Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1966 - 2023 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
Textual
4.5 meters, textual materials
Audio
Overall total number of items: 6. Total RT: 5:46:13
6 CD-R discs, RT: 5:46:13
Electronic
video
Overall total number of files: 1338
128 mov files, RT: 19:00:06
1210 mts files, RT: 173:31:33
data
Overall total number of files: 97 files
7 pdf files
88 docx files
2 pages files
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Doug Williams was born in Windsor, Ontario in 1946. He directed his first dramatic film at the age of 18 in 1965. He studied drawing and painting at Arts & Crafts/Wayne State University, photography at OCAD, creative writing at University of Toronto, and is a graduate of London Film School U.K. (formerly London School of Film Technique).
He is the author of a coming-of-age travel memoir, Promised Lands: Growing Up Absurd in the 1950s and ‘60s. Williams is married to screenwriter Laura Phillips, and has two children.
His directorial credits include: Overdrawn at the Memory Bank (1984); Best of Both Worlds (1984); Hitler’s Canadians (2007); and many episodes of television shows such as The Phoenix Team (CBC), Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future (Landmark Entertainment), T and T (Nelvana), Mister Dressup Show (CBC), Fraggle Rock (CBC/Jim Henson), Polka Dot Door (TVO), Join In (TVO), The Maximum Dimension (TVO), The Elephant Show (CBC), Eric’s World (CBC), Spread Your Wings (CBC), and two pilots: Great Work If You Can Get It (CBC) and The Wee Wonders (PBS).
In 2016 Williams began a series of video interviews with comrades and friends from his days in the League for Socialist Action (LSA). He wanted to preserve the memories of the activism of the group. Interviews were conducted all across Canada and included everyone from LSA that Williams could find and that agreed to be interviewed. Williams edited the many hours of video and created the film Let’s Rent A Train (2023).
Repository
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
This fonds has been arranged into 6 series. Those series are as follows:
Series One: Textual
This series includes materials relating to the Revolutionary Socialist Video Project.
Series Two: Books
This series includes books related to the history of socialism and communism in the world and Canada.
Series Three: Audio CD-Rs
This series includes audio recordings of speeches and proceedings at various conferences and meetings related to Socialism and international solidarity.
Series Four: Video Interviews
This series includes full interviews with former members of the League for Socialist Action (LSA) which were edited into the feature length documentary Let’s Rent a Train.
Series Five: Digitized RSVP Textual Materials
This series includes records related to Socialism in Canada as well as full transcripts for all of the interviews.
Series Six: Let’s Rent a Train full film
This series includes the full feature length documentary Let’s Rent a Train about the League for Socialist Action (LSA).
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
TBD
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Preservation concerns may limit access, consult archivist.
Conditions governing reproduction
Media Commons does not own copyright of collection
materials. Consult rights holder for reproduction(s).
Language of material
English
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Contact archivist for further finding aid information.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
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Rules and/or conventions used
Dates of creation revision deletion
Created on November 17, 2025 by Rachel E. Beattie.