John Howe (filmmaker) explained

John Howe
Birth Date:1926 8, df=yes
Birth Place:Toronto, Canada
Death Place:Warner, New Hampshire
Occupation:Director, producer, writer, composer, educator
Yearsactive:1952–2022
Awards:see below

John Howe (August 30, 1926 – August 18, 2008) was a Canadian director, producer, and composer with the National Film Board of Canada.[1] [2] [3] He is best known for his films Do Not Fold, Staple, Spindle or Mutilate and Why Rock the Boat?, and for his handling of the NFB’s 1969 Austerity Crisis.

Early life

John Thomas Howe was born in Toronto, the son of Thomas and Margret Ogilvy (Manzie) Howe. At age 18, he joined the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, saw action in Europe, and in 1946, left the service with the rank of Captain. Upon his return to Canada, he went to the University of Toronto, graduating in 1950.[4]

Career

While in university, Howe worked as a director's assistant at the Canadian Repertory Theatre, and as a freelance reporter for the CBC. He also appeared in two episodes of two CBC television series: Space Command and Encounter.In 1955, he was hired by the National Film Board of Canada where he stayed for 28 years, directing, producing, and/or writing 52 films, some in both English and French. He was also a keen composer and wrote the music for some of his productions.

Howe was very active in industry associations. In addition to his memberships with the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA), and the Directors Guild of America, he was past president of the Society of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN), past president (board, film division) of the Canada Council for the Arts and past president of the Syndicat général du cinéma et de la télévision (SGCT). The latter was the union of all NFB production staff and Howe was its president during the Austerity Crisis of 1969.

Austerity Crisis of 1969

In 1969, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau had taken a “no free lunch” position and stated that he intended to cut the size of the civil service by 10%. At this time, the NFB was known to be over-staffed and producers routinely overspent their budgets by as much as 200%. Some filmmakers were known to be using NFB facilities for their side projects; others were known to be using their positions for political purposes. The NFB was a natural target for cost-cutting and its commissioner, Hugo McPherson, had to find ways to streamline the organization.[5]

McPherson’s solution was to close regional offices, freeze the annual budget, cut half of the films sponsored by government departments, charge people to view NFB films and cut personnel—25% of English staff, 11.5% of French personnel. However, the union had just negotiated a $1.249 million increase in salaries. McPherson’s cuts meant that the increase would be just $260,000.

In August 1969, Howe formed a Crisis Committee. Initially, the committee kept the situation out of the public eye and pressured ministers and officials until the Treasury Board allotted another $1 million for salaries. McPherson was unwilling to come up with the shortfall or change his position on other measures. There was no declared strike, but production came to a halt. As no progress was being made, Howe spoke to the Globe and Mail, accusing the government of union-busting and betraying the national trust. Letters streamed in from Canada and around the world. The public pressure forced McPherson to drop the idea of user fees. The work stoppage meant that there were no expenditures so the NFB had the money to cover the salary shortfall. The union sued to prevent lay-offs; in the end, fewer than 50 personnel members were laid off; most through retirement.[6]

Academia

In 1983, Howe left the NFB to become an associate professor at the department of cinema and television at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, where he would stay until his retirement in 1996.[7]

Personal life and death

In 1974, Howe married Beverley Jean Luchuck; they had five children, four of whom pre-deceased their parents. Upon retirement, Howe and his wife had settled at the family's summer home in Warner, New Hampshire; he died there, of natural causes, on August 18, 2008.[8]

Filmography

Awards

The Sceptre and the Mace (1957)

The Queen’s Plate (1959)[10]

Mathematics at Your Fingertips (1961)[11]

The Test (1961)[12]

Yukon Old, Yukon New (1961)[13]

Where Mrs. Whalley Lives (1966)[14]

Do Not Fold, Staple, Spindle or Mutilate (1967)[15]

Why Rock the Boat? (1974)[16]

Teach Me to Dance (1978)[17]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Directors: John Howe . onf-nfb.gc.ca . National Film Board of Canada . 29 January 2023.
  2. Web site: Production Personnel: John Howe . onf-nfb.gc.ca . National Film Board of Canada . 29 January 2023.
  3. Web site: Producers: John Howe . onf-nfb.gc.ca . National Film Board of Canada . 29 January 2023.
  4. Web site: John Howe: Veteran Director/Instructor Passes at 81 . cinema.usc.edu . University of Southern California . 29 January 2023.
  5. Web site: Tierney . Ben . Film Board President to Resign . news.google.com . 16 February 2023.
  6. Web site: Evans . Gary . In the National Interest : A Chronicle of the National Film Board of Canada from 1949 to 1989 pp 139-149 . archive.org . 5 February 2023.
  7. Web site: John Howe: Veteran Director/Instructor Passes at 81 . cinema.usc.edu . University of Southern California . 29 January 2023.
  8. Web site: John Howe: Veteran Director/Instructor Passes at 81 . cinema.usc.edu . University of Southern California . 29 January 2023.
  9. Web site: Chesley . Stephen . Review: Why Rock the Boat? . cinemacanada.athabascau.ca . Cinema Canada . 5 February 2023.
  10. Web site: The Queen's Plate . onf-nfb.gc.ca . National Film Board of Canada . 5 February 2023.
  11. Web site: Mathematics at Your Fingertips . onf-nfb.gc.ca . National Film Board of Canada . 5 February 2023.
  12. Web site: The Test . onf-nfb.gc.ca . National Film Board of Canada . 5 February 2023.
  13. Web site: Yukon Old, Yukon New . onf-nfb.gc.ca . National Film Board of Canada . 5 February 2023.
  14. Web site: Where Mrs. Whalley Lives . onf-nfb.gc.ca . National Film Board of Canada . 5 February 2023.
  15. Web site: Do Not Fold, Staple or Mutilate . onf-nfb.gc.ca . National Film Board of Canada . 5 February 2023.
  16. Web site: Why Rock the Boat? . onf-nfb.gc.ca . National Film Board of Canada . 5 February 2023.
  17. Web site: Teach Me to Dance . onf-nfb.gc.ca . National Film Board of Canada . 5 February 2023.

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