Tereza Barta Archives | Research & Innovation

Passings: Film professor Douglas Davidson learned his craft at CBC and NFB

fmaquito — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 08:00:00 +0000

Douglas Drysdale Davidson, a film editor, television producer and director who taught film at 91��ɫ for 30 years, died April 3 at his home in Toronto. He was 82.

A memorial service will be held today in the A.W. Miles Chapel at the Humphrey Funeral Home, 1403 Bayview Ave., at 11am. 91��ɫ has lowered the flag today in his memory.

Born in Toronto in 1929, Prof. Davidson graduated from the University of Toronto in 1952 and began work as a stagehand in live CBC television dramas. His career moved into film editing at the National Film Board (NFB) in Ottawa, where he co-founded the NFB Film Guild and helped organize a comprehensive survey of international documentary filmmaking. Later, he returned to the CBC and Toronto, where he was also active – sometimes as a programmer – in the Toronto Film Society.

During the late 1950s and early 1960s, he produced and directed children’s programs for the CBC, including “The Friendly Giant”, “Mr. Dress-Up”, “Junior Roundup”, “Maggie Muggins” and “Nursery School Time”. He also produced the after-school series “Passport to Adventure”, featuring Elwy Yost as host of serialized feature films chosen to fire the imaginations of young viewers, a precursor to Yost’s later TVO series “Magic Shadows”. The two men would team up again in 1977 when Prof. Davidson produced a season of TVO’s “Saturday Night at the Movies” and produced his own series, “Aspects of Cinema”, exploring all aspects of the art of cinema.

Prof. Davidson’s teaching career began in 1970, in the second year of 91��ɫ’s pioneering film program with founding chair James Beveridge. For three decades, he taught film editing, with rigorous attention to detail and meaning, as well as film history and theory, conveying a profound respect for the art of cinema. He loved the work of François Truffaut, Federico Fellini and Ingmar Bergman, but came alive when sharing the art of film dance or talking about the poetry of film.

He had a broad and eclectic interest in all films, from the silent films of Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Lillian Gish and D.W. Griffith to the comedies of Preston Sturges and Ernst Lubitsch, from the Hollywood musical to the documentary art of Leni Riefenstahl, from Norman McLaren shorts to Fellini’s 8 1/2 and Robert Altman’s Nashville.

As a film-programming consultant, he was often invited to speak about educational television, the design, choreography and production of Hollywood musicals, the practice of musical "quoting" in Hollywood musical scores and other related topics.

In an obituary, his family described him as a gentleman and humanitarian, a man of integrity and kindness, and a gentle soul who developed many friendships.

At 91��ɫ, he was particularly close to 91��ɫ film Professor Tereza Barta and Ryerson University film instructor Laurinda Hartt-Fournier, who wrote in a note published on the funeral home website: “Doug, you were my best friend for 40 years and affected my life profoundly as a teacher, director, film editor, film admirer (much more than a film fan) and a wonderfully supportive friend. You are missed, but all the students I have taught in the past 20 years have been the recipients of your love of film and your joy in it through how I teach and what I teach.”

Prof. Davidson is predeceased by his wife Catherine and survived by his brother Ronald, stepdaughter Christine Thomson and her son Jeremy, as well as his nieces Robin Tonna (Vincent), Kelly Davidson and nephew Cameron Davidson. In latter years, longtime friend Catherine Lawson and her sons, Thomas and David, welcomed Professor Davidson into their lives.

Donations may be made to the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario, 2300 Yonge St., Suite 1300, PO Box 2414, Toronto, ON, M4P 1E4 or charity of your choice.

Condolences and memories may be forwarded through .

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Glendon Romanian lectureship a first in Canada

fmaquito — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 08:00:00 +0000

Glendon Principal Kenneth McRoberts and Teodor Baconschi, the Romanian minister of foreign affairs, toasted the official launch of the first Romanian lectureship in Canada on March 25 at Glendon.

“This is an historic moment for Glendon,” said McRoberts. "We are deeply honoured to welcome such a large delegation of important dignitaries from Romania.”

Right: Teodor Baconschi (left) and Kenneth McRoberts

The Romanian lectureship was created when a collaboration agreement between Glendon and the Institute of Romanian Language, part of the Romanian Ministry of Education & Research in Bucharest, was signed on July 12, 2010.

Valentin Naumescu, consul-general of Romania in Toronto, first contacted Glendon’s French studies Professor Dorin Uritescu and Professor Françoise Mougeon, Glendon’s associate principal academic & research, who then guided the project to a successful start-up.

“As this is the first Romanian university program in Canada, we hope that in the future Glendon will become a centre which attracts students interested in pursuing in-depth studies in fields such as Romance and Balkan linguistics,” said Uritescu.

The first holder of the lectureship is linguistics Professor Ioana-Cristina Pîrvu (right), who comes to Glendon from the Romanian Language Department of the University of Bucharest. Currently, she is teaching two 2000-level courses as part of the Program of Linguistics & Language Studies in Glendon’s Multidisciplinary Studies Department – Romanian Language: A Linguistic Introduction and Romanian Culture from a Semiotic Perspective. Professor Pîrvu’s term runs for three years with a possibility of renewal.

"The new courses are an excellent fit with our language programs […] and there is an obvious interest in these courses. Professor Pîrvu’s contribution is very significant in motivating students. We hope to continue the program for many years to come," says McRoberts.

Before coming to Glendon, Pîrvu taught the courses in Zagreb, Croatia, to students from first year to the master’s level. “I am eager to promote the culture and language of my country and its significance in Europe and the world,” she said. “My teaching interests extend beyond language learning to geography, history, literature, music, the cinema and sports. There is so much that can be done.”

From left, front row: Professor Jerzy Kowal, chair of the Glendon Hispanic
Studies Department; Uritescu; 91��ɫ film Professor Tereza Barta;
Mougeon; Pîrvu; Glendon linguistics and language Professor Ian Martin. Back row: 91��ɫ information technology Professor Radu Campeanu; McRoberts; Baconschi; Romanian ambassador to Canada Elena Stefoi; Adrian Papahagi, cabinet adviser to the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Romanian is the fifth major language of the Italic language family taught at Glendon – where courses in French, Spanish, Catalan and Latin already exist, continuing the linguistics program’s objective of offering courses in all the major Romance languages. In addition, growth potential for the lectureship can be found among first- and second-generation Romanian-speaking students, who are an increasing presence at Glendon and 91��ɫ, since the Romanian-speaking community in the GTA is estimated at around 70,000.

Right: Dorin Uritescu, McRoberts, 91��ɫ information technology Professor Radu Campeanu and Elena Stefoi, Romanian ambassador to Canada

The Romanian ambassador to Canada, Elena Stefoi, Doru Liciu, vice-consul of the Consulate General of Romania in Toronto, and Adrian Papahagi, advisor to Romania’s minister of foreign affairs, were also at the launch.

“We hope that this added presence of Romanian language and culture will strengthen the links between our two societies, which have many commonalities, as well as a long history of immigration and participation in the Francophonie,” said Baconschi.

For more information on the courses for the Romanian lectureship, contact Glendon’s .

By Marika Kemeny, Glendon communications officer

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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