Victor Saville
Biography
Victor Saville (1897–1979), born Victor Myer Salberg, was an English film director, producer and screenwriter. He directed or produced nearly 80 films between 1923 and 1962.
At the outbreak of the First World War, he enlisted on 31 August 1914 and joined the 18th Regiment — The London Rifles — and trained at St. Albans before transferring to France in March 1915. A month after taking part in the Battle of Loos, Saville was injured by a mortar shell on Hill 70 on 29 October 1915.[1] Following treatment he was eventually medically discharged on 4 August 1916.[2][3]
In 1920, he married Phoebe Vera Teller, niece of film distributor Charles Moss Woolf.
He joined with Michael Balcon and John Freedman to form Balcon, Freedman & Saville. Their first major production was successful Woman to Woman (1923), which was followed by the less well-received The White Shadow (1924). Both films were directed by Graham Cutts with Alfred Hitchcock assisting.
Saville went on to produce several classic British films, including Hindle Wakes (1927), The Citadel (1938) and Goodbye Mr Chips (1939). He was in America when war broke out and remained there, producing war efforts such as The Mortal Storm (1940), Forever and a Day (1943) and Tonight and Every Night (1945).
Speaking of his own directorial efforts, he said:
I hope I shall not personally direct many more films. I have never considered myself highly as a director. I know I haven't the brilliance of Hitchcock, Lubitsch or Capra — nor have I the application to settle down like them and perfect, with years of labour, one particular style of direction. I have made scores of films during my career. I have also written scenarios and turned a camera — but my own ambition has always been to produce.
— Film Weekly
His younger brother, Alec Bernard, also worked in the British film industry and was a production manager for Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943).
In 1955, his daughter Ann married John Woolf, son of his uncle-in-law, C.M. Woolf.
Saville return to England after the war but remained friends with director Alfred Hitchcock throughout his career. He attended the American Film Institute Salute to Alfred Hitchcock in March 1979, shortly before his death.
According to his son-in-law, Saville once told him of filmmaking, "You start with a blank sheet of paper, two years of work, spend millions of dollars, and end up with a shadow on a screen."[4]
Filmography
With Hitchcock...
- Woman to Woman (1923) - producer
- The White Shadow (1924) - producer
Other works...
- Forever and a Day (1943) - director & producer
Books
- Evergreen: Victor Saville in His Own Words (2000) edited by Roy Moseley
See Also...
Image Gallery
Images from the Hitchcock Gallery (click to view larger versions or search for all relevant images)...
Genealogy
- born Victor Myer Salberg 05/Sep/1897[5]
- son of Polish-born china dealer Gabriel Salberg (b. ~1863)[6] and Rebecca Salberg (b. ~1867) née Lavenstein[7], who married 1892[8]
- brother of Morris Wolf Salberg (b. ~1882)[9], Miriam Rose Salberg (b. ~1883)[10], Harry Salberg (b. ~1896)[11] and Alec Bernard Salberg (b. 1902)[12]
- married 1920 to Phoebe Vera Teller (b. ~1899)[13], who died 21/Jul/1984
- father to David Saville (b. ~1927)[14] and Ann Saville (b. 1931)[15]
Research Documents
Certification of Naturalization
Victor's father Gabriel became a British citizen in January 1896
1901 Census
1911 Census
First World War Medal and Award Rolls
World War I: Medal Roll Card
World War I: Silver War Badge
World War I: Army Documents
Research Notes
- Regimental number #2128 and WWI Silver War Badge #68276.
- According to his biography, Victor changed his surname to "Saville" at the request of his wife Phoebe when they married in 1920.
