim of damaging enemy morale and sustaining the morale of the Occupied countries....
, which oversaw Britain's propaganda in occupied Europe. In June 1943 she married Leonard Russell (1906–1974), an executive at The Sunday Times.
Powell was one of the founder members of the Independent Television Authority
Independent Television Authority
The Independent Television Authority was an agency created by the Television Act 1954 to supervise the creation of "Independent Television" , the first commercial television network in the United Kingdom...
(ITA) from 1954, despite initial concerns about her possible conflicts of interest (she wrote for a newspaper that was backing one of the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
franchises, but its bid was eventually withdrawn). She resigned her post at the ITA in 1956 in protest at the government's refusal to come up with funding which it had promised to the authority in the 1954 Television Act
Television Act 1954
The Television Act 1954 was a British law which permitted the creation of the first commercial television network in the United Kingdom, ITV....
.
Her journalism led a change in the writing of cinema criticism. To quote from the British Film Institute: "... she was open to new directions in cinema and was not constrained by the middle class shibboleths of "good taste", unlike her rival C. A. Lejeune
C. A. Lejeune
Caroline Alice Lejeune was a British writer, best known as the film critic of The Observer from 1928 to 1960.-Family:...
, film critic for the Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
newspaper from 1928 to 1960". She remained as film critic at The Sunday Times until 1976; her collected reviews were published in 1989. She later became film critic for Punch
Punch (magazine)
Punch, or the London Charivari was a British weekly magazine of humour and satire established in 1841 by Henry Mayhew and engraver Ebenezer Landells. Historically, it was most influential in the 1840s and 50s, when it helped to coin the term "cartoon" in its modern sense as a humorous illustration...
until its first closure in 1992, and she continued to write for The Sunday Times, now commenting on films being shown on television, until the week of her death.
She had a gift for the pithy comment, and her memorable phrases about films and the people of the film world are still frequently quoted by other journalists. In addition to her journalism she appeared on radio, as a contestant on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
radio panel game My Word!
My Word!
My Word! was a long-running radio panel game broadcast by the BBC on the Home Service and Radio 4 . It was created by Edward J. Mason and Tony Shryane, and featured comic writers Denis Norden and Frank Muir, famous in Britain for the series Take It From Here...
, and wrote books about film and travel, particularly about Greece.
Writing by Dilys Powell
- Descent from Parnassus, (1934), London: Cresset Press (Essays on modern poets).
- Remember Greece, (1941), London: Hodder & Stoughton.
- The Traveller’s Journey is Done, (1943), London: Hodder & Stoughton, (Humfry Payne at the British School of Archaeology at Athens).
- Films since 1939, (1947), London: Longmans, Green & Co (for the British Council).
- Coco, (1952), London: Hodder & Stoughton (a biography of a dog).
- An Affair of the Heart, (1958), London: Hodder & Stoughton.
- The mirror of the present, (1967), London: John Murray, (Presidential address to the Classical Association at the University of Reading).
- The Villa Ariadne, (1973), London: Hodder and Stoughton, ISBN 0-340-17770-5.
- The golden screen : fifty years at the films, (1989), London: Pavilion, ISBN 1-85145-342-3 (ed George Perry).
- The Dilys Powell film reader, (1991), Manchester: Carcanet, ISBN 0-85635-912-2.
Sources
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford: OUP (2004).
- Powell, Dilys, (1958), An Affair of the Heart, London: Hodder & Stoughton.
- British Film Institute biography (retrieved 2 February 2006)
- The British Library Catalogue
- Sendall, BernardBernard SendallBernard Charles Sendall was a Civil Servant and an executive member of the British Independent Television Authority...
Independent Television in Britain: Volume 1 - Origin and Foundation 1946-62 London: The Macmillan Press Ltd 1982 (reprinted 1984) ISBN 0-333-30941-3