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{{Infobox person
| name         = Roy William Neill
| image        = Roy William Neill circa 1926 (cropped).jpg
| caption      = Roy William Neill {{circa|1926}}
| birth_date   = {{Birth date|df=y|1887|9|4}}
| birth_place  = Ireland
| death_date   = {{Death date and age|df=y|1946|12|14|1887|9|4}}
| death_place  = London, England
| spouse       =
| occupation   = Film director
| years_active = 1917–1946
}}
'''Roy William Neill''' (born '''Roland de Gostrie''', 4 September 1887 &ndash; 14 December 1946) was an Irish-born American [[film director]] best known for producing and directing almost all of the [[Sherlock Holmes (1939 film series)|Sherlock Holmes]] films starring [[Basil Rathbone]] and [[Nigel Bruce]], made between 1943 and 1946 and released by [[Universal Pictures]].<ref name=NYT>{{cite web|title=Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (1943) At the Palace|author=Ted Strauss|date=8 October 1943|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B05E2DA1438E33BBC4053DFB6678388659EDE}}</ref>

==Biography==
[[File:Roy William Neill & Film Crew 1919.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.8|1919 film crew (from left): Thomas Walsh (assistant director), Ned Van Buen (camera operator), Edward James (assistant director), Edward Wynard (camera operator), Neill (director, seated)]]
With his father as the captain, Roy William Neill was [[List of people born at sea|born on a ship]] off the coast of [[Ireland]]. Neill lived in the United States for most of his career and was an American citizen. He began directing silent films in 1917 and went on to helm 111 films, 55 of them silent. He was also credited in some works as R. William Neill, Roy W. Neill, and Roy Neill.

Neill was known for his striking visual style: meticulously lit scenes, careful compositions, and layered shadows that would become the tone of ''[[film noir]]'' in the late 1940s (his last film, ''[[Black Angel (1946 film)|Black Angel]]'' (1946), is considered a ''film noir''). Neill's imaginative direction and compositions were noticed by then-low-budget [[Columbia Pictures]], which hired him in 1928.

Roy William Neill became one of Columbia's dependable directors. His best-known Columbia features are ''[[Whirlpool (1934 film)|Whirlpool]]'', a [[Jack Holt (actor)|Jack Holt]] vehicle that introduced one of Columbia's major stars, [[Jean Arthur]]; and ''[[The Black Room (1935 film)|The Black Room]]'' (1935), a costume thriller starring [[Boris Karloff]] in a dual role. Neill also directed additional scenes, without screen credit, for [[Frank Capra]]'s 1932 feature ''[[American Madness]]''.

In 1935 Neill left Columbia for a five-year stay in London, where better opportunities existed for American directors. British film producer [[Edward Black (producer)|Edward Black]] hired Neill to direct ''[[The Lady Vanishes (1938 film)|The Lady Vanishes]]''. However, due to delays in production, Black engaged [[Alfred Hitchcock]] to direct instead.<ref name="edward">{{cite magazine|magazine=Filmink|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/forgotten-british-film-moguls-ted-black/|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|date=1 December 2024|access-date=1 December 2024|title=Forgotten British Film Moguls: Ted Black}}</ref>

In 1942 Neill became a producer-director for [[Universal Pictures]]. After the studio's first Sherlock Holmes mystery, produced by Howard Benedict and directed by [[John Rawlins (director)|John Rawlins]], the studio assigned Roy William Neill to take over the series as both producer and director. Most of Neill's Universal films are atmospheric thrillers, although he did direct one musical, ''[[Rhythm of the Islands]]'' (1943). His best-known Universal feature, apart from the Sherlock Holmes pictures, is ''[[Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man]]'' (1943). 

In 1942, when Universal's major production ''[[Flesh and Fantasy]]'' was recut after its preview from four sequences to three, the deleted sequence starring [[Gloria Jean]], [[Alan Curtis (American actor)|Alan Curtis]], and [[Frank Craven]] was shelved. In August 1944, the studio assigned Roy William Neill to expand the half-hour sequence into a full-length feature called ''The Fugitive''. Neill produced the new material but did not direct; the project was rushed through production in less than two weeks while Gloria Jean was available, so Neill had no time to prepare any original direction. The feature version was ultimately released in December 1944 as ''[[Destiny (1944 film)|Destiny]]''.<ref>[[Scott MacGillivray]] and Jan MacGillivray, ''Gloria Jean: A Little Bit of Heaven'', pp. 163-164, iUniverse, 2005. {{ISBN|978-0-595-37080-1}}</ref>

