PICTURE GALLERY FROM MOOR HALL

Since we started this "Memories of Moor Hall," various people have made contributions or copies of documents and photos, and they are all highly appreciated.We hope that as time goes by, more photos or copies of photos will be submitted. Each photo, even copied ones, allows viewers to have a glimpse into a bygone era that occured round about sixty years ago.



A WINDOW AT MOOR HALL -- Left to Right: Ray Patterson, Ralph Wright, Joan Patton, A.W. "Chick" Henderson, and another unnamed person. If you can help, please get in touch. Photo from Reca McGibbon Collection.



TEN WOMEN FROM INK, TRACE AND PAINT at Moor Hall Studios pose
for a photo. Who are they? We would like to find out. We asked the question, and Eunice Macaulay, supervisor of Ink and Trace came up with some names. Front row from the right: Rhoda (?); Bettina Hansford (Percival); and Enid Ash. Photo submitted by Jack Stokes



ANTICS AT THE STUDIOS – A gathering of key artists and animators outside the studio building. Left to right is Bill Hopper, Bert Felstead, possibly Eddie Radage looking down on them, Ted Percival leaning against the building and looking down, standing at left is Arthur Humberstone and Barry Clark, Alex Oxley is tapping an unidentified man’s head, and Pete Arthy has his arms around Chick Henderson’s neck.

Below, same crew poses for a “straight” photo. Both pictures were sent in by A.W. “Chick” Henderson’s grandson Terry Aspell. Thanks to Eileen Banks for helping with identification.





SOME OF THE CREATIVE TEAM. Harry Hargreaves (center doorway) flanked by Perc Poynter; trio standing at top of steps -- Alex Cubie, Eddie Radage and Mario Sapporito; Jack Stokes (standing at extreme left); Standing next to Stokes is Canadian Fred Hearn who had a Harley Davidson; Seated on steps: Brian Johnson and Jeff Martin; and standing on steps in white shirt and tie, Eric Bradbury flanked by Rich Cox. Photo taken during animation training, Spring 1947. Photo submitted by Jack Stokes



CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Key people from Disney who assisted David Hand in getting G.B. Animation off the ground. John Reed, an animator on "Fantasia" and "Bambi" headed the animation training department at Moor Hall. At right, Ralph Wright, writer on Musical Paintbox and story producer for Animaland. At left is Sound Engineer Stu Crombie. Original photo submitted by Eileen Banks.

FAMOUS ARTIST AT MOOR HALL -- When George Hawthorn came to join the Animaland team at Moor Hall, he was already famous having exhibited at the Royal Academy before the war. This photo also earned him a place in the Children's Newspaper when they did a comic feature on Moor Hall Studios.Check CHILDREN'S NEWSPAPER - 1950: "A CARTOON COMES TO LIFE!". You can find out more about George Hawthorn. His widow, Pam Hawthorn has sent us an interesting story. Check: AFTER MOOR HALL: WHERE DID THEY GO?

A WORKING SHOT -- One of a very few photos we have of staff in action at Moor Hall. This is Rhona Hurt setting up a rostrum camera over a cel from an Animaland film. Photo submitted by: Fred Shackell

ANIMALAND DIRECTOR BERT FELSTEAD AT WORK -- He's pictured in his office with assistant Phillipa Hibbert. A storyboard graces the wall. This photo from the Cab Smith Collection was signed by Bert and Phillipa.

A STORYBOARD BOARD MEETING -- Producer David Hand seen seated at center is flanked by key animators, writers and technicians as the work on a storyboard -- which will eventually be an animated cartoon. We do have some names, courtesy Dave Livesey. Pointing to Story Board is Reg Parlett, standing by window is Pete Banks, at far left is Bert Felstead, and lower left is Pete Griffiths. Peter Hale says seated behind David Hand is Bill Hopper and the figure second from the left -- glasses and receding hair -- is Frank Moysey.Any more IDs? Photo from Cab Smith Collection.

THE BAND PLAYS ON -- Moor Hall Studios always seemed to have music being played either for soundtrack, rehearsals, dances and special occasions. Sound Technician Stuart Crombie, seated second from the left, led the Band. At left is Frankie Dale, center is Jeff Martin and at piano is John Milton Gurr, film editor. Again, we're looking to identify the two other players, man cross legged with guitar and flanking him on right. Photo from the Cab Smith Collection.

COMPOSER AT WORK -- When you see the David Hand animation films, you'll notice in the credits that the music was composed by Henry Reed. A prolific composer, he created music for 14 Animaland and Musical Paintbox films in just over two years. Photo from the Cab Smith Collection.



