Drylanders
Don Haldane, 1963, English, 70 min, bw
The
NFB’s first English language feature is technically flawless and contains
echoes of earlier Canadian films. It is the story of a family who leaves
eastern Canada to stake their future on the Prairies in Saskatchewan. An
intimate family saga with an epic theme, set between 1907 and 1938, it chronicles
the opening of the Canadian West and the drought that brought the Depression
in the Thirties. Frances Hyland gives a remarkable performance.
This
was the first English-language feature released by the NFB.
Reviews
“Nothing should be taken away from Reginald Morris’s low-keyed,
wide-screen photography, with its shots of cloud-spattered skies, swirling
snow, dust blizzards, harvest threshings, and endless Prairie vistas striking
exactly the right note of atmosphere.”
— The Ottawa Citizen.
Screening
Monday, February 21, 7:30pm
Part of a double bill with
Goin' Down the Road
Introduced by Colin Browne
Total screening time: 2hrs, with a 15min intermisssion.
About the Director
Don Haldane
b 3 December 1914; Edmonton, Alberta
FILMOGRAPHY
Drylanders Episode 1 (1974)
Drylanders Episode 2 (1974)
Drylanders Episode 3 (1974)
Drylanders Episode 4 (1974)
The Reincarnate (1971)
The Forest Rangers (1963) TV Series
Drylanders (1963) aka Un autre pays (Canada French title)
Jake and the Kid Political Dynamite (1962)
Nikki, Wild Dog of the North (1961)
Eternal Children (1959)
The Gifted Ones (1959)
U.N. in the Classroom (1959)
"R.C.M.P." (1959) TV Series
Mystery in the Kitchen (1958) aka Si femme voulait (Canada French title)
Crossroads (1957)
Fires of Envy (1957)
The Ghost That Talked (1957)
Howard (1957)
Joe and Roxy (1957)
Who Is Sylvia? (1957)
The Whole World Over (1957)
Ambassadeur reçoit, L’ (1956)
Canadians Abroad (1956) aka Canadiens errants (Canada French title)
Case of Conscience (1956)
Curtain at Noon (1956)
Elder Citizen (1956)
Embassy (1956)
Fighter Wing (1956)
Is It a Woman’s World? (1956)
Night Shift (1956)
Railroad Town (1956)
Saskatchewan Traveller (1956)
Ship in Harbour (1956)
Win, Place or Show (1956)
Alcoholism (1955) aka Alcoolisme, est-ce une maladie?, L’ (Canada
French title)
Backstage at Parliament (1955)
Child Guidance Clinic (1955)
Coal at the Crossroads (1955)
Cast and crew
Producers
Peter Jones, producer
David Haber, associate producer
Writer
M. Charles Cohen
Cinematographer
Reginald H. Morris
Editors
Kirk Jones, John Kemeny
Music
Eldon Rathburn
Principal Cast
Frances Hyland – Liza
James Douglas – Daniel Greer
Lester Nixon – Bob McPherson
Mary Savage – Ada McPherson
William Fruet – Colin
Don Francks – Russel
Iréna Mayeska – Thora
William Weintraub – Narrator (voice)
Links
The Film Reference Library entry
Reginald Morris tribute by the Canadian Society of Cinematographers
