Reg Hill
Encyclopedia
Reginald E. Hill was a British
television producer
and was most prominently associated with the work of puppet animator Gerry Anderson
.
He served in the Royal Air Force
during World War II, spending time at Benson in Oxfordshire as an Airframe Fitter Instructor. After the war ended, he was posted to Germany and, on his return, flew a Lancaster bomber from Germany to England.
Involvement with Gerry Anderson
In 1954 while working as an artist at Pentagon Films, Reg met the young animator Gerry Anderson
. Gerry had just formed, in partnership with Arthur Provis, a new production company, Anderson-Provis "AP" Films
, and he invited Reg, who became a production designer. Initially based in Taplow
, the new company produced a range of adverts for TV, including the 'Blue Cars' advert starring Nicholas Parsons
. During quiet periods Reg worked on a number of other projects including the 1957 series The Adventures of Robin Hood
, made at Walton Studio (now Sainsbury's) and the town centre.
The company was approached by Roberta Leigh
to produce animated programs for television. This collaboration resulted in the production of Torchy the Battery Boy
and The Adventures of Twizzle
. Reg worked in all things artistic from set and puppet design to special effects. This collaboration ended, and the production of new programs commenced, with Four Feather Falls
, a western starring Nicholas Parsons
as Sheriff Tex Tucker. (Michael Holliday
provided Tucker's singing voice.) During these early years, Reg was also involved in producing the low-budget film Crossroads to Crime
.
Employed by Lew Grade
AP Films was then bought by ATV
boss Lew Grade
and renamed 'Century 21 Productions' in 1966. It would be renamed 'Group 3 Productions' in 1972 after Gerry Anderson, Sylvia Anderson
, and Reg Hill, and 'Gerry Anderson Productions' in 1975. Grade's purchase of AP Films was immediately followed by Supercar
. Reg was responsible for designing the characters, the vehicles, and the sets, and he also wrote scripts for some episodes. This set the tone for future productions and the move into vehicle/science based adventures.
A succession of successful puppet and live action TV series followed: Supercar
, Fireball XL5
, Stingray
, Thunderbirds
, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
, Joe 90
, The Secret Service
, which combined puppetry with live-action, UFO
, which was entirely live-action, The Protectors
, also live-action with Robert Vaughn
and Nyree Dawn Porter, and Space: 1999
. During this time, whilst taking on various roles as art director, producer and executive producer, Reg continued to be involved in series concepts and vehicles, character and set design.
Additionally, Reg contributed to the Thunderbirds films Thunderbirds Are Go!
and Thunderbird 6
, and worked as a designer on Doppelgänger
, a 1969 film also known by the title Journey To The Far Side Of The Sun.
, Gunbus, Outland
, Octopussy
, The Last Days of Pompeii, Supergirl
and Superman and Superman II
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
and was most prominently associated with the work of puppet animator Gerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson MBE is a British publisher, producer, director and writer, famous for his futuristic television programmes, particularly those involving specially modified marionettes, a process called "Supermarionation"....
.
Professional life
Reg Hill started his working life during the 1930s in the display department of a London wholesale grocer before progressing to a role of advertising designer. In the pre-war period, Reg drove a Morgan three-wheeler, and he obtained his private pilot's license in June of 1939.He served in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
during World War II, spending time at Benson in Oxfordshire as an Airframe Fitter Instructor. After the war ended, he was posted to Germany and, on his return, flew a Lancaster bomber from Germany to England.
Post-war
Once he had returned to England, Reg joined National Interest Picture Productions as a designer on Army, Air Force and other government films, working as a model maker and animator. He also used his artistic and design skills as a commercial artist creating paper cut-out model books (three-dimensional flight aircraft and other working models), jigsaw puzzles, greeting cards, the gunfire on the Dambusters film, and much more.Involvement with Gerry AndersonGerry AndersonGerry Anderson MBE is a British publisher, producer, director and writer, famous for his futuristic television programmes, particularly those involving specially modified marionettes, a process called "Supermarionation"....
In 1954 while working as an artist at Pentagon Films, Reg met the young animator Gerry AndersonGerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson MBE is a British publisher, producer, director and writer, famous for his futuristic television programmes, particularly those involving specially modified marionettes, a process called "Supermarionation"....
. Gerry had just formed, in partnership with Arthur Provis, a new production company, Anderson-Provis "AP" Films
AP Films
AP Films or APF, later becoming Century 21 Productions, was a British independent film production company of the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s...
, and he invited Reg, who became a production designer. Initially based in Taplow
Taplow
Taplow is a village and civil parish within South Bucks district in Buckinghamshire, England. It sits on the east bank of the River Thames facing Maidenhead on the opposite bank. Taplow railway station is situated near the A4 south of the village....
