Broadcasting Taste: a History of Film Talk, International Criticism, and English-Canadian Media a Thesis in the Department of Co
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Broadcasting Taste: A History of Film Talk, International Criticism, and English-Canadian Media A Thesis In the Department of Communication Studies Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Communication Studies) at Concordia University Montreal, Quebec, Canada December 2016 © Zoë Constantinides, 2016 CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES This is to certify that the thesis prepared By: Zoë Constantinides Entitled: Broadcasting Taste: A History of Film Talk, International Criticism, and English- Canadian Media and submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of PhD in Communication Studies complies with the regulations of the University and meets the accepted standards with respect to originality and quality. Signed by the final examining committee: __________________________________________ Beverly Best Chair __________________________________________ Peter Urquhart External Examiner __________________________________________ Haidee Wasson External to Program __________________________________________ Monika Kin Gagnon Examiner __________________________________________ William Buxton Examiner __________________________________________ Charles R. Acland Thesis Supervisor Approved by __________________________________________ Yasmin Jiwani Graduate Program Director __________________________________________ André Roy Dean of Faculty Abstract Broadcasting Taste: A History of Film Talk, International Criticism, and English- Canadian Media Zoë Constantinides, Ph.D. Concordia University, 2016 This dissertation examines the history of international and Canadian popular film criticism. Though rarely addressed by media historians, film criticism in print and broadcast has served a variety of functions and mandates related to different periods, places, and institutions: nation building, cultural uplift, public education, popular entertainment, film promotion, and an entry point to the public sphere. In particular, I consider “film talk” in broadcast media as a popularizing force that has invited increasingly broad and diverse audiences to engage with and participate in local and global cinema. Applying film history, cultural theory, and cultural studies methods to a series of examples, I explore film talk first as a form of cultural uplift on CBC Radio in the late 1940s, then as public education on TVOntario in the mid-1970s, then as a source of satire on SCTV in the late 1970s and 1980s, and finally as an amateur hobby in digital podcasts. These case studies demonstrate that film critics in popular culture have been a site of both cultural authority and anti-intellectual resistance. In Canada, this tension has been further complicated by implications for cultural policy and national cinema more generally. Moreover, the case studies illustrate the fact that film talk in English-Canada has failed to mobilize gender and ethnic diversity in a way that would make it meaningful to contemporary Canadians. Even as film criticism was made accessible in broadcast formats, parodied on television, and “democratized” on the internet, the faces and voices of critical authority remained remarkably consistent. The precarious profession and status of culture critics has become a prominent topic in the press in the past decade. This thesis shows that popular film critics have indeed always had to respond to threats to their legitimacy, whether from populist backlash or new technological formats. The newest challenge for film critics in Canada is to adapt to—and help forge—a more plural cinema culture in which diverse voices can both speak and truly be heard. iii Acknowledgments I wish to thank: Charles R. Acland, an educator, supervisor, and ally of great integrity, compassion, wisdom, and brilliance. I will be grateful to you for the rest of my life. The members of my dissertation examination committee: Haidee Wasson, Monika Kin Gagnon, William Buxton, and Peter Urquhart. I’m honoured by your participation and suggestions. For research funding and recognition, Fonds de recherche du Québec - Société et Culture, Concordia Department of Communication Studies, Concordia School of Graduate Studies, Film Studies Association of Canada, Hellenic Scholarship Foundation, and Champlain College – Lennoxville. Such opportunities are essential for making education accessible to all. The exceptional librarians and archivists who make the research world go ‘round; in particular, Ken Puley (CBC Radio Archives), Eve Goldin (TIFF Film Reference Library), Lee Ann St-Onge (Bishop’s University), and JoAnne Stober (Library and Archives Canada). I hope to work with you all again soon. For opening research doors they could have easily left closed: Risa Shuman, Thom Ernst, Orize Pratley, John Porter, Martha Davis, Shirley Hughes, Barry Chapman, Ed Conroy, Mark Clamen, Kevin Courrier, Richard Crouse, James Borsa, Barbara Goslawski, Dominique Trudel, Gerald Peary, and Harry Shearer. You each represent an important and exciting part of this adventure. Louis Pelletier, for showing particular enthusiasm and support for my work and for giving me the best research leads. For precious fortification, inspiration, advice, laughter, and memorable work dates: my beloved COMS cohort, Hiromi Inokuchi, Elaine Young, Heather Gibb, Sara Swain, Lina Shoumarova, Danny Baum, Diane Dechief, Kat Sark, Papagena Robbins, Andrew Covert, Kristen Alfaro, Theresa Scandiffio, Lisa Schmidt, Rebecca Schwartz, and Jonas Goliasch. You are all my family. All the colleagues I delight to run into and learn from at conferences. My friends at Champlain–Lennoxville, for cheering me on in the final stretch. iv For their unshakeable belief in me, their extraordinary patience, their sacrifices, and their treasured lessons, my big-hearted mother, Celine Tremblay, and my tenacious father (and editor), Andreas Constantinides. Sailor, for making me play every day. v Contents Introduction: Why Does Canada Need Movie Critics? .............................................................. 1 Middlebrow Movie Love in Mississauga ..................................................................................................... 1 The Bigger Picture ............................................................................................................................................ 7 Notes on Method ............................................................................................................................................. 17 Chapter Summaries ....................................................................................................................................... 20 Chapter One: Theoretical Framework: Film Talk, Cultural Authority, and Canadian Cinema ................................................................................................................................................... 28 Media Film Talk ............................................................................................................................................. 28 Theorizing Cultural Authority .................................................................................................................... 34 Popular Critics as Public Intellectuals ....................................................................................................... 49 Critical Authority in Film Culture ............................................................................................................. 56 Canadian National Cinema Culture ........................................................................................................... 63 Media Film Talk in Canada ......................................................................................................................... 69 Chapter Two: Early Film Criticism and Cultural Democracy ............................................... 73 Early Film Criticism in Canada and Internationally ............................................................................. 88 Chapter Three: The Institutionalization of Popular Film Talk ........................................ 110 Transitional Voices: Film Criticism at Mid-Century .......................................................................... 115 The International Film Generation ......................................................................................................... 121 Canada’s Film Generation ......................................................................................................................... 131 A New Golden Age of Canadian National Cinema .............................................................................. 141 Chapter Four: The Decorous Voice of Public Film Talk: Gerald Pratley and the CBC ............................................................................................................................................................... 147 The Real First/First Real CBC Film Critic ............................................................................................ 148 Taste Wars at the CBC ............................................................................................................................... 150 Clyde Gilmour: Between Philistine and Film Snob ............................................................................. 154 Gerald Pratley: The Making of a Cultural Nationalist ....................................................................... 160 Taste Politics in Postwar Pop Culture ....................................................................................................