Norman Jewison: Canadian filmmaking legend

Canadian filmmaking legend Norman Jewison between Cher, at left, and Nicholas Cage, the two stars of "Moonstruck" in 1987.

Source: https://ca.billboard.com/culture/tv-film/cher-mourns-moonstruck-director-norman-jewison-dead-1235586790/

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No matter whatever I intended to write about today, the world stops when a Canadian icon dies, and I focus all attention there.

Today, film director Norman Jewison died, and not only Canada, but the world, has lost a legend.

Not only did Jewison make groundbreaking films, many with a social conscience, but he promoted the next generation of Canadian film and filmmakers at every turn.

A few years ago I read his book “This Terrible Business Has Been Good to Me”, which detailed much of his career through his own eyes.

I was reminded how many of his films intersected with my life when I was younger.

In the beginning
Toronto native Norman Jewison’s early days in filmmaking are well documented. He got his start in Canada, making shows for the CBC in the 1950s. Then he went to work for NBC in the States later in the same decade.

Wikipedia reveals he made his first film in 1962, called “40 Pounds of Trouble”. He followed that up with “The Thrill of it All” in 1963; “Send Me No Flowers” in 1964; and “The Art of Love” in 1965.

His first major hit came later in 1965 with “The Cincinnati Kid”, starring Steve McQueen as a poker player trying to be the best around. That began a career of successful, ground-breaking and award-winning movies.

“The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming”, a Cold War era comedy about a Soviet submarine that that gets grounded off the coast of New England, came out in 1966. It starred Alan Arkin, Carl Reiner, Eva Marie Saint, Brian Keith and Jonathan Winters.

Then came a movie that showed Norman Jewison was not afraid to take on tough and controversial subjects.

Too hot to handle
“In the Heat of the Night”, was released in 1967. It tells the story of Virgil Tibbs, a Black police detective from Philadelphia who becomes involved in a small-town murder investigation in Mississippi, battling racism every step of the way.

Tibbs is played by Sidney Poitier who I will always remember for the simple but profound line, “They call me MISTER Tibbs.”

The film earned Jewison his first Oscar nomination for best director. Although he did not win, the film did win Oscars for Best Picture; for Rod Steiger for Best Actor; for Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium; Best Film Editing; and Best Sound.

Wikipedia says “In the Heat of the Night” is widely considered one of the most important American films of the 1960s.

To be honest, in the 1980s, I heard more about “In the Heat of the Night” than saw it. There was also a TV show based on the movie from 1988 to 1995, starring Howard E. Rollins whose name will be connected with Jewison again later.

Finding religion
Jewison continued on working, closing out the decade of the 1960s with “The Thomas Crown Affair” in 1968 then “Gaily, Gaily” in 1969.

He had another classic on his hands in 1971 with “Fiddler on the Roof”. It is a musical starring Topol as a Jewish milkman trying to marry off his many daughters and battle harassment from his village’s non-Jewish neighbours.

The film earned Jewison his second Oscar nomination for Best Director and his first for Best Picture. Topol was nominated for Best Actor; Leonard Frey was nominated for Best Supporting Actor and the film was also nominated for Best Art Direction. It won Oscars for Best Cinematography; Best Music Scoring Adaptation and Original Song Score; and Best Sound.

I read in “This Terrible Business Has Been Good to Me” that Jewison was hired to do “Fiddler on the Roof” because the producers thought he was Jewish. They were somewhat shocked to find out he was not.

In a profile of Norman Jewison I saw on “W5” I think, they show an interview with Topol who says he is going to convert Norman to Judaism and change his name to Christianson. Everyone laughed really hard at that.

It was the highest grossing film of 1971, and Wikipedia says “Fiddler on the Roof” is often considered one of the greatest musical films of all time.

Jewison continued on the religious theme with his next film, “Jesus Christ Superstar” in 1973. It stars Ted Neeley in the title role he has continued to play for close to 50 years. It depicts Jesus’ last week on Earth, his conflict with Judas Iscariot and ultimately his crucifixion.

Growing up, I went to Catholic school and heard the music there, often when various classes were preparing for the Kiwanis music festival. Beyond that, I did not actually see the movie until about 20 years ago. My parents and I were visiting my brother in Nanaimo and we watched “Jesus Christ Superstar” with his family on the Easter weekend, Good Friday actually, if memory serves.

It is a powerful movie, mixing Biblical and contemporary themes.

