F. Percy Smith

F. Percy Smith

Directing

A distinguished pioneer of scientific filmmaking, Percy Smith was born in London in 1880. Working as a clerk at the Board of Education, Percy began to photograph the natural world around him, nursing a lifelong fascination with all manner of plant and animal life.  His close-up photograph of a bluebottle's tongue caught the attention of film entrepreneur Charles Urban, who quickly began to exhibit Percy's work in London theatres. After the considerable success of sequences such as The Balancing Bluebottle, where he recorded flies juggling, Percy finally joined Urban as a full-time filmmaker…

Filmography

55
Minute Bodies: The Intimate World of F. Percy Smith ★ 7.2 Minute Bodies: The Intimate World of F. Percy Smith 2016 Fresh As a Daisy Fresh As a Daisy 1945 Memories Memories 1944 The Life History of the Onion The Life History of the Onion 1943 The Life Cycle of the Pin Mould The Life Cycle of the Pin Mould 1943 The Life Cycle of the Newt The Life Cycle of the Newt 1942 Overlooked Overlooked 1942 Singing While They Work Singing While They Work 1942 The Life Cycle of the Maize The Life Cycle of the Maize 1942 Wisdom of the Wild ★ 9.0 Wisdom of the Wild 1940 The Tough 'un ★ 6.0 The Tough 'un 1938 The Catch of the Season The Catch of the Season 1938 Far and Wide Far and Wide 1938 Safety First Safety First 1936 Life in the Balance Life in the Balance 1936 New Generation New Generation 1936 He Would a-Wooing Go He Would a-Wooing Go 1936 Lupins Lupins 1936 Cabbage Cabbage 1935 A Queer Diet A Queer Diet 1935 White Flies and Tomatoes White Flies and Tomatoes 1935 Mixed Bathing Mixed Bathing 1935 Thistledown Thistledown 1935 Roots Roots 1934 Gathering Moss Gathering Moss 1933 Brewster's Magic Brewster's Magic 1933 Amazing Maize Amazing Maize 1933 Romance in a Pond Romance in a Pond 1932 Nature's Double Lifters Nature's Double Lifters 1932 The World in a Wine-Glass The World in a Wine-Glass 1931 Magic Myxies Magic Myxies 1931 The Strangler ★ 5.0 The Strangler 1930 Peas and Cues ★ 6.0 Peas and Cues 1930 Down Under Down Under 1930 Scarlet Runner & Co Scarlet Runner & Co 1929 The Frog The Frog 1929 Floral Co-operative Societies Floral Co-operative Societies 1927 The Plants of the Pantry The Plants of the Pantry 1927 Plant Magic Plant Magic 1927 The Story of a Glass of Water The Story of a Glass of Water 1927 The Battle of the Plants The Battle of the Plants 1926 Seed Time Seed Time 1926 The Phantom The Phantom 1926 Tale of a Tendril Tale of a Tendril 1925 Bertie's Cave Bertie's Cave 1925 Nature's Handiwork ★ 9.0 Nature's Handiwork 1921 Fight for the Dardanelles Fight for the Dardanelles 1915 The Wonders of Harmonic Designing The Wonders of Harmonic Designing 1913 Varieties of Sweet Peas Varieties of Sweet Peas 1911 The Strength and Agility of Insects ★ 6.0 The Strength and Agility of Insects 1911 The Birth of a Flower ★ 6.5 The Birth of a Flower 1910 Etude de fleurs Etude de fleurs 1910 The Acrobatic Fly ★ 6.1 The Acrobatic Fly 1910 To Demonstrate How Spiders Fly ★ 2.0 To Demonstrate How Spiders Fly 1909 Story of the Silk Moth Story of the Silk Moth 1908