Romance of Transportation Romance of Transportation

Robert Verrall, an influential figure in Canadian animation and a revered National Film Board (NFB) filmmaker and producer, passed away on January 17, 2025, at the age of 97. His extraordinary career spanned several decades and left an indelible mark on the world of animation, film, and public service cinema in Canada and beyond.

Born on January 13, 1928, in Toronto, Ontario, Verrall displayed an early interest in art. He attended Western Technical-Commercial School in Toronto, where he honed his skills as a graphic artist. Encouraged by his teachers, Verrall’s journey into the world of animation began in 1945, when a serendipitous opportunity altered the course of his life.

Verrall recalled in a 2021 interview with the author: “One of my teachers, who was also associated with the Art Gallery of Toronto, asked me to bring my portfolio down to the gallery. I wasn’t sure what it was about, but I respected her enough to follow through.”

Having attended art classes at the gallery since the age of eight, he was no stranger to its halls. But what awaited him that day was something entirely unexpected: an exhibit on animation set up by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB).

“Until that moment,” said Verrall, “I had no idea such an organization even existed, let alone that animation was being produced in Canada. I was completely unaware of what I was being introduced to.”

The exhibit was curated by George Dunning — an early recruit to the NFB’s animation unit, who went on to blaze trails at Toronto’s Graphic Films, and at UPA and TV Cartoons in London on productions including The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine (1968). “George was older than me,” Verrall noted. “He was a talented artist, and had been working at the NFB for a few years. The exhibit showcased drawings, animated maps, diagrams, and stills from cartoon films. It was mesmerizing.”

In an adjacent screening room, Verrall encountered the work of Norman McLaren, the legendary animator and founder of the NFB’s animation department. “I saw my first animated film there,” said Verrall. “I was completely blown away.”

After the screening, Dunning and the teacher who had invited him to the gallery took him out for lunch. During the meal, Dunning reviewed his portfolio, which mostly consisted of work from Western Tech. Verrall recalled: “George asked if he could take my portfolio back to Ottawa to show Norman McLaren, who was recruiting students for a summer program at the NFB. Of course, I said, ‘Yes.’”

A couple of weeks later, a letter arrived. “It was from McLaren, inviting me to join the program in mid-May,” he said. The NFB was searching for graphic artists who could learn animation and contribute to their projects. “Another student from Winnipeg was recruited that summer. It turned out to be a life-changing experience.”

Arriving in Ottawa just days after VE Day, the young artist was greeted by a city still alive with celebration. “It was my first time leaving Toronto,” said Verrall. “I traveled by overnight train and arrived early in the morning.” That evening, Verrall was invited to dinner at Norman McLaren’s home. “McLaren’s house also served as accommodation for several recruits. George Dunning and Jim McKay put me up in their shared boarding house nearby.”

At the time, the NFB’s animation department was small but dynamic. The core team included George Dunning, Jim McKay, Jean-Paul Ladouceur, Grant Munro, and Evelyn Lambart. “I was initially assigned to assist with map animations for wartime productions,” Verrall continued. “Lambart, an incredible artist, taught me how to animate glowing lines to represent troop movements. These maps were used in films directed by Stuart Legg to track the progress of the war.”

Early NFB animation crew in Ottawa, from left to right: Barry Helmer, Janet Young Preston, Evelyn Lambart, Sidney Goldsmith, Guy Glover, Norman McLaren, Colin Low, Robert Verrall, Marcel Racicot, Wolf Koenig, Grant Munro. Photograph by Herb Taylor and courtesy of the NFB.
Early NFB animation crew in Ottawa, from left to right: Barry Helmer, Janet Young Preston, Evelyn Lambart, Sidney Goldsmith, Guy Glover, Norman McLaren, Colin Low, Robert Verrall, Marcel Racicot, Wolf Koenig, Grant Munro. Photograph by Herb Taylor and courtesy of the NFB.

Later that summer, Dunning invited Verrall to work on an animation project: “It was called Three Blind Mice. George designed the characters using quill pens on Strathmore paper. My job was to cut out and assemble the paper figures to make them moveable.” The project became Verrall’s first credited animation role. “I even animated one of the mice myself. It was a small but memorable contribution to the film.”

