The Life Story of David Lloyd George
Encyclopedia
The Life Story of David Lloyd George is a 1918 British
silent
biopic
film directed by Maurice Elvey
and starring Norman Page
, Alma Reville
and Ernest Thesiger
. The film "is thought to be the first feature length biopic of a contemporary living politician". Finished in 1918
, it was first shown only in 1996.
, British Prime Minister from 1916 to 1922. It was written by Sydney Low, directed by Maurice Elvey
, and stars Norman Page
as Lloyd George. Other actors who appear are Ernest Thesiger
, Alma Reville
, and Douglas Munro. The film was produced by the Ideal Film Company.
The film was suppressed for political reasons just before its release in 1918.
. The film had its world premiere in Cardiff
in 1996.
In 2010, the film was inscribed in UNESCO
's UK Memory of the World Register
.
The film has been made available to the public on DVD.
Cinema of the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has had a major influence on modern cinema. The first moving pictures developed on celluloid film were made in Hyde Park, London in 1889 by William Friese Greene, a British inventor, who patented the process in 1890. It is generally regarded that the British film industry...
silent
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
biopic
Biographical film
A biographical film, or biopic , is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or people. They differ from films “based on a true story” or “historical films” in that they attempt to comprehensively tell a person’s life story or at least the most historically important years of their...
film directed by Maurice Elvey
Maurice Elvey
Maurice Elvey was the most prolific film director in British history. He directed nearly 200 films between 1913 and 1957. During the silent film era he directed as many as twenty films per year....
and starring Norman Page
Norman Page
Norman Page was a British actor. He is best known for his portrayal of David Lloyd George, Prime Minister during the First World War, in the 1918 film The Life Story of David Lloyd George which is believed to be the first ever feature length political biopic.-Selected filmography:* The Life Story...
, Alma Reville
Alma Reville
Alma Reville, Lady Hitchcock was an English assistant director, screenwriter and editor. She was the second daughter of Edward and Lucy Reville....
and Ernest Thesiger
Ernest Thesiger
Ernest Frederic Graham Thesiger CBE was an English stage and film actor. He is best known for his performance as Dr...
. The film "is thought to be the first feature length biopic of a contemporary living politician". Finished in 1918
1918 in film
The year 1918 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*Following litigation for anti-trust activities, the US Supreme Court orders the Motion Picture Patents Company to disband....
, it was first shown only in 1996.
Production background
The Life Story of David Lloyd George is about David Lloyd GeorgeDavid Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
, British Prime Minister from 1916 to 1922. It was written by Sydney Low, directed by Maurice Elvey
Maurice Elvey
Maurice Elvey was the most prolific film director in British history. He directed nearly 200 films between 1913 and 1957. During the silent film era he directed as many as twenty films per year....
, and stars Norman Page
Norman Page
Norman Page was a British actor. He is best known for his portrayal of David Lloyd George, Prime Minister during the First World War, in the 1918 film The Life Story of David Lloyd George which is believed to be the first ever feature length political biopic.-Selected filmography:* The Life Story...
as Lloyd George. Other actors who appear are Ernest Thesiger
Ernest Thesiger
Ernest Frederic Graham Thesiger CBE was an English stage and film actor. He is best known for his performance as Dr...
, Alma Reville
Alma Reville
Alma Reville, Lady Hitchcock was an English assistant director, screenwriter and editor. She was the second daughter of Edward and Lucy Reville....
, and Douglas Munro. The film was produced by the Ideal Film Company.
The film was suppressed for political reasons just before its release in 1918.
Preservation status
Long believed destroyed, the film was rediscovered in the Lloyd George family archives in 1994 by the Wales Film and Television Archive, later the National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales within the National Library of WalesNational Library of Wales
The National Library of Wales , Aberystwyth, is the national legal deposit library of Wales; one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies.Welsh is its main medium of communication...
. The film had its world premiere in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
in 1996.
In 2010, the film was inscribed in UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
's UK Memory of the World Register
UK Memory of the World Register
The UK Memory of the World Register, on which work started in 2009 and whose first inscriptions were made in 2010, is a list of individual documents and documentary collections of particular importance to the United Kingdom; it is the national complement to UNESCO's international Memory of the...
.
The film has been made available to the public on DVD.
Further reading
- Dave Berry and Simon Horrocks, eds, David Lloyd George: the Movie Mystery. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1998. ISBN 070831371X.