• 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. status of the property was. It was then I behalf. In the end, however, it became in his most eloquent fashion, had called Can you believe it? So it was at this point decided to get to tlie bottom of it. quite clear that the author'S estate did both the estate-lawyer as well as Harron that I hired media lawyer Michael I hired a very good friend of mine own the rights according to the law. and Campbell 's lawyer and gotten Levine. I wanted expert advice and felt who happened to be lawyer specializing But even after the announcement by everybody all stirred up about Am1e Of he was best qualified to supply it. in copyright to begin an investigation the author's estate, Don Harron and Green Gables. He pointed out that Har­ What ensued with Harron and into the rights. As well; I tried on my Norman Campbell, the writers of the ron .and Campbell were also going Campbell was another long and compli­ side to unravel the mystery as best I mUSical , were still claiming they had the ahead with plans to shoot a feature film cated process in which both sides could. It became a horrendous expense, rights to the property. Actually, the only of the book. agreed not to kill each other's projects. double what many people earn in a year. way for them to prove that would have Adi!man made it seem like the two The arrangement was th;;tt I could leave What I eventually discovered was that been to arbitrate it in a court of law, but sides were feuding with each other to the L.C Page Company in Boston was a theatrical window for the musical the original publisher of Anne Of Green Gables in 1907. Lucy Maud Montgom­ ery had contracted all rights to her book to the L.C Page Company for the mod­ est fee of 10% of the wholesale price of the book over and above the first 1000 copies. Meanwhile, the book became a fabulous success and it went through myriad printings and sold millions of copies for enormous sums - and all along Lucy Maud was getting only 10% of the wholesale price of the books. Then, in 1919, Lucy Maud signed over all the rights to Anne Of Green Gables, and all other Anne books as well, to the publishing company for what would now be considered the paltry sum of S 1 7,500, the royalties she considered she would have earned off the books in her lifetime. In making that agreement, she signed away her rights in perpetuity. Thirty years later, the L.C Page Com­ pany merged with Farrar, Straus and Giroux and these rights transferred to them. What I discovered through my legal investigations, however, was that copy­ right laws changed internationally since Lucy Maud Montgomery made this orig­ inal agreement with the L.C Page Com­ pany. The new copryright laws came into effect, unknown to Lucy Maud Montgomery, in 1924, and were very paternalistic. They said that if an author . . . f left Molly Thorn Jackie Burroughs, Juliana Saxton and Viven Reis had signed away her rights to a pub- • Ladles taking tea , rom , '

October 1985 - Cinema Canada/9 • p R o D u c E R 5 movie version of • Anne of Green Gables ally I just said, "Stop, I can't take this to Harron and Campbell. They in turn anymore! I'm paying for this conference recognized my position in terms of tele­ call put we're not getting anywhere. vision distribution. We agreed to this in Everybody off the phone!" Click. the event that, if each of us did get our Through all this I just had to have projects off the ground, we could live overwhelming faith that it would even­ with each other in the marketplace. This tually all gel. Like dominoes, I had to agreement took a year to hammer out wait to push at the right time and then and was concluded in February, 1985. all the different pieces would fall into I must say that the risks of this project place at once. But it was such a difficult have been enormous for me from the deal to make that it was like going start. There have been many times that I through a bath of fire all that year. And I wondered if this project was at all worth \ kept trying to find coproduction part­ it. But, for the moment, the talent I have ners to become involved. At one time or acting in the film, as well as the exhilara­ another I became involved with the tion of doing a story I believe in, has Tribune Entertainment Corporation, compensated for that. Seeing it done Richard Price, Central Television in and come out looking so wonderful is, England, TV South in England, REVCOM in essence, why I did it. in France, as well as others. But they After researching and securing the didn't work out. Fortunately the right rights to Anne of Green Gables, I mix of coproduction partners did work reached a fork in getting the project off itself out. the ground. The licence fee that CBC Both Telefilm Canada and PBS have originally offered me was not enough to equity in the film. But that is the reason put together the film as a Canadian pro­ Telefilm is there - to help sustain an duction. As an alternative, I tried finding industry that would otherwise be a corporate sponsor and talked to a lot unable to be self-sufficient. CBC and all of the biggies, not just about buying the Canadian broadcasters are incapable advertising but also paying for the show of paying enough for the films because and placing it. But the Canadian market our populations are not large enough. In was just not big enough and it was too the U.S., the TV and film industries are expensive for them to finance. So then I self-sufficient. They can produce a prog­ started orienting towards an American ram for whatever and make 5% on their route and began looking ,at American domestic market. Foreign sales are superstars to do it w ith. Stanley Colbert put together a deal with Lorimar and I was wondering if I should go ahead with

