Bob Godfrey

Robert Frederick Godfrey (b. 27 May 1921) is a distinguished British animator whose career spans more than fifty years. He is probably best known for the children's cartoon series "Roobarb" (1974), "Noah and Nelly in the Skylark" (1977) and "Henry's Cat" (1983) and for the "Trio" chocolate biscuit advertisements shown in the UK during the early 1980s. However, he has also produced a BAFTA and Academy award-winning short film "Great" (1976), a tongue-in-cheek biography of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. He was previously nominated for a Academy Award for his film "Kama Sutra Rides Again" which was screened with the UK release of Stanley Kubrick's film "A Clockwork Orange". Further Academy Awards nominations were received for "Dream Doll" (1980) and "Small Talk" (1994).

He worked at Larkins Studio for a period with Peter Sachs before leaving to set up Biographic with Keith Learner, Jeff Hale. Further members joined including Nancy Hanna and Vera Linnecar. While still working at Larkins he made "Big Parade" (1952) and "Watch the Birdie" (1954), a film inspired by a painting by Paul Klee, both were filmed in the basement of his flat.

He subsequently made "Do It Yourself Cartoon Kit" which satirises animation and commercial advertising. The use of different animated forms, materials and techniques makes it one of his most exciting films to watch. The use of cutout animation for the narrator pre-dates Terry Gilliam's use of the technique, and the film is often mis-credited as being produced by Gilliam. Michael Bentine provided the narration for the film and worked with Godfrey on a number of films and commercials.

Most of Godfrey's animated work during the 1950s and 1960s appeared in TV commercials, but in 1964 he started his own company "Bob Godfrey's Movie Emporium" to develop his own creative projects including the famous children's cartoons. He is also recognised for a number of slightly risqué cartoons satirising British sexual habits, such as "Henry 9 To 5", which was also awarded a BAFTA in 1971. He also animated the classic cartoon "Alf, Bill and Fred".

As well as animation he produced live action commercials and short films. A number of them stared the artist Bruce Lacey who appeared in "Battle of New Orleans", "The Hanging Tree". His interest in live action included a number of appearances in self-directed commercials and minor film roles including The Beatles' film "Help!" (1965) and "Casino Royale" (1967). In 1965 he animated some episodes of The Beatles animated television series which had been sub-contracted out to different studios. Godfrey also worked as a uncredited adviser on "Yellow Submarine" (1968).

In 1974 he presented "Do-It Yourself Film Animation Show" on BBC1 which encouraged children to do animation; each episode had established animators talking about their work and different animation techniques. Guests included Richard Williams and Terry Gilliam. The series has subsequently been acknowledged by a new generation of animators, including Nick Park, as a significant influence on them making animated films. Later films including social, political satires based on the work on Steve Bell which included "Beaks to the Grindstone" and "A Journalist's Tale". He worked with Bell again on the series "Maggie Where I am Now?".

He was awarded an MBE in 1986 and received the newly established Lifetime Achievement Award at the Bradford Animation Festival on 18 November 2007the festival included a retrospective of his films. He has appeared on a number of programmes and documentaries on animation over the years including the BBC 2 documentary "The Craftsmen" and in 2005 for the documentary series "Animation Nation", shown on BBC Four.

References

"Keeping the British End Up: Four Decades of Saucy Cinema" by Simon Sheridan (Reynolds & Hearn Books) (third edition) 2007

External links

* [http://www.bobgodfreyfilms.com/ "Bob Godfrey Films" Website of The Bob Godfrey Collection]
* [http://www.ucreative.ac.uk/index.cfm?articleid=11787 "Animation Research Centre" archive of Bob Godfrey's films and artwork]
* [http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/869480/index.html "Screen Online" biography of Bob Godfrey]