The 1950s: Television and the Move to Montreal

A selection by Albert Ohayon

Varley

A portrait of Frederick Varley, Canadian painter and member of the Group of Seven. Varley returns to his studio in Toronto after a sketching trip. The camera moves about the studio selecting examples of his canvases and watches him as he begins a new painting.

From the playlist : The 1950s: Television and the Move to Montreal

Frederick Varley, a member of the Group of Seven, was showcased in this documentary bio from 1953. Shot in 35 mm complete with a script and dramatic musical score, it is unlike the type of biopic we are used to seeing today, resembling more a feature film than a documentary. Already in his seventies when the film was made, Varley is seen in his studio painting and contemplating what the world has to offer. Varley was greatly affected with what he saw working as a Canadian War Artist in World War I. The desolation and conflict forced him to search for beauty in everyday things and this is reflected in the paintings presented.

— Albert Ohayon

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Comments

  • CoryTheRaven

    “Not my favourite member of the Group of Seven, but that was probably the most prowerful documentary about an artist I've ever seen. Wow!” — CoryTheRaven, 28 Jun 2012

  • jmatlin

    “@royha - We were having some technical problems. Everything should be fine now.” — jmatlin, 19 Nov 2010

  • royha

    “Hello, why is it that I'm not able to view either Lismer or Varley's documentry films as advertised on the NFB web site? ” — royha, 19 Nov 2010

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Film Credits

director
Allan Wargon
script
Allan Wargon
producer
Tom Daly
photography
Denis Gillson
music
Louis Applebaum

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