Grant Munro LL. D. (April 25, 1923 – December 9, 2017) was a Canadian animator, filmmaker and actor. In 1952, he co-starred with Jean-Paul Ladouceur in

Norman McLaren William Norman McLaren, LL. D. (11 April 1914 – 27 January 1987) was a Scottish-Canadian animator, director and producer known for his work for the National Film Board of Canada (NFB).Rosenthal, Alan. ''The new documentary in action: a caseb ...

's ''

Neighbours ''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera that has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons and ...

''. His film, ''Christmas Cracker'', was nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

in 1965.

Early life

Munro was born and raised in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

. After graduating from Gordon Bell High School, he went to the Musgrove School of Art and the Winnipeg School of Art. In 1944, he graduated with honors from the

Ontario College of Art Ontario College of Art & Design University, commonly known as OCAD University or OCAD U, is a public art university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its main campus is located within Toronto's Grange Park and Entertainment District neighbourhoods ...

and joined the

National Film Board The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; ) is a Canadian public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary films, animation, web documentaries, and altern ...

(NFB) in the same year.

Career

Munro's work as an

animator An animator is an artist who creates images, known as frames, which give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, and video games. Animat ...

first won notice during

1945 1945 marked the end of World War II, the fall of Nazi Germany, and the Empire of Japan. It is also the year concentration camps were liberated and the only year in which atomic weapons have been used in combat. Events World War II will be ...

, when he set the songs "

My Darling Clementine ''My Darling Clementine'' is a 1946 American Western film directed by John Ford and starring Henry Fonda as Wyatt Earp during the period leading up to the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. The ensemble cast also features Victor Mature (as Doc Holli ...

" and " The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze" to animated cut-outs. He left the NFB in 1947 to work with another company, returning in 1951, in time to perform the physically demanding role of one of the neighbours in

's ''

'', a film which used the technique known as "

pixilation Pixilation is a stop motion technique in which live actors are used as a frame-by-frame subject in an animated film, by repeatedly posing while one or more frame is taken and changing pose slightly before the next frame or frames. This technique ...

" (a term coined by Munro) and which won both a Canadian Film Award and an Academy Award. In 1957, he moved to London to work as Director of Animation for

George Dunning George Garnett Dunning (November 17th. 1920 - February 15th. 1979) was a Canadian filmmaker and animator. He is best known for producing and directing the 1968 film '' Yellow Submarine''. Biography Dunning was born in Toronto and studied at the ...

's TV Cartoons; he returned to the NFB in 1961. In 1970, he moved to Cuba and, for two years, worked for the Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematográficos. Munro collaborated with McLaren on the animated films ''Two Bagatelles'' (1952), ''

Christmas Cracker Christmas crackers are festive table decorations that make a snapping sound when pulled open, and typically contain a small gift, paper hat and a joke. They are part of Christmas celebrations in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Ireland a ...

'' (1963) and ''

Canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western canon, th ...

'' (1964). In the 1970s, his focus shifted to documentaries. He directed: ''Tours en l'air'' (1974), a film about work of dancers Anna-Marie and David Holmes; ''Boo Hoo'' (1975), which concerned a cemetery and crematorium in

Saint John, New Brunswick Saint John () is a port#seaport, seaport city located on the Bay of Fundy in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. It is Canada's oldest Municipal corporation, incorporated city, established by royal charter on May 18, 1785, during the reign ...

; and ''Animated Motion'' (parts 1–5, 1976–8) and ''McLaren on McLaren'' (1983), which documented the work and philosophy of his friend and colleague. He also directed ''See You in the Funny Papers'' (1983), which examined the life and work of cartoonist

Lynn Johnston Lynn Johnston (born May 28, 1947) is a Canadian cartoonist and author, best known for her newspaper comic strip '' For Better or For Worse''. She was the first woman and first Canadian to win the National Cartoonist Society's Reuben Award. ...

. Munro retired from the National Film Board in 1988. He died in

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

on December 9, 2017, at the age of 94.

Honours

On June 20, 2007

Concordia University Concordia University () is a Public university, public English-language research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College (Montreal), Loyola College and Sir George Williams Universit ...

awarded Munro an

honorary doctorate An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...

in recognition of his legacy for generations of filmmakers. On October 10, 2008, Munro was made an Officer in the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...

Governor General Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...

Michaëlle Jean Michaëlle Jean (; born September 6, 1957) is a Canadian former journalist who served as the 27th governor general of Canada from 2005 to 2010. She is the first Haitian Canadian and black person to hold this office. Jean was the Organisation i ...

. The backgrounder to the award read as follows:

Grant Munro is a pioneering animator and filmmaker. One of the earliest and longest-serving members of the National Film Board of Canada, he developed innovative techniques that influenced both the film industry and other animators. He produced films that were used as public education tools in schools across Canada, and collaborated with the Montreal Children’s Hospital to create educational films for children with learning disabilities. As well, he was involved in making several award-winning film's and has been an inspiring role model and dedicated mentor to several generations of young filmmakers.

