What do George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the Beatles Yellow Submarine & Heavy Metal have in Common? CFN sits down with Gerald Potterton!

Gerald Potterton directing Comic Legend Buster Keaton in the NFB film, The Rail Rodder

CFN – What do the original animated version of George Orwell’s Animal Farm from 1954:

 

The Beatles Yellow Submarine

and Canuck Classic Heavy Metal have in common?

If you guessed director, producer, writer, and artist Gerry Potterton you’d have guessed right!  Mr. Potterton started out in animation after being in the Air Force in World War Two.

Animal was his first gig (uncredited) and I had the chance to sit down with him and chat this summer.

Mr. Potterton ended up at the National Film Board of Canada before starting his own production company.

Part 2

Mr. Potterton also gave Susan Sarandon her first big part in the Larry Kent film, Fleur Bleue

Part 3

Mr. Potterton’s The Rail Rodder for the NFB

Mr. Potterton is not retired yet.  When not painting in his Eastern Townships home of over forty years in Quebec he still dabbles in film projects and recently spoke at a film festival commemorating the new edition of Yellow Submarine.

Flowers Cornwall

2 Comments

  1. I went to see Heavy Metal at the drive-in with three chicks hidden in my hatchback and a big bag of weed. Good times.

  2. Hey Jamie, maybe we should have a contest to assign “Animal Farm” names to current members of Cornwall’s city council.

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