John Grierson and the National Film Board: The Politics of Wartime Propaganda

David Mattison is a librarian with the B.C. Provincial Archives and
Records Services Library.

A Scotsman who came to Canada via England, John Grierson is remembered for his role in establishing the National Film Board of Canada and in perfecting the genre of documentary film. His progressive, some might say leftist nature, if not sympathies, frequently found him at odds with his political masters. He was thrown from grace through guilt by association with Igor Gouzenko, the Russian cipher clerk who defected in 1945. With the fate of the free world hanging in balance, and with the freedom to do as he pleased, Grierson’s propaganda was democratic and intellectual. He spoke to his audience, did not dictate or proselytize, but used “propaganda without hate-mongering,” a technique which gained Canada respect abroad. Grierson not only encouraged and developed admirable films, he also established a widespread distribution network that got the messages across to those who mattered, the ordinary Canadian who may have wondered what the war was about or what he or she could do to help.

The two major wartime series, Canada Carries On and The World in Action, are analyzed in detail. It was with the latter series, which focused on world events, that Grierson earned the wrath of Prime Minister Mackenzie King, who jealously guarded his role as policy-maker and interpreter of Canada’s role on the international scene. Grierson’s idealistic dream of a post-war information machine was abruptly shattered by the Gouzenko scandal as well as the political realities of new priorities. Information became a neglected commodity once the war was over.

Given the few books in existence on the history of cinema in Canada, this well-researched and -written volume should be acquired by all libraries supporting collections in this area of study.