Dream On The Run (found Canadian crime film; 1977)
Soundtrack cover.
Status: Lost
Dream On The Run is a Canadian made-for-TV crime film directed by John Edwards which aired on Global TV in 1977.[1][2] The film had an incredibly small cast and production team, with Edwards, Nicky Fylan and Ken Gord being responsible for most aspects of the film's creation. The movie was a low-budget project backed by the now defunct Circle Productions. The plot follows an ex-con who is struggling to go straight after getting out of prison. While promotional material, production stills and vinyl pressings of the soundtrack exist, the film itself is currently not public.
The film was financed by John Edwards himself and shot sporadically between 1973 and 1977, whenever Edwards had the money.[3] This has lead to different sources citing various release dates.[4][5]
When asked about the film in 2022, producer Ken Gord explained that he does not own a copy. It appears, however, that the Library and Archives of Canada has preserved a copy of the film. The film was originally distributed on 16 mm and has a runtime of 82 minutes.
Horror director Ed Hunt played a small role in the movie's production, acting as both a cameraman and editor.
Premise
The following synopsis comes from a promotional poster made around the time of the film’s release.
“Trying to settle back into society after getting out of prison is not an easy thing. You can't count on anyone; you have to scramble for yourself.
When Jay gets out after several years in prison, the only person to greet him is Mickey, a smalltime operator who has always skirted the edges of the law. Jay wants to go straight. But this time, doors close in his face. Once a con, always a con, or so it would seem.
Inevitably, Jay finds himself in the midst of a bad deal, guilty of another crime and chased by the loan shark who financed the entire operation.
Desperation boils over to the point where the man who wanted to go straight finds himself surrounded by the police, as he stands over two dead bodies.”
Soundtrack
The soundtrack for Dream On The Run was released as a vinyl LP and is currently available for second-hand purchase through various sellers. The album was distributed through Periwinkle Records, and is credited to the Toronto country rock band The Good The Bad and The Ugly.[6] The album's track listing can be found on Discogs.
Production
Dream On The Run was written and directed by John Edwards and Nicky Fylan (AKA Nicola Filazzola), and produced by Ken Gord. Edwards and Fylan also starred in leading roles, playing characters Jay and Nicky respectivley. Other cast members included Gloria Gagnon as Gloria, Jack Lalonde as Jack, and Susan Minas. Editing and sound was done by Vince Hatherly, while photography was done by Lance Carlson and Ed Hunt.
Not much information exists on the production company, Circle Productions. Its former headquarters was 1437 Kingston Road, Scarborough, Ontario. The film had no distributor to speak of.
Based on documents in TIFF's archives, Cinema Canada appears to be responsible for promoting the film.
John Edwards
John "Jay" Edwards conceived of the film's story and was the main writer and director. The story is semi-autobiographical, mirroring Edwards' own conviction and subsequent parole. In a news article written around the time of the film's release (held in Tiff's file of the movie), Edwards is described as a "professional ex-convict". This article also mentions that Edwards is 38 years old in 1977, placing his birth year around 1939. Edwards was imprisoned for money-related crimes for a sum total of 5.5 years at Collins Bay Penitentiary and Beaver Creek Correctional Camp, and was released in 1967. Edwards spoke openly about prison reform and how prison could be improved for inmates, giving radio interviews on the subject. After being unable to find any willing investors for his movie idea, Edwards decided that "I was going to make a film out of petty cash and would shoot when I had the money." Shot in Toronto, the film took 5 years and an estimated $102,000 to produce - $648,247 when adjusted for inflation.
Whether or not Edwards was able to secure a distributor for the film upon completion is unclear. When asked about what happened to Edwards after the filming of Dream On The Run, Ed Hunt, in email correspondence, recalled that Edwards' real name may have been John Hawes, and that he "was facing some kind of legal trouble during the later part of the time I knew him and I think he escaped to Ireland before that axe fell."
A 2020 obituary for a John Edwards in the Toronto-adjecent town of Orangeville matches the age Edwards likely would have been at the time. However, whether or not this is the director John Edwards has not yet been confirmed.
Availability
The only known extant copy of Dream On The Run is currently held by the Library and Archives of Canada on video tape.
External links
References
- ↑ Info comes from TIFF Film Reference Library file; disclosed in email corrospondence
- ↑ The Point of Returns Ken Dancyger, Cinema Canada, December 1976/ January 1977 Retrieved 03 Mar '22
- ↑ Dream on the run film reference file, FRL-38942, TIFF Film Reference Library Retrieved 27 Feb '22
- ↑ In Guide to the Cinema(s) of Canada, pp. 39–40, FRL-38942, Rist, P, 2001 Retrieved 27 Feb '22
- ↑ Dream on the Run (1976), BFI Retrieved 27 Feb '22
- ↑ Dream on the Run - Original Soundtrack Recording, The Good The Band and The Ugly, Periwinkle Records, 1974 Retrieved 27 Feb '22
