Robert Verrall obit

Robert Verrall, Oscar-Nominated Animation Pioneer, Dies at 97

He worked at the National Film Board of Canada from 1945 to 1986 in animation, documentary and fiction films. 

He was not on the list.

Robert Verrall, a pioneering Canadian animator, director and film producer with the National Film Board of Canada, has died. He was 97.

Verrall died in Montreal on Friday from unspecified causes, the NFB, the country’s publicly-funded filmmaker, said after being in contact with his family.

“Robert Verrall was one of the builders of the NFB, who possessed a keen eye for great stories and talented creators. Gifted in animation, he built on the foundation put in place by Norman McLaren to attract global renown for the NFB as a center for animation excellence. In documentary and drama, he oversaw the NFB’s efforts to establish production units across the country. He was an ally when trailblazers like Kathleen Shannon founded Studio D, the world’s first publicly funded feminist filmmaking studio. Robert truly helped to shape the modern NFB, and we are deeply grateful for his legacy,” Suzanne Guèvremont, government film commissioner and NFB chairperson, said in a statement.

Verrall and longtime collaborator Wolf Koenig produced the animation for Colin Low’s 1953 short film The Romance of Transportation in Canada, which earned a Palme D’Or for best animated short film in Cannes and an Oscar nomination for best short cartoon.

Born on January 13, 1928, in Toronto, Verrall was among the first pioneering Canadian filmmakers to join the NFB, whose animation studio was led by Norman McLaren. In a 2012 short documentary for the NFB, he recalled arriving in Ottawa in May 1945 to join the NFB as a summer student and becoming part of a filmmaking organization led by the late John Grierson, considered the father of Canadian documentary films.

“If you wondered how come this country managed to get an organization up and going like the Film Board, it was him (Grierson). He was just a genius,” Verrall recounted. He went on to join the animation studio led by McLaren, where he also formed a close working relationship with Hoenig and Low.

Verrall worked at the NFB from 1945 to 1986 and earned in all six Oscar nominations, a BAFTA Award and prizes in Cannes and Venice. As a producer, he served as head of the NFB’s animation department from 1967 to 1972, where he oversaw work on iconic films like Ryan Larkin’s Oscar-nominated Walking (1968), Yvon Mallette’s Boomsville (1968), Zlatko Grgić’s Hot Stuff (1971) and Barrie Nelson’s comedic Propaganda Message (1974).

In 1972, Verrall was promoted to director of English production, a post he held until 1976. In 1977, he was made executive producer of special projects, which included Paul Cowan’s Oscar-nominated Commonwealth Games film Going the Distance.

And in September 1980, Verrall became head of Studio B and shepherded the co-production of feature films and TV dramas like The Wars, Empire Inc. and The Tin Flute/Bonheur d’occasion.  In all, Verrall either directed or produced over 50 films before retiring from the NFB in 1986 to move to his farm in the Eastern Townships outside Montreal.

He is succeeded by his son, David Verrall, who joined the NFB in 1977 and went on to become head of its English Animation Studio in Montreal before retiring in 2011 after 34 years with the public filmmaker.

Filmography

The Three Blind Mice - animated short film, George Dunning 1945 - co-animator with George Dunning and Grant Munro

Christmas Carols - short film, Jim MacKay 1947 - co-animator

A Story About Breadmaking in the Year 1255 A.D. - documentary short, 1948 - cinematographer, editor, animator, director

Time and Terrain - documentary short, Colin Low 1948 - co-editor with Colin Low

A Capital Plan - documentary short, Bernard Devlin 1949 - animator

Planning Canada’s National Capital - documentary short, Donald Fraser 1949 - co-animator with Allan Ackman and Gordon Petty

Date of Birth - short film, Donald Fraser 1950 - animator

Ottawa: Today and Tomorrow - documentary short, Bernard Devlin 1951 - animator

Age of the Beaver - documentary short, Colin Low 1952 - co-animator with Sidney Goldsmith

The Romance of Transportation in Canada - documentary short, Colin Low 1952 - co-animator with Wolf Koenig

The Structure of Unions - documentary short, Morten Parker 1955 - writer

The Colour of Life - documentary short, J.V. Durden 1955 - co-animator with Evelyn Lambart

The Maple Leaf - documentary short, J.V. Durden 1955 - co-animator with Evelyn Lambart

Grain Handling in Canada - documentary short, Guy L. Coté 1955 - animator

A is for Architecture - documentary short, 1959 - co-director with Gerald Budner

The St. Lawrence Seaway - documentary short, John Howe and Isobel Kehoe 1959 - animator

