Robert Verrall (13 January 1928 – 17 January 2025) was a Canadian animator, director and film producer who worked for the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) from 1945 to 1987. Over the course of his career, his films garnered a BAFTA Award, prizes at the Cannes Film Festival and Venice Film Festival, and six Academy Award nominations.
Life and career One of the first to join the NFB's fledgling animation unit, under Norman McLaren, Verrall would work as animator on such notable NFB animated shorts as The Romance of Transportation in Canada and produce such shorts as Cosmic Zoom, Hot Stuff as well as the Academy Award-nominees The Drag and What on Earth!. His NFB animation credits as executive producer included The Family That Dwelt Apart and Evolution, also Oscar nominees.
Verrall was named director of English-language NFB animation in 1967, and director of NFB's English-language production overall, in 1972. In the 1980s, he acted as executive producer on a number of NFB co-productions, including the film adaption of The Wars and The Tin Flute. His documentary production credits included Alanis Obomsawin's 1986 Richard Cardinal: Cry from a Diary of a Métis Child. He was the father of David Verrall, who would himself go on to head the NFB's English-language animation unit.
Verrall died on 17 January 2025, four days after his 97th birthday.
Filmography The Three Blind Mice - animated short film, George Dunning 1945 - co-animator with George Dunning and Grant Munro Christmas Carols - short film, Jim MacKay 1947 - co-animator A Story About Breadmaking in the Year 1255 A.D. - documentary short, 1948 - cinematographer, editor, animator, director Time and Terrain - documentary short, Colin Low 1948 - co-editor with Colin Low A Capital Plan - documentary short, Bernard Devlin 1949 - animator Planning Canada’s National Capital - documentary short, Donald Fraser 1949 - co-animator with Allan Ackman and Gordon Petty Date of Birth - short film, Donald Fraser 1950 - animator Ottawa: Today and Tomorrow - documentary short, Bernard Devlin 1951 - animator Age of the Beaver - documentary short, Colin Low 1952 - co-animator with Sidney Goldsmith The Romance of Transportation in Canada - documentary short, Colin Low 1952 - co-animator with Wolf Koenig The Structure of Unions - documentary short, Morten Parker 1955 - writer The Colour of Life - documentary short, J.V. Durden 1955 - co-animator with Evelyn Lambart The Maple Leaf - documentary short, J.V. Durden 1955 - co-animator with Evelyn Lambart Grain Handling in Canada - documentary short, Guy L. Coté 1955 - animator A is for Architecture - documentary short, 1959 - co-director with Gerald Budner The St. Lawrence Seaway - documentary short, John Howe and Isobel Kehoe 1959 - animator Hors-d'oeuvre - collection, 1960 - co-director and co-animator Collèges classiques in Quebec - documentary short, Pierre Patry 1961 - co-editor with Arthur Lipsett The Great Toy Robbery - cartoon, Jeff Hale 1963 - co-producer with Wolf Koenig Percé on the Rocks - documentary short, Gilles Carle 1964 - animator The Drag - animated short, Carlos Marchiori 1965 - co-producer with Wolf Koenig Energy and Matter - documentary short, 1966 - animator, director Alphabet - animated short, Eli Noyes 1966 - producer Artificial Lung - documentary short, 1966 - director What on Earth! - animated short, Les Drew and Kaj Pindal 1966 - co-producer with Wolf Koenig Kurelek - documentary short, William Pettigrew 1967 - co-producer with Tom Daly Pikangikum - documentary short, John Gould 1967 - co-producer with John Kemeny Tax Is Not a Four-Letter Word - cartoon, Michael Mills 1967 - producer Two Films by Lipsett - experimental, Donald Rennick 1968 - co-producer with Joe Koenig and Mark Slade Around Perception - experimental animation, Pierre Hébert 1968 - producer Boomsville - documentary short, Yvon Mallette 1968 - producer In a Box - animated short, Eli Noyes 1968 - producer King Size - animated short, Kaj Pindal 