About

Known credits:
36
Birthday:
1920-11-17
Place of birth:
Toronto, Ontario
Website:
N/A

George Dunning

Overview

George Garnett Dunning was a Canadian filmmaker and animator. He is known for animating and directing the 1968 film inspired by the Beatles, Yellow Submarine.

Dunning was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and studied in at the Ontario College of Art, and soon found freelance work as an illustrator. Dunning joined the National Film Board of Canada in 1943, where he worked with Norman McLare and contributed to several episodes of the Chants Populaires series. From 1944 to 1947 Dunning created many original short films and developed his skills animating articulated, painted, metal cut-outs.

In 1948, he spent a year working for UNESCO in Paris under the mentorship of Czech-born animator Berthold Bartosch. Then in 1949, he and fellow NFB grad Jim McKay created one of Toronto's first animation studios, Graphic Associates, where he produced commercials and gave Michael Snow his first job in film. Dunning later moved on to New York City working on UPA's The Gerald McBoing-Boing Show and in 1956 he moved to England to manage UPA's new London office. After the office went under, he hired many of the UPA staff to work for him and his newly established production company, T.V. Cartoons Ltd. (renamed TVC London). Among the animators working for TVC were Richard Williams and Jimmy Murakami. By 1961, TVC was producing about one hundred commercials a year. During this time Dunning also managed to make many personal short films noted for their surrealistic atmosphere and Kafkaesque themes. The Flying Man earned him the Annecy Cristal Grand Prix in 1962 while The Apple won the 1963 BAFTA Award.

Dunning also oversaw the cartoon series The Beatles for ABC, and this led to his involvement with Yellow Submarine (1968). Dunning was also responsible for the opening credits of Blake Edwards' A Shot in the Dark, along with a series of shorts and inserts including "the digger", for the BBC's Vision On series for children.

About the time of his death he was working on an animated version of Shakespeare's The Tempest, which was never completed. His company was briefly resurrected in the 1990s, before being merged with Varga Studio.

Known for

Acting
1968 The Beatles Mod Odyssey Actor Self (Voice) N/A
N/A
1967 The Beatles Mod Odyssey Actor Self (voice) N/A
N/A

Directing
1973 The Maggot Directing Director N/A
N/A
1972 Damon the Mower Directing Director 58
Average
1970 Moon Rock Directing Director N/A
N/A
1969 Hands, Knees and Bumps a Daisy Directing Director 59
Average
1968 Yellow Submarine Directing Director 64
Fair
1967 The Ladder Directing Director N/A
N/A
1967 Canada Is My Piano Directing Director N/A
N/A
1963 The Ever-Changing Motor Car Directing Director N/A
N/A
1963 The Apple Directing Director N/A
N/A
1962 The Flying Man Directing Director 58
Average
1958 The Wardrobe Directing Director N/A
N/A
1956 The Gerald McBoing-Boing Show Directing Director 70
Good
1950 Family Tree Directing Director 58
Average
1947 Cadet Rousselle Directing Director 58
Average
1946 Chants populaires nº 4 Directing Director N/A
N/A
1945 The Three Blind Mice Directing Director 58
Average
1944 Grim Pastures Directing Director N/A
N/A
1943 Chants populaires nº 3 Directing Director N/A
N/A
Chants populaires nº 2 Directing Director N/A
N/A

Writing
1972 Damon the Mower Writing Writer 58
Average
1967 Canada Is My Piano Writing Writer N/A
N/A

Production
1970 Moon Rock Production Producer N/A
N/A
1967 Canada Is My Piano Production Producer N/A
N/A
1965 Charley Production Producer N/A
N/A
1964 Thud and Blunder in "Knock-Off Time" Production Producer N/A
N/A
1958 The Wardrobe Production Producer N/A
N/A

Visual Effects
1978 Watership Down Visual Effects Animation 66
Fair
1972 Damon the Mower Visual Effects Lead Animator 58
Average
1964 A Shot in the Dark Visual Effects Animation Director 65
Fair
1958 The Wardrobe Visual Effects Animation N/A
N/A
1956 The Gerald McBoing-Boing Show Visual Effects Animation 70
Good
1950 Family Tree Visual Effects Animation 58
Average
1947 Cadet Rousselle Visual Effects Animation 58
Average
1944 Keep Your Mouth Shut Visual Effects Animation 58
Average