The Stubbornness of Kevi Iliva

• p o D u c E R 5 • t\3SS\t Anne 01 Creen Cables y • PrOducer . , Writer, director Sul/iy an at the Arriflex The stubbornness of Kevi Iliva affable, without the faintest cloud Of In 1981 Kevin acquired the rights to given him both the financial and aes by Lucie Hall artistic temperament blemishing his Walt Morey's classic nove~ "The Year of thetic control necessary to successful sunny complexion. " the Black Pony" and developed the filmmaking. Further, his expertise in Kevin Sullivan, producer, director and Kevin began his career in film in motion-picture -which was to become the business offilm distribution keeps writer of this December's major CBC 1979 when he decided to self-finance a the first feature film produced exclu him forever mindful of economic limi mini-series, Anne of Green Gables, is short film. He then produced, directed sively for pay-television in Canada. tations and the possibilities of market somewhat of a phenomenon in the and wrote the adaptation of the Hans The Wild Pony, broadcast in May 1983, ing his films internationally. But Canadian film industry - he's never Christian Andersen fable "The Fir Tree ". was also co-produced, written and primarily it could be said that the real lost money on a film. And his rise to the It was later sold as a Christmas Special directed by Kevin, and has since earned reason for Kevin's success probably lies pinnacles of that industry has been to CBC and on American and Euro both international critical and com in his burning desire to make films nothing short of meteoric. pean networks. mercial uccess. Recent sales have been and his unswerving belief in his own A recent Globe and Mail article In 1981, after a few more shorts, to HBO, Showtime and the Movie vision. Even against sometimes impos described Kevin in the following way: Kevin produced, directe~ wrote - even Channel. On HBO, it was the network's sible odds, Kevin has the unshakable "A t fil-st impression, Kevin Sullivan acted in - a dramatic special on the life third bestseller of the month. Recently, belief that the successful completion of does not look like a man who should of Canadian artist Cornelius Krieghojf, it was also bought by the PBS network his films is a foregone conclusion. And be producing a major feature film - who became internationally renowned and will be shown on the Wonder because Kevin feels so certain that he especially of that much-loved classic, for his Brueghel-like scenes of life in works series. will succeed in the end, he then has the Anne of Green Gables. He is a scant 29 19th-century rural Quebec. The one Now that Kevin Sullivan is complet willingness to put in the exhausting years ol(~ and he spent a good portion hour special was produced in both ing the much-coveted Anne of Green hours, the finanCial commitment, and of that time preparing to be a doctor. French and English and again Kevin Gables mini-series, one wonders what suffer the inevitable heartaches that lie He is blond and clean-cut, rela.wd and sold it upon completion to CBClRadio made Kevin succeed in a field where so on the road to making it happen. Canada as a Christmas Special. The many others have failed. There is no Kevin spake with Cinema Canada on Lucie Hall is a Toronto television pro film, now under exclusive licence to doubt that his versatility in being able three separate occasions, focusing on ducer. Mobil Oil for American broadcast, has to produce, direct, write, and even on his most recent work, Anne of Green sold in six major territories. occasion, act in his own films, has Gables. a/Cinema Canada - October 1985 p R o D u c E R 5 • Anne • first inquired into the rights of lisher before the laws had changed, then no one wanted to do so. Everybody was produce two different film versions of Of Green Gables about four years ago , the present amended copyright act fearful of the time, money and uncer the property. As a result of the article, I with the New York publisher Farrar, would take effect. As it relates to Anne tainty of arbitration. we were left with the situation where all Straus and Giroux. I loved the book and of Green Gables, the effect of this new potential buyers for both the Canadian thought that the images were very act was that the rights of the novel hat happened next was that I made and American networks, as well as all strong. But like everybody else who reverted back to the author's estate in a series of bids to the author'S theatrical distributors, did not want to inquired at the publishers, I was told 1949, over 35 years ago. Westate and eventually succeeded in deal with either party because of the that the rights to Anne of Green Gables I eventually contacted Lucy Maud acquiring all the rights that the estate complications of having two competing the novel had been merged with Anne Montgomery's estate and their lawyer, owned. BaSically, I knew the estate versions of Anne of Green Gables in the of Green Gables the musical and that Marian Hebb, and provided them with wanted three things. They didn't want a marketplace Simultaneously. The Adi!- those rights were owned by the authors all this information. I even presented major Anlerican studio to do a film ver of that mUSical, Canadians Don Harron them with different cases I unearthed sion of Anne 9f Green Gables. They afld Norman Campbell. I was also told from the University of Toronto law wanted a Canadian producer to do it. that no royalties were being paid to the library to prove that this was, in fact, the Also they wanted somebody of artistic author'S estate, which I found weird and si tuation. There were other cases that merit to do the production. I had gotten "Lucy Maud Montgomery didn't understand. had come up in the British legal system to know them through our discussions In the summer of 1983, I learned which were similar to the case of Lucy as to who owned the rights and I had contracted all rights from an American producer that the Maud Montgomery that proved the fact decided to appeal to them on a personal t o her book for the rights to the novel Anne of Green that the rights were, in all likelih ood, level and try to make them understand Gables were going into the public owned by the author'S estate. that I would do the book justice. They modest fee of- 10% of the domain. So I inquired further at Fa rrar, As a result of the investigations of also wanted someone who was pre wholesale price. Straus and Giroux and found that they their attorney confirming my opinion, pared to pay handsomely for the rights Meanwhile the book didn't know. I couldn't believe the con the estate made a public announcement because they knew the valu e of the pro "b ecame a fabulous success fusion of their legal department. It was in February, 1984, stating that they duction. Up to this pOint, the cost of then that I decided to research Amer were the owners of the rights to the researching the rights, securing those and sold millions ican copyright law fo r myself without property of Anne of Green Gables. Sud rights, getting documents, hiring a of copies for enormous having either previous knowledge or denly, everybody who had been seeing lawyer, and flying to New York to see much understanding of it. I can still CBC about Anne Of Green Gables being the publishers, all added up to a vast sums" remember the hours I spent just trying in the public domain, started contacting amount of money - way over S 100 ,000. to understand and then eventually Marian Hebb about acquiring these I could have lost it all by not getting the learning about copyright. rights, although many of these people film off the ground, but my instincts led All of a sudden, in the summer of were still unsure whether the rights me to believe that eventually I would 1983, the word was out that the rights were in the public domain or not. Bu t I prevail. man article had really brought the situa to the novel Anne of Green Gables knew I was right and felt at a distinct One week after I bought the rioghts tion to a head. I also knew that in 1970, were going into the public domain. As a advantage, because I had out-re to Anne of Green Gables, I opened up the BBC had made a TV-miniseries of result CBC was beseiged by a number of searched everybody else and knew the Toronto Star newspaper and read A nne Of Green Gables featuring Barbara different producers, all saying that they exactly what, the status of the work was. Sid Adilman's column saying 'Two Hamilton and that it could not be aired should be the ones to do it. And, of I was also doggedly determined to Canadian Producers _V ie for Anne of because of quarrels over rights. Harron course, CBC was very nervous because prove it even if it meant that I had to Green Gables" and I thought "Oh Christ, and Campbell had taken them to court nobody really knew what the legal hire a lawyer and fight on the estate's what are we up against here'» Adi!man, over the rights and it was never aired.

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