Movie Description

Animal Farm is a 1954 British animated drama film by Halas and Batchelor, based on the book Animal Farm by George Orwell. It was the first British animated feature to be released (Handling Ships, a Royal Navy training film, was produced earlier, but due to its purpose did not receive a formal cinema release). The C.I.A. paid for the filming, part of the U.S. cultural offensive during the Cold War, and influenced how Orwell's ideas were to be presented. The CIA initially funded Louis de Rochemont to begin work on a film version of Orwell's work and he hired Halas & Batchelor, an animation firm in London that had made propaganda films for the British government. Maurice Denham provided the voice talent for all the animals in the film. Animal Farm is also the first ever animated film to contain animated blood.

The film critic C. A. Lejeune wrote at the time: "I salute Animal Farm as a fine piece of work... [the production team] have made a film for the eye, ear, heart and mind". Matyas Seiber's score and Maurice Denham's vocal talents have been praised specifically.