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 (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. The film was 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]

Filmmakers Jean Renoir, Fritz Lang, and Warren Beatty defended High as a film of art, rather than gratuity.[citation needed]

## Plot

[edit]

High is the story of dope-dealing university dropout Tom, and his strait-laced girlfriend Vicky whom he corrupts and leads down a path of petty crime and uninhibited sex.

## 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

## Reception

[edit]

High is considered to be Larry Kent's best film[by whom?]. It had a wide theatrical release in the U.S., however its sex scenes and dope smoking led to and a ban by the censor boards in Ontario and British Columbia.[2][3]

## 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. The retrospective screened at a number of venues in 2002 and 2003, including the venues 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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