Crawley Films
| F. R. Crawley | |
|---|---|
Frank Radford Crawley, c. 1950
|
|
| Born |
Frank Radford Crawley November 14, 1911 Ottawa, Ontario |
| Died | May 13, 1987 (aged 75) Toronto, Ontario |
| Nationality | Canada |
| Other names | "Budge" Crawley |
| Occupation | film producer |
| Known for | Filmmaking |
| Spouse(s) | Judith Crawley |
| Children |
|
| Awards | Order of Canada |
Frank Radford "Budge" Crawley, OC (November 14, 1911 – May 13, 1987) was a Canadian film producer, cinematographer and director. Along with his wife Judith Crawley, he co-founded the production company Crawley Films in 1939.
Crawley is best known for producing the Academy Award-winning documentary The Man Who Skied Down Everest. During his 40-year career, he produced hundreds of films. Film historian Peter Morris described Crawley as "... the Godfather of Canadian film and Canada's answer to Sam Goldwyn."
Frank Radford "Budge" Crawley was born November 14, 1911 in Ottawa, Ontario. His early interest in filmmaking was shared by his next-door neighbour, Judith Sparks. The pair married on October 1, 1938, beginning a long working relationship as a filmmaking team.
While on their honeymoon, Judith wrote the script and edited Île d'Orléans (1938), the first film she worked on with her husband. Crawley shot and directed the film that won the Hiram Percy Maxim Award from the Royal Canadian Geographical Society for Best Amateur Film in 1939, making their collaboration the first Canadian film to receive this type of recognition.
Crawley was a pioneer in the creation of an independent Canadian film sector. Although he worked intermittently as an independent filmmaker on contract with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), Crawley chose to work independently rather than with NFB or the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Crawley was known for making avant-garde films with his wife Judith Crawley. Together they owned the Crawley Films company which produced numerous short films, feature films, television commercials, animated cartoons and other productions. The first Canadian Film Award (a precursor to the contemporary Canadian Screen Awards) in 1949 went to Crawley Films for the The Loon's Necklace (1948), a film based on a Tsimshian legend.
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