| Never a Backward Step | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Donald Brittain Arthur Hammond John Spotton |
| Produced by | Guy Glover |
| Starring | Roy Thomson |
| Narrated by | Michael Kane |
| Cinematography | Martin Duckworth Peter Hennessy Paul Leach |
| Edited by | John Knight (music and sound) |
Production company | |
Release date |
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Running time | 57 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
Never a Backward Step is a 1966 documentary film, produced by the National Film Board of Canada and directed by Donald Brittain, Arthur Hammond and John Spotton. [1] [2]
It is a profile of Canadian press magnate Roy Thomson, [3] whose single-minded attention to business brought him riches, power, and a baronetcy. A native of Timmins, Ontario, Thomson had a tremendous career as publisher, television magnate, financier, and owner of 200+ newspapers in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K., including The Times . It was Thomson who coined the phrase "a permit to print money" (now normally heard as "license to print money") after he'd purchased Scottish Television.
The filmmakers followed Thomson for a few days and captured the many sides of this very ordinary Canadian who, by dint of hard work and luck, became one of the most powerful men in the world. [4]