Dream On The Run (found Canadian crime film; 1977)

Soundtrack cover.

Status: Lost

Dream On The Run is a Canadian crime film directed by John Edwards which aired on Global TV in 1977. The film was a passion project and commercial endeavor of Edwards, with the main cast/crew consisting of Edwards, producer Ken Gord and actor Nicky Fylan. The film is attributed to Circle Productions, John Edwards' now defunct production company. Failing to find investors, Edwards financed the movie himself, filming sporadically between 1973 and 1977. This has lead to different sources citing various release dates.

The plot follows an ex-con who is struggling to go straight after getting out of prison, inspired by Edwards' own experiences living outside of the law. While promotional material, production stills and vinyl pressings of the soundtrack exist, the film itself is currently not public, with the Library and Archives of Canada holding the only known copy. The film was originally distributed on 16 mm with a runtime of 82 minutes.

Premise

The following synopsis comes from a promotional poster made around the time of the film’s release.

“Trying to settle back into society after getting out of prison is not an easy thing. You can't count on anyone; you have to scramble for yourself.

When Jay gets out after several years in prison, the only person to greet him is Mickey, a smalltime operator who has always skirted the edges of the law. Jay wants to go straight. But this time, doors close in his face. Once a con, always a con, or so it would seem.

Inevitably, Jay finds himself in the midst of a bad deal, guilty of another crime and chased by the loan shark who financed the entire operation.

Desperation boils over to the point where the man who wanted to go straight finds himself surrounded by the police, as he stands over two dead bodies.”

Soundtrack

The soundtrack for Dream On The Run was released as a vinyl LP and is currently available for second-hand purchase through various sellers. The album was distributed through Periwinkle Records, and is credited to the Toronto country rock band The Good The Bad and The Ugly. The film itself was originally titled "Circles", but was later renamed "Dream On The Run" after the album's 7th track.

The soundtrack has since been digitized and all tracks are available through the Museum of Canadian Music's website.

Production

Promotional poster from TIFF's archive.

Dream On The Run was written and directed by John Edwards and Nicky Fylan (AKA Nicola Filazzola), and produced by Ken Gord. Edwards and Fylan also starred in leading roles, playing characters Jay and Nicky respectivley. Other cast members included Gloria Gagnon as Gloria, Jack Lalonde as Jack, and Susan Minas. Editing and sound was done by Vince Hatherly, while photography was done by Lance Carlson. Ed Hunt, who would later go on to be a horror film director, had a small role as a cameraman and editor on the production.

Not much information exists on the production company, Circle Productions. Its former headquarters was 1437 Kingston Road, Scarborough, Ontario, which The film had no distributor to speak of.

Based on documents in TIFF's archives, Cinema Canada appears to be responsible for promoting the film.

John Edwards

John Edwards pictured on the soundtrack's sleeve

John "Jay" Edwards (born c. 1939) conceived of the film's story and was the main writer and director. The story is semi-autobiographical, mirroring Edwards' own conviction and subsequent parole. In a newspaper article written around the time of the film's release, Edwards is described as a "professional ex-convict". Edwards was imprisoned for a sum total of 5.5 years at Collins Bay Penitentiary and Beaver Creek Correctional Camp, and was released in 1967. The nature of Edwards' crimes are unspecified beyond the fact that they were money related and that Edwards had a disdain for the government and banks, believing that stealing from them was morally justified. Edwards spoke openly about prison reform and how prison could be improved for inmates, giving radio interviews on the subject. After being unable to find any willing investors for his movie idea, Edwards decided that "I was going to make a film out of petty cash and would shoot when I had the money." Shot in Toronto, the film took 5 years and an estimated $102,000 to produce - $648,247 when adjusted for inflation.

Whether or not Edwards was able to secure a distributor for the film upon completion is unclear. When asked about what happened to Edwards after the filming of Dream On The Run, Ed Hunt, in email correspondence, recalled that Edwards' real name may have been John Hawes, and that he "was facing some kind of legal trouble during the later part of the time I knew him and I think he escaped to Ireland before that axe fell."

John Edwards on the set of Dream On The Run

Edwards had plans for at least two more films - No Neutral Corner, a biopic about boxer George Chuvalo, and a film based on the true story of an elaborate American bank heist committed from Canada electronically. Neither of these films appeared to have come to fruition.

A 2020 obituary for a John Edwards in the Toronto-adjecent town of Orangeville matches the age Edwards likely would have been at the time. However, whether or not this is the director John Edwards has not yet been confirmed.

Availability

The only known extant copy of Dream On The Run is currently held by the Library and Archives of Canada (LAC) on video tape. All former crew members contacted thus far do not own a copy.

Both Global TV and its parent company Corus Entertainment have been asked if they are the current rights holders as the LAC's files seem to suggest, but none of the responses from either company have confirmed this.

External links

• Initial Reddit thread/request for more information
• Dream On The Run on IMDb