- 1923 Passenger Lists — travelled from Plymouth to New York aboard the Paris with wife Phoebe, departing 18th March, to secure an actress for Woman to Woman and The White Shadow
- 1923 Passenger Lists — travelled from New York to Southampton abroad the Olympic with wife Phoebe and actress Betty Compson, arriving 5th May (Compson returned to America on 26/Sep/1923)
- 1928 Passenger Lists — travelled from Southampton to New York aboard the Berengaria, departing 27th December
- 1929 Passenger Lists — travelled from New York to Southampton aboard the Majestic, arriving 26th April
- 1929 Passenger Lists — travelled from Southampton to New York aboard the Olympic, departing 19th June
- 1929 Passenger Lists — travelled from New York to Plymouth aboard the France, arriving 26th September
- 1933 Passenger Lists — travelled from Southampton to Lisbon, Portugal aboard the Cap Arcona with wife Phoebe, departing 13th January
- 1937 Passenger Lists — travelled from Southampton to New York aboard the Normandie, departing 18th December
- 1938 Passenger Lists — travelled from Southampton to New York aboard the Ile de France with wife Phoebe and children Ann & David, departing 1st October
- 1938 Passenger Lists — travelled from New York to Southampton aboard the Queen Mary, arriving 28th February
- 1939 Passenger Lists — travelled from Southampton to New York aboard the Queen Mary with wife Phoebe and children Ann & David, departing 15th April
- 1947 Passenger Lists — travelled from New York to Southampton aboard the Queen Mary with wife Phoebe and daughter Ann, arriving 7th August
- 1947 Passenger Lists — travelled from Southampton to New York aboard the Mauretania, departing 24th September
- 1948 Passenger Lists — travelled from Mombasa, Kenya to Southampton aboard the Queen Elizabeth, arriving 27th September
- 1952 Passenger Lists — travelled from New York to Southampton aboard the Queen Mary, arriving 13th February
- 1956 Passenger Lists — travelled from New York to Southampton aboard the Queen Elizabeth with wife Phoebe, arriving 10th April
- 1956 Passenger Lists — travelled from Liverpool to Montreal, Canada aboard the Empress of Britain with wife Phoebe, departing 26th October
- 1957 Passenger Lists — travelled from New York to Southampton aboard the United States with wife Phoebe, arriving 6th June
- 1957 Passenger Lists — travelled from Southampton to New York aboard the Queen Elizabeth with wife Phoebe, departing 14th November
- 1958 Passenger Lists — travelled from New York to Southampton aboard the United States, arriving 16th March
- 1959 Passenger Lists — travelled from New York to Southampton aboard the Queen Mary with wife Phoebe, arriving 20th October
Links
Notes & References
- ↑ Wikipedia: Battle of Loos
- ↑ Evergreen: Victor Saville in His Own Words (2000) edited by Roy Moseley, chapter 1.
- ↑ Saville's Army Medical notes state that he suffered from "attacks of vertigo, so that he has to sit down to avoid falling!" However, the doctor felt that the effects wouldn't be permanent and would probably clear up after 12 month.
- ↑ Evergreen: Victor Saville in His Own Words (2000) edited by Roy Moseley, foreward by Sir John Woolf.
- ↑ Birth registered Q4 1897 King's Norton, Worcestershire. Date of birth listed elsewhere as 25/Sep/1897, but given as 05/Sep/1897 in biography and on various passenger lists. Death registry entry gives incorrect birth date of 05/Sep/1896.
- ↑ Born in Warsaw, Poland. Son of Sandal(?) and Deborah Salberg. Died 27/Jan/1921 in Hampstead, leaving £2,905 to his widow.
- ↑ Born in Birmingham. Died 03/Apr/1922 in South Africa, possibly on holiday, leaving £3,358 to her children.
- ↑ Marriage registered Q2 1892 Birmingham. Gabriel was presumably married previously in Poland, where his first two children (Morris Wolf and Miriam Rose) were born.
- ↑ Born in Poland and listed on his father's naturalization document.
- ↑ Born in Poland. Likely the Marie Rose Salberg who married in 1903.
- ↑ Born around 1896 in Birmingham. Possibly Harvy rather than Harry.
- ↑ Likely married 1937 to Dorothy L. Abel (reg. Q3 1937 Marylebone). Seemingly followed Victor into the film business (IMDB entry) and was known as Alexander/Alec Saville. Death of Alec Bernard Saville in 1976 aged 74 registered in Paddington, London.
- ↑ Niece of film distributor Charles Moss Woolf.
- ↑ Died 11/May/1952.
- ↑ Born 15/Jan/1931 according to passenger lists. She married 1955 to John Woolf, son of film distributor C.M. Woolf.