Hors-d'oeuvre - collection, 1960 - co-director and co-animator

Collèges classiques in Quebec - documentary short, Pierre Patry 1961 - co-editor with Arthur Lipsett

The Great Toy Robbery - cartoon, Jeff Hale 1963 - co-producer with Wolf Koenig

Percé on the Rocks - documentary short, Gilles Carle 1964 - animator

The Drag - animated short, Carlos Marchiori 1965 - co-producer with Wolf Koenig

Energy and Matter - documentary short, 1966 - animator, director

Alphabet - animated short, Eli Noyes 1966 - producer

Artificial Lung - documentary short, 1966 - director

What on Earth! - animated short, Les Drew and Kaj Pindal 1966 - co-producer with Wolf Koenig

Kurelek - documentary short, William Pettigrew 1967 - co-producer with Tom Daly

Pikangikum - documentary short, John Gould 1967 - co-producer with John Kemeny

Tax Is Not a Four-Letter Word - cartoon, Michael Mills 1967 - producer

Two Films by Lipsett - experimental, Donald Rennick 1968 - co-producer with Joe Koenig and Mark Slade

Around Perception - experimental animation, Pierre Hébert 1968 - producer

Boomsville - documentary short, Yvon Mallette 1968 - producer

In a Box - animated short, Eli Noyes 1968 - producer

King Size - animated short, Kaj Pindal 1968 - co-producer with Wolf Koenig

Origami - documentary short, Joan Henson 1968 - producer

Population Explosion - documentary short, Pierre Hébert 1968 - co-producer with Wolf Koenig

Rx for Export - documentary short, Pierre Hébert 1968 - co-producer with Wolf Koenig

Cosmic Zoom - documentary short, 1968 - director, co-producer with Joe Koenig

Little Red Riding Hood - animated short, Rhoda Leyer 1969 - producer

The Cartoon Film - documentary short, William Pettigrew 1969 - co-producer with Wolf Koenig

The Half-Masted Schooner - documentary short, Bruce Mackay 1969 - co-producer with Wolf Koenig

The Sky is Blue - animated short, Rick Raxlen 1969 - producer

To See or Not to See - animated short, Břetislav Pojar 1969 - co-producer with Wolf Koenig

Ashes of Doom - short film, Grant Munro and Don Arioli 1970 - co-producer with Wolf Koenig

Best Friends - short film, Bob Browning 1970 - co-producer with Wolf Koenig

Loops to Learn By - documentary short, Rex Tasker 1970 - co-producer with Dorothy Courtois

Of Many People - documentary short, Stanley Jackson 1970 co-producer with John Spotton

The City: Osaka - animated short, Kaj Pindal 1970 - co-producer with John Kemeny

Doodle Film - animated short, Donald Winkler 1970 - producer

What is Life? - animated short, 1970 - co-producer with Joe Koenig

Where There's Smoke - compilation, 1970 - co-director, executive producer

Christmas at Moose Factory - documentary short, Alanis Obomsawin 1971 - executive producer

Citizen Harold - animated short, Hugh Foulds 1971 - executive producer

Evolution - animated short, Michael Mills 1971 - executive producer

Hot Stuff - animated short, Zlatko Grgić 1971 - co-producer with Wolf Koenig

In a Nutshell - animated short, Les Drew and Michael Mills 1971 - co-producer with Wolf Koenig

Out of Silence - documentary short, Léonard Forest 1971 - executive producer

Pavilion - documentary short, Donald Rennick 1971 - executive producer

Propaganda Message - animated short, Barrie Nelson 1971 - executive producer

The Men in the Park - animated short, George Geertsen 1971 - producer

The Specialist - animated short, Don Arioli and Boris Kolar 1971 - producer

Percy Saltzman Anti-Smoking Clip - documentary short, Don Arioli and Grant Munro 1971 - producer

180 is Max - documentary short, William Pettigrew 1972 - producer

A Film For Japan - documentary short, Rex Tasker 1972 - producer

Bloodsugar - experimental, Rick Raxlen 1972 - executive producer

Exeter - documentary short, Gerald Budner 1972 - executive producer

Gore Road - documentary short, Sarah Evett 1972 - producer

Hard Rider - documentary short, Josef Reeve 1972 - executive producer

Paul Kane Goes West - documentary short, Gerald Budner 1972 - executive producer

The North Wind and the Sun: A Fable by Aesop - cartoon, Rhoda Leyer and Les Drew 1972 - producer

