Sylvia Anderson (director)
Sylvia Beatrice Anderson , nee Thomas , divorced Brooks , divorced Thamm ( March 25, 1927 in London - † March 15, 2016 in Bray , Berkshire , England ) was a British film director and producer . Her most famous creation is the puppet Lady Penelope from the television series Thunderbirds ; a character who was designed according to her appearance and to which she lent her voice. From 1960 to 1981, Sylvia was married to Gerry Anderson , but kept her name after the divorce. She lived in Bray until her death.
Life
Sylvia Thomas studied at the London School of Economics in the 1940s . After graduation, she moved to the United States with her first husband, golfer Jack Brooks, where she worked as a social worker. There is a daughter from the marriage. In 1952 she married George Thamm, from whom she was also divorced. After the divorce, she returned to England .
In 1957, Sylvia started as a secretary at Polytechnic Films, where she met Gerry Anderson. Shortly thereafter, she joined Gerry and other artists in the company AP Films, which Anderson co-founded, as a film director. During the filming of Torchy the Battery Boy a relationship developed with Anderson; In 1960 the couple married.
Sylvia was involved in all film and television productions from AP Film and 21 Century until 1977 and was mostly responsible for character development and costume design . The highlight of her artistic work was the creation of the character Lady Penelope, the epitome of a British lady , combined with the technical possibilities of a James Bond and also conceived as a female counterpart to this.
In 1975 the couple separated; there was a son from the marriage. In 1976 Sylvia was involved in the production of the British-German science fiction television series The Girls from Space . She worked as a talent scout for Home Box Office for 30 years and was a consultant for the Thunderbird film adaptation Thunderbirds in 2004 .
Participation in television series
- 1957–1958: The Adventures Of Twizzle (52 episodes)
- 1958-1959: Torchy the Battery Boy
- 1959-1960: Four Feather Falls (39 episodes)
- 1961–1962: Supercar
- 1962: Fireball XL5
- 1963: Stingray Command
- 1964-1966: Thunderbirds
- 1967: Captain Scarlet and the Revenge of the Mysterons
- 1967–1968: Joe 90 (30 episodes)
- 1968–1969: The Secret Service (13 episodes)
- 1969–1970: UFO - costume design
- 1972–1974: No pardon for guardian angels
- 1973–1976: Moon base Alpha 1
Filmography
- 1960: Crossroad to Crime (Director: Gerry Anderson)
- 1966: Firebirds ready to go (Director: David Lane )
- 1968: Thunderbird 6 (Director: David Lane)
- 1969: Accident in Space (Director: Robert Parrish )
literature
- Sylvia Anderson: Yes, M'Lady , London (Smith Gryphon Publishers) 1991. ISBN 1-85685-011-0
- Simon Archer / Marcus Hearn: What made Thunderbirds Go! The authorized biography of Gerry Anderson , London (BBC Worldwide Limited) 2002. ISBN 0-563-53481-8
Web links
- Sylvia Anderson in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Official website of Sylvia Anderson (English)
- Interview with Sylvia Anderson in 2009, youtube.com
- Sylvia Anderson in an interview about the Thunderbirds around 1994
- Sylvia Anderson obituary , in: The Guardian, March 16, 2016
- the BBC on March 16, 2016 on the death of Sylvia Anderson
Individual evidence
- ↑ Helen Kelly: Sylvia Anderson dead at 88: Voice of Thunderbirds Lady Penelope loses battle with illness. In: express.co.uk. March 16, 2016, accessed March 16, 2016.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Anderson, Sylvia |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Anderson, Sylvia Beatrice (full name); Thomas, Sylvia (maiden name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British film director and producer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 25, 1927 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | London , England , UK |
| DATE OF DEATH | 15th March 2016 |
| Place of death | Bray , Berkshire , England |