- 26 Dec 2012 20:45
#14137060
Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson dies at 83
Gerry Anderson
14 April 1929 – 26 December 2012
Gerry Anderson, who has died at the age of 83, won fame as the creator of the Thunderbirds, Joe 90 and Captain Scarlet puppet shows.
Anderson’s superhero characters – among them former astronaut Jeff Tracy, the aristocratic Lady Penelope, her chauffeur Parker and chief engineer Brains – were staple entertainment for children growing up in the 1960s and 1970s, and inspired feature films, stage productions and a thriving merchandising business.
Exploiting a technique called supermarionation, which improved the timing between the puppet’s mechanics and the actor voicing the part, Anderson created futuristic adventure stories in which the main character – typically aided by superior technology – would time and again avert the threat posed by a criminal mastermind or natural disaster.
“Thunderbirds are Go!” was the catchphrase of his most popular show, whose exaggerated storylines, garish technicolour and fast-paced plots enthralled children – in spite of the occasional visibility of the puppets’ strings.
His death was announced by his son Jamie on his website on Wednesday. In a statement on the site, he said: “Anderson’s unique style of filmmaking influenced the imaginations and careers of countless creatives that succeeded him, and his productions continue to be shown around the world to new generations of fans.”
Born Gerald Alexander Abrahams in London in 1929, Anderson acquired his name after his mother changed it by deed poll in 1939.
Following national service with the Royal Air Force in 1947 and a traineeship with the British Colonial Film Unit, Anderson became a director at Polytechnic Studios, an independent television production company. A decade later, partly funded by his freelance work as a director, he set up his own company with partners including Reg Hill, a designer and producer.
Anderson, Hill and Anderson’s then-wife Sylvia became the core team behind AP Films, which made Supercars, Fireball XL5 and, in 1964, Stingray. The latter was the first to be produced at the company’s new, larger studios in Slough Trading Estate in Berkshire, where Anderson had the room to develop new special effects and more sophisticated puppetry techniques.
Sylvia, who devised many of the shows’ character, provided the silky tones of Lady Penelope after persuading Anderson that she, rather than his original preference of Fenella Fielding, would be right for the part.
In the mid-1970s Anderson expanded into live action series with Space: 1999, a science fiction show in which a cataclysmic explosion flings the moon – along with the inhabitants of a base on its surface – into outer space. The show, starring US actor Martin Landau, ran for two seasons.
Thunderbirds was made into a live-action feature film in 2004, but Anderson, who was not involved in the production, was upset by the results, saying its makers had no idea of “what made Thunderbirds tick”.
Nick Williams, chairman of the Fanderson fan club, described him as an “unassuming but determined man”. “His desire to make the best films he could drove him and his talented teams to innovate, take risks, and do everything necessary to produce quite inspirational works,” he said.
Anderson had been diagnosed with mixed dementia in 2010 and his condition had sharply deteriorated over the past six months. He had worked as an ambassador for The Alzheimer’s Society, helping to promote awareness of the disease and raise funds for the society.
He leaves three children from former marriages, Joy, Linda and Gerry Junior, his son Jamie and widow Mary.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5320a8cc-4f8e ... z2GC0U0Vst
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Such a sad day
....may MR Gerry Anderson RIP
I am one of the biggest fans of Thunderbirds.
Gerry Anderson
14 April 1929 – 26 December 2012
Gerry Anderson, who has died at the age of 83, won fame as the creator of the Thunderbirds, Joe 90 and Captain Scarlet puppet shows.
Anderson’s superhero characters – among them former astronaut Jeff Tracy, the aristocratic Lady Penelope, her chauffeur Parker and chief engineer Brains – were staple entertainment for children growing up in the 1960s and 1970s, and inspired feature films, stage productions and a thriving merchandising business.
Exploiting a technique called supermarionation, which improved the timing between the puppet’s mechanics and the actor voicing the part, Anderson created futuristic adventure stories in which the main character – typically aided by superior technology – would time and again avert the threat posed by a criminal mastermind or natural disaster.
“Thunderbirds are Go!” was the catchphrase of his most popular show, whose exaggerated storylines, garish technicolour and fast-paced plots enthralled children – in spite of the occasional visibility of the puppets’ strings.
His death was announced by his son Jamie on his website on Wednesday. In a statement on the site, he said: “Anderson’s unique style of filmmaking influenced the imaginations and careers of countless creatives that succeeded him, and his productions continue to be shown around the world to new generations of fans.”
Born Gerald Alexander Abrahams in London in 1929, Anderson acquired his name after his mother changed it by deed poll in 1939.
Following national service with the Royal Air Force in 1947 and a traineeship with the British Colonial Film Unit, Anderson became a director at Polytechnic Studios, an independent television production company. A decade later, partly funded by his freelance work as a director, he set up his own company with partners including Reg Hill, a designer and producer.
Anderson, Hill and Anderson’s then-wife Sylvia became the core team behind AP Films, which made Supercars, Fireball XL5 and, in 1964, Stingray. The latter was the first to be produced at the company’s new, larger studios in Slough Trading Estate in Berkshire, where Anderson had the room to develop new special effects and more sophisticated puppetry techniques.
Sylvia, who devised many of the shows’ character, provided the silky tones of Lady Penelope after persuading Anderson that she, rather than his original preference of Fenella Fielding, would be right for the part.
In the mid-1970s Anderson expanded into live action series with Space: 1999, a science fiction show in which a cataclysmic explosion flings the moon – along with the inhabitants of a base on its surface – into outer space. The show, starring US actor Martin Landau, ran for two seasons.
Thunderbirds was made into a live-action feature film in 2004, but Anderson, who was not involved in the production, was upset by the results, saying its makers had no idea of “what made Thunderbirds tick”.
Nick Williams, chairman of the Fanderson fan club, described him as an “unassuming but determined man”. “His desire to make the best films he could drove him and his talented teams to innovate, take risks, and do everything necessary to produce quite inspirational works,” he said.
Anderson had been diagnosed with mixed dementia in 2010 and his condition had sharply deteriorated over the past six months. He had worked as an ambassador for The Alzheimer’s Society, helping to promote awareness of the disease and raise funds for the society.
He leaves three children from former marriages, Joy, Linda and Gerry Junior, his son Jamie and widow Mary.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5320a8cc-4f8e ... z2GC0U0Vst
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Such a sad day
....may MR Gerry Anderson RIP I am one of the biggest fans of Thunderbirds.
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