1968 - co-producer with Wolf Koenig Origami - documentary short, Joan Henson 1968 - producer Population Explosion - documentary short, Pierre Hébert 1968 - co-producer with Wolf Koenig Rx for Export - documentary short, Pierre Hébert 1968 - co-producer with Wolf Koenig Cosmic Zoom - documentary short, 1968 - director, co-producer with Joe Koenig Little Red Riding Hood - animated short, Rhoda Leyer 1969 - producer The Cartoon Film - documentary short, William Pettigrew 1969 - co-producer with Wolf Koenig The Half-Masted Schooner - documentary short, Bruce Mackay 1969 - co-producer with Wolf Koenig The Sky is Blue - animated short, Rick Raxlen 1969 - producer To See or Not to See - animated short, Břetislav Pojar 1969 - co-producer with Wolf Koenig Ashes of Doom - short film, Grant Munro and Don Arioli 1970 - co-producer with Wolf Koenig Best Friends - short film, Bob Browning 1970 - co-producer with Wolf Koenig Loops to Learn By - documentary short, Rex Tasker 1970 - co-producer with Dorothy Courtois Of Many People - documentary short, Stanley Jackson 1970 co-producer with John Spotton The City: Osaka - animated short, Kaj Pindal 1970 - co-producer with John Kemeny Doodle Film - animated short, Donald Winkler 1970 - producer What is Life? - animated short, 1970 - co-producer with Joe Koenig Where There's Smoke - compilation, 1970 - co-director, executive producer Christmas at Moose Factory - documentary short, Alanis Obomsawin 1971 - executive producer Citizen Harold - animated short, Hugh Foulds 1971 - executive producer Evolution - animated short, Michael Mills 1971 - executive producer Hot Stuff - animated short, Zlatko Grgić 1971 - co-producer with Wolf Koenig In a Nutshell - animated short, Les Drew and Michael Mills 1971 - co-producer with Wolf Koenig Out of Silence - documentary short, Léonard Forest 1971 - executive producer Pavilion - documentary short, Donald Rennick 1971 - executive producer Propaganda Message - animated short, Barrie Nelson 1971 - executive producer The Men in the Park - animated short, George Geertsen 1971 - producer The Specialist - animated short, Don Arioli and Boris Kolar 1971 - producer Percy Saltzman Anti-Smoking Clip - documentary short, Don Arioli and Grant Munro 1971 - producer 180 is Max - documentary short, William Pettigrew 1972 - producer A Film For Japan - documentary short, Rex Tasker 1972 - producer Bloodsugar - experimental, Rick Raxlen 1972 - executive producer Exeter - documentary short, Gerald Budner 1972 - executive producer Gore Road - documentary short, Sarah Evett 1972 - producer Hard Rider - documentary short, Josef Reeve 1972 - executive producer Paul Kane Goes West - documentary short, Gerald Budner 1972 - executive producer The North Wind and the Sun: A Fable by Aesop - cartoon, Rhoda Leyer and Les Drew 1972 - producer The Underground Movie - animated short, Les Drew 1972 - executive producer Tilt - animated short, Don Arioli 1972 - executive producer 11 Steps to Survival - animated demonstration, Pierre L'Amare 1973 - co-producer with Pierre L’Amare General Health - documentary short, Břetislav Pojar, Don Arioli and Grant Munro 1973 - producer Nutrition - documentary short, Břetislav Pojar, Don Arioli and Grant Munro 1973 - producer The Twitch - animated short, Al Sens 1973 - co-executive producer with Peter Jones Tickets s.v.p. - animated short, Pierre Perrault 1973 - executive producer Valley of the Moon - animated short, Ron Webber 1973 - producer The Family That Dwelt Apart - cartoon, Yvon Mallette 1973 - executive producer Man: The Polluter - animated documentary, Don Arioli, Hugh Foulds, Chuck Jones, Wolf Koenig, Kaj Pindal, Frank Nissen, Pino van Lamsweerde, Milan Blažeković, Zlatko Bourek, Dragič Dragic, Boris Kolar, Aleksandar Marks, Vladimir Jutrisa, Dušan Vukotić and Ante Zaninovic 1973 - executive producer Goldwood - documentary short, Kathleen Shannon 1974 - executive producer The Bear's Christmas - short film, Hugh Foulds 1974 - co-executive producer with