Joy Batchelor
Directing
Biography
Joy Ethel Batchelor (12 May 1914 – 14 May 1991) was an English animator, director, screenwriter, and producer. She married John Halas in 1940 and subsequently co-established Halas and Batchelor cartoons, whose best known production is the animated feature film Animal Farm (1954), which made her the first woman director of an animated feature since Lotte Reiniger. Together they created over 2000 shorts/films, and produced roughly 70 propaganda pieces during World War II for the British government. She helped co-write, write, animate, produce, and direct many of their productions. One of her projects as an art director was Cinerama Holiday (1955). Joy directed and wrote Ruddigore (1967), a television-film adaptation of W.S. Gilbert's opera of the same name, which became the first opera to be adapted into an animated film. She later worked in television, directing series, including animated shows like The Jackson 5ive (1971). Batchelor died on 14 May 1991, just two days after her 77th birthday.
Known For
Animals on a farm lead a revolution against the farmers to put their destiny in their own hands. However this revolution eats their own children and they cannot avoid corruption.
Animal Farm
DoDo, The Kid from Outer Space was an animated cartoon series that was syndicated to television from 1965-1970. DoDo was a young extraterrestrial from the planet Hena Hydro, who came to Earth in his flying saucer and had numerous adventures. Other cast members included Professor Fingers, an eccentric scientist who somewhat resembled the later Professor Utonium; Compy, DoDo's computer/duck hybrid pet; and Why and How, two Earth children. The characters speak in rhymes, either independently or playing off each other. "DoDo" was created by Lady Stearn Robinson and produced by British animators Halas and Batchelor. A total of 78 five-minute episodes were filmed.
DoDo, The Kid from Outer Space
BBC Four’s new documentary takes us on a journey through more than a century of animation. It examines the creative and technical inventiveness of some of the great animation pioneers who have worked in Britain – trailblazing talents such as Len Lye, John Halas and Joy Batchelor, Joanna Quinn, and Bristol’s world-conquering Aardman Animations.
Secrets of British Animation
No description available.
European Folk Tales
An animated, dark satire of America's automobile-obsessed, consumerist culture. An anonymous, brilliant scientist toils tirelessly in his ivory tower satisfying the public's ever-increasing demands for novelty and status consciousness, with predictable environmental consequences.
Automania 2000
The story of three children who find themselves with a friendly monster that grows at an alarming rate.
The Monster of Highgate Ponds
A powerfully graphic piece of animation that best expresses John Halas' own feelings about mans universal quest for freedom.
The Magic Canvas
Ever seen a snake with a moustache? The Middle East was as much an ideological as a physical battleground in the Second World War. In the midst of the conflict Halas & Batchelor were commissioned by the British Government to make four cartoons featuring a young boy Abu and his mule. They were intended to demonstrate in simple visual terms that Britain was a stout friend and the Axis powers a pernicious evil.
Abu and the Poisoned Well
Animated version of the fairy tale. Tom proves himself cleverer than his brothers when he outwits an ogre and returns home with treasure.
Little Tom Thumb
An animated film about the history and use of hot water.
Piping Hot
Joy Batchelor directed, produced, wrote and designed this short film for Brook Bond Tea: two girls compete for the affections of a Teddy Bear.
Dolly, Put the Kettle On
The Baronet of Ruddigore, Sir Despard Murgatroyd, has inherited a family curse which forces him to commit a crime every day — or die in agony. He hates the curse, doing his heinous misdeeds as early as possible and good works for the rest of the day to compensate!
Ruddigore
No man is an island, but Charley represents his nation in this economical cartoon tale of Britain’s economics.
Robinson Charley
A particularly vicious Father Time with a hit-list in his Book of Doom seeks to wipe out characters brought to life from fabric patterns. This neat concept for a cartoon washing powder commercial can be credited to Alexander Mackendrick, who worked at the J Walter Thompson advertising agency before making films at Ealing and then Hollywood.
Fable of the Fabrics
Animated short from Halas and Batchelor encouraging the British public to post early for Christmas.
Christmas Wishes
This cartoon propaganda short by Halas & Batchelor sweetens the pill of post-war coal prices by promising jam tomorrow.
Charley's Black Magic
This highly entertaining animated film begins as a young girl settles down into bed to sleep after coming home from a party. One of her feet protrudes from under the bed cover and the toes come alive and discuss how painful they are after being cramped into ill-fitting shoes all day. The toes show in a series of flash-backs how they have been maltreated, and a dream shows how they would like to be treated - feet measured, shoes fitted and lots of time spent out of shoes and stockings.
The Five
Modern advice and old-fashioned values combine in this postwar animated health guide from the makers of Animal Farm.
A Modern Guide to Health
A short animated War Office commissioned health education film, showing the fate of each of the 6 jungle soldiers.
6 Little Jungle Boys
A soon-to-be born baby learns about the kinds of schools he will attending in the years following his birth.