Leon Marr (May 26, 1948 – July 22, 2019) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

film and television director and screenwriter, who won a

Genie Award The Genie Awards were given out annually by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to recognize the best of Canadian cinema from 1980–2012. They succeeded the Canadian Film Awards (1949–1978; also known as the "Etrog Awards," for scu ...

for Best Adapted Screenplay at the

8th Genie Awards The 8th Annual Genie Awards were held on March 18, 1987 to honour Canadian films made the previous year.Greg Quill, "Decline rises to top Genie nominations". ''Toronto Star'', February 5, 1987. The awards were dominated by Denys Arcand's ''The De ...

in 1987 for '' Dancing in the Dark''. He was also a nominee, but did not win, for

Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to: Film awards * AACTA Award for Best Direction * Academy Award for Best Director * BA ...

Early life

Marr was born in 1948 in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, the son of a Jewish Polish father and a Catholic mother. The family name, before emigration to Canada, had been Marijinsky. Before becoming a notable film director, Marr attended both the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

and the

Ryerson Polytechnical Institute Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU or Toronto Met) is a public university, public research university located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The university's core campus is situated within the Garden District, Toronto, Garden District, although i ...

Jay Scott Jeffrey Scott Beaven (October 4, 1949 – July 30, 1993), known professionally by his pen name Jay Scott, was a Canadian film critic."Critic Jay Scott, 43 among world's best". ''Toronto Star'', July 31, 1993. Early life Scott was born in Lincol ...

, "Canadian film dances darkly into spotlight". ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'', May 16, 1986.

Career

Marr directed several short films, including ''Flowers In The Sand'', the theme music for which was composed and performed by Dan Hill. He wrote several unproduced screenplays and worked as an assistant to

Norman Jewison Norman Frederick Jewison (born July 21, 1926) is a retired Canadian film and television director, producer, and founder of the Canadian Film Centre. He has directed numerous feature films and has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best D ...

on the 1982 film '' Best Friends''. The first longer film Marr worked on was known as ''Flyaway Paul'', for which he wrote the screenplay in 1980. After the director decided to turn the movie into a comedy, production was cut and it was never released. He first read

Joan Barfoot Joan Louise Barfoot (born May 17, 1946) is a Canadian novelist. She has published 11 novels, including ''Luck'' (2005), which was a nominee for the 2005 Scotiabank Giller Prize, and ''Critical Injuries'' (2001), which was longlisted for the 2002 Ma ...

's novel ''Dancing in the Dark'' in 1983,"Leon Marr's a word-of-mouth success story". ''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...

'', October 11, 1986. and worked for three years to get the film made after securing the rights. Following ''Dancing in the Dark'', Marr optioned the film rights to

Judith Thompson Judith Clare Thompson, OC (born September 20, 1954) is a Canadian playwright who lives in Toronto, Ontario. She has twice been awarded the Governor General's Award for drama, and is the recipient of many other awards including the Order of Canad ...

's play ''I Am Yours''; however, the financing didn't come through and the film was never made. Marr subsequently worked primarily in television, directing episodes of ''

Forever Knight ''Forever Knight'' is a Canadian television series about Nick Knight, an 800-year-old vampire working as a police detective in modern-day Toronto, Ontario. Wracked with guilt for centuries of killing others, he seeks redemption by working as a ho ...

'', '' The Hitchhiker'' and ''The Hidden Room'' and taking a guest acting role in the pilot episode of ''

Saving Hope ''Saving Hope'' is a Canadian supernatural medical drama television series set in Toronto in the fictional hospital Hope Zion. The series stars Erica Durance and Michael Shanks. The show's premise originated with Malcolm MacRury and Morwyn Brebn ...

''. His second feature film, '' The Second Time Around'', starring

Linda Thorson Linda Thorson (born Linda Robinson; June 18, 1947) is a Canadian actress, known for playing Tara King in '' The Avengers'' (1968–69). Personal life Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, she attended Bishop Strachan School, and then moved to the ...

and

Stuart Margolin Stuart Margolin (January 31, 1940 – December 12, 2022) was an American film, theater, and television actor and director who won two Emmy Awards for playing Evelyn "Angel" Martin on the 1970s television series ''The Rockford Files''. In 1973, h ...

, was released in 2018. Marr died on July 22, 2019, in Toronto."Director Leon Marr passes away"
'' Playback'', August 1, 2019.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Marr, Leon Best Screenplay Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners Canadian television directors Canadian male screenwriters Film directors from Toronto Toronto Metropolitan University alumni Writers from Toronto 1948 births 2019 deaths