Peter Jones Face of the Earth - documentary short, Bill Mason 1975 - executive producer No Apple for Johnny - animated short, John Weldon 1977 - executive producer Canada Vignettes: Fashion Designer - documentary short, Rosemarie Shapley and Judith Potterton 1977 - executive producer Canada Vignettes: Physiotherapist - documentary short, Rosemarie Shapley and Judith Potterton 1977 - executive producer Canada Vignettes: Bells and Brass - documentary short, Rick Butler 1978 - executive producer Canada Vignettes: Bill Miner - documentary short, Peter Jones 1978 - executive producer Canada Vignettes: Captain Cook - documentary short, Barry Helmer 1978 - executive producer Canada Vignettes: Crossing Guards - documentary short, Kris Paterson 1978 - executive producer Canada Vignettes: Faces - animated short, Paul Bochner 1978 - executive producer Canada Vignettes: Home of the Beaver - documentary short, Ron Webber 1978 - executive producer Canada Vignettes: Hudden and Dudden and Donald O'Neary: An Irish Folktale - animated short, Eva Szasz 1978 - co-executive producer with Floyd Elliott Canada Vignettes: Land of the Maple Leaf - documentary short, Ron Webber 1978 - co-executive producer with Floyd Elliott Canada Vignettes: Les nigogeux - documentary short, Robert Haché 1978 - co-producer with Paul-Eugène LeBlanc Canada Vignettes: Logger - documentary short, Al Sens 1978 - executive producer Canada Vignettes: Onions and Garlic: A Hebrew Fable - animated short film, Eva Szasz 1978 - co-executive producer with Floyd Elliott Canada Vignettes: Stunt Family - documentary short, Lois Siegel 1978 - co-executive producer with Kathleen Shannon Canada Vignettes: The Ballet Master - documentary short, Rosemarie Shapley and Judith Potterton 1978 - executive producer Canada Vignettes: The Dentist - documentary short, Rosemarie Shapley and Judith Potterton 1978 - executive producer Canada Vignettes: The Violin Maker - documentary short, Rosemarie Shapley and Judith Potterton 1978 - executive producer Canada Vignettes: The Photographers - documentary short, Rosemarie Shapley and Judith Potterton 1978 - executive producer Canada Vignettes: Veterinarian - documentary short, Rosemarie Shapley and Judith Potterton 1978 - executive producer Canada Vignettes: The Ham - documentary short, Ronald Blumer 1978 - executive producer Canada Vignettes: The Veteran - documentary short, Ronald Blumer 1978 - executive producer Canada Vignettes: The Maple Leaf - animated short, Paul Bochner 1978 - executive producer Canada Vignettes: The Performer - documentary short, Norma Bailey 1978 - executive producer Canada Vignettes: Toronto - documentary short, Carlos Marchiori 1978 - executive producer Canada Vignettes: Wild Rice Harvest Kenora - documentary short, Alanis Obomsawin 1978 - executive producer Canada Vignettes: Winter - Dressing Up - short film, Gerald Potterton 1978 - executive producer Canada Vignettes: Winter - Starting the Car - short film, Gerald Potterton 1978 - executive producer Oh Canada - animated short, Barrie Nelson 1978 - co-producer with Dorothy Courtois, Roman Kroitor, Wolf Koenig Going the Distance - documentary, Paul Cowan 1979 - co-executive producer with Jacques Bobet Canada Vignettes: Full Circle - documentary short, Rudi Wrench 1979 - executive producer Canada Vignettes: Helen Law - documentary short, Jennifer Hodge de Silva 1979 - executive producer Canada Vignettes: La mer enligne nos terres - documentary short, Phil Comeau 1979 - executive producer Canada Vignettes: Ma Chère Albertine - documentary short, Suzanne Olivier 1979 - executive producer Canada Vignettes: Wooly Mammoth - documentary short, 1979 - co-producer with Peter Jones Canada Vignettes: Wop May - documentary short, Blake James 1979 - co-executive producer with Floyd Elliott Canada Vignettes: June in Povungnituk - Quebec Arctic - documentary short, Alanis Obomsawin 1980 - executive producer Latitude 55° - feature, John Juliani 1980 - co-executive producer with Fil Fraser