[3] Born William Seward Folkard in Stockton-on-Tees, he ran away from home at the age of nine, seeking his fortune in London.
He quickly rose to directing and producing plays and established his own theatrical company before switching to films with The Great Gold Robbery in 1913.
In 1921, Elvey directed 16 shorts and one full-length feature film (The Hound of the Baskervilles) with Eille Norwood as Sherlock Holmes.
[5] Elvey worked with such performers as Leslie Howard, Ivor Novello, Ida Lupino, Benita Hume, Gracie Fields, Claude Rains, Alastair Sim, Leslie Banks, and Fay Wray, and mentored future directors Carol Reed, David Lean, and Ronald Neame.
In 1944, he was charmed by Petula Clark when he saw her perform at the Royal Albert Hall, and he launched her film career by casting her as a precocious waif in his wartime drama Medal for the General.