Charles Grosvenor
Encyclopedia
Charles Grosvenor is an American
film director
.
, he moved to Los Angeles
in 1978 to work in the animation
industry, at a time when most of the work was still being done in the US
. His first job was for Hanna-Barbera
, as a model designer on The Buford Files. He soon joined the layout department and quickly advanced to crew chief, and ultimately to head of layout, thereby having a hand in every Hanna-Barbera show that was produced in those years, including Richie Rich
and The Smurfs.
, Grosvenor made the move to directing
. His success at that effort led to more directing assignments, including some of the first long form (an hour or more) animated shows, beginning with The Good, the Bad, and Huckleberry Hound
. He graduated to feature film
directing with Hanna-Barbera's Once Upon a Forest
.
, Grosvenor moved to MGM, where he directed yet another incarnation of The Pink Panther
as well as an animated feature based on Babes in Toyland
. In 1998 he joined Universal Cartoon Studios (later re-named Universal Animation Studios
), taking over the highly successful Land Before Time
direct-to-video
series, beginning with The Land Before Time V: The Mysterious Island
. As of 2006 he has produced and directed an additional seven sequels (The Land Before Time VII: The Stone of Cold Fire
, The Land Before Time VIII: The Big Freeze
, The Land Before Time IX: Journey to Big Water
, The Land Before Time X: The Great Longneck Migration
, The Land Before Time XI: Invasion of the Tinysauruses
, and The Land Before Time XII: The Great Day of the Flyers), in addition to overseeing 26 half-hours of a television series
based on the movies. While critical reception of the series has varied (Many of the first sequels received lukewarm to negative reviews, while the later sequels received more positive reviews), the series has gained a loyal fanbase.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
.
Early work
Originally from Hillsdale, New JerseyHillsdale, New Jersey
Hillsdale is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 10,219.The populated area today known as Hillsdale took form in the mid-to-late 19th century as land speculators, led by David P. Patterson, developed subdivisons to profit from the...
, he moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 1978 to work in the animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
industry, at a time when most of the work was still being done in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. His first job was for Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
, as a model designer on The Buford Files. He soon joined the layout department and quickly advanced to crew chief, and ultimately to head of layout, thereby having a hand in every Hanna-Barbera show that was produced in those years, including Richie Rich
Richie Rich (1980 TV series)
Richie Rich is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions that aired on ABC from 1980 to 1984. Based upon Harvey Comics' popular Richie Rich comic book characters, shared time slots with Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo, The Little Rascals, and Pac-Man over its original broadcast...
and The Smurfs.
Evolving into direction
With Yogi's Treasure HuntYogi's Treasure Hunt
Yogi's Treasure Hunt is a segment that kicked-off in 1985 as the first of the programming block, The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera. It also ran as a regular series in syndication from 1985 to 1988.-Plot:...
, Grosvenor made the move to directing
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
. His success at that effort led to more directing assignments, including some of the first long form (an hour or more) animated shows, beginning with The Good, the Bad, and Huckleberry Hound
The Good, the Bad, and Huckleberry Hound
The Good, the Bad, and Huckleberry Hound is a 1988 American animated television movie that stars Huckleberry Hound. It was a part of the Hanna-Barbera Superstars 10 series of televised movies. This television feature is a parody of various western movies, the title is a take-off of The Good, the...
. He graduated to feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
directing with Hanna-Barbera's Once Upon a Forest
Once Upon a Forest
Once Upon a Forest is an animated film produced by Hanna-Barbera in association with HTV Cymru/Wales, Ltd. and released on June 18, 1993 by 20th Century Fox....
.
Current work
When Hanna-Barbera was absorbed by Warner Bros.Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
, Grosvenor moved to MGM, where he directed yet another incarnation of The Pink Panther
The Pink Panther
The Pink Panther is a series of comedy films featuring the bungling French police detective Jacques Clouseau that began in 1963 with the release of the film of the same name. The role was originated by, and is most closely associated with, Peter Sellers...
as well as an animated feature based on Babes in Toyland
Babes in Toyland (operetta)
Babes in Toyland is an operetta composed by Victor Herbert with a libretto by Glen MacDonough , which wove together various characters from Mother Goose nursery rhymes into a Christmas-themed musical extravaganza. The creators wanted to cash in on the extraordinary success of The Wizard of Oz,...
. In 1998 he joined Universal Cartoon Studios (later re-named Universal Animation Studios
Universal Animation Studios
Universal Animation Studios , is an American animation studio which is a division of Universal Studios....
), taking over the highly successful Land Before Time
The Land Before Time
The Land Before Time is a 1988 American animated adventure film directed and co-produced by Don Bluth , and executive-produced by Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Kathleen Kennedy, and Frank Marshall....
direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
series, beginning with The Land Before Time V: The Mysterious Island
The Land Before Time V: The Mysterious Island
The Land Before Time V: The Mysterious Island is a 1997 animated film directed by Roy Allen Smith. This is the first film in the series in which Anndi McAfee is the voice of Cera, and Aria Noelle Curzon is the voice of Ducky...
. As of 2006 he has produced and directed an additional seven sequels (The Land Before Time VII: The Stone of Cold Fire
The Land Before Time VII: The Stone of Cold Fire
The Land Before Time VII: The Stone of Cold Fire is a film released in 2000 and the seventh film in The Land Before Time series.-Plot:...
, The Land Before Time VIII: The Big Freeze
The Land Before Time VIII: The Big Freeze
The Land Before Time VIII: The Big Freeze is a 2001 film and the eighth film in The Land Before Time series.-Plot:When the dinosaur families get trapped in a valley by an ice storm, one family of "spiketail" dinosaurs volunteers to leave since they consume more food than the others. Meanwhile, the...
, The Land Before Time IX: Journey to Big Water
The Land Before Time IX: Journey to Big Water
The Land Before Time IX: Journey to Big Water is a 2002 animated film and the ninth film in The Land Before Time series. It was produced and directed by Charles Grosvenor, with the last time they would use the soundtrack composed by James Horner...
, The Land Before Time X: The Great Longneck Migration
The Land Before Time X: The Great Longneck Migration
The Land Before Time X: The Great Longneck Migration is the tenth film in the Land Before Time series.-Plot:Littlefoot has nightmares which involve the sun, or "Great Circle". He mentions it to his grandparents, who share the experience. Grandpa has a feeling that he wants to "go somewhere", and...
, The Land Before Time XI: Invasion of the Tinysauruses
The Land Before Time XI: Invasion of the Tinysauruses
The Land Before Time XI: Invasion of the Tinysauruses is a 2004 direct-to-video animated film and the 11th film in the The Land Before Time series.-Plot:...
, and The Land Before Time XII: The Great Day of the Flyers), in addition to overseeing 26 half-hours of a television series
The Land Before Time (TV series)
The Land Before Time is an animated television series, based on characters from The Land Before Time film series created by Judy Freudberg and Tony Geiss. It was developed for television by Ford Riley for Universal Animation Studios and Amblin Entertainment , and first premiered on YTV in Canada...
based on the movies. While critical reception of the series has varied (Many of the first sequels received lukewarm to negative reviews, while the later sequels received more positive reviews), the series has gained a loyal fanbase.