MODEL CAMERAMAN -- David Livesey was appointed Assistant Model Cameraman at Moor Hall, and still a teenager, said this was a great moment in his life. After National Service he went on to accomplish considerable credits in film production. Photo from the David Livesey Collection.

This photo from sometime in the late 1940s shows Moor Hall crew members from the Diagramatic Section on the lawn outside the main building. We don't have all names. Back row -- third from left is Major Charles Green, next is Ken Gay, sixth across is Les Oriss, and seventh Ken Hardy. Front row, left to right, Yvonne Dormehl, Louis Dahl, Peter Dards, and Sally Sedgewick. Photo from the Fred Shackell Collection.

Posing for a photograph in winter sunshine. Left to right: Arthur Passant, Rhona Hurt with two cans of 35mm film, Major Charles Green, Sally Sedgewick, Ken Gay, Peter Dards, Les Orris and Louis Dahl. Fred Shackell Collection.

ARTISTS ALL – This color photo—probably taken on Anscocolor or Agfacolor in the late 1940s – shows a group of ten in the grounds at Moor Hall Studios. Left to right, back row, Bill Pratt, Ronnie Murdoch, Eddie Radage, Jack Stokes, Jeff Martin. Seated, left to right: Mario Sapporito, (next two unidentified: names please?) Kneeling, front row: Jim Malcolm and Jim Macaulay. Photo from Jim Macaulay Collection.

Caught on Cookham Bridge spanning the Thames are Roy Turk, rostrum cameraman Cab Smith of the studios' Production Office. Fred Shackell Collection.

ROMANCE IN THE AIR? Animator Fred Shackell (right) sits on a bench with rostrum
cameraman John Bloss(left) and Audrey Garrett from Trace and Paint.
John and Audrey married on September 16th 1950 and then went to Canada, via New York on the Queen Mary in 1953. Fred Shackell Collection.

On the stepps at Moor Hall, Eric Wylam, animator and trainer with
Reca McGibbon, an Inbetweener and Trace and Paint artist.Fred Shackell Collection

From left to right, front row: Enid Hartley, Babs Wyatt, Liz Ludlow and Alex Oxley. Between Babs and Liz standing at the back is Audrey Garrett. Names courtesy Eunice Macaulay.Photo: Fred Shackell Collection.

FANCY DRESS BALL AT MOOR HALL -- This one happened at the end of 1948 -- round about New Year's Eve -- Bob Egby was encouraged by Chick Henderson to go as the Invisible Man. He wrapped the face in bandages and stuck some sunglasses on the face. Egby didn't win but he is standing at the back of this group photo. Eunice Macaulay has identified people in tyhe front row: (left to right) Rhoda Leher, June Hudson, Phillipa Hibbert, Enid Hartley, Ernst Loeser, Mary Lake and Pat Williams (partial view), Joan Rogers, Bill Marshall in a sombrero. At the far left at back is Edna Jebb. Photos from Cab Smith Collection.

NAMES ARE COMING IN: Standing by the bar at left, Ernst Loeser (with moustache),next is Bill Elmer Man with a beer in hand is Charles Pithers, and sombrero man is Bill Marshal. Looking over Bill's sombrero with glass is Rich Cox. Lady at center, peering over the group is Eileen Bonnet. Photo from Cab Smith Collection.

A NEW PHOTO FROM EUNICE MACAULAY: The picture is self-sustaining with names artistically written in. If anyone can identify others in the picture, please get in touch with Bob Egby. Update 3/1/2019: "Paul's Wife?" seen at left was in fact Ann Vickers now Ann Thomas.

DIAGRAMATIC UNIT DIRECTOR -- Ken Hardy

Editor's Note: All the photographs reproduced above are from small two
or three inch contact prints made in the late 1940s or in 1950 and
were submitted by Fred Shackell in Ruislip, UK.



LITTLE KNOWN PRODUCTION at Gaumont British Animation was Cinema Commercials. In colour and each lasting about three minutes, they were made for "Esso Petrol" and "Oxydol Washing Powder." Supervisor was John Reed, Director, Ralph Ayres, and animators included Eddie Radage, Jack Stokes assisted by Jim McCauley and Jim Malcolm. Story Boards were Roy Davies and Hitch Hitchens, Layout was Jeff Martin, Set Designer was Percy Pointer and George Hawthorn created Backgrounds. Pictured above is the story board for Esso Patrol's "Any Old Iron," (1948) which was the first advertising film made at Moor Hall.
Photo submitted by Jack Stokes



Unless you looked closely, people on the street had no idea this was
the van carrying supplies to and from the Moor Hall Studios. The only indicator
was a small sign on the side "GB". It carried many of the "rushes" to Denham Laboratories and the Technicolor
Laboratories opposite Heathrow Airport. Photo from Cab Smith Collection.

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