David Low Animation (1936)

Rubber rooftops and bomber-size fly paper suspended in the sky? Gad Sir, bring on the Blitz! David Low’s success as a cartoonist in the 1930s is perhaps best demonstrated by the fact that Goebbels complained that he was souring British-German relations. Though an admirer of animation, this was his only realised venture into the territory, but includes his most famous character Colonel Blimp. Humphrey Jennings would become best known for his contribution to the British Documentary Movement but in the mid-1930s he was working as a Production Manager for Gasparcolor. In January 1936 he corresponded with David Low on a potential series of political cartoon shorts in colour, and the cartoonist provided some drawings from which this short sequence was made. Sadly the project failed to advance beyond this test. (BFI)