The Underground Movie - animated short, Les Drew 1972 - executive producer

Tilt - animated short, Don Arioli 1972 - executive producer

11 Steps to Survival - animated demonstration, Pierre L'Amare 1973 - co-producer with Pierre L’Amare

General Health - documentary short, Břetislav Pojar, Don Arioli and Grant Munro 1973 - producer

Nutrition - documentary short, Břetislav Pojar, Don Arioli and Grant Munro 1973 - producer

The Twitch - animated short, Al Sens 1973 - co-executive producer with Peter Jones

Tickets s.v.p. - animated short, Pierre Perrault 1973 - executive producer

Valley of the Moon - animated short, Ron Webber 1973 - producer

The Family That Dwelt Apart - cartoon, Yvon Mallette 1973 - executive producer

Man: The Polluter - animated documentary, Don Arioli, Hugh Foulds, Chuck Jones, Wolf Koenig, Kaj Pindal, Frank Nissen, Pino van Lamsweerde, Milan Blažeković, Zlatko Bourek, Dragič Dragic, Boris Kolar, Aleksandar Marks, Vladimir Jutrisa, Dušan Vukotić and Ante Zaninovic 1973 - executive producer

Goldwood - documentary short, Kathleen Shannon 1974 - executive producer

The Bear's Christmas - short film, Hugh Foulds 1974 - co-executive producer with Peter Jones

Face of the Earth - documentary short, Bill Mason 1975 - executive producer

No Apple for Johnny - animated short, John Weldon 1977 - executive producer

Canada Vignettes: Fashion Designer - documentary short, Rosemarie Shapley and Judith Potterton 1977 - executive producer

Canada Vignettes: Physiotherapist - documentary short, Rosemarie Shapley and Judith Potterton 1977 - executive producer

Canada Vignettes: Bells and Brass - documentary short, Rick Butler 1978 - executive producer

Canada Vignettes: Bill Miner - documentary short, Peter Jones 1978 - executive producer

Canada Vignettes: Captain Cook - documentary short, Barry Helmer 1978 - executive producer

Canada Vignettes: Crossing Guards - documentary short, Kris Paterson 1978 - executive producer

Canada Vignettes: Faces - animated short, Paul Bochner 1978 - executive producer

Canada Vignettes: Home of the Beaver - documentary short, Ron Webber 1978 - executive producer

Canada Vignettes: Hudden and Dudden and Donald O'Neary: An Irish Folktale - animated short, Eva Szasz 1978 - co-executive producer with Floyd Elliott

Canada Vignettes: Land of the Maple Leaf - documentary short, Ron Webber 1978 - co-executive producer with Floyd Elliott

Canada Vignettes: Les nigogeux - documentary short, Robert Haché 1978 - co-producer with Paul-Eugène LeBlanc

Canada Vignettes: Logger - documentary short, Al Sens 1978 - executive producer

Canada Vignettes: Onions and Garlic: A Hebrew Fable - animated short film, Eva Szasz 1978 - co-executive producer with Floyd Elliott

Canada Vignettes: Stunt Family - documentary short, Lois Siegel 1978 - co-executive producer with Kathleen Shannon

Canada Vignettes: The Ballet Master - documentary short, Rosemarie Shapley and Judith Potterton 1978 - executive producer

Canada Vignettes: The Dentist - documentary short, Rosemarie Shapley and Judith Potterton 1978 - executive producer

Canada Vignettes: The Violin Maker - documentary short, Rosemarie Shapley and Judith Potterton 1978 - executive producer

Canada Vignettes: The Photographers - documentary short, Rosemarie Shapley and Judith Potterton 1978 - executive producer

Canada Vignettes: Veterinarian - documentary short, Rosemarie Shapley and Judith Potterton 1978 - executive producer

Canada Vignettes: The Ham - documentary short, Ronald Blumer 1978 - executive producer

Canada Vignettes: The Veteran - documentary short, Ronald Blumer 1978 - executive producer

Canada Vignettes: The Maple Leaf - animated short, Paul Bochner 1978 - executive producer

Canada Vignettes: The Performer - documentary short, Norma Bailey 1978 - executive producer

Canada Vignettes: Toronto - documentary short, Carlos Marchiori 1978 - executive producer

Canada Vignettes: Wild Rice Harvest Kenora - documentary short, Alanis Obomsawin 1978 - executive producer

Canada Vignettes: Winter - Dressing Up - short film, Gerald Potterton 1978 - executive producer

Canada Vignettes: Winter - Starting the Car - short film, Gerald Potterton 1978 - executive producer

Oh Canada - animated short, Barrie Nelson 1978 - co-producer with Dorothy Courtois, Roman Kroitor, Wolf Koenig

Going the Distance - documentary, Paul Cowan 1979 - co-executive producer with Jacques Bobet

