A.P.Films


In 1955, Gerry Anderson co-founded his first company, Pentagon Films, which lead to the formation, with Arthur Provis, of A.P. Films and the beginnings of a unique career as a creator and producer of puppet films. This started initially in a small way with two series for young children called, 'The Adventures of Twizzle', and 'Torchy the Battery Boy', both made for Associated Rediffusion via Pelham Films. From here the company made a pilot film, a puppet western, 'Four Feather Falls' which was bought by Granada Television, and a series followed.

Techniques used on 'Four Feather Falls' were the origins of a form of puppet film making which Gerry termed "Supermarionation", a word which has become synonymous with the many series that were to follow other the next ten years. The first of these 'Supercar', lead to A.P. Films being financed and eventually bought by Lew Grade, and thus began a long association with The ITC Entertainment Group Ltd, now 'Polygram Television International'.

A brief foray into live-action with a low budget file 'Crossroads To Crime' and a series of commercials, for which Gerry won the 1961 advertising award, followed before he returned to puppets and 'Fireball XL5', a series which was networked in America on NBC. 'Stingray' followed, which was the first colour film television series to be made in Britain.

The popularity of Gerry's work was to reach it's height with his next series, 'Thunderbirds', which sold to more than 150 markets in the United States and 66 countries world-wide. Two spin-off films were also made for United Artists, 'Thunderbirds Are GO' and 'Thunderbird Six'. For his work on Thunderbirds, Gerry received the Royal Television Society silver medal for outstanding achievement and was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of The British Kinematograph Sound and Television Society.

By 1966 A.P. Films had become the Century 21 Organisation, chaired by Gerry with studios, record, toy, publishing and merchandising divisions.

Information extracted from Polygram Video's Space Precinct Pages About Gerry Anderson

People involved at A.P.Films Ltd. included:
Further information is available via these Gerry Anderson Links.

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