After ''Destiny'', Neill supervised the Sherlock Holmes series almost exclusively; he remained with Universal through 1946. He died in [[London, England|London]], England, from a [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]].
{{Clear}}

Director [[Joe Dante]] cited Neill as one of his favorites as a director.<ref>https://www.filmcomment.com/article/guilty-pleasures-joe-dante/</ref>

==Filmography==
{{Div col|colwidth=22em}}
*''[[The Girl, Glory]]'' (1917)
*''[[The Mother Instinct]]'' (1917)
*''[[They're Off (1917 film)|They're Off]]'' (1917)
*''[[The Price Mark]]'' (1917)
*''[[Love Letters (1917 film)|Love Letters]]'' (1917)
*''[[Flare-Up Sal]]'' (1918)
*''[[Love Me (1918 film)|Love Me]]'' (1918)
*''[[Free and Equal (1918 film)|Free and Equal]]'' (1918)
*''[[Tyrant Fear]]'' (1918)
*''[[The Mating of Marcella]]'' (1918)
*''[[The Kaiser's Shadow]]'' (1918)
*''[[Green Eyes (1918 film)|Green Eyes]]'' (1918)
*''[[Vive la France!]]'' (1918)
*''[[Puppy Love (1919 film)|Puppy Love]]'' (1919)
*''[[Charge It to Me]]'' (1919)
*''[[Trixie from Broadway]]'' (1919)
*''[[The Career of Katherine Bush]]'' (1919)
*''[[The Bandbox]]'' (1919)
*''[[The Woman Gives]]'' (1920)
*''[[The Inner Voice]]'' (1920)
*''[[Yes or No? (1920 film)|Yes or No?]]'' (1920)
*''[[Good References]]'' (1920)
*''[[Dangerous Business (1920 film)|Dangerous Business]]'' (1920)
*''[[Something Different (1920 film)|Something Different]]'' (1920)
*''[[The Idol of the North]]'' (1921)
*''[[The Conquest of Canaan]]'' (1921)
*''[[The Iron Trail]]'' (1921)
*''[[What's Wrong with the Women?]]'' (1922)
*''[[The Man from M.A.R.S. (1922 film)|The Man From M.A.R.S.]]'' (1922)
*''[[Toilers of the Sea (1923 film)|Toilers of the Sea]]'' (1923)
*''[[By Divine Right (film)|By Divine Right]]'' (1924)
*''[[Vanity's Price]]'' (1924)
*''[[Broken Laws]]'' (1924)
*''[[Percy (1925 film)|Percy]]'' (1925)
*''[[Marriage in Transit]]'' (1925)
*''[[The Kiss Barrier]]'' (1925)
*''[[Greater Than a Crown]]'' (1925)
*''[[The Cowboy and the Countess]]'' (1926)
*''[[The Fighting Buckaroo (1926 film)|The Fighting Buckaroo]]'' (1926)
*''[[A Man Four-Square]]'' (1926)
*''[[Black Paradise]]'' (1926)
*''[[The City (1926 film)|The City]]'' (1926)
*''[[Marriage (1927 film)|Marriage]]'' (1927)
*''[[The Arizona Wildcat (1927 film)|The Arizona Wildcat]]'' (1927)
*''[[The Lady of Victories]]'' (1928) - short
*''[[The Czarina's Secret]]'' (1928) - short
*''[[San Francisco Nights (film)|San Francisco Nights]]'' (1928)
*''[[The Virgin Queen (1928 film)|The Virgin Queen]]'' (1928) - short
*''[[The Olympic Hero]]'' (1928)
*''[[Lady Raffles (film)|Lady Raffles]]'' (1928)
*''[[Cleopatra (1928 film)|Cleopatra]]'' (1928) - short
*''[[The Heart of General Robert E. Lee]]'' (1928) - short
*''[[The Viking (1928 film)|The Viking]]'' (1928)
*''[[Madame du Barry (1928 film)|Madame DuBarry]]'' (1928) - short
*''[[Behind Closed Doors (1929 film)|Behind Closed Doors]]'' (1929)
*''[[Wall Street (1929 film)|Wall Street]]'' (1929)
*''[[The Melody Man]]'' (1930)
*''[[Cock o' the Walk (1930 film)|Cock 'o the Walk]]'' (1930) - [[lost film]]
*''[[Just Like Heaven (1930 film)|Just Like Heaven]]'' (1930)
*''[[Fifty Fathoms Deep (1931 film)|Fifty Fathoms Deep]]'' (1931)