Canada Vignettes: Full Circle - documentary short, Rudi Wrench 1979 - executive producer

Canada Vignettes: Helen Law - documentary short, Jennifer Hodge de Silva 1979 - executive producer

Canada Vignettes: La mer enligne nos terres - documentary short, Phil Comeau 1979 - executive producer

Canada Vignettes: Ma Chère Albertine - documentary short, Suzanne Olivier 1979 - executive producer

Canada Vignettes: Wooly Mammoth - documentary short, 1979 - co-producer with Peter Jones

Canada Vignettes: Wop May - documentary short, Blake James 1979 - co-executive producer with Floyd Elliott

Canada Vignettes: June in Povungnituk - Quebec Arctic - documentary short, Alanis Obomsawin 1980 - executive producer

Latitude 55° - feature, John Juliani 1980 - co-executive producer with Fil Fraser

A Choice of Two - short film, John Howe 1981 - executive producer

A Right to Refuse? - short film, Clayton Bailey 1981 - executive producer

Arthritis: A Dialogue with Pain - documentary, Susan Huycke 1981 - co-executive producer with Roman Kroitor

Ten Million Books: An Introduction to Farley Mowat - documentary short, Andy Thomson 1981 - executive producer

The Man Who Discovered America - documentary short, Ralph Maud 1981 - executive producer

24,213,000... Impressions of the Federal Cultural Review Committee Hearings 1981, 1982 - documentary, Susan Huycke 1982 - executive producer

An Equal Opportunity - short film, Caroline Leaf 1982 - executive producer

End Game in Paris - short film, Veronika Soul 1982 - executive producer

The Way It Is - short film, Beverly Shaffer 1982 - co-executive producer with Kathleen Shannon

Military Ceremonial: An Introduction - documentary short, Dennis Sawyer 1982 - executive producer

Next Generation - documentary short, Stephen Low 1982 - executive producer

One Out of Three is a Fishboat - documentary short, Andy Thomson 1982 - executive producer

The Chemistry of Fire - documentary short, Andy Thomson 1982 - executive producer

What Do We Do Now? - documentary short, Andy Thomson 1982 - executive producer

The Wars - feature, Robin Phillips 1982 - executive producer

Excuse Me, But There's a Computer Asking for You - documentary short, John Howe 1983 - executive producer

Laughter in my Soul - documentary short, Halya Kuchmij 1983 - executive producer with Roman Kroitor

So You're Going to Buy a Boat - documentary short, Andy Thomson 1983 - executive producer

The Tin Flute - feature, Claude Fournier 1983 - co-executive producer with Marie-José Raymond

All the Years - short film, Don McBrearty 1984 - co-executive producer with Michael MacMillan

One’s a Heifer - short film, Anne Wheeler 1984 - executive producer

Democracy on Trial: The Morgentaler Affair - documentary, Paul Cowan 1984 - co-executive producer with Andy Thomson

Incident at Restigouche - documentary, Alanis Obomsawin 1984 - co-executive producer with Adam Symansky

John Cat - documentary short, Wolf Koenig 1984 - co-executive producer with Michael MacMillan

Starbreaker - short film, Bruce Mackay 1984 - co-executive producer with Roman Kroitor

A Good Tree - short film, Giles Walker 1984 - co-executive producer with Michael MacMillan

Bambinger - short film, Douglas Jackson 1984 - co-executive producer with Michael MacMillan

The Painted Door - short film, Bruce Pittman 1984 - co-executive producer with Michael MacMillan

The Masculine Mystique - feature, John N. Smith and Giles Walker 1984 - co-executive producer with Andy Thomson

Unfinished Business - feature, Don Owen 1984 - co-executive producer with Don Haig and Douglas Dales

River Journey - documentary short, IMAX, John N. Smith 1984 - executive producer

Cages - short film, Michael J. F. Scott 1984 - co-executive producer with Michael MacMillan

The Cap - short film, Robert Duncan 1984 - co-executive producer with Michael MacMillan

Bayo - feature, Mort Ransen 1984 - co-executive producer with Andy Thomson

Richard Cardinal: Cry from a Diary of a Métis Child - documentary short, Alanis Obomsawin 1986 - co-producer with Alanis Obomsawin and Marrin Canell

Poundmaker's Lodge: A Healing Place - documentary short, Alanis Obomsawin 1987 - co-producer with Alanis Obomsawin and Marrin Canell

Professor Norman Cornett: "Since when do we divorce the right answer from an honest answer? - documentary, Alanis Obomsawin 2009 - co-producer with Adam Symansky