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Quebec Path of Conquest
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Wikipedia article
'Quebec Path of Conquest' is an 11-minute 1942 Canadian documentary film, made by the National Film Board of Canada as part of the wartime 'Canada Carries On' series.Lerner 1987, p. 75. The film was directed by Radford Crawley and produced by Raymond Spottiswoode. 'Quebec Path of Conquest' describes the importance of the province of Quebec to Canada and the Allied war effort during the Second World War.Khouri 2007, pp. 132133. The film's French version title is 'Qubec, tremplin stratgique'.
Synopsis
In 1934, Nazi Germany had identified the resources of Eastern Canada, the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway as prime targets in a future global "blueprint for conquest". An Axis attack on North America and Canada would be aimed at this region, and its resources. From rich timberlands in the hinterlands to the mines of the Canadian Shield, the bountiful resources of Quebec have been harnessed for a new purpose. Many of the mineral products of the province, such as chrome, asbestos, mica, gypsum, magnesium and copper are important to the war effort.
The population of Quebec, totalling more than three million residents and countless others living abroad, rather than being easily conquered, will become a new front in the war. Farmers, factory workers and the ordinary citizen in Quebec have thrown themselves into the war effort. The workers who have a rich heritage of Qubcois crafts and hand-made products have been turned into a modern industrial workforce able to handle the most complex and sophisticated machinery.
One of the other significant contributions from Quebec are the weapons of war produced by the province's industry, mainly concentrated in Montreal where munitions factories and aircraft manufacturing plants were built and were running at full capacity. From the airfields along the eastern seaboard come the bombers that are built in North America, as they are ferried across the Atlantic Ocean. The seaports that also are found in this region provide not only the warships but also the merchant shipping from countless nations setting out in convoys to supply Great Britain and other Allies across the Atlantic.
The importance of Quebec cannot be underestimated, as is the resolve of its people to fight against Axis aggression.
Production
'Quebec Path of Conquest' was the part of the wartime 'Canada Carries On' propaganda short film series, produced with financial backing from the Wartime Information Board for the Director of Public Information, Herbert Lash.[https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/37352863/ "Recognize leadership of Winnipeg women."]'The Winnipeg Tribune', April 18, 1941. Retrieved: March 29, 2016. Like 'Un du 22e', the first NFB film produced by the French-language division about the Royal 22e Rgiment, 'Quebec Path of Conquest' was aimed specifically at encouraging young French-Canadian men to support the war and enlist.Saouter, Catherine. [http://www3.nfb.ca/ww2/home-front/propaganda-the-battle-for-hearts-and-minds.htm?article=18786&page=2&subtype=articles "Cinema in aid of the war effort."] 'National Film Board of Canada', 2008. Retrieved: March 29, 2016.
The images of a mythic Quebec, complete with homespun community events was used to create the impression of a populace united in facing a common enemy, a complete departure from the actual resistance to the war that was occurring among the Qubcois.Alemany-Galway 2001, pp. 106107. Typical of the NFB's series of morale-boosting films, 'Quebec Path of Conquest' used the format of a compilation documentary, relying heavily on newsreel material in order to provide the background to the dialogue.Morris, Peter. [http://www.filmreferencelibrary.ca/index.asp?layid=44&csid1=615&navid=66 "Film Reference Library: Canada Carries On."] 'Canadian Film Encyclopedia'. Retrieved: March 29, 2016. Original footage was shot at Montreal's docks and factories, notably the Montreal factories where munitions and aircraft were manufactured. Ship and rail yards were also prominently featured.[http://www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/archives/500ans/portail_archives_en/rep_chapitre10/chapitre10-4.html "The Second World War."] 'Ville de Montral'. Retrieved: March 30, 2016.
The deep baritone voice of stage actor Lorne Greene was featured in the uncredited narration of 'Quebec Path of Conquest'. Greene's participation as a narrator was particularly useful in a propaganda film, as he was well known for his work on both radio broadcasts as a news announcer at 'CBC'.Bennett 2004, p. 254. In narrating many of the 'Canada Carries On' series, his sonorous recitation led to nickname, "The Voice of Canada", and the "Voice-of-God".Rist 2001, p. 84. When reading grim battle statistics or narrating a particularly serious topic such as Quebec's role in the war effort, he was known as "The Voice of Doom".[https://tkmorin.wordpress.com/2013/01/16/bonanzas-canadian-lorne-greene/ "Bonanza's Canadian Lorne Greene."] 'Bite Size Canada'. Retrieved: March 29, 2016.
Reception
'Quebec Path of Conquest' was produced in 35 mm for the theatrical market. Each film in both the NFB 'The World in Action' and 'Canada Carries On' series was shown over a six-month period as part of the shorts or newsreel segments in approximately 800 theatres across Canada.
The NFB had an arrangement with Famous Players theatres to ensure that Canadians from coast-to-coast could see them, with further distribution by Columbia Pictures.Ellis and McLane 2005, p. 122. After the six-month theatrical tour ended, individual films were made available on 16 mm to schools, libraries, churches and factories, extending the life of these films for another year or two. They were also made available to film libraries operated by university and provincial authorities.Ohayon, Albert. [http://blog.nfb.ca/blog/2009/09/30/propaganda-cinema-the-world-in-action/ "Propaganda Cinema at the NFB The World in Action."] 'National Film Board of Canada', September 30, 2009. Retrieved: March 29, 2016.
See also
* 'The Front of Steel' (1940)
* 'The Battle of Brains' (1941)
References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
* Alemany-Galway, Mary. 'A Postmodern Cinema: The Voice of the Other in Canadian Film'. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 2001. .
* Bennett, Linda Greene. 'My Father's Voice: The Biography of Lorne Greene'. Bloomington, Indiana: iUniverse, Inc., 2004. .
* Ellis, Jack C. and Betsy A. McLane. 'New History of Documentary Film'. London: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2005. .
* Khouri, Malek. 'Filming Politics: Communism and the Portrayal of the Working Class at the National Film Board of Canada, 1939-46.' Calgary, Alberta, Canada: University of Calgary Press, 2007. .
* Lerner, Loren. 'Canadian Film and Video: A Bibliography and Guide to the Literature'. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1997. .
* Nohlen, Dieter, ed. 'Elections in the Americas: A Data Handbook, Volume I, North America, Central America and the Caribbean'. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. .
* Rist, Peter. 'Guide to the Cinema(s) of Canada'. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2001. .
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