*''[[The Avenger (1931 film)|The Avenger]]'' (1931)
*''[[The Good Bad Girl]]'' (1931)
*''[[Fifty Fathoms Deep (1931 film)|Fifty Fathoms Deep]]'' (1931)
*''[[The Menace (1932 film)|The Menace]]'' (1932)
*''[[American Madness]]'' (1932) - uncredited
*''[[That's My Boy (1932 film)|That's My Boy]]'' (1932)
*''[[The Circus Queen Murder]]'' (1933)
*''[[As the Devil Commands]]'' (1933)
*''[[Fury of the Jungle]]'' (1933)
* ''[[Above the Clouds]]'' (1933)
*''[[The Ninth Guest]]'' (1934)
*''[[Whirlpool (1934 film)|Whirlpool]]'' (1934)
*''[[Black Moon (1934 film)|Black Moon]]'' (1934)
*''[[Blind Date (1934 film)|Blind Date]]'' (1934)
*''[[I'll Fix It]]'' (1934)
*''[[Jealousy (1934 film)|Jealousy]]'' (1934)
*''[[Mills of the Gods (1934 film)|Mills of the Gods]]'' (1934)
*''[[Eight Bells (film)|Eight Bells]]'' (1935)
*''[[The Black Room (1935 film)|The Black Room]]'' (1935)
*''[[The Lone Wolf Returns (1935 film)|The Lone Wolf Returns]]'' (1935)
*''[[Gypsy (1937 film)|Gypsy]]'' (1937)
*''[[Doctor Syn (film)|Doctor Syn]]'' (1937)
*''[[Quiet Please (1938 film)|Quiet Please]]'' (1938)
*''[[The Viper (1938 film)|The Viper]]'' (1938)
*''[[Simply Terrific]]'' (1938)
*''[[Double or Quits (1938 film)|Double or Quits]]'' (1938)
*''[[Thank Evans]]'' (1938) British
*''[[Many Tanks Mr. Atkins]]'' (1938)
*''[[Everything Happens to Me (1938 film)|Everything Happens to Me]]'' (1938)
*''[[A Gentleman's Gentleman]]'' (1939)
*''[[Murder Will Out (1939 film)|Murder Will Out]]'' (1939)
*''[[His Brother's Keeper (1940 film)|His Brother's Keeper]]'' (1940)
*''[[Hoots Mon! (1940 film)|Hoots Mon!]]'' (1940)
*''[[The Good Old Days (film)|The Good Old Days]]'' (1939)
*''[[Eyes of the Underworld (1942 film)|Eyes of the Underworld]]'' (1942)
*''[[Madame Spy (1942 film)|Madame Spy]]'' (1942)
*''[[Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon]]'' (1942)
*''[[Sherlock Holmes in Washington]]'' (1943)
*''[[Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man]]'' (1943)
*''[[Rhythm of the Islands]]'' (1943)
*''[[Sherlock Holmes Faces Death]]'' (1943)
*''[[The Spider Woman]]'' (1943)
*''[[The Scarlet Claw]]'' (1944)
*''[[The Pearl of Death]]'' (1944)
*''[[Gypsy Wildcat]]'' (1944)
*''[[The House of Fear (1945 film)|The House of Fear]]'' (1945)
*''[[The Woman in Green]]'' (1945)
*''[[Pursuit to Algiers]]'' (1945)
*''[[Terror by Night]]'' (1946)
*''[[Dressed to Kill (1946 film)|Dressed to Kill]]'' (1946)
*''[[Black Angel (1946 film)|Black Angel]]'' (1946)
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Roy William Neill}}
* {{imdb name|0624756}}
* [https://www.flickr.com/photos/puzzlemaster/5498909963/in/set-72157626200447262/ Passport portrait of Roy William Neil]

{{Roy William Neill}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Neill, Roy}}
[[Category:1887 births]]
[[Category:1946 deaths]]
[[Category:People born at sea]]
[[Category:Irish film directors]]
[[Category:Film directors from California]]
[[Category:American horror film directors]]
[[Category:Pseudonymous film directors]]
[[Category:Hugo Award winners]]
[[Category:Irish emigrants to the United States]]

{{Wikipedia attribution|original_title=Roy William Neill|access_date=2026-03-05}}