Leon Marr
Leon Marr(May 26, 1948 – July 22, 2019) was aCanadianfilm and television director and screenwriter, who won aGenie AwardforBest Adapted Screenplayat the8th Genie Awardsin 1987 forDancing in the Dark.[1]He was also a nominee, but did not win, forBest Director.[2]
Early life
[edit]Marr was born in 1948 inToronto,Ontario,the son of a Jewish Polish father and a Catholic mother. The family name, before emigration to Canada, had been Marijinsky.[3]Before becoming a notable film director, Marr attended both theUniversity of Torontoand theRyerson Polytechnical Institute.[4]
Career
[edit]Marr directed several short films, includingFlowers In The Sand,the theme music for which was composed and performed by Dan Hill. He wrote several unproduced screenplays and worked as an assistant toNorman Jewisonon the 1982 filmBest Friends.[5]The first longer film Marr worked on was known asFlyaway Paul,for which he wrote the screenplay in 1980.[6]After the director decided to turn the movie into a comedy, production was cut and it was never released.
He first readJoan Barfoot's novelDancing in the Darkin 1983,[6]and worked for three years to get the film made after securing the rights.[6]
FollowingDancing in the Dark,Marr optioned the film rights toJudith Thompson's playI Am Yours;[7]however, the financing didn't come through and the film was never made.
Marr subsequently worked primarily in television, directing episodes ofForever Knight,The HitchhikerandThe Hidden Roomand taking a guest acting role in the pilot episode ofSaving Hope.His second feature film,The Second Time Around,[8]starringLinda ThorsonandStuart Margolin,was released in 2018.
Marr died on July 22, 2019, in Toronto.[9]
References
[edit]- ^"Empire strikes 8 Genies It's on to the Oscar for Quebec comedy".Toronto Star,March 19, 1987.
- ^"Arcand's Decline tops Genie nominations with 13".The Globe and Mail,February 5, 1987.
- ^personal communication
- ^Jay Scott,"Canadian film dances darkly into spotlight".The Globe and Mail,May 16, 1986.
- ^Taylor, Noel (December 12, 1986). "A thriller of the hearth that compels without suspense". The Ottawa Citizen.
- ^abc"Leon Marr's a word-of-mouth success story".Toronto Star,October 11, 1986.
- ^"Thomson play heads for screen".Toronto Star,June 9, 1988.
- ^"Telefilm Canada to fund the production of 14 English-language films for a total of $8.1 million"Archived2015-09-10 at theWayback Machine.Telefilm Canada,July 28, 2015.
- ^"Director Leon Marr passes away".Playback,August 1, 2019.