By James
Latham
Q: Besides being in Hollywood, what do Louis B.
Mayer and Tommy Chong have in common?
A: They’re Canadian. Who knew?
You will after you see this film.
Among the
terrific independent documentaries we’re screening this year is Gone
South: How Canada Invented Hollywood,
a fun and insightful look at the historical and current roles that Canadians
have played in our entertainment industry and pop culture. As it turns out, Canadians have been in
Hollywood, more or less in plain sight, since the earliest days of the
industry—and they have stories to tell.
To talk more about the film, I spoke recently with its producer and
co-director Leslie Bland.
James Latham: Gone South has a lot of archival material and
current interviews with Canadian immigrants to Los Angeles. Your website says that this film “presents
the argument that without the slow and subversive influence of Canada,
Hollywood as it is known would not and could not exist.” That’s a pretty bold statement. Can you briefly describe this influence? In what ways has Canada most strongly
influenced Hollywood?
Leslie Bland: As
a Canadian I would be remiss (is that a word in the US?) to not apologize for
our boldness. Sorry about that, but
Canadian influence was felt from the very beginnings of Hollywood. Al Christie from London, Ontario built the very first
permanent movie studio in Hollywood in 1910. He moved Nestor Studios from New Jersey to
Hollywood, starting a stampede as the East Coast studios relocated to Los
Angeles. Other highly influential studio
moguls such as Louis B. Mayer and the Warner Brothers came to LA via Canada, as
did Mack Sennett. Sennett discovered
Charlie Chaplin and developed the Keystone Cops, essentially inventing comedy
on film. Of the first four Academy Award
Winners for Best Actress, three were Canadian:
Marie Dressler, Mary Pickford (known as “America’s Sweetheart”), and
Norma Shearer.
JL: Yes, there were many influential Canadians in
the classical Hollywood era as well as in recent film and TV, including James
Cameron, Howie Mandel, Alex Trebek, and Neve Campbell; and in other parts of
the entertainment industry, such as Celine Dion and Justin Bieber. I was actually wondering about how you’d
describe the collective impacts of “Canadian-ness” on the American entertainment
industry. What sensibilities, cultural
practices, or other qualities have entered and changed the Hollywood
ecosystem? Or, if you prefer to discuss
a particular person, what, if anything, about James Cameron’s work screams
“Canada”?
LB: It’s hard to define a “Canadian Influence” other than
I think we carry more of a world view than many Americans. When Neve Campbell in our documentary
discusses the differences between LA and Toronto, she’s also picking up on the
differences in sensibilities between the two nations. We care about how our country interfaces with
the rest of the world, and how we are viewed by foreigners. When Hollywood is viewed as “liberal” by some
Americans, I think they are, in part, picking up the sometimes overlooked
influence of Canadians. James Cameron’s Avatar for instance deals with
environmental themes, and Mr. Cameron, interestingly enough, has been highly
critical of Canada’s oil sands developments.
He’s concerned about the earth, the environment, and, I believe, how Canada
is perceived by the international community.
Canadians bring an objectivity to
pop culture. Whereas citizens of the US
are more expressive and heartfelt, we are more cerebral as a nation -- more
thoughtful. That’s where some of the
politeness comes into play, but it also allows us to observe and comment
without, as Harland William states, “having a stake in it.” We feel free to make comments on American
politics and culture, because, well … we’re not American. We’ve all encountered the expression, “That’s
Un-American!” Basically, it translates
as, “That’s not right!” But in Canada we
don’t wrap ourselves in the flag by saying “That’s Un-Canadian!” We simply say, “That’s not right!” Our national identity is not mixed up with
right and wrong.
JL: Yes, good
points. There is something subversive in
showing Americans how much Canada has shaped the U.S., as we Americans tend to
ignore, belittle, or ridicule our northern neighbors. Your film uses a lot of humor to entertain
the viewer as well as soften this critique.
Has there been any noticeable difference between how audiences north and
south of the border have reacted to the film?
LB: I think Canadians
find all of it amusing, because they are in on all of the jokes. If certain Americans don’t get some of the
references, again, on behalf of myself, our documentary, and our nation -- I’m
sorry. As we have an objective view of
America it can be easier for us to find the humour – sorry – humor in it. As a result, I’ve found that a US reaction
to the doc can be a little less vocal.
JL: Along with
talking about the industry, Gone South
also says a lot about the experiences of all newcomers to Los Angeles. The driving, the food, the culture.... Did you (or your crew) have any of those
strange experiences or ah-ha moments here while shooting the film?
LB: Well, I met Gene
Simmons when we interviewed Shannon Tweed.
I grew up a big KISS fan, and dressed up as Gene at Halloween two years
in a row, so to have the chance to meet him and Tommy Chong the very same day was
surreal. Between the ages of 9 and 11, I
drove my family crazy reciting Cheech and Chong routines word for word.
Singer /
songwriter Tracy Thomas, the documentary host, got a chance to audition for
David Foster. This is captured in the
doc and was not planned in advance with Mr. Foster. He invited her back the next day to hang out
with him and another Canuck, Bryan Adams, for a creative jam at his
studio. Following the session, Bryan
asked Tracy and her husband to attend his concert the next evening and visit
with him backstage.
So, yeah, we
experienced some unexpected, serendipitous, and memorable moments during the
shooting of Gone South.
JL: I see that
initially this project was to be a book, but instead you switched to doing a
feature-length documentary. Why?
LB: The original idea
was to put out a book. When we pitched
the book as a documentary, we picked up a Canadian broadcaster. The film got momentum and is now
complete. The book version is still in
the works. Looks like we have a publisher
interested.
JL: Is there anything
else you’d like to mention?
LB: David Shore was a
trooper. He was ill when we interviewed
him, and you wouldn’t know based on his responses. He said some really funny and insightful
things.
JL: OK, thanks for your time, and for sending us
your film.
LB: You’re welcome. We’re thrilled it will be screening as part
of The Valley Film Festival.
---
The 14th
annual Valley Film Festival takes place December 10-14, 2014, at the
all-digital Laemmle
NoHo 7 in North Hollywood. For more info,
visit our website
or Facebook page. Gone
South: How Canada Invented Hollywood
screens at 2:30 pm on Saturday, December 13, followed by Q&A with Tracy
Thomas, host of the documentary.
