William Samuel Cook "Peter" Ellenshaw (24 May 1913 – 12 February 2007) was an English

matte Matte may refer to: Art * paint with a non-glossy finish. See diffuse reflection. * a framing element surrounding a painting or watercolor within the outer frame Film * Matte (filmmaking), filmmaking and video production technology * Matte pai ...

designer and

special effects Special effects (often abbreviated as F/X or simply FX) are illusions or visual tricks used in the theatre, film, television, video game, amusement park and simulator industries to simulate the fictional events in a story or virtual world. ...

creator who worked on many

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

features. Born in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, he moved to

America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

in 1953.

Career & life

He first worked in matte painting for producer

Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; ; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)

on such films as ''

Things to Come ''Things to Come'' is a 1936 British science fiction film produced by Alexander Korda, directed by William Cameron Menzies, and written by H. G. Wells. It is a loose adaptation of Wells' book '' The Shape of Things to Come''. The film stars Ra ...

'' (1936), and later on such

Powell and Pressburger The British film-making partnership of Michael Powell (1905–1990) and Emeric Pressburger (1902–1988)—together often known as The Archers, the name of their production company—made a series of influential films in the 1940s and 1950s. T ...

productions as ''

Black Narcissus ''Black Narcissus'' is a 1947 British psychological drama film jointly written, directed and produced by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, based on the 1939 novel by Rumer Godden. It stars Deborah Kerr, Sabu, David Farrar, and Flora R ...

'' (1947) assisting his mentor W. (Walter) Percy Day. A few years later, while still based in Europe, he began to work for Hollywood studios. He worked for

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

on ''

Quo Vadis ''Quo vadis?'' (, ) is a Latin phrase meaning "Where are you going?". It is commonly translated, quoting the KJV translation of John 13:36, as "Whither goest thou?" The phrase originates from the Christian tradition regarding Saint Peter's fi ...

'' (1951), but his most extensive association was with Walt Disney Studios beginning with their first completely live action feature film, ''

Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure a ...

'' (1950). He went on to work on ''

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ''Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas'' () is a science fiction adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne. It is considered a classic within its genres and world literature. It was originally serialised from March 1869 to June 1870 i ...

'' (1954) and ''

Mary Poppins Mary Poppins may refer to: * Mary Poppins (character), a nanny with magical powers * Mary Poppins (franchise), based on the fictional nanny ** Mary Poppins (book series), ''Mary Poppins'' (book series), the original 1934–1988 children's fanta ...

'' (1964), for which he won 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 ...

. He retired after his work on ''

The Black Hole A black hole is a region of extreme gravitational pull. Black hole or blackhole may also refer to: Computing *Black hole (networking), in computer networking, a place where traffic is silently discarded * Blackhole server, a DNS server that han ...

'' (1979), but contributed matte paintings for ''

Dick Tracy ''Dick Tracy'' is an American comic strip featuring Dick Tracy, a tough and intelligent police detective created by Chester Gould. It made its debut on Sunday, October 4, 1931, in the '' Detroit Mirror'', and was distributed by the Chicago T ...

'' (1990). both of which he collaborated with his son Harrison Ellenshaw, also a renowned matte artist and effects designer. After Peter Ellenshaw retired from the film business, he dedicated his life to his passion for painting. Numerous works were created, of both Disney and non-Disney themed subjects, which have been highly collected. He was named a

Disney Legend Disney Legends is a Hall of Fame award that is awarded by The Walt Disney Company to individuals who " avemade a significant impact on the Disney legacy." The honor was established in 1987, and was traditionally awarded annually during a speci ...

in 1993.Brian Sibley, 'Ellenshaw, Peter (1913–2007)',

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from History of the British Isles, British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') ...

, Oxford University Press, Jan 2011

Selected filmography

* '' The Thief of Bagdad'' (1940), assistant matte artist * '' A Matter of Life and Death'' (1946), assistant matte artist * ''

'' (1947), assistant matte artist * '' The Red Shoes'' (1948), assistant matte artist * ''

'' (1950), matte artist * ''

'' (1954), matte artist * ''

Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier ''Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier'' is a 1955 American Western adventure drama film produced by Walt Disney Productions. It is an edited and recut compilation of the first three episodes of the ''Davy Crockett'' television miniseries. ...

'' (1955), matte artist * ''

Old Yeller ''Old Yeller'' is a 1956 children's novel written by Fred Gipson and illustrated by Carl Burger. It received a Newbery Honor in 1957. In 1957, Walt Disney released a film adaptation starring Tommy Kirk, Fess Parker, Dorothy McGuire, Kevi ...

'' (1957), matte artist * '' Johnny Tremain'' (1957), production designer * ''

Darby O'Gill and the Little People ''Darby O'Gill and the Little People'' is a 1959 American fantasy adventure film produced by Walt Disney Productions, adapted from the ''Darby O'Gill'' stories of Herminie Templeton Kavanagh. Directed by Robert Stevenson and written by Lawrenc ...

'' (1959), special effects * ''

Pollyanna ''Pollyanna'' is a 1913 novel by American author Eleanor H. Porter, considered a classic of children's literature. The book's success led to Porter soon writing a sequel, ''Pollyanna Grows Up'' (1915). Eleven more ''Pollyanna'' sequels, known a ...

'' (1960), matte artist * '' Swiss Family Robinson'' (1960), matte artist * ''

The Absent-Minded Professor ''The Absent-Minded Professor'' is a 1961 American science fiction comedy film directed by Robert Stevenson and produced by Walt Disney Productions. It is based on the 1943 short story "A Situation of Gravity" (May 22, 1943 ''Liberty'') by ...

'' (1961), special effects * ''

'' (1964), special effects (Academy Award winner) * ''

The Love Bug ''The Love Bug'' (also known as Herbie the Love Bug) is a 1968 American sports film, sports adventure film, adventure comedy film directed by Robert Stevenson (director), Robert Stevenson from a screenplay by Bill Walsh (producer), Bill Walsh a ...

'' (1969), special effects * ''

Bedknobs and Broomsticks ''Bedknobs and Broomsticks'' is a 1971 American live-action/animated hybrid musical fantasy film directed by Robert Stevenson from a screenplay by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi and with songs written by the Sherman Brothers. It was produced by ...

'' (1971), art direction (Academy Award nominee) * ''

The Island at the Top of the World ''The Island at the Top of the World'' is a 1974 American live-action lost world fantasy adventure film directed by Robert Stevenson and produced by Winston Hibler. It was released by Walt Disney Productions, distributed by Buena Vista Distribu ...

'' (1974), special effects and production design (Academy Award nominee for the latter) * ''

'' (1979), miniature effects creator (Academy Award nominee for visual effects) * ''

'' (1990), matte artist

Books

* Peter Ellenshaw;
Ellenshaw Under Glass - Going to the Matte for Disney
' *

Mark Cotta Vaz Mark Cotta Vaz (born September 16, 1954, in San Francisco, California) is an American author, editor and film historian. He has authored over thirty books, including four ''New York Times'' bestsellers. In 1989, he wrote ''Tales of the Dark Knig ...

; Craig Barron: ''The Invisible Art: The Legends of Movie Matte Painting,'' Chronicle Books, 2002;

References

External links

Artist's Official Disney Fine Art Site

Artist's official website biography.
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ellenshaw, Peter 1913 births 2007 deaths 20th-century English painters English male painters 21st-century English painters Best Visual Effects Academy Award winners Disney Legends Matte painters Painters from London British special effects people English expatriates in the United States