Great (1975 film)

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Great
Great Bob Godfrey 1975.jpg
Title card of the film
Directed by Bob Godfrey
Starring
Music by Jonathan P. Hodge
Distributed by British Lion Films
Release dates
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  • 1975 (1975)
Running time
28 minutes
Country United Kingdom
Language English

Great is a 28-minute animated film released in 1975, telling a humorous version of the life of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It was directed by Bob Godfrey, produced by Grantstern Films and distributed by British Lion.

Great won the Academy Award for Animated Short Film at the 48th Academy Awards in March 1976.[1] Great was the first British animated film to win an Academy Award, and also won the BAFTA award for Best Animated Film in 1976.[2][3]

Background

The film recounts the life and works of the 19th century British civil engineer and architect Isambard Kingdom Brunel in a way that is affectionate while often tongue-in-cheek. The narrator, voiced by Harry Fowler, explains the triumphs and setbacks of Brunel's career, comparing him to Archimedes, Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. Richard Briers provides the voice of Brunel. There are numerous songs in the film, including "Get a big top hat if you want to get ahead". Great is primarily an animated film, although it is mixed media, combining some live action sequences with the animation.[4]

In an interview with The Guardian in April 2001, Bob Godfrey explained how the film came about:

I'd been reading a book about Brunel so I asked British Lion, who backed Kama Sutra [Kama Sutra Rides Again, his Academy Award nominated 1971 animated short], if I could have some money to make a half-hour cartoon about a Victorian engineer. Yes, they said, here's £20,000. They thought the sun shone out of my arse at the time. They'd have given me money to animate a toilet if I'd asked them.[5]

Great is not available on DVD or Blu-ray. The official website of Bob Godfrey has stated that this is due to the film's copyright status.[6]

References

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External links

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