High (film)

1967 Canadian film

High

Directed by| Larry Kent
Written by| Larry Kent
Produced by| Larry Kent
Starring| Michael A. Miranda
Helen Papas
Cinematography| Paul Van der Linden
Edited by| Pierre Savard

Production
company

Cinema Ventures

Release date

| 1967

Running time

| 80 minutes
Country| Canada
Language| English

High is a film released in 1967, directed by Larry Kent and starring Lanny Beckman, Astri Thorvik, Peter Mathews, Joyce Cay, and Denis Payne. Filmed in Montreal, it is likely most-remembered for being banned by the censors of Quebec immediately before its scheduled premiere at the Montreal International Film Festival for its use of drugs, nudity, and explicit sex scenes.[1]

In defense, celebrities such as Jean Renoir, Fritz Lang, and even Warren Beatty came to High 's defense as a film of art, rather than gratuity.

## Plot[edit]

High is the story of a dope-dealing university dropout (Lanning Beckman) and his strait-laced girlfriend (Astri Thorvik) whom he corrupts and leads down a path of petty crime and uninhibited sex. Considered Larry Kent's best film, High is a tough-minded vision of the anarchic and violent underside of the 1960s culture of free love and ‘do-your-own-thing.’ The frank love making scenes and dope smoking led to a wide theatrical release in the U.S. and a ban by the censor boards in Ontario and British Columbia.[2][3]

## Cast[edit]

* Lanny Beckman as Tom (as Lanning Beckman)
* Astri Thorvik as Vicky (as Astri Torvik)
* Peter Mathews
* Joyce Cay
* Denis Payne
* Laurie Wynn Kent
* Doris Cowan
* Mortie Golub
* Carol Epstein
* Al Mayoff
* Melinda McCracken
* Gary Eisenkraft
* Jack Esbein

## Legacy[edit]

The film was screened at the 18th Berlin Film Festival in 1968 as part of Young Canadian Film, a lineup of films by emerging Canadian filmmakers.[4] It was later screened at the 1984 Festival of Festivals as part of Front & Centre, a special retrospective program of artistically and culturally significant films from throughout the history of Canadian cinema.[5]

It was part of a retrospective screening of Kent's films, alongside The Bitter Ash, Sweet Substitute and When Tomorrow Dies, which screened at a number of venues in 2002 and 2003, including Cinematheque Ontario in Toronto, the Pacific Cinémathèque in Vancouver and the Canadian Film Institute in Ottawa.[6]

## References[edit]

1. ^ Eric H. Wilson, "Larry's At It Again: Movie-maker Kent reels opinions and talks about High, his new banned film". Vancouver Sun, August 11, 1967.
2. ^ Morris, Peter (1984). The Film Companion. Toronto: Irwin Publishing. pp. 142–143. ISBN 0-7725-1505-0.
3. ^ Clandfield, David (1987). Canadian Film. Toronto: Oxford University Press. p. 103\. ISBN 0-19-540581-1.
4. ^ Gerald Pratley, "In and Out of Cinema". Cinema Canada, September 1968.
5. ^ Carole Corbeil, "The stars are coming out for Toronto's film festival". The Globe and Mail, September 6, 1984.
6. ^ Matthew Hays, "Catch up on your Kent". The Globe and Mail, February 1, 2003.

## External links[edit]

* High at IMDb

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