| The Life and Times of Chester-Angus Ramsgood | |
| Director: | David Curnick |
| Producer: | Don Wilson |
| Starring: | Robert Mason Mary-Beth McGuffin David Curnick Ed Astley |
| Cinematography: | David Curnick |
| Editing: | David Curnick |
| Runtime: | 93 minutes |
| Country: | Canada |
| Language: | English |
The Life and Times of Chester-Angus Ramsgood is a Canadian crime comedy film, directed by David Curnick and released in 1970.[1] The film stars Robert Mason as Chester-Angus Ramsgood, a university student whose date with Mary McPhee (Mary-Beth McGuffin) goes awry and ends up with her parents banning her from ever seeing him again, resulting in his friends Ray (Curnick) and Morris (Ed Astley) concocting a plan to help him win her back by kidnapping her younger brother so that Chester-Angus can rescue him.[2]
Curnick made the film entirely independently, on a budget of just $17,000.[2] The film was originally released in April 1970 as a 93-minute film,[2] but after receiving feedback about the strongest and weakest aspects of the film, Curnick edited it down to a shorter 61-minute version before distributing it on a tour of college campuses.[3]
Critics generally labelled the film as flawed but passable,[1] [3] with Michael Walsh of The Province stating that the most remarkable thing about it was that Curnick had managed to make it at all without studio backing.[2] Walsh also praised Curnick's cinematography as the strongest aspect of the film.[2]
The film was submitted to the 23rd Canadian Film Awards in 1971.[4]