''Grant Munro Rediscovered''

On December 4, 2003, the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...

paid tribute to Munro with ''Grant Munro Rediscovered'', a retrospective program of his work:

On the occasion of Grant Munro’s eightieth birthday and the release of a new DVD, ''Cut-Up: The Films of Grant Munro'', the Museum of Modern Art pays tribute to this seminal but under-recognized animator. Working from within the historic Animation Unit of the National Film Board of Canada from 1945 through the early 1970s, Munro directed, produced, shot, edited, and even acted in some of the most significant hand-drawn and pixilated animation ever made. A frequent collaborator with Norman McLaren, Munro brought a wicked wit and sublime grace to the art.

In 2003, a DVD of his work entitled ''Cut-Up: The Films of Grant Munro'' was released. It includes two Munro-McLaren collaborations which they did not complete: ''On the Farm'' and ''Six and Seven Eighths''.

Filmography

Director and/or Producer, Animator *''Let's All Sing Together: No. 3'' - animated short,

1945 - co-animator with René Jodoin *''Let's All Sing Together: No. 4'' - animated short,

1945 - co-animator with Jim MacKay and Jean-Paul Ladouceur *''Let's All Sing Together: No. 5'' - animated short,

1945 - co-animator with Jean-Paul Ladouceur *''Let's All Sing Together: No. 6'' - animated short,

1945 - co-animator with Jean-Paul Ladouceur and René Jodoin *''The Three Blind Mice'' - animated short,

1945 - co-animator with George Dunning and Robert Verrall *''Stanley Takes a Trip'' - animated short, 1947 - co-animator with Helen MacKay, co-director with Helen MacKay and Jim MacKay *''Christmas Carols'' - animated short, 1947 - co-animator *''Two Bagatelles'' - experimental film, 1952 - co-director with

*''

'' - experimental film,

1952 - cast *''One Little Indian'' - puppet film, 1954 - director *''Huff and Puff'' - animated training film, Graham Crabtree 1955 -co-animator with Gerald Potterton *''The Standard Range Approach'' - training film, Michael Birch and René Jodoin 1957 - animator *'' My Financial Career'' - animated short, Gerald Potterton 1962 - co-animator with Gerald Potterton *''Pot-pourri'' - montage, 1962 - co-director with Jeff Hale,

Derek Lamb Derek Reginald Lamb (20 June 1936 – 5 November 2005) was a British animation filmmaker and producer. While serving as executive producer of the National Film Board of Canada's English Animation Studio from 1976 to 1982, he produced the Oscar-win ...

, Austin Campbell, Kaj Pindal, Cameron Guess and Rhoda Leyer *''What Farm Price Support Means to You'' - documentary short, Ernest Reid 1962 - animator *''

'' - animated short 1963 - co-director with

, Gerald Potterton and Jeff Hale *''Seven Surprizes'' - compilation 1963 - co-director with

, and

Claude Jutra Claude Jutra (; March 11, 1930 – November 5, 1986) was a Canadian actor, film director, and screenwriter.

*''

'' - animated film, 1964 - co-producer and co-director with

*''The Animal Movie'' - animated short film, 1966 - animator, co-director with Ron Tunis *''Toys'' - documentary short, 1966 - producer, director *''Ashes of Doom'' - short film, 1970 - editor, co-director with Nadia Salnick *''Where There's Smoke'' - compilation, 1970 - co-director *''General Health'' - documentary short, 1970 - co-director with

Břetislav Pojar Břetislav Pojar (7 October 192312 October 2012) was a Czech puppeteer, animator and director of short film, short and feature films. Born in Sušice, Czechoslovakia, Pojar started his career in the late 1940s with his work on ''The Story of the ...

and Don Arioli *''Nutrition'' - documentary short, 1970 - co-director with

and Don Arioli *''Percy Saltzman Anti-Smoking Clip'' - documentary short, 1971 - co-director with Don Arioli *''Tour en l'air'' - documentary short, 1974 - co-editor, producer, director *''Boo Hoo'' - documentary short, 1975 - director *''Animated Motion: Part 1'' - instructional film, 1976 - co-producer and co-director with Norman McLaren *''Animated Motion: Part 2'' - instructional film, 1976 - co-producer and co-director with Norman McLaren *''Animated Motion: Part 3'' - instructional film, 1977 - co-producer and co-director with Norman McLaren *''Animated Motion: Part 4'' - instructional film, 1977 - co-producer and co-director with Norman McLaren *''Animated Motion: Part 5'' - instructional film, 1978 - co-producer and co-director with Norman McLaren *''McLaren on McLaren'' - documentary short 1983 - director *''See You in the Funny Papers'' - documentary short, 1983 - co-editor, producer, director

Awards

''One Little Indian'' (1954) * Rapallo International Film Festival,

Rapallo Rapallo ( , , ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Genoa, in the Italy, Italian region of Liguria. As of 2017 it had 29,778 inhabitants. It lies on the Ligurian Sea coast, on the Tigullio Gulf, between Portofino and ...

