Canada's Sweetheart: The Saga of Hal C. Banks
Canada's Sweetheart: The Saga of Hal C. Banks is a Canadian docudrama film directed, written and produced by Donald Brittain.[1]
| Canada's Sweetheart: The Saga of Hal C. Banks | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Donald Brittain |
| Written by | Donald Brittain Richard Nielsen |
| Produced by | Donald Brittain Adam Symansky |
| Starring | Maury Chaykin |
| Narrated by | Donald Brittain |
| Cinematography | Andreas Poulsson |
| Edited by | Rita Roy Richard Todd |
| Music by | Eldon Rathburn |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | CBC Television |
Release date |
|
Running time | 115 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
The film was about Hal C. Banks, a controversial American labour union leader who came to Canada in 1949 to lead a sectarian fight between rival shipping unions. Banks left Canada in 1962 after being brought up on criminal charges. Banks appeared before the Norris Commission, which was set up to investigate his strongarm tactics and links to beatings of opposition unions, and non signed shipping companies. In particular was the ULS and the Maritime Union run by his former lieutenant Michael Sheehan, who had testified before the Norris Commission against Banks, and led the push to loosen the SIU grip on the Great Lakes.[2]
Maury Chaykin played the role of Banks in dramatic reenactments, alongside a supporting cast that included Peter Boretski, Jason Dean, Marie-Hélène Fontaine, Colin Fox, Sean McCann, Gary Reineke, Larry Reynolds, Chuck Shamata, Barry Stevens, R. H. Thomson and Jonathan Welsh.
The film premiered at the 1985 Festival of Festivals,[3] but was distributed primarily as a CBC Television broadcast rather than theatrically. It was broadcast by CBC on October 27, 1985.[4]
Awards edit
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Festival of Festivals | 1985 | Best Canadian Film | Canada's Sweetheart: The Saga of Hal C. Banks | Won | [5] |
| ACTRA Awards | April 2, 1986 | Best Television Program | Nominated | [6] | |
| Best Direction in a Television Program | Donald Brittain | Won | [7] | ||
| Best Television Actor | Maury Chaykin | Won | |||
| Best Writing, Original Television Drama | Donald Brittain, Richard Nielsesn | Nominated | [6] | ||
| Gemini Awards | December 4, 1986 | Best Writing in a Dramatic Program | Won | [8] | |
| Best Direction in a Dramatic Series | Donald Brittain | Won | |||
| Best Actor in a Dramatic Program or Miniseries | Maury Chaykin | Nominated | [9] | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | R. H. Thomson | Nominated |
References edit
- ^ Jim Bawden, "Banks a rip-roaring drama". Toronto Star, October 27, 1985.
- ^ Rick Groen, "Portrait of Banks as a brutish amoral artist". The Globe and Mail, October 26, 1985.
- ^ "Film festival reels in Plenty". The Globe and Mail, August 16, 1985.
- ^ Noel Taylor, "Film-maker ready for flak over Hal Banks story". Ottawa Citizen, October 26, 1985.
- ^ Jay Scott, "Official Story voted most popular film; No Surrender, American Cousin critics' choices". The Globe and Mail, September 16, 1985.
- ^ a b "ACTRA nominations for 15th annual Nellie Awards on April 2". Montreal Gazette, March 18, 1986.
- ^ Adele Freedman, "Charlie Grant's War is ACTRA's top show of the year: Nellie makes last stand brisk but chummy". The Globe and Mail, April 4, 1986.
- ^ Sid Adilman, "Anne Of Green Gables a lucky child of Gemini". Toronto Star, December 5, 1986.
- ^ Sid Adilman, "Anne leads field in Geminis race". Toronto Star, October 16, 1986.
External links edit
- NFB Web page
- Canada's Sweetheart: The Saga of Hal C. Banks at IMDb
- [A publication of The Film Reference Library/a division of the Toronto International Film Festival Group]