After that exciting summer, Verrall returned to art college in Toronto, though he admitted it was not nearly as exciting as what he experienced at the NFB: “I couldn’t shake the feeling that Ottawa was where I truly belonged.”

That feeling turned out to be correct. One day Verrall received a letter from Colin Low via Jim McKay saying that they wanted him back at the NFB. “By then,” recalled Verrall, “Norman McLaren had stepped back from running the department full-time, and Colin had been asked to take on the leadership role. It was an exciting opportunity, but it meant I would have to quit school. I’d only completed one semester, but the pull of Ottawa was too strong. I tried finding work in Toronto but couldn’t find anything that compared to the NFB. So, I returned to Ottawa in May.”

Thus, began a lifelong association with the NFB.

Verrall contributed to the NFB’s wartime propaganda efforts, including producing animated maps and instructional films. He quickly became known for his innovative thinking and technical skills, earning a permanent position with the NFB.

Verrall recalled the collaborative atmosphere of those early days: “Ottawa was a vibrant, supportive community for animation and creativity. The NFB had a unique environment where everyone collaborated and shared ideas. There was some friendly competition, but mostly it was a place where we inspired one another. Many of us became lifelong friends.”

The animation team wasn’t large at the time. “When I started, there were probably no more than 10 of us,” said Verrall. The department, housed in what had once been a sawmill on Sussex Drive in Ottawa, operated in a functional but tight space. “The building had two floors and a basement. The main floor housed the negative cutting room, lab, recording theaters, and technical services. The animation department was on the second floor.” Despite the cramped quarters, the department fostered a strong sense of camaraderie. “I shared a room with four other animators, while Evelyn Lambart, one of our standout talents, had her own space. It wasn’t luxurious, but it worked.”

Throughout the late 1940s and 1950s, Verrall played a pivotal role in establishing the NFB’s animation department as a global leader. He worked on seminal films, including The Romance of Transportation in Canada (1952), which was both the first NFB film nominated for an Academy Award and the first international animated short nominated by the Academy, and which also won the Palme d’Or at Cannes. “Animation in those days was like an unexplored frontier,” Verrall reflected. “We were learning as we went, but the spirit of experimentation made it an incredible time.”

The NFB crew who worked on <em>The Romance of Transportation</em> look at the award given to its producer, Tom Daly, by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. From left to right are: Eldon Rathburn, music composer; Tom Daly, producer; Wolf Koening, animation; Colin Low, director of animation; Bob Verrall, design and animation. Photograph courtesy of the NFB.
The NFB crew who worked on The Romance of Transportation look at the award given to its producer, Tom Daly, by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. From left to right are: Eldon Rathburn, music composer; Tom Daly, producer; Wolf Koening, animation; Colin Low, director of animation; Bob Verrall, design and animation. Photograph courtesy of the NFB.

The 1950s marked a period of significant transformation for the NFB, including the relocation of its headquarters from Ottawa to Montreal. While some staff members were hesitant about the move, Verrall embraced the opportunity, recognizing the potential for greater collaboration and innovation in a larger cultural hub. “Change can be daunting,” Verrall admitted, “but it’s also where growth happens. The move to Montreal opened new doors for the NFB.”

In 1957, Verrall’s directorial debut, A Is for Architecture (co-directed with Gerard Budner), showcased his ability to blend visual artistry with educational content.

His only other directorial credits include the government anthology film Hors d’oeuvre (1960) and Cosmic Zoom (1968). “With Cosmic Zoom, we wanted to take viewers on a journey from the infinite to the microscopic,” Verrall said. “It was about perspective, about seeing our place in the universe.”

Beyond his contributions as an animator, Verrall shaped the careers of countless animators and filmmakers. In 1967, he became a producer and the head of the NFB’s animation department. He was instrumental in the development of prominent talents such as Derek Lamb, Gerald Potterton, and Co Hoedeman. Verrall also brought the legendary artist Alanis Obomsawin to the hallways of the NFB. In a 1960s television profile on Obomsawin, she expressed her dislike of how Indigenous people were portrayed in NFB documentaries. Verrall watched this profile and agreed that her criticisms were fair. “In 1967,” recalled Obomsawin, “I was invited to the film board to be a consultant on a film being made in Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan. Bob Verrall was the one who gave me my first contract. I have been here ever since. Fifty-eight years.”

