Gerald Potterton
A wildly inventive animator who brought counterculture edge to the screen, directing the raucous, adult fantasy anthology 'Heavy Metal'.
1931–2022 (age 91)·British-Canadian animator and director·Birthday: March 8·The Silent Generation
Biography
Gerald Potterton's career was a transatlantic adventure in animation. Born in London, he cut his teeth at the pioneering Halas & Batchelor studio before bringing his talents to Canada's National Film Board, where his short film 'My Financial Career' earned an Oscar nomination. His whimsical, detailed style made him a natural fit for the psychedelic romp 'Yellow Submarine,' where he served as an animation director. Potterton truly left his mark by helming 'Heavy Metal,' the 1981 cult film that fused bawdy humor, rock music, and fantasy violence into a unique animated experience for adults. As a director, producer, and writer, he nurtured the Canadian animation scene for decades, creating everything from children's television like 'The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin' to satirical shorts, always with a distinctive visual wit and a refusal to be pigeonholed.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Gerald was born in 1931, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Gerald Was Born
The biggest hits of 1931
#1 Movie
Frankenstein
Best Picture
Cimarron
Gerald's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1931Born
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1936Started school
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1944Became a teenager
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1947Could drive
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1949Could vote
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Turned 21
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1961Turned 30
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1971Turned 40
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 50
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 60
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 70
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 80
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2022Died at 91
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
Key Achievements
- Directed the 1981 adult animated sci-fi fantasy film 'Heavy Metal,' a cult classic.
- Served as an animation director on the Beatles' groundbreaking 1968 film 'Yellow Submarine.'
- Received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Short Film for 'My Financial Career' (1962).
- Had a long creative association with the National Film Board of Canada, producing numerous animated works.
Did You Know?
He worked as a director on the popular 1980s children's TV series 'The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin.'
Potterton directed live-action segments for the 1974 comedy horror film 'The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane,' starring Jodie Foster.
He was a co-founder of the animation studio Potterton Productions in Montreal.
His film 'The Railrodder,' starring Buster Keaton, is a dialogue-free short about a man crossing Canada on a railway motorcar.
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