Obituary: Mark Hall - Animator most fondly remembered for the anarchic Danger Mouse series

THE animator Mark Hall co-founded Cosgrove Hall in 1976 and was the creator of a host of popular cartoon films such as Chorlton and the Wheelies, Danger Mouse and The Wind in the Willows. They all proved essential viewing for children just home from school, but it was Danger Mouse that captured the public’s imagination.

The cartoon’s searing battles between the title’s hero – dramatically voiced by Sir David Jason – and the evil Baron Silas Greenback were tremendous fun. Danger Mouse (“the greatest secret agent in the world” according to Hall), in turn, had a bumbling sidekick called Penfold, who was voiced by Terry Scott.

Hall always praised the actors involved and considered them to have captured the very essence of the character with their voices. “The adults watched because of that kind of anarchy,” he said. “The kids watched because they just loved the stories and the absolutely stupid gags.”

Mark William Hall attended the Manchester Metropolitan University where he trained as an illustrator. At Cosgrove Hall, he was particularly associated with the animation, producing and directing of the films. Under his supervision the company won many British Academy Awards – most notably for Pied Piper, (Best Children’s’ Programme 1981) and Alias the Jester in 1986.

Cosgrove Hall Productions was founded by two university friends – Mark Hall and Brian Cosgrove, who had worked together as graphic designers for Granada Television. The company originally was a subsidiary of Thames Television and had a workforce of just six people. But it found a winning formula from the outset. Chorlton and the Wheelies (a model animation) and Jamie and the Magic Torch (a drawn animation film) ran on television for three years,

One of the most entrancing early films was The Talking Parrot of 1979. It was based on a Gerald Durrell novel and told the story of Penelope who finds a talking parrot in a parcel by the sea.

The parrot takes her to the land of many adventures. Hall was able to secure some of Britain’s most recognisable voices for the roles, including Roy Kinnear, Michael Hordern, Freddie Jones and Mollie Sugden.

Throughout the Eighties Hall saw the business expand rapidly and Cockleshell Bay was seen on television from 1980-86. But the real triumph – and money- spinner – came in 1981 with Danger Mouse.

There was a zany – almost anarchic quality – to Danger Mouse that suggests Hall had been inspired by the Monty Python school of comedy. The show, produced for Thames TV, was seen in more than 80 countries.

So successful were the Danger Mouse films (they regularly attracted 19 million viewers) that Thames immediately commissioned Hall to produce and direct an animated version of The Wind in the Willows. Hall wanted to be faithful to the Kenneth Grahame book; as he said at the premier: “We felt that the four main characters would be Edwardian gentlemen and everyone loved the original illustrations, so we felt that if we translated them into 3D then there would be a better acceptance by everybody to the characters.”

David Jason was originally cast as Ratty but found it difficult to get the voice as he wanted: instead he switched to Toad. Under Hall’s careful supervision, the two went through the script line by line and Jason got Toad immediately.

“With his toad-like eyes” Hall recalled “David found Toad and as soon as he got that we were up and running.” The film won an Emmy in 1984 and a television film (Oh Mr Toad) followed.

Cosgrove Hall’s reputation was such that it continued to cast some of the most prestigious names from the British theatre.

Jason and Hordern had demonstrated their confidence in Hall’s direction and for The Wind in the Willows Hall was able to call on the vocal services of Richard Pearson, Ian Carmichael and Peter Sallis.

The series undoubtedly brought the company immense prestige in the business and raised the profile of the company internationally. It became known for its professional approach and ability to produce quality animation films that did not rely on dramatic explosions, car chases and facile storylines.

Jean Flynn, who has worked with Hall as the principal animator director for more than 30 years, said: “Mark was well loved and such an inspirational and a fantastic boss. He fostered such encouragement and creativity and had a terrific generosity of spirit, helping hundreds of people start out in the animation industry.”

In 2008 the downturn in television made Cosgrove Hall vulnerable and that year the company went out of business. With typical determination Cosgrove and Hall founded CHF Entertainments and created the children’s TV hit Jakers!

Hall is survived by his wife, Margaret Routledge, whom he married in 1961, and their children, Rachel and Simon. ALASDAIR STEVEN