"Anne of Green Gables will do well interna­ "Fortunately CDC began tionally. If it does well, to recognize the fact it's more power to that there is a pricetag the Canadian industry. attached to nationalism" The world will recognize • Sullivan with West German actor Joachim Hansen : hO plays J ~h S Canadian quality"

it and make it happen. But I soon realized that I would have lost overall control of the production if Lorimar gravy. In Canada, it w ill take fi ve years became involved. It would have been down the road and maybe more before only a line production deal for me. you begin to break even, and you have Fortunately at this time, CBC began to to rely on your foreign sales for that. I recognize the fact that there is a price­ wonder if the industry would be able to tag attached to nationalism and started sustain itself if Telefilm were no longer becoming much more cooperative. there. I don't really think so. Not really. They were prepared to make it a Cana­ I think that there will always have to be dian production on the condition that subsidies in order for nationalism to the two lead performers, the characters flourish. of Anne and Marilla, be Canadian. So then I put a deal together where CBC nne Of Green Gables w ill do well and Telefilm were each in for a third of internationally. If it does well, it's the S3.4 million budget, and PBS, Ger­ Amore power to the Canadian indus· many's ZDF, CITY-TV and myself would try. The world will recognize the televi­ put together the last third of the financ­ sion industry and this large miniseries ing. But the negotiations for this deal will be recognized as Canadian quality. proved to be extremely difficult The scripting process from first because we got caught in the CBC cut­ rough-draft to final script tookra little backs. After our deal was concluded over a year. In all fairness, adapting a with CBC, CBC pulled out and we had novel is not screenwriting. Adaptation is to renegotiate the deal all over again. a carpentry job. The greatest praise for What eventuall y happened was that the material goes to Lucy Maud Telefilm Canada fil led the gap in CBC Montgomery. And, after that, to me for fin ancing. Meanw hile the whole process working with these scenes in a way that of working with five coproduction would work for film. After that, to Joe partners became so complicated that Wiesenfeld who was brought in to bring my head was spinning. Fortunately, my a different perspective to the work. lawyer, Michael Levine, proved to be After that, though, I had to go back and every bit the master juggler of egos and redraft. the script yet again to accommo­ emotions and deals. He had a field day. date CBC, PBS and ZDF. PBS required At one time I had SL,( lawyers on the three separate episodes without com­ phone screaming at each other. Eventu- merCials. CBC and ZDF required the 1 O/Cinema Canada October 1985 • p R o D u c E R 5 • show to run slightly longer at four com- mercial hours. The difference between the ZDF and CDC script-length and the PDS script is about 25 minutes. The CDC series will be shown in two two- hour episodes on December 1 and 2 this year. The first episode called "A Real Home" shows how this young eccentric orphan girl changes the lives of these two repressed elderly people, Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, who have never experienced love in their lives. It's told in a series of events and some of them are wildly funny. The sec­ ond episode called "A Dend in the Road" shows this young girl transforming from an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan .. She establishes herself in the communi' ty and eventually all kinds of oppor­ tunities are laid out in front of her, including wealth, travel and scholar­ ships to university. Dut she decides to give it all up to return to Green Gables and stay where her roots are. Many people have told me that they find the story drippy and in certain ways I think I agree with them. Dut I think ~at I've made the story palatable for the cynical '80s by shooting and scripting it in a realistic way that allows the audience to