, the new company produced a range of adverts for TV, including the 'Blue Cars' advert starring Nicholas Parsons
Nicholas Parsons
Nicholas Parsons OBE is a British actor and radio and television presenter.-Early life:...
. During quiet periods Reg worked on a number of other projects including the 1957 series The Adventures of Robin Hood
The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series)
The Adventures of Robin Hood is a popular British television series comprising 143 half-hour, black and white episodes. It starred Richard Greene as the outlaw Robin Hood and Alan Wheatley as his nemesis, the Sheriff of Nottingham. The show aired weekly between 1955 and 1959 on ITV in London in the...
, made at Walton Studio (now Sainsbury's) and the town centre.
The company was approached by Roberta Leigh
Roberta Leigh
Janey Scott Lewin , well known as Roberta Leigh is a British author and artist. She wrote romance fiction and children's stories as Roberta Leigh, Rachel Lindsay, and Janey Scott....
to produce animated programs for television. This collaboration resulted in the production of Torchy the Battery Boy
Torchy the Battery Boy
Torchy the Battery Boy was the second television series produced by AP Films and Gerry Anderson, running from 1958–1959. It was another collaboration with author Roberta Leigh and was directed by Anderson, with music scored by Barry Gray, art direction from Reg Hill and special effects by...
and The Adventures of Twizzle
The Adventures of Twizzle
The Adventures of Twizzle is the very first television show produced by AP Films and specifically Gerry Anderson, after being approached by author Roberta Leigh and her colleague Suzanne Warner. Sources vary as to who directed the series...
. Reg worked in all things artistic from set and puppet design to special effects. This collaboration ended, and the production of new programs commenced, with Four Feather Falls
Four Feather Falls
Four Feather Falls was the third puppet TV show produced by Gerry Anderson for Granada Television, from an idea by Barry Gray.-Production:The show was made on a tight budget and could not afford sophisticated special effects...
, a western starring Nicholas Parsons
Nicholas Parsons
Nicholas Parsons OBE is a British actor and radio and television presenter.-Early life:...
as Sheriff Tex Tucker. (Michael Holliday
Michael Holliday
Norman Alexander Milne, known professionally as Michael Holliday was a British crooner popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s....
provided Tucker's singing voice.) During these early years, Reg was also involved in producing the low-budget film Crossroads to Crime
Crossroads to Crime
Crossroads to Crime is a 1960 British crime film, the directorial debut of Gerry Anderson and the only motion picture of his production company, AP Films...
.
Employed by Lew GradeLew GradeLew Grade, Baron Grade , born Lev Winogradsky, was an influential Russian-born English impresario and media mogul.-Early years:...
AP Films was then bought by ATVAssociated TeleVision
Associated Television, often referred to as ATV, was a British television company, holder of various licences to broadcast on the ITV network from 24 September 1955 until 00:34 on 1 January 1982...
boss Lew Grade
Lew Grade
Lew Grade, Baron Grade , born Lev Winogradsky, was an influential Russian-born English impresario and media mogul.-Early years:...
and renamed 'Century 21 Productions' in 1966. It would be renamed 'Group 3 Productions' in 1972 after Gerry Anderson, Sylvia Anderson
Sylvia Anderson
Sylvia Anderson , born 25 March 1937, is a British voice artist and film producer, most notable for collaborations with Gerry Anderson, to whom she was married from 1962 to 1975....
, and Reg Hill, and 'Gerry Anderson Productions' in 1975. Grade's purchase of AP Films was immediately followed by Supercar
Supercar (TV series)
Supercar was a children's TV show produced by Gerry Anderson and Arthur Provis's AP Films for ATV and ITC Entertainment. 39 episodes were produced between 1961 and 1962, and it was Anderson's first half-hour series. In the UK it was seen on ITV and in the US in syndication...
. Reg was responsible for designing the characters, the vehicles, and the sets, and he also wrote scripts for some episodes. This set the tone for future productions and the move into vehicle/science based adventures.
A succession of successful puppet and live action TV series followed: Supercar
Supercar (TV series)
Supercar was a children's TV show produced by Gerry Anderson and Arthur Provis's AP Films for ATV and ITC Entertainment. 39 episodes were produced between 1961 and 1962, and it was Anderson's first half-hour series. In the UK it was seen on ITV and in the US in syndication...
, Fireball XL5
Fireball XL5
Fireball XL5 is a science fiction-themed children's television show following the missions of spaceship Fireball XL5, commanded by Colonel Steve Zodiac of the World Space Patrol...
, Stingray
Stingray (TV series)
Stingray is a children's marionette television show, created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and produced by AP Films for ATV and ITC Entertainment from 1964–65. Its 39 half-hour episodes were originally screened on ITV in the UK and in syndication in the USA. The scriptwriters included Gerry and...
