F. R. Crawley
Encyclopedia
Frank Radford "Budge" Crawley, OC
(November 14, 1911 – May 13, 1987) was an Academy Award
winning film producer from Canada
.
films with his wife Judith Crawley. Together they owned the Crawley Films company which produced numerous short films, feature films
, television commercials, animated cartoon
s and other productions from its formation in 1939 until its sale to Atkinson Film Arts
in 1982.
Choosing to work independently rather than with the National Film Board of Canada
or the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
, Crawley was a pioneer in the creation of an independent Canadian film sector.http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0JSF/is_20_7/ai_30555234
earned Budge Crawley a 1976 Academy Award
win for Best Documentary Feature
. This was the first Canadian-produced film to win an Oscar in this category.
The Crawleys won several Canadian Film Awards and a Special Achievement Genie
for Outstanding Contributions to the Canadian Film Industry in 1986.
In 1980, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
"in recognition of a unique contribution to film in Canada". http://www.gg.ca/honours/search-recherche/honours-desc.asp?lang=e&TypeID=orc&id=1905
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(November 14, 1911 – May 13, 1987) was an Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
winning film producer from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Career
Crawley was known for making avant-gardeAvant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
films with his wife Judith Crawley. Together they owned the Crawley Films company which produced numerous short films, feature films
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, television commercials, animated cartoon
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
s and other productions from its formation in 1939 until its sale to Atkinson Film Arts
Atkinson Film-Arts
Atkinson Film-Arts was an animation studio based in Ottawa, Ontario, The company is best known for the first two Care Bears television specials, The Land Without Feelings and The Freeze Machine, and the four syndicated specials that inspired The Raccoons...
in 1982.
Choosing to work independently rather than with the National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
or the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
, Crawley was a pioneer in the creation of an independent Canadian film sector.http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0JSF/is_20_7/ai_30555234
Awards and recognition
The Man Who Skied Down EverestThe Man Who Skied Down Everest
The Man Who Skied Down Everest is a documentary about Yuichiro Miura, a Japanese alpinist who skied down Mt. Everest in 1970. The film was produced by Canadian film maker Budge Crawley. Miura skied 6,600 feet in 2 minutes and 20 seconds and fell 1320 feet down the steep Lhotse face from the Yellow...
earned Budge Crawley a 1976 Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
win for Best Documentary Feature
Academy Award for Documentary Feature
The Academy Award for Documentary Feature is among the most prestigious awards for documentary films.- Winners and nominees:Following the Academy's practice, films are listed below by the award year...
. This was the first Canadian-produced film to win an Oscar in this category.
The Crawleys won several Canadian Film Awards and a Special Achievement Genie
Special Achievement Genie
The Special Achievement Genie is a special award given irregularly by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television at the Genie Awards. It is mainly a Lifetime Achievement Award but can also mark a career milestone.-List of past recipients:...
for Outstanding Contributions to the Canadian Film Industry in 1986.
In 1980, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
"in recognition of a unique contribution to film in Canada". http://www.gg.ca/honours/search-recherche/honours-desc.asp?lang=e&TypeID=orc&id=1905
Partial filmography
- 1938: Ile d'Orléans
- 1948: The Loon's Necklace
- 1950: Newfoundland Scene
- 1953: The Power Within
- 1958: The Legend of the Raven
- 1961: Tales of the Wizard of OzTales of the Wizard of OzTales of the Wizard of Oz is a 1961 animated television series, produced by Crawley Films for Videocrafts . This is the second animated series produced by the studio, and the first by Rankin/Bass to feature traditional animation.The series features stories derived from characters created in L...
(animated series for Videocraft-Rankin/BassRankin/BassRankin/Bass Productions, Inc. , also known as Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment, was an American production company, known for its seasonal television specials, particularly its work in stop-motion animation. The pre-1974 library is currently owned by Classic Media,while the post-1974 library is...
) - 1963: Amanita PestilensAmanita PestilensAmanita Pestilens is a 1963 Canadian film produced by F. R. Crawley, directed by René Bonnière. It was "the first Canadian feature film to be shot in both English and French with the same set of actors" and which included an early career performance by Geneviève Bujold along with performances by...
- 1964: The Luck of Ginger CoffeyThe Luck of Ginger CoffeyThe Luck of Ginger Coffey is a 1964 film directed by Irvin Kershner. It was filmed in Montreal by Crawley Films. It is based on the Governor General's Award winning novel by Northern Irish-Canadian writer Brian Moore.- Plot :...
- 1964: Return to Oz (television special) (for Videocraft-Rankin/BassRankin/BassRankin/Bass Productions, Inc. , also known as Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment, was an American production company, known for its seasonal television specials, particularly its work in stop-motion animation. The pre-1974 library is currently owned by Classic Media,while the post-1974 library is...
) - 1967: The Entertainers
- 1971: HamletHamletThe Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
(television) - 1972: The RowdymanThe RowdymanThe Rowdyman is a comedy film with moralistic overtones, set in Newfoundland. It was written by and starred Gordon Pinsent, a native Newfoundlander...
(executive producerExecutive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
) - 1973: August and July
- 1975: The Man Who Skied Down EverestThe Man Who Skied Down EverestThe Man Who Skied Down Everest is a documentary about Yuichiro Miura, a Japanese alpinist who skied down Mt. Everest in 1970. The film was produced by Canadian film maker Budge Crawley. Miura skied 6,600 feet in 2 minutes and 20 seconds and fell 1320 feet down the steep Lhotse face from the Yellow...
- 1975: JanisJanis (film)Janis is a 1974 documentary film about the rock singer Janis Joplin. The film was directed by Howard Alk with a lot of assistance from Albert Grossman, Janis' manager. It was available on videocassette in the United States in the 1980s and 1990s, but DVD versions have been released only in France,...
- 1982: Heartland Reggae