Great (1975 film)
| Great | |
|---|---|
 Title card of the film | |
| Directed by | Bob Godfrey |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Jonathan P. Hodge |
| Distributed by | British Lion Films |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 28 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Great is a 28-minute animated film released in 1975, telling a humorous version of the life of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It was directed by Bob Godfrey, produced by Grantstern Films and distributed by British Lion.
Great won the Academy Award for Animated Short Film at the 48th Academy Awards in March 1976.[1] Great was the first British animated film to win an Academy Award, and also won the BAFTA award for Best Animated Film in 1976.[2][3]
Background
The film recounts the life and works of the 19th century British civil engineer and architect Isambard Kingdom Brunel in a way that is affectionate while often tongue-in-cheek. The narrator, voiced by Harry Fowler, explains the triumphs and setbacks of Brunel's career, comparing him to Archimedes, Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. Richard Briers provides the voice of Brunel. There are numerous songs in the film, including "Get a big top hat if you want to get ahead". Great is primarily an animated film, although it is mixed media, combining some live action sequences with the animation.[4]
In an interview with The Guardian in April 2001, Bob Godfrey explained how the film came about:
I'd been reading a book about Brunel so I asked British Lion, who backed Kama Sutra [Kama Sutra Rides Again, his Academy Award nominated 1971 animated short], if I could have some money to make a half-hour cartoon about a Victorian engineer. Yes, they said, here's £20,000. They thought the sun shone out of my arse at the time. They'd have given me money to animate a toilet if I'd asked them.[5]
Great is not available on DVD or Blu-ray. The official website of Bob Godfrey has stated that this is due to the film's copyright status.[6]
References
- ↑ "The 48th Academy Awards (1976) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved 2011-10-02.
- ↑ Goldsmith, Belinda (2013-02-22). "Britain's first Oscar-winning animator Bob Godfrey dies at 91". Reuters. Retrieved 2013-02-28.
- ↑ "BAFTA Awards 1976". IMDb. Retrieved 2013-03-02.
- ↑ Vine, Richard (2013-02-23). "Bob Godfrey – a career in clips". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 2013-03-02.
- ↑ Smurthwaite, Nick (2001-04-20). "One man and his wobbly dog". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 2013-03-02.
- ↑ "FAQ - The Bob Godfrey Collection". Bobgodfreyfilms.com. Archived from the original on 22 May 2013. Retrieved 2014-02-05.
External links
- Great at the Internet Movie Database