During his tenure, Verrall fostered a collaborative and inclusive environment that encouraged experimentation and creativity. “My job wasn’t to tell people what to do,” he once said, “but to help them find their own voice.”

From 1972 to 1976, Verrall served as the Director of English Production, which included live action and documentary films. During that period, Verrall expanded the NFB’s production activities across Canada to Toronto and Winnipeg and helped establish two key Montreal-based studios: Studio D, the NFB’s groundbreaking women’s filmmaking unit, and Studio B, focused on drama.

Verrall’s career included over 50 films as a director or producer. (Verrall’s son, David, also went on to have a distinguished career as an animation producer at the NFB.) Verrall finally called it a day in 1986 and moved to his farm in the Eastern Townships of Quebec.

Filmmaker, historian, and writer Donald McWilliams recalls:

Bob Verrall wore many hats at the NFB. Bob was passionate about the role of the NFB in the Canadian cultural landscape and devoted much time to the promotion of the talents of young filmmakers. One vivid memory I have is of Bob learning how to etch to play Jacques Callot in Colin Low’s documentary film, Moving Pictures, and watching him etch in real time under the camera eye.

Author, illustrator, and Oscar-nominated animator Janet Perlman remembers:

“Robert Verrall had vision. He played a major part in shaping the NFB and what it stands for. As studio head of animation, and then documentary, he produced some of my all-time favorites: The Great Toy Robbery, The Drag, What on Earth!, Walking, and Hot Stuff. He himself was a talented artist, creating wonderful backgrounds and animation for many films. He advocated for the rights of film directors while serving as the head of the union. Yes, many hats. Bob will be much missed; he was a charming, witty, and kind man.”

“I didn’t know him too well,” admitted NFB English Animation Producer Maral Mohammadian, but she encountered him often in the NFB halls and remembers him as “a man of great influence and sweet as hell. He regularly attended events at the NFB even as recently as this fall. He was curious, playful, and gracious.”

NFB French Animation Producer Jelena Popović recalls the impact both Verralls had on her personally and professionally:

Robert Verrall’s son David was my first Executive Producer. Also, my editing guru. The day he retired, he was asked to define his job. “Supporting creative potential, allowing for serendipity, and maybe detecting who has a good idea but doesn’t know it yet?”

A few years later, David’s father Robert — then a 90 something-year young NFB Giant, greeted me in his charming Plateau apartment. While he was preparing tea, I admired the latest book on Alanis Obomsawin on his table de salon. “Now, tell me all about you!,” [I said]. For once I made it short — I came to listen. Endlessly smiling Bob Verrall meandered through NFB history with purpose: Grierson’s producers had to be at once journalists and poets; the artists, including McLaren, were told they were ‘not here just to play’; Tom Daly gifted a copy of Plato’s Symposium to all his producers and directors. And so on, and so on…

Mr. Bob Verrall spoke with disarming lightness about the culture of creative producing, fostered, cherished and nurtured daily, and over eight decades, intra-NFB muros. He did not speak at all of Verralls, these gentle Giants holding our hands while we stand on their shoulders.

Robert Verall. Photo provided by family.
Robert Verall. Photo provided by family.

Alanis Obomsawin recalls:

Bob Verrall became a friend and could really hear me. His kindness and support for all the stories I was wishing to tell became sacred to me. He never tried to change the message. I think his spirit is still there. Thank you, Bob, for all the respect and understanding of our people’s culture, language and spiritual way of being that makes us strong.

And indeed, “gentle” summarizes Verrall, who despite his many achievements, remained humble, attributing his success to the mentors and collaborators who shaped his career. “I was lucky to have great teachers and colleagues,” he said. “Everything I achieved was a team effort.”

Robert Verrall’s passing marks the end of an era for Canadian animation and film. His contributions to the NFB and the broader cultural landscape of Canada cannot be overstated. As a filmmaker and producer, he helped elevate animation to new heights and demonstrated its potential as a powerful tool for storytelling and education.

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