Robert Balser
Robert Edward "Bob" Balser (March 25, 1927 – January 4, 2016) was an American
Early life
Balser was born on March 25, 1927, in Rochester, New York.[3] He moved to Los Angeles with his parents, where he attended high school and enrolled in classes at the Chouinard Art Institute.[3] He served in the United States Navy's Office of Strategic Services (O.S.S.) Office of Research and Inventions in New York City from 1945 to 1946 during the eve of World War II.[3]
Following the war, Balser, using the
Career
Balser's career spanned more than five decades. He began as a
In 1959, Balser and his wife left Los Angeles for a six month work
In 1964, Balser directed El Sombrero, an animated short film written by Alan Shean, for Estudios Moro, a Spanish production company.[1]
He is perhaps best known for his work on the 1968 British
Following the success of Yellow Submarine, Balser founded a
Balser served on the board of directors for the International Animated Film Association (ASIFA) from 1978 to 1994, and helped to establish ASIFA-Spain in 1980.[1] In 1986, Balser and his wife, Cima, joined with four other couples to establish the Benjamin Franklin International School in Barcelona.[3] Their school now has more than 500 students, as of 2016.[3]
In 1993, Balser closed Pegbar Productions, his production company in Barcelona.[3] He then directed The Triplets, a Catalan animated series for Cromosoma Productions.[3] Balser left Spain in 1996.[3] Next, Balser lived in Cairo, Egypt, for several months, where he worked as an animation consultant for the International Executive Service Corporation.[3] He then moved to Ankara, Turkey, for two years, where he directed television series that aired in Germany and the United States.[3]
Personal life
Balser met his wife, Cima, while attending UCLA. Bob and Cima Balser married on June 25, 1950, just one week after graduating from UCLA.[3]
In 1999, Robert and Balser retired to Marina del Rey, California, a coastal suburb of Los Angeles.[3] He became a consultant and lecturer. Balser also served on the "Short films and Animation Feature Branch" of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and remained an active member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).[3]
Death
Balser was hospitalized for respiratory failure during mid-December 2015.
Archives
The moving image collection of Bob Balser is held at the Academy Film Archive.[5]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Wolfe, Jennifer (2016-01-06). "'Yellow Submarine' Animation Director Robert Balser Passes at 88". Animation World Network. Retrieved 2016-02-02.
- ^ a b c d e f Barnes, Mike (2016-01-07). "Robert Balser, Animation Director on 'Yellow Submarine,' Dies at 88". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2016-02-02.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac Wolfe, Jennifer (2016-01-13). "Bob Balser Memorial to be Held January 16". Animation World Network. Retrieved 2016-02-02.
- ^ Lincoln, Ross A. (2016-01-07). "Robert Balser Dies: Animation Director On 'Yellow Submarine' Was 88". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2016-02-02.
- ^ "Bob Balser Collection". Academy Film Archive.
External links
- Robert Balser at IMDb