Biography
Joy Ethel Batchelor (12 May 1914 – 14 May 1991) was an English animator, director, screenwriter, and producer. She married John Halas in 1940 and subsequently co-established Halas and Batchelor cartoons, whose best known production is the animated feature film Animal Farm (1954), which made her the first woman director of an animated feature since Lotte Reiniger. Together they created over 2000 shorts/films, and produced roughly 70 propaganda pieces during World War II for the British government. She helped co-write, write, animate, produce, and direct many of their productions.
One of her projects as an art director was Cinerama Holiday (1955). Joy directed and wrote Ruddigore (1967), a television-film adaptation of W.S. Gilbert's opera of the same name, which became the first opera to be adapted into an animated film. She later worked in television, directing series, including animated shows like The Jackson 5ive (1971). Batchelor died on 14 May 1991, just two days after her 77th birthday.
Filmography
Cast Credits
Crew
Crew Credits
European Folk Tales
Role: Supervising Technical Director
TV • 1978
The Five
Role: Director
MOVIE • 1970
Dying for a Smoke
Role: Script
MOVIE • 1967
Ruddigore
Role: Adaptation
MOVIE • 1967
Ruddigore
Role: Producer
MOVIE • 1967
Ruddigore
Role: Director
MOVIE • 1967
Little Tom Thumb
Role: Director
MOVIE • 1966
DoDo, The Kid from Outer Space
Role: Director
TV • 1965
DoDo, The Kid from Outer Space
Role: Producer
TV • 1965
Midsummer Nightmare
Role: Writer
MOVIE • 1964
Automania 2000
Role: Writer
MOVIE • 1964
Hamilton in the Music Festival
Role: Story
MOVIE • 1962
The Monster of Highgate Ponds
Role: Writer
MOVIE • 1961
The Christmas Visitor
Role: Writer
MOVIE • 1959
Piping Hot
Role: Director
MOVIE • 1959
Piping Hot
Role: Story
MOVIE • 1959
The Candlemaker
Role: Director
MOVIE • 1956
Animal Farm
Role: Producer
MOVIE • 1954
Animal Farm
Role: Screenplay
MOVIE • 1954
Animal Farm
Role: Director
MOVIE • 1954