, Thunderbirds
Thunderbirds (TV series)
Thunderbirds is a British mid-1960s science fiction television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films using a form of marionette puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation"...
, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, often referred to as Captain Scarlet, is a 1960s British science-fiction television series produced by the Century 21 Productions company of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, John Read and Reg Hill...
, Joe 90
Joe 90
Joe 90 is a late-1960s British science-fiction television series documenting the exploits of a nine-year-old boy, Joe McClaine, who embarks on a double life as a schoolboy turned spy when his scientist father invents a pioneering machine capable of duplicating and transferring expert knowledge and...
, The Secret Service
The Secret Service
The Secret Service is a British children's espionage television series, made as a Century 21 production for ITC Entertainment and broadcast in 1969...
, which combined puppetry with live-action, UFO
UFO (TV series)
UFO is a 1970-1971 British television science fiction series about an alien invasion of Earth, created by Gerry Anderson and Sylvia Anderson with Reg Hill, and produced by the Andersons and Lew Grade's Century 21 Productions for Grade's ITC Entertainment company.UFO first aired in the UK and Canada...
, which was entirely live-action, The Protectors
The Protectors
The Protectors is a British television series, an action thriller created by Gerry Anderson. It is Anderson's second TV series using live actors as opposed to electronic marionettes, and also his second to be firmly set in the present day...
, also live-action with Robert Vaughn
Robert Vaughn
Robert Francis Vaughn, , is an American actor noted for stage, film and television work. His best known roles include the suave spy Napoleon Solo in the 1960s television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E., wealthy detective Harry Rule in the 1970s television series The Protectors, Albert Stroller in...
and Nyree Dawn Porter, and Space: 1999
Space: 1999
Space: 1999 is a British science-fiction television series that ran for two seasons and originally aired from 1975 to 1977. In the opening episode, nuclear waste from Earth stored on the Moon's far side explodes in a catastrophic accident on 13 September 1999, knocking the Moon out of orbit and...
. During this time, whilst taking on various roles as art director, producer and executive producer, Reg continued to be involved in series concepts and vehicles, character and set design.
Additionally, Reg contributed to the Thunderbirds films Thunderbirds Are Go!
Thunderbirds Are GO
Thunderbirds Are Go is a 1966 British science-fiction film based on Thunderbirds, a 1960s television series starring marionette puppets and featuring scale model effects in a filming process dubbed "Supermarionation"...
and Thunderbird 6
Thunderbird 6
Thunderbird 6 is a 1968 British science-fiction and adventure film written by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, directed by David Lane and produced by Century 21 Cinema...
, and worked as a designer on Doppelgänger
Doppelgänger (1969 film)
Doppelgänger is a 1969 British science-fiction film directed by Robert Parrish and starring Roy Thinnes, Ian Hendry, Lynn Loring and Patrick Wymark. Outside Europe, it is known as Journey to the Far Side of the Sun, which is now the more popular title...
, a 1969 film also known by the title Journey To The Far Side Of The Sun.
Later years
After completing the second series of Space: 1999, Gerry Anderson Productions was wound up and Reg entered semi-retirement. But far from taking life easy, Reg continued to use his artistic talents, working as a storyboard artist on a range of films including Pink Floyd The WallPink Floyd The Wall (film)
Pink Floyd—The Wall is a 1982 British live-action/animated musical film directed by Alan Parker based on the 1979 Pink Floyd album The Wall. The screenplay was written by Pink Floyd vocalist and bassist Roger Waters. The film is highly metaphorical and is rich in symbolic imagery and sound...
, Gunbus, Outland
Outland (film)
Outland is a 1981 British science fiction thriller film written and directed by Peter Hyams.Set on Jupiter's moon Io, it has been described as a space Western, and bears thematic resemblances to High Noon....
, Octopussy
Octopussy
Octopussy is the thirteenth entry in the James Bond series, and the sixth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film's title is taken from a short story in Ian Fleming's 1966 short story collection Octopussy and The Living Daylights...
, The Last Days of Pompeii, Supergirl
Supergirl (film)
Supergirl is a 1984 superhero film directed by Jeannot Szwarc, and stars Helen Slater in her first motion picture role in the title role of the DC Comics superheroine Supergirl. Faye Dunaway played the primary villain, Selena. The film was a spin-off from the Salkinds' Superman film series which...
and Superman and Superman II
Superman II
Superman II is the 1980 sequel to the 1978 superhero film Superman and stars Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Terence Stamp, Ned Beatty, Sarah Douglas, Margot Kidder, and Jack O'Halloran. It was the only Superman film to be filmed by two directors...
.