, Italy: Great Cup of the Province of Genoa, 1956 * Rapallo International Film Festival,

, Italy: First Prize & Silver Medal, Abstract Films, 1956 *National Committee on Films for Safety, Chicago: First Prize, Bronze Plaque, Traffic & Transportation, 1955 * Golden Reel International Film Festival, Film Council of America, New York: Recognition of Merit, 1955 * Kootenay Film Festival,

Nelson, British Columbia Nelson is a city located in the Selkirk Mountains on the West Arm of Kootenay Lake in the British Columbia Interior, Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. The city is known for its collection of restored heritage buildings that date ba ...

: Certificate of Merit, Second Award, Artistic Achievement, 1955 * 7th Canadian Film Awards,

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

: Honorable Mention, Non-Theatrical, 1955 ''Pot-pourri'' (1962) * 14th Canadian Film Awards,

: Award of Merit - Filmed Commercials (Public Service), 1962 ''

'' (1963) * Golden Gate International Film Festival, San Francisco: First Prize, Best Animated Short, 1964 * Electronic, Nuclear and Teleradio Cinematographic Review, Rome: Grand Prize for Technique, Films for Children, 1965 * Electronic, Nuclear and Teleradio Cinematographic Review, Rome: Grand Prize for Animation Technique, 1965 * Film Centrum Foundation Film Show,

Naarden Naarden () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and former List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Gooi region in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Holland, Netherlands. It has been part ...

, Netherlands: Silver Squirrel, Second Prize 1966 * Philadelphia International Festival of Short Films,

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

: Award of Exceptional Merit, 1967 * Landers Associates Annual Awards, Los Angeles: Award of Merit, 1965 *

37th Academy Awards The 37th Academy Awards were held on April 5, 1965, to honor film achievements of 1964. The ceremony was produced by MGM's Joe Pasternak and hosted, for the 14th time, by Bob Hope. The Best Picture winner, George Cukor's ''My Fair Lady'', w ...

, Los Angeles: Nominee: Best Short Subject – Cartoons, 1965 ''

'' (1964) *

Montreal International Film Festival The Montreal International Film Festival was an annual Canadian film festival, which took place in Montreal, Quebec from 1960 to 1967.Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

: First Prize, Best Animated Film, 1965 *

3rd International Film Festival of India The 3rd International Film Festival of India was held from 8 to 21 January 1965 in New Delhi. The third edition was the first competitive film festival ever held in India, inaugurated by the then President of India Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. The f ...

New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...

: Bronze Peacock, Second Prize, 1965 *

17th Canadian Film Awards The 17th Canadian Film Awards were held on May 15, 1965 to honour achievements in Canadian film. Entries this year numbered 104, including four features. Interest in the event, which was hosted by radio personality Max Ferguson, was such that an ...

: Genie Award for Best Film, Arts and Experimental, 1965 ''The Animal Movie'' (1966) *

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival (, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival held in Venice, Italy. It is the world's oldest film festival and one of the ...

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

: Second Prize, Plaque of the Lion of St. Mark, 1966 * La Plata International Children's Film Festival,

La Plata La Plata () is the capital city of Buenos Aires province, Argentina. According to the 2022 Argentina census, census, the La Plata Partido, Partido has a population of 772,618 and its metropolitan area, the Greater La Plata, has 938,287 inhabit ...

, Argentina: Silver Oak Leaf, First Prize, 1967 *

Zlín Film Festival Zlín Film Festival, also known as the International Film Festival for Children and Youth () is an annual festival of children's film in Zlín in the Czech Republic, founded in 1961 in the former Czechoslovakia. History The first festival t ...

/International Film Festival for Children and Youth, Gottwaldov,

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

: CIDALC First Prize 1967 ''Toys'' (1966) * La Plata International Children's Film Festival,

, Argentina: Silver Medal, 1968 ''Ashes of Doom'' (1970) * International Festival of Short Films,

: Award for Exceptional Merit, 1971 ''Tour en l'air'' (1974) * American Film and Video Festival, New York: Blue Ribbon, Performing Arts, 1975 * Melbourne Film Festival,

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

: Diploma of Merit, 1975 ''Animated Motion'' (1976) * Athens International Film/Video Festival,

Athens, Georgia Athens is a consolidated city-county in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. Downtown Athens lies about northeast of downtown Atlanta. The University of Georgia, the state's flagship public university and an Research I university, ...

: Special Merit Award, 1978 ''See You in the Funny Papers'' (1983) * Athens International Film/Video Festival,

: Special Merit Award, 1984

References

External links

* * at the

National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; ) is a Canadian public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary films, animation, web documentaries, and altern ...

Watch films by Grant Munro at NFB web site

''Making Movie History: Grant Munro''
(interview) {{DEFAULTSORT:Munro, Grant Officers of the Order of Canada Canadian animators Artists from Winnipeg Film directors from Winnipeg Canadian documentary film directors 1923 births 2017 deaths National Film Board of Canada people Stop motion animators