# Sailor and the Devil

Sailor and the Devil is a 1967 animated short film produced by Richard Williams Animation. Directed by animators Richard Williams and Errol Le Cain, the film is known for its rip-roaring soundtrack, humour and distinctive animation style. The film exemplifies the early experimentation of Richard Willams Animation with its fluid motion and stylized character design.
The film also features, in a rare appearance, celebrated gospel singer Alex Bradford as the titular character.

## Plot

The film follows a sailor who sings a moral tale to children of his days fishing at sea, bracing storms, encountering the Devil on an island and how he escaped eternal damnation.

## Production

Produced at Richard Williams Animation in Soho, London, Sailor and the Devil was one of Williams' early short films. The soundtrack for the film had initially been recorded in 1963 and it wasn't until Errol le Cain began working for the studio at the start of 1965 did Williams suggested he direct the short film under his supervision the following year. According to Williams: “He [Le Cain] is doing everything so he’s getting ten years’ experience in one, and we get a film.”
The animation was completed by Le Cain and Sergio Simonetti by drawing chinagraph directly onto the acetate cels, a technique which would be used for the animated sequences of The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968) and A Christmas Carol (1971). As well as this, Sailor also showcased detailed sequences and experimental techniques that would later influence the work on The Thief and the Cobbler.
Williams himself financed much of the production, reflecting his commitment to artistic integrity and innovation. The short film served as a stepping stone for Le Cain and Williams, who would go on to gain fame for his oscar-winning work on Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988).

## Release and Reception

The film was released in 1967 and screened at the Locarno Film Festival, Annecy Festival and later as part of a Richard Williams retrospective at the Gothenburg Film Festival. It received acclaim for its imaginative storytelling and technical artistry as well as its unique animation style.
It was reported in International Film Guide 1967 as having begun as a children's film and ended as an adult's film.

## Loss and Rediscovery

Shortly after its release in 1967, a studio fire destroyed the film's original production artwork, as well as that of many others. Sailor would later reappear on television in 1983 as a part of HBO Short Take, albeit shortened considerably, however, it was considered a lost film after Richard Williams Animation shut down in the early 1990s.
In March 2021, animator Daniel Aguirre Hansell embarked on a search for an original copy of the film, contacting various film archives around the world. Eventually in the following September, Technicolor confirmed its possession of the original negative material, and with the help of experimental filmmaker Maximilian LeCain (son of Errol), and BFI animation curator Jez Stewart, Sailor was put in the care of the British Film Institute where it currently awaits restoration.

## Legacy

Sailor and the Devil is considered a precursor to Williams' later works, encapsulating the themes of trickery, morality, and artistry that would characterize much of his career. Le Cain, who would later be celebrated for his children's books, remained a frequent freelance contributor to the studio and had a heavy influence on the art direction of The Thief and the Cobbler, which would go on to influence the animation world as well as the films of Cartoon Saloon.
When Sailor reappeared on YouTube in 2013 through Garret Gilchrist and TheThiefArchive, Amid Amidi of Cartoon Brew wrote in an article:
   Le Cain invents an idiosyncratic style of movement that combines jittery bursts of motion with visually pleasing dance cycles. When the storm arrives in the film or the skeleton wave threatens to overwhelm the sailor, we encounter a world of pure graphic art. Le Cain uses the full range of color, movement, design, and cinematic devices to create an exciting universe that could exist nowhere but in an animated film.
While not widely distributed, Sailor and the Devil remains an important piece in the history of independent animation and is often regarded as an early example of Williams and Le Cain's skill in blending narrative and visuals.