Lew Parry

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Llewellyn Maddock Parry (October 5, 1905 - May 13, 1993) was a Canadian film producer, commonly credited as the "father" of the film industry in British Columbia. [1] He was a two-time Canadian Film Award winner, receiving a special award at the 9th Canadian Film Awards in 1957 "for his distinguished leadership in the development of a Canadian film industry", [2] and winning a competitive award at the 11th Canadian Film Awards in 1959 as producer of The Tall Country , that year's winner for Best Theatrical Short Film. [3]

Born and raised in Lethbridge, Alberta to immigrant parents from the United Kingdom, Parry worked as a tinsmith and a sign designer, while pursuing interests in theatre as a hobby, in the 1920s and 1930s. [4] He first entered the film industry during World War II when a rapid staffing expansion at his then-employer, Neon Products of Western Canada, necessitated the production of industrial training films. In 1944 he left Neon Products to join the fledgling Vancouver Motion Pictures as a production manager, but declined to transfer to Toronto when that company moved; instead, he purchased VMP's now-vacant studio and established his first production company, Trans-Canada Films. In 1946 he produced his first general-interest documentary film, Vancouver Diamond Jubilee, for the municipal anniversary of Vancouver. In 1948 he sold Trans-Canada Films to new owners who transformed it into a film processing company, and purchased North American Productions, a company which he renamed Lew Parry Film Productions. [5] The company made a few theatrical films, most notably the documentaries Prelude to Kitimat and The Tall Country, but specialized primarily in instructional and informational documentary films for government and corporate clients; however, nearly all of the next generation of British Columbia filmmakers, who were able to start making feature films, got their first experience in the film industry working for Parry Productions. [1]

Parry was also one of the founders of the British Columbia Motion Picture Association and Telefilm Canada. [1]

In his final years before retiring from the film industry, Parry ran the internal film unit at BC Hydro.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Denny Boyd, "Father of B.C. film left behind some of city's brightest lights". Vancouver Sun , May 31, 1993.
  2. ↑ Ronald Johnson, "Canadian Film Awards Honor 'Modest Effort'". The Globe and Mail , June 17, 1957.
  3. ↑ Maria Topalovich, And the Genie Goes To...: Celebrating 50 Years of the Canadian Film Awards. Stoddart Publishing, 2000. ISBN   0-7737-3238-1. pp. 45-47.
  4. ↑ Keith McKellar, Neon Eulogy: Vancouver Cafe and Street. Ekstasis Editions, 2001. ISBN   9781896860923. p. 67.
  5. ↑ R. A. Francis, "A west coast movie maker hits his stride". Canadian Business , August 1955.
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