Alison de Vere, the creator of THE BLACK DOG and MR. PASCAL, has passed away. She was 73 years old. Her first regular industry job was with the Halas and Batchelor Studio, which she started in 1951, as a background designer on public relations films. In 1957 she became the head of the Guild Television Services' animation unit. There she directed and designed TV commercials. In 1960 she made her first independent film entitled TWO FACES, based on some of her poetry. She joined TVC in 1967 as design director for YELLOW SUBMARINE. One can catch a cameo of de Vere in the Eleanor Rigby sequence. De Vere's 1975 film CAFÉ BAR garnered her international acclaim. In 1979 her film, MR. PASCAL, won the Grand Prix at the Annecy Festival. The film shows a lonely widowed shoemaker who takes pity on a crucifix that then comes to life. Later Channel 4 would commission her to create two films THE BLACK DOG, often considered her true masterpiece, and PSYCHE AND EROS. She continued working on animated children's series up until her death. She is survived by her son Ben de Vere Weschke.
Read Animation World Magazine's The Creators of The Beatles' Yellow Submarine. Where Are They Now? to find out more about the stellar career of Alison de Vere.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
