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| Gordon Pinsent in "The Forest Rangers". Source: https://thetvdb.com/series/ the-forest-rangers/people/63986176 (May be subject to copyright) |
Quite simply Gordon Pinsent is a Canadian icon.
In living colour
My earliest memory of Gordon Pinsent is watching him Saturday mornings wearing the Red Serge of an RCMP officer on the CBC show “The Forest Rangers”. I do not have a lot of memories of the show, other than the picturesque shots of the forest. The colours of the show seemed to be just a bit off too, like the red was too bright. It turns out “The Forest Rangers” was the first show the CBC ever aired in colour. They must have still been tinkering with the colours.
My earliest memory of Gordon Pinsent is watching him Saturday mornings wearing the Red Serge of an RCMP officer on the CBC show “The Forest Rangers”. I do not have a lot of memories of the show, other than the picturesque shots of the forest. The colours of the show seemed to be just a bit off too, like the red was too bright. It turns out “The Forest Rangers” was the first show the CBC ever aired in colour. They must have still been tinkering with the colours.
Pinsent in the house
His first starring role in network television was on the CBC production “Quentin Durgens, M.P.” from 1965 to 1969, where he made 41 episodes over four seasons. He played a young lawyer who won a seat in the House of Commons in a byelection, replacing his father who died in office.
His first starring role in network television was on the CBC production “Quentin Durgens, M.P.” from 1965 to 1969, where he made 41 episodes over four seasons. He played a young lawyer who won a seat in the House of Commons in a byelection, replacing his father who died in office.
I had only heard about this show but never seen it.
Then CBC started running a show on Sunday afternoons called “Rear View Mirror”. It was hosted by Alex Barris who introduced old shows from the CBC archives. That was where I saw my one and only episode of “Quentin Durgens, M.P.”
I just remembered thinking how young Gordon Pinsent looked.
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| Gordon Pinsent, at right, in "A Gift to Last". Source: https://brianbusby.blogspot.com/ 2020/12/gordon-pinsents-gift.html (May be subject to copyright) |
Many times in my life, I saw a show that did not seem that interesting. I would eventually watch it and, not only like it, but regret not watching it from the beginning. “A Gift to Last” was one such show. It was about the Sturgess family, and Gordon Pinsent played Edgar, a veteran of the Boer War. Gerard Parkes, who would go on to “Home Fires” played Edgar’s older brother. The show ran three seasons and 23 episodes from 1976 to 1979.
I also recall watching “A Gift to Last” one year when we were waiting to go on stage for our annual Christmas concert at St. Joseph’s School.
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| Gordon Pinsent as Canadian hero Ken Taylor in "Escape from Iran: The Canadian Caper". Source: https://www.shutterstock.com/ editorial/image-editorial/ canadian-caper-escape- iran--gordon-pinsent-1653916a (May be subject to copyright) |
In 1979, when Iranian students stormed the American embassy in Tehran, they took 52 Americans hostage and held them for 444 days. Unknown at the time, several Americans took refuge in the Canadian embassy where they were hidden, then spirited back to Canada.
Dubbed the "Canadian Caper", it made headlines across the world when in became public. Ken Taylor, the Canadian ambassador to Iran, was hailed as a hero and was seen everywhere.
In 1981, CTV aired a movie about those heroic Canadians called “Escape from Iran: The Canadian Caper”, and Gordon Pinsent played Ken Taylor. He did a masterful job.
Plight of the farmer
The CBC used to have a show on Sunday nights called “For the Record”, featuring movies about different issues.
The CBC used to have a show on Sunday nights called “For the Record”, featuring movies about different issues.
In 1983, they aired “Ready for the Slaughter”, a movie about the plight of the farmer. Gordon Pinsent played a farmer struggling to survive. At one point, he tries to sell his crop to pay off his loan. The only problem was the crop was collateral. Later, he threatens to burn his crop in protest.
At one point, someone, a banker maybe, kind of dismisses him. He retorts, “This isn’t a living this is my life!”
It was excellent, and still rings true today.
Guest starring
Over the years Pinsent guest starred in American TV shows such as “Hogan’s Heroes”; “Banacek”; and “Cannon”; Canadian productions such as “Seeing Things”; “Street Legal”; “The Red Green Show”; “Due South”; “Wind at my Back”; “Made in Canada”; “Republic of Doyle”; and “Private Eyes”.
Over the years Pinsent guest starred in American TV shows such as “Hogan’s Heroes”; “Banacek”; and “Cannon”; Canadian productions such as “Seeing Things”; “Street Legal”; “The Red Green Show”; “Due South”; “Wind at my Back”; “Made in Canada”; “Republic of Doyle”; and “Private Eyes”.
He also appeared in movies such as “The Thomas Crown Affair”; “Chandler”; “The Rowdyman”; “Who Has Seen the Wind”; “John and the Missus”; “The Shipping News”; and “Away from Her”.
The years after
There are a few roles that I really enjoyed Gordon Pinsent in after the 1980s.
There are a few roles that I really enjoyed Gordon Pinsent in after the 1980s.
There was Robert Fraser on “Due South” from 1994 to 1999, the ghost of the father of Benton Fraser, the Mountie who is the main character in the show. He seemed to appear at the oddest moments, and continue his run of police and soldier roles.
There was Duff McArdle in “Power Play” from 1998 to 2000, the owner of the fictitious Hamilton Steelheads of the NHL. He was one of the best parts of that show. He described naming the team the Steelheads because of the fight he saw in that fish one day. He also had a combination of patriotism and pragmatism. The show opens with the threat of the Steelheads being sold and moved to the U.S. It seems McArdle is clued out, but in the end actually knows and put the team up for sale for practical reasons. He also went out of his way to save a local donut that was uniquely Canadian. It was going to be franchised, marketed internationally, and most importantly changed, by an American owner, so Duff broke the bank to buy the donut.
There was also “Win, Again” in 1999, where he plays Win Morrissey, who gets out of jail and tries to resume his life, including renewing his relationship with his bitter and grown-up son.
And, there was the aging Morley Callaghan in the 2003 TV mini-series “Hemingawy vs. Callaghan”. He was awesome in that role. The show opens with news breaking about the death of Ernest Hemingway. Since he worked for the Toronto Star, the newspaper wants to do a story on his time there. They dispatch a reporter to talk to Canadian writer and TV personality Morley Callaghan who worked with Hemingawy at the Toronto Star. More importantly, he had been good friends with Hemingway and spent time with him in Paris in the 1920s.
Callaghan avoids the reporter, and has his wife cover for him. In a moment of privacy, he admits his regret to her over not making up with Hemingway. “I didn’t even call him when he won the Nobel Prize,” he laments.
Callaghan avoids the reporter, and has his wife cover for him. In a moment of privacy, he admits his regret to her over not making up with Hemingway. “I didn’t even call him when he won the Nobel Prize,” he laments.
Finally, just recently I watched him play 90-year-old Second World War pilot Nevin Ainslie in an episode of “Private Eyes” in 2019. It was an incredibly poignant episode. It focused on a priceless bottle of wine that had been brought over to Canada during the war. It turned out, it had been one of a case saved by Ainslie and his crew. They always wanted to drink that wine but lost track. Ultimately, the final bottle is recovered. The owner, instead of putting it under lock and key or selling it for hundreds of thousands of dollars, has a glass with Ainslie.
These were all amazing roles for Gordon Pinsent and all so different.
Parting thoughts
Although later in life he did more comedy and roles with tongue planted firmly in cheek, Gordon Pinsent also turned in some amazing dramatic performances. His versatility was incredible and his talent unparalleled.
Although later in life he did more comedy and roles with tongue planted firmly in cheek, Gordon Pinsent also turned in some amazing dramatic performances. His versatility was incredible and his talent unparalleled.
He went from playing Canadian personalities such as Ken Taylor and Morley Callaghan to an embattled farmer facing financial pressure to being a member of Possum Lodge on “The Red Green Show” and much, much more.
Quite simply, Gordon Pinsent was a Canadian icon.
He will be missed, but not soon forgotten.
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