Tom Chantrell
Allardyce Palmer had just won accounts with two emerging film studios, Warner Brothers and 20th Century Fox; a cinema was not considered an especially glamorous industry at the time, the work was also passed on to Batemans.Registered as a conscientious objector, he was assigned to the Non-Combatant Corps of the British Army, later volunteering for duties with a bomb disposal unit of the Royal Engineers in Tunbridge Wells, and spent most of the war digging unexploded ordnance and mines out of beaches on the coast of Kent and Sussex.In the army, Chantrell developed a disdain for authority after one notable assignment to defuse a flying bomb near Leysdown-on-Sea on the Isle of Sheppey; the commanding officer was later awarded an OBE, despite being absent from operations on leave.In 1950 Batemans was bought out by Allardyce Palmer, and the merged agency continued to receive a lot of work through Warner Brothers' film distributor, British Pathé.For Amicus, Chantrell produced publicity for a number of fantasy films based on the books of Edgar Rice Burroughs, including The Land That Time Forgot (1975).His paintings from this era have been noted for their lurid use of colour to emphasise elements of primordial horror and for their use of bold, red block lettering to convey a sense of shock, as exemplified in his posters for One Million Years B.C.poster was based on a very popular publicity photo of actress Raquel Welch in a fur bikini that became something of a cultural phenomenon and a best-selling pinup picture.[citation needed] In 1977 Chantrell was commissioned by 20th Century Fox to produce poster art for the British release of a space fantasy film, Star Wars.In his work for Star Wars, although he had seen the film and had photographic references of the actors, he asked his wife Shirley to pose as a body model for Princess Leia in their back garden, wearing a dressing gown and holding a toy plastic sword.In 1962, while he was attending life drawing classes in St Martin's School of Art he met an 18-year-old Chinese student, Shirley How Har Lui.
Thomas Cantrell DugdaleArdwickManchester Art CollegeFilm postersalbum coversbook jacketsBrighton RockThe King And ICarry On CleoThe Sound of MusicOne Million Years B.C.Far From The Madding CrowdStar Warscinema posterManchesterpropaganda posters for the war effortepic filmsThe King and I (1956)Hammer horror filmsCarry On comedy filmstrapeze artistjazz musicianmusic hallsCharles KingsleyThe Water Babiesgrammar schoolLeague of Nationsdisarmamentadvertising agencyHampsteadsilkscreen printingBlackfriars Bridgesub-contractedBritish AluminiumPercival Provostfilm studiosWarner Brothers20th Century Foxfilm posterThe Amazing Dr. ClitterhouseWorld War IIcalled upmilitary serviceconscientious objectorNon-Combatant CorpsBritish Armybomb disposalRoyal EngineersTunbridge Wellsunexploded ordnanceSussexflying bombLeysdown-on-SeaIsle of Sheppeywar propagandawar effortdemobbedKingswayHolbornForever AmberRaquel WelchBritish PathéTom BeauvaisWardour StreetEast of EdenAnastasiaBus StopAn Affair To RememberSouth Pacifichorror filmHammer FilmsAmicus ProductionsThe NannyTaste the Blood of DraculaEdgar Rice BurroughsThe Land That Time ForgotAt the Earth's Corefur bikiniCarry OnparodiespastichecopyrightCarry On SpyingRenato FratiniFrom Russia with LovelawsuitHoward TerpningCleopatradouble billsVon Ryan's ExpressThe AnniversaryDan PerriTom JungLucasfilmBrothers Hildebrandtfilm premierefilm stillspublicity photosbillboardsMark HamillCarrie FisherHarrison Fordblaster gunsFrank McCarthyThe Dirty DozenDarth VaderlightsaberstarfightersPeter CushingvampireDracula Has Risen from the Gravebody modelPrincess Leiadressing gownThe Art of Star Warsexploitation filmshorror moviesBritish sex comediesfilm genresdesktop publishinghome videofilm memorabiliaSt Martin's School of ArtList of Star Wars artistsBritish Film InstituteAndrews McMeel Publishing