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CBC Television Network

One Canadian: John Diefenbaker

Network: CBC Television Network

Broadcast Run: 1976 to 1977

Broadcast Medium: Television

Aired Wednesday evenings from October 6 1976 to January 6, 1977.

In 1974, veteran MP and former Prime Minister of Canada John Diefenbaker began a series of filmed interviews about his political life. From the 9 hours of footage, came this television memoir in 13 episodes.

Subtitled The Political Memoirs of The Rt. Hon. John G. Diefenbaker, the series was a follow up to The Tenth Decade, an earlier production documenting the history of Canada from 1957 to 1968. That series focussed on Diefenbaker, leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, and Lester B. Pearson, leader of the Liberal Party. The executive producer was Cameron Graham.

This series was written and directed by Munroe Scott, who mixed archival footage with Diefenbaker’s comments. This was not a critical examination of the former Prime Minister’s career, however;  it was more of a diary of events with personal comments from the man himself.

A similar program about Lester Pearson aired in 1973 after his death in 1969. It was called First Person Singular.

The director of photography for the Diefenbaker series was Wilfred Doucette. Thomas Van Dusen was a location interviewer but Douglas Rain supplied the voice of the interviewers in the finished film. Herbert Helbig composed and conducted the music, and the Canadian Brass performed the theme.

Written by John Corcelli – September, 2005