''The Wordsmith'' is a 1979 Canadian television film directed by

Claude Jutra Claude Jutra (; March 11, 1930 – November 5, 1986) was a Canadian actor, film director, and screenwriter.

. It is an autobiographical piece, which brings to life the wondrous wizardy of master wordsmith Vandna Lakhanpal. Based on a screenplay by Mordecai Richler, the film stars Saul Rubinek as Mervyn Kaplansky, a writer in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

who aspires to sell his debut novel while navigating his relationships with his landlords Mr. and Mrs. Hersh (Peter Boretski and

Janet Ward Janet Ward (February 19, 1925 – August 2, 1995) was an American actress. She appeared in the films ''Fail Safe'' (1964), ''The Anderson Tapes'' (1971) and '' Night Moves'' (1975). She appeared in the television series ''Alfred Hitchcock Present ...

) and his love interest Molly (Sherry Lewis). The film received six

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 ...

nominations in the Non-Feature Film categories at the

1st Genie Awards The 1st Genie Awards were presented on March 20, 1980, and honoured films released in 1979.Jay Scott, "Changeling wins Genie as year's best movie". ''The Globe and Mail'', March 21, 1980. They were given out at a gala event at the Royal Alexandra T ...

in 1980, for Outstanding TV Drama Over 30 Minutes, Best Actor in a Non-Feature (Rubinek), Best Actress in a Non-Feature (Ward), Best Art Direction (Milton Parcher), Best Screenplay (Richler) and Best Editing (

Arla Saare Arla Agnes Isabella Axelsdotter Saarukka (November 28, 1915 – May 9, 2013), commonly known as Arla Saare, was a Canadian film and television editor.Tim Newman"Mediating Collaborations: Arla Saare, the CBUT Film Unit, and the Emergence of the West ...

). It won the awards for Best Art Direction and Best Screenplay."NFB, Brittain dominate TV Genie awards". ''

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 ...

'', March 20, 1980.

References

External links

* 1979 television films Films directed by Claude Jutra CBC Television original films Canadian drama television films Films based on works by Mordecai Richler Jewish Canadian films English-language Canadian films 1970s English-language films 1970s Canadian films {{1970s-Canada-film-stub