Production

John Kemeny

Born — Died

1925-04-17 — 2012-11-23

Place of birth

Budapest

Known for

Production

Credits

40 titles

John Kemeny was a Hungarian-Canadian film producer whom the Toronto Star called "the forgotten giant of Canadian film history and...the most successful producer in Canadian history."

Known for

The Wraith poster
6.4

Packard Walsh and his motorized gang control and terrorize an Arizona desert town where they force drivers to drag-race so they can 'win' their vehicles. After Walsh beats the decent teenager Jamie Hankins to death after finding him with his girlfriend, a mysterious power creates Jake Kesey, an extremely cool motor-biker who has a car which is invincible. Jake befriends Jamie's girlfriend Keri Johnson, takes Jamie's sweet brother Bill under his wing and manages what Sheriff Loomis couldn't; eliminate Packard's criminal gang the hard way...

The Wraith

1986

Quest for Fire poster
7.0

In the prehistoric world, a Cro-Magnon tribe depends on an ever-burning source of fire, which eventually extinguishes. Lacking the knowledge to start a new fire, the tribe sends three warriors on a quest for more. With the tribe's future at stake, the warriors make their way across a treacherous landscape full of hostile tribes and monstrous beasts. On their journey, they encounter Ika, a woman who has the knowledge they seek.

Quest for Fire

1981

When Trumpets Fade poster
6.6

In WWII Western Germany, Private David Manning reluctantly leaves behind a mortally wounded fellow soldier and searches for survivors from his platoon, only to learn from commanding officer Captain Pritchett that they have all been killed in action. Despite requesting a discharge on the grounds of mental disability, Manning is promoted to sergeant and assigned to lead a new platoon of young inductees.

When Trumpets Fade

1998

The Gate poster
6.1

Three young children accidentally release a horde of nasty, pint-sized demons from a hole in a suburban backyard. What follows is a classic battle between good and evil as the three kids struggle to overcome a nightmarish hell that is literally taking over the Earth.

The Gate

1987

Atlantic City poster
6.8

In a corrupt city, a small-time gangster and the estranged wife of a pot dealer find themselves thrown together in an escapade of love, money, drugs and danger.

Atlantic City

1980

Ice Castles poster
7.3

Alexis is on top of the world until a tragic accident dashes her hopes and dreams of becoming a world-class figure skater. Only with the help of those who love her can she prove to the world — and herself — that she still has the potential to realize her dreams.

Ice Castles

1978

Behind the camera

The Wraith poster
6.4

Packard Walsh and his motorized gang control and terrorize an Arizona desert town where they force drivers to drag-race so they can 'win' their vehicles. After Walsh beats the decent teenager Jamie Hankins to death after finding him with his girlfriend, a mysterious power creates Jake Kesey, an extremely cool motor-biker who has a car which is invincible. Jake befriends Jamie's girlfriend Keri Johnson, takes Jamie's sweet brother Bill under his wing and manages what Sheriff Loomis couldn't; eliminate Packard's criminal gang the hard way...

The Wraith

1986

Quest for Fire poster
7.0

In the prehistoric world, a Cro-Magnon tribe depends on an ever-burning source of fire, which eventually extinguishes. Lacking the knowledge to start a new fire, the tribe sends three warriors on a quest for more. With the tribe's future at stake, the warriors make their way across a treacherous landscape full of hostile tribes and monstrous beasts. On their journey, they encounter Ika, a woman who has the knowledge they seek.

Quest for Fire

1981

When Trumpets Fade poster
6.6

In WWII Western Germany, Private David Manning reluctantly leaves behind a mortally wounded fellow