| Drying Up the Streets | |
| Director: | Robin Spry |
| Producer: | Ralph L. Thomas |
| Starring: | Don Francks Len Cariou Sarah Torgov August Schellenberg Laurie Brown Frank Moore Warren Davis |
| Music: | Patrick Russell |
| Cinematography: | Kenneth Gregg |
| Editing: | Myrtle Virgo |
| Distributor: | Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |
| Runtime: | 86 minutes |
| Country: | Canada |
| Language: | English |
| Budget: | $300,000 (estimated) |
Drying Up the Streets is a 1978 Canadian feature from Robin Spry produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
This film was originally planned as a one-hour drama for the CBC's For the Record, series but was expanded into a feature while it was being shot cinéma vérité-style on the streets of Toronto between October 11 and October 27, 1977. It concerns the search for a runaway (Laurie Brown) by her father (Don Francks), an aging hippy who is coerced to do so by a member of the RCMP drug squad (Len Cariou). Exploring the darker side of the ‘flower power’ generation, Drying Up the Streets mixes documentary realism with stylized set pieces.[1] [2]
It's one of director Robin Spry’s finest films; however, it never received theatrical distribution and was eventually aired on the CBC in 1979 to good notices.[3] [4]
| Year | Award | Category | Individual | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 29th Canadian Film Awards | Actress, Non-Feature | Sarah Torgov | |
| 1980 | 9th ACTRA Awards | Best Acting Performance on Television in a Leading Role (Earle Grey Award) | Don Francks | |
| 1980 | Best New Television Performer | Sarah Torgov | ||
| 1980 | Best Television Program of the Year | Ralph L. Thomas |