Which We Serve (1942) led to the British film industry encouraging writers to become directors. In 1941 Arliss became a director, initially for Associated British, but soon changing to Gainsborough Pictures. He made his directorial debut with a remake of The Farmer's Wife (1941), co-directed by Norman Lee. He worked on The Foreman Went to France (1942) for Ealing Studios as writer only and wrote and directed The Night Has Eyes (1942), a thriller, with James Mason. Gainsborough Melodrama Arliss had the biggest success of his career to date with The Man in Grey (1943), which he co-wrote and directed. It was one of the biggest hits of his career and made stars of its leads, Mason, Stewart Granger, Phyllis Calvert and Margaret Lockwood. Calvert later claimed Arliss was "not at all" responsible for the eventual success of the film, saying "He was a lazy director; he had got a wonderful job there and he just sat back... [producer] Ted Black was the one who would watch it, cut it, and know exactly what the audience would take." Calvert also said ""Arlissing about" became "a Gainsborough byword for slackness." Arliss' next movie was also a huge hit. Love Story (1944), which he co-wrote and directed, starred Granger, Lockwood and Patricia Roc. An even bigger success was The Wicked Lady (1945), which Arliss wrote and directed, starring Lockwood and Mason. He was working on a film called Digger's Republic in 1945. It was later made without him as Diamond City (1948). Alexander Korda Arliss turned down Hollywood offers, but in March 1946 he accepted an offer to work for Alexander Korda. (Korda was on a talent-signing spree at the time, also doing contracts with Herbert Wilcox, Edward Black and Anthony Kimmins.) Arliss was put to work on Bonnie Prince Charlie (1948), although he eventually left the project. He directed A Man About the House (1947). Arliss directed Idol of Paris (1948) for Gainsborough's former production chief Maurice Ostrer, but the film was a notorious flop, as was Bonnie Prince Charlie when it was released. He was meant to make an Egg and I style comedy with Kieron Moore for Korda, but instead he wrote and directed Saints and Sinners (1949), which also did poorly. 1950s films Arliss prepared a sequel to his greatest success, The Wicked Lady's Daughter, but it was not made. Instead he wrote and directed The Woman's Angle