Favourite G-B Animation Christmas Film

Okay, the ONLY Gaumont-British Animation Christmas film! This is not the best of the Animaland cartoons (by a long shot) having been made in a hurry for Christmas 1949, possibly to help promote sales of Animaland merchandise.

It features characters from all the previous Animaland films. Sadly Rank was already in financial difficulties, and the following year many of its smaller enterprises were shut down to save money. David Hand had invested a great deal of Rank's money in training and equipping G-B Animation (intended to be a British animation studio to rival Disney: plans were already in hand for future feature production) and although the films were relatively successful the studio was as yet nowhere near breaking even, so the accountants closed the doors in 1950.

~ Hey, Peter!

This is awesome! Hardly anyone knows about the Animaland cartoons David Hand produced in conjunction with J. Arthur Rank in the UK. I imagine Disney was not amused as the films show a huge stylistic similarity to his own cartoons. Either way Hand was not able to secure distribution in the American film market which pretty much closed the studio. It's too bad as the cartoons are enjoyable.