Bob Cuff(1922-2010)
- Visual Effects
- Special Effects
1952 After four years at the Camberwell School of Art, he was hired as
trainee Matte painter by Vincent Korda. (The Matte Department was then
called the Special Effects Department). Wally Veevers was Head of
Department and his name appeared on most credits (usual practice at the
time). He left Shepperton in 1963 to work for Les Bowie on Charlie
Schneer's "First Men in the Moon". Ray Caple was already working as Les
Bowie's Matte Artist and had been trained by him from an early age. He
shared all the matte work at Bowie's with Ray. Les Bowie, a brilliant
painter, had virtually stopped painting by the time he went to work for
him. Cuff and John Mackey were hired by Stanley Kubrick to make matte
shots of the excavated pit on the moon and to make various travelling
shots of moonscapes for "2001" (1968). Mackey, Bowie and Cuff formed a
company (Abacus Productions) to make TV commercials. (Les Bowie did not
want to be involved with commercials and acted as sleeping partner,
renting his premises and equipment to the offshoot company). He retired
from his commercials company Abacus at 1986. His last work as matte
painter was for the film "Erik the Viking" (1989).