The evening of January 13, 1955 was very cold with a blustery snowfall. It was a strong crowd that gathered at London’s Ritz Cinema for the first time UK Show Animal Farm, a feature-length animated film based on George Orwell’s novel.
First published a decade ago, the book is a political “fairy tale” about animals who take over a farm from their cruel human owner, but succumb to worse treatment under the tyranny of pig rule. This new version of the film premiered in New York two weeks ago, an indication of US financing and oversight of the production, which we now know included secret US funding. Central Intelligence Agency. But the public was invited to see what was mostly a British film produced in London and Stroud by Halas & Batchelor Cartoon Films, the nation’s leading animation producers.
When the film’s production contract was first announced in December 1951, much of the press story was that it would be the first animated feature film to be produced in Britain. It took three years to complete, 18 months longer than initially announced, adding to the curiosity surrounding its release.
This delay meant that when the film finally arrived it was hot in the wake of controversy surrounding the film BBCA television adaptation of Orwell’s novel 1984. Featuring Peter Cushing as Winston Smith and a screenplay by Nigel Neale, the first broadcast of this live performance on 12 December 1954 led to a (possibly small) number of complaints to BBCa wave of anger from parts of the press, and comments in the House of Commons. None of them stopped the repeat showing on December 16, which gathered the largest television audience since the coronation. It paved the way for the marketing and promotion of Animal Farm, but it also provided a clear indication of the political dimension of most reactions to anything related to Orwell.
The first name to appear on screen in Animal Farm is that of Louis de Rochemont, the American producer who made his name in newsreels, particularly the pioneering March of Time series that brought a new sense of journalism to the form. De Rochemont was trying to establish himself as a producer of feature films and had an exclusive deal with Columbia Pictures for his services, except that he could produce “educational pictures” independently. This was the umbrella under which Animal Farm was founded rd–doctor: Reader’s Digest – Des Rochemont. Nowhere on screen or in the publicity surrounding the film is there any mention of the fact that the motivation and initial funding behind the production came from Central Intelligence Agency – a fact that even those involved in the making of the film were largely unaware of.
Like Radio Free Europe, jazz, and Abstract Expressionism, Animal Farm was seen as useful fuel for the secret cultural Cold War that was brewing between the United States and the Soviet Union. As a satire of the Russian Revolution, the rise of Stalin, and the communist ideology that surrounded him, parts of Orwell’s allegory were well suited to the anti-communist agenda. But other parts of the book, such as those that highlighted the West’s hypocritical relationship with Soviet Russia, and the downbeat ending, were downplayed or removed from the film’s narrative under instructions from the “investors,” as they were often referred to in correspondence between the film’s producers.
the we Certainly the press response to the premiere of Animal Farm was more influenced by the rising political tensions of the Cold War than subsequent British reviews. There’s a teaser poster for the original release (shown below) which has always interested me because it highlights a quote from the New York Daily News: “You’ll have the laugh of your life!” Animal Farm has many qualities, but fun is not one of them. In fuller context, the intent of the line becomes clearer as part of a controversial opinion piece:
“Communists, depicted as pigs, are being paraded at the Paris Theater in Manhattan. Communists aren’t allowed to catch a glimpse of this classic, colorful cartoon, but you are allowed to attend, and you’ll have the laughs of your life. Come to think of it, how about some adventurers And the patriots television The network is here to bring that BBC Thriller “1984” and let us take a look at it too? It will be educational; As an added attraction, we will be able to hear and enjoy the funniest screams television History, of our apoplectic communism.
A prevalent theme in the coverage was questioning the film’s suitability for all audiences. Bosley Crowther’s review in The New York Times stated that “the brutalities that occur from time to time are more realistic and shocking than any of the famous sadisms ever done in Disney films” and concluded “Don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s for children just because it’s a cartoon.”
The British press combed through their reactions we Their counterparts ahead of the film’s London premiere, culling articles from a range of publications including the Daily Telegraph, industry focus on the Daily Film Renter and the regional Gloucestershire Echo, which picked up on the fact that the film was partly produced in Stroud.
The rumors about the film’s “horrors” and its adult nature were perfect for fanning the flames of controversy over the film. BBC‘s 1984 and fill in a few extra column inches. There have been several references in the headlines to “Pig Brother”, which confuse the two works. But to be fair, it was this connection that the film’s distributors encouraged in their marketing. The Associated British-Pathe flyer included the phrase “Brother Pig is watching you…in the adorable, technicolor cartoon Animal Farm from the book by George Orwell, author of the thriller 1984!”
Reviews in the mainstream British press were generally positive, but differences from Orwell’s original work, especially the ending, were a recurring theme. The Times review was headlined “Orwell Diluted”, although it described the film as a “tribute” and “a lively and intelligent work… [that] It was said with conscience and sharpness.”
Film critic observer ca Lijeune praised the film’s “high courage and imagination” and was careful to try to separate her opinion of the film from any thoughts about the book and its politics. In the Socialist Tribune magazine, an astute review by future Labor politician Gerald Kaufman highlights several of the more deliberate political changes in the script, speculating that they were made in order not to jeopardize the film’s American market. In fact, these were often the targeted modifications he requested Central Intelligence Agency Advisors will not be out for many years. But Kaufman ends his article with the cautionary recommendation: “It’s a film that no one interested in cinema should miss.”
Having seen the film themselves, the theme of the film’s suitability for a general audience was echoed in the British press, especially at a regional level. The Middlesex Independent questioned the film’s “universal” certification from the jury PBFC In an article entitled “A fatal mistake by censorship?” The News Chronicle newspaper in Manchester sent a journalist and an infrared photographer to film the children watching the “terrifying” movie, which was published under the title “This Wasn’t Mickey Mouse.”
Browse press clippings surrounding the film’s release, compiled by Hulse & Batchelor is in the scrapbook and is now being held at Valladolid Food Industries National Archives What’s most obvious is how unexpected this serious cartoon was for most audiences. Disney’s success has set expectations for animated features that this blockbuster movie just didn’t fit. Despite good reviews, and perhaps due to questions about its suitability for general audiences, the film struggled to gain proper distribution.
If only other media had tried as hard as the Daily Dispatch in Manchester. One of the most notable elements of the film is that all the animals are voiced by one man, Maurice Denham. But the Daily Dispatch has come up with a great competition to recast the main characters with a group of outstanding actors put on display for casting as the perfect cast. For example, the choices of dictator Napoleon were Charles Laughton, Orson Welles, Peter Ustinov, and Marlon Brando.
Twenty-four readers won a share of the £250 prize by choosing Peter Ustinov as Napoleon; Spencer Tracy as boxer; Michael Redgrave as Snowball; Alec Guinness as Benjamin; And James Mason as Farmer Jones. This selection was based on the judgment of a panel of experts. All opinions are equal. But some are more equal than others.