It's been very difficult for me to cast be overcome by the true spirit of it. ~tl'~---==~~J~!~~~~iiiiii I.lllii~ this film, however. The issue with cast- -~~_=-:-_~ ___ =---.:~:.: __ --.:~ ••• ing a classic book is that every reader • Diana (Schuyler Grant) tells Jane (Jennifer has a different interpretation of what the and Ruby (Trish Nettleton) the terrible news characters should be like. Finding the about Anne right girl to play Anne proved to be the most difficult task of all. I auditioned mendous amount of acclaim in Canada 3,000 girls across Canada. I needed a because of his work on The Grey Fox person who could play Anne as eccen­ and also has a tremendous amount of tric, frenetic and wild. Initially I had not box-office appeal. He also happens to considered Megan Follows for the part be, in my estimation, totally, all-con­ because she seemed like a very solemn, sumingly right for the role. contemplative actress. Dut after audi­ I began casting at the end of May, tioning her several times, I came to 1984. I was discussing a possible role appreciate her tremendous acting abil­ with Katharine Hepburn and she put her ity. She had never been allowed to por­ niece forward as a possible contender tray a character like Anne before and for the role of Anne. I screen-tested her she really has grown into the role. She's niece, Schuyler Grant, who I thought a premier international-level actress. was a wonderful actress with a great My German co-production partners sense of vitality and in many ways a real­ responded to her immediately saying life Anne. I became convinced that this she was a marvellous child. She's been delightful child with the perfect able to give polished' performances physique with red hair would be Anne. under the most incredible duress. One Dut the connotation of an American day Megan went through six different playing a primary Canadian role was wardrobe and hair changes. We needed offensive to CDC, Telefilm and, I'm sure, a professional kid who could function ACTRA, although it never got that far. So coolly in that frantic environment, who I agreed to look again. I later casted had tremendous talent and was totally Schuyler as Diana, Anne's bestfriend. duce, direct and write this film that I they stand on their own. capable of making the age transition She agreed to play the part and her inner will be able to produce a film which is Dut it's been exhausting for me to from 12 to 17 needed for the story. I radiance has transformed Diana into an very much in keeping with the market­ bring in this film for S3.4 million. My ass now feel so strongly about Megan that I equally strong character without over­ place and still maintains the authenticity is on the line. The film stayed on­ can honestly say that I could never have shadowing Anne. of the material. I've shot this film over budget, however, and we've done made the film without her. Jonathon Crombie, son of Indian and 11 weeks, 60 hours a week. I worked extremely well for the kinds of con­ Coleen Dewhurst as Marilla has been Northern Affairs minister David Crom­ the normal 11-hour day; that is, a nine­ straints we've been under. I consider wonderful. She's got this wonderful, bie, plays Gilbert, Anne's boyfriend. hour day w ith two hours overtime. Most this a low-budget film . A lOW-budget raspy voice. The performance she deliv­ Diane Polley, the casting agent, has been of our days we kept with our schedules feature film by studio standards is fi ve or ers is such a high caliber that the direc­ instrumental in selecting Jonathon for and our crews have really been working six million dollars and that's for two tion required of her at any time has been the part. She saw him in a school-play hard. They've been very effiCient, con­ hours. We have shot four hours for half really minimal. She's so much the role. and thought there was something spec­ stantly thinking ahead and trying to the money, in half the time, with tight, And this role has been a dream come ial about him. He looks like the classic improve on the overall effi ciency. We're tight resources. true for her. This was the first book that turn-of- the-century young man with right on-budget, which is fortunate. Dut everyone w anted this picture to she ever had read to her, and she loved chestnut curly hair, perfect complex­ Editing has proceeded from the first be good. It was like mo therhOOd. Every the story ever since. She knows the role ion, freckles on his nose and a wonder­ day of shooting. The editors are desper­ person that worked on this decided to impliCitly and is committed to the story ful smile. Although he had never acted ate because we have to deliver it so come in and do their damnedest. They 100%. professionally before he made an excel­ soon. It's worked out very well, though. fougl1t to make this good. The art and Another extremely difficult decision lent audition. He has no idea how good We haven't had the luxury of shooting w ardrobe departments fo ught to make was choosing afl actor good enough to he is and sometimes got very nervous an enormous amount of film , so the it authentic. Rene Ohashi, my director play Matthew, a crucial role. And from and lost his confidence, yet his facial choices are almost made as we do the of photography, fo ught to create an the very beginning, from the very expressions are so subtle that he's a real' scenes. The scenes ware not chopped atmosphere and capture it in his shots. minute I started thinking about who film actor. He can portray a great deal of up. It's choreographed so that things Many of the cast and crew have said that could pOSSibly play Matthew, it was intensity with just a flicker. He's rivet­ happen within the frame. It's my style this is the most wonderful project that always Richard Farnworth. He's so ting to watch. and I think that it really works dramati­ they have ever worked on and every­ sweet. He has a natural quality to him I think that because I've had the tre­ cally. You're not putting performances body is just so high about it that it just that is Matthew. Richard received a tre- mendous luxury of being able to pro- together that are edited. D y - a nd - l ar ~e , has to be a success.

October 1985 - Cinema Canadal11