The Pope even liked it, suspecting it might bring more people around to Christianity.

Jewison closed out the 1970s with three films. “Rollerball” in 1975 is a dystopic science fiction sports film starring James Caan, John Houseman and Maud Adams; “F.I.S.T.” in 1978 stars Sylvester Stallone as a union leader loosely based on Jimmy Hoffa; and “…And Justice for All” in 1979, stars Al Pacino as an idealistic lawyer in an Oscar-nominated role.

The 1980s would bring more tough social issues and more accolades for Norman Jewison, who was entering his fourth decade of filmmaking.

In the army
Jewison opened the decade with “Best Friends” in 1982, a romantic comedy starring Burt Reynolds and Goldie Hawn.

Then, in 1984, he returned to the themes of racism with “A Soldier’s Story”. It is an amazing movie, starring Howard E. Rollins as an officer from the Judge Advocate General sent to investigate the murder of a Black sergeant, in a segregated regiment of the United States Army. Adolph Caesar played the sergeant, while a young Denzel Washington, David Alan Grier, and Patti LaBelle also starred.

The film received three Oscar nominations. Jewison was nominated for Best Picture; Caesar was nominated for Best Supporting Actor; and the film was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay.

It is an excellent movie with great performances by Rollins and Caesar, who is despicable and vile to everyone around him. Anyone could have motive to kill him. Rollins would go on later in the decade to star in the TV series based on Jewison’s “In the Heat of the Night”.

In the summer of 1986, I was taking a two-week driver’s ed course in Lethbridge and staying with my sister. We rented a movie every couple nights from a 7-11 a few blocks up 13th Street on Third Avenue.

One of the first movies I had to see was “A Soldier’s Story”.

I was not disappointed.

The only disappointment was that I thought the movie should have garnered much more Oscar buzz.

The rest of the decade
Jewison returned to a religious theme in 1985 with “Agnes of God”. It stars Meg Tilley as a nun who claims to be pregnant by immaculate conception, when she gives birth to a dead child. Anne Bancroft plays the mother superior who butts heads in the ensuing investigation with a psychiatrist played by Jane Fonda.

This was another great movie. It was nominated for Best Original Score; Meg Tilly was nominated for Best Supporting Actress; and Anne Bancroft was nominated for Best Actress.

In 1987, Jewison directed “Moonstruck” starring Cher, who plays an Italian widow in love with her fiancé’s younger brother, played by Nicholas Cage.

Jewison earned his third Oscar nomination for Best Director, in his third different decade, which is amazing. Cher won for Best Actress; Olympia Dukakis won for Best Supporting Actress; and John Patrick Shanley won for Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. The film, and Jewison, were also nominated for Best Picture; and Vincent Gardenia was nominated for Best Supporting Actor.

The film was the fifth highest grossing movie of the year.

In 1988, Jewison founded the Canadian Film Centre to foster the next generation of Canadian filmmakers.

The years after
Jewison kept on working into the 21st Century. The movie that stands out for me is his last great piece of social justice. “The Hurricane” came out in 1999 and stars Denzel Washington as Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, an African-American boxer who is wrongly convicted of murder. Through the efforts of a Canadian couple and their foster child from Brooklyn, Carter is ultimately exonerated and freed.

It is another amazing movie I saw in the theatre with some of my journalism school classmates. I saw it again on DVD, after I finished reading “The Sixteenth Round”, one of the books the movie is based on. Later that school year, I was lucky enough to hear Rubin Carter speak in person when he came to Lethbridge.

For his efforts, Denzel Washington was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor.

Jewison was honoured in 1999 with the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award for lifetime achievement.

He had finally won his Oscar.

In 199,2 he was invested in the Order of Canada, and in 2003 he was honoured with the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for lifetime artistic achievement.

Jewison published “This Terrible Business Has Been Good to Me” In 2004.

He died on January 20, 2024.

Norman Jewison was 97.

Parting thoughts
Norman Jewison was an icon whose work really does speak for itself. Three Oscar nominations in three separate decades shows he has longevity as well.

However, what I will always admire is his courage in taking on tough themes such as racism and injustice. Perhaps being Canadian gives him a unique perspective. As an outsider he can shine a light on American race relations.

Beyond the issues and topics themselves, he told compelling stories that really made these issues come to life.

Norman Jewison is an icon, a filmmaking legend and, quite simply, one of the best.