The Offering (1966 film)

The Offering is a Canadian romantic drama film, directed by David Secter and released in 1966.[1] One of the first Canadian films ever to depict an interracial relationship, the film portrays a romance between Mei-Lin (Kee Faun), a dancer with a touring Peking opera company, and Gordon (Ratch Wallace), a stagehand at the theatre in Toronto where the troupe is performing.[2] Philip Givens, the real-life mayor of Toronto at the time the film was made, appears in the film as himself;[3] the cast also includes Ellen Yamasaki and Marvin Goldhar.

The Offering
Directed byDavid Secter
Produced byRobert Fresco
John Labow
Gillian Lennox
Wayne Lum
Clarke Mackey
Michael Ondaatje
David Secter
Written byIain Ewing
Martin Lager
Gillian Lennox
Michael Ondaatje
David Secter
Jan Steen
StarringKee Faun
Ratch Wallace
Music byPaul Hoffert
CinematographyStan Lipinski
Edited byTony Lower
Production
company
Secter Films
Distributed byColumbia Pictures
Release date
  • November 24, 1966 (1966-11-24)
Running time
80 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

The film was shot in part at Toronto's Royal Alexandra Theatre.[1]

The film was more poorly received than Secter's 1965 film Winter Kept Us Warm,[4] and because Secter had largely worked with non-union crew, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees intervened to prevent the film from being screened theatrically anywhere outside of Toronto.[5]

Soon after the film's release, Secter abandoned most of his new projects and moved to New York City, where he joined a bohemian artists' commune and worked as a theatre director, and did not direct another film until the low-budget sex comedy Getting Together in 1976.

References
  1. David Secter, "Director's postscript on The Offering". The Globe and Mail, November 26, 1966.
  2. Martin Knelman, "He shoots The Offering in July". The Globe and Mail, May 19, 1966.
  3. "The Mayor? As a film star?" The Globe and Mail, July 11, 1966.
  4. Joan Fox, "Secter's latest offering contrived". The Globe and Mail, November 25, 1966.
  5. "Stagehands' union tells Secter 'you talk too much'". The Globe and Mail, December 1, 1966.


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