Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1972-2002 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
3.9 m of textual records
12, 750 photographs
• 7,703-35mm slides
• 1,065 prints (573 col. and 491 b&w)
• 120 contact sheets (76 col. and 44 b&w)
• 3,855 col. negatives (2,451 col. and 1,404 b&w)
• 8 photo-plaques
22 audio recordings
• 15 cassettes (ca. 589 min.)
• 4 DAT cassettes (ca. 116 min.)
• 2 DA88 cassettes (ca. 78 min.)
• 1 roll ¼ in. magnetic tape (ca. 20 min.)
841 video recordings
• 26 – 1 in. tape (ca. 21 hrs.)
• 76- ¾ in. cassettes (ca. 66 hrs.)
• 527 Betacam/Betacam-SP cassettes (ca. 250 hrs.)
• 57 Betamax cassettes (ca. 60 hrs.)
• 147 VHS cassettes (ca. 128 hrs.)
• 1 DVCam cassette (ca. 90 min.)
• 1 Mini-DV cassette (ca. 48 min.)
• 2 Hi-8 cassettes (ca. 78 min.)
• 4 D2 cassettes (ca. 3 hrs.)
30 cinefilms
• 30 rolls 16mm cinefilm (ca. 554 min.)
82 graphic materials
• 50 posters
• 32 sketches
23 artifacts (awards)
Context area
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Content and structure area
Scope and content
This fonds consists of 7 series, divided by format. These series include: Textual Material; Photographs and Artwork; Awards/Nominations; Posters; Audio; Video; and Cinefilm.
The first series, Textual Material, includes production files, correspondence, transcripts, budgets, scripts, and research for McGreevy’s productions. Several books are included here, as are scripts and proposals for programs that have not been produced (including a screenplay by author Anthony Burgess).
The second series, Photographs and Artwork consists of negatives, prints, and slides taken for publicity purposes during most of McGreevy’s major productions (including Beaverbrook, Return Journey, People of Our Time, and Peter Ustinov on the Orient Express). Numerous celebrities, such Omar Sharif, Melina Mercouri, John Huston and Glenn Gould are featured here. This series also includes 32 original pen sketches drawn by Peter Ustinov, featuring Ustinov and McGreevy on location.
The third series, Awards/Nominations, consists of award and nomination certificates from ACTRA, the Banff Festival, CFTA, the Geminis, the Emmys and the Genies.
The fourth series, Posters, consists of 9 posters from McGreevy’s productions.
The fifth series, Audio, consists of audio cassettes and transcripts from radio interviews with McGreevy. This series also includes recordings of Glenn Gould’s funeral, various events with Peter Ustinov, and research for McGreevy’s productions.
The sixth series, Video, includes viewing copies of some of McGreevy’s productions (e.g. American Caesar, Cities, Paths of the Gods and Around the World in 15 Minutes). This series also encompasses the original, uncut interviews with subjects of Born Talking, as well as interview tapes from the Robertson Davies biography project.
The seventh series, Cinefilm, includes release prints of People of Our Time, Beaverbrook, and Peter Ustinov’s Leningrad. This series also includes unique film elements from the production of Locomotion, which documented the 1986 Expo.
This fonds includes textual material relating to a number of productions, including:
Mandelstam’s Witness (Theatrical performance, 1975)
Beaverbrook (Television, 1976)
Cities (Television, 1976)
The Newcomers—1832 (Television, 1978)
Quintet (Film, 1984)
Return Journey (Television, 1985-1987)
Pen ‘86 (Television, 1986)
Peter Ustinov’s Russia (Television, 1986)
Peter Ustinov in China (Television, 1987)
In the Beginning (Television, 1988)
Secrets of the Phantom of the Opera (Television, 1988)
Around the World in 15 Minutes (1989)
Voyage Across the 80s (Television, 1989)
Born Talking (Television, 1990)
Ustinov on the Orient Express (Television, 1991)
Inside the Vatican (Television, 1994)
Paths of the Gods (Television, 1995)
East Meets West (Television, 1995)
Quebec/Canada 1995 (Television, 1995)
The Danger Tree (Television, 1996)
The Canadian Revolution (Television, 1997)
Empire of the Bay (Television, 1998)
Sir Wilfrid Laurier and the Romance of Canada (1999)
Visions of an Island (Film, 2000)
This fonds includes audiovisual material relating to a number of productions, including:
Mandelstam’s Witness (Theatrical performance, 1975)
Beaverbrook (Television, 1976)
Cities (Television, 1976)
The Newcomers—1832 (Television, 1978)
Acts of War (Television, 1983)
American Caesar (Television, 1983)
Writers and Places: Robertson Davies in Kingston (Television, 1983)
Return Journey (Television, 1985-1987)
Pen ‘86 (Television, 1986)
Peter Ustinov’s Russia (Television, 1986)
Peter Ustinov in China (Television, 1987)
In the Beginning (Television, 1988)
Secrets of the Phantom of the Opera (Television, 1988)
Around the World in 15 Minutes (1989)
Voyage Across the 80s (Television, 1989)
John Neville, Actor for All Seasons (Video, 1989)
Born Talking (Television, 1990)
Ustinov on the Orient Express (Television, 1991)
Children of Russia (Television, 1993)
Inside the Vatican (Television, 1994)
Paths of the Gods (Television, 1995)
Quebec/Canada 1995 (Television, 1995)
East Meets West (Television, 1995)
The Danger Tree (Television, 1996)
Life and Times of Robertson Davies (Television, 1996)
An Evening with Sir Peter Ustinov (Television, 1996)
The Canadian Revolution (Television, 1997)
Deadly Seas (Television, 1998)
Empire of the Bay (Television, 1998)
Sir Wilfrid Laurier and the Romance of Canada (1999)
Visions of an Island (Film, 2000)
Eatons: A Canadian Saga (Television, 2002)
Reflections on Science and Conscience (Video, 2003)
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
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Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Preservation concern 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
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
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Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
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Description control area
Description identifier
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Dates of creation revision deletion
Data copied from Drupal by Adam Cavanaugh 2022/05/02
Language(s)
- English
Script(s)
Sources
John McGreevy Productions website http://www.johnmcgreevyproductions.ca
Pape, Gordon. “Take two: Once headed for the land of Oz, Canada’s film industry is staging a comeback.” Canadian Business, August 1984.
Knelman, Martin. “Peter the grateful.” Toronto Life, March, 1986.
Hume, Christopher. “Ustinov shows human side of Russia.” The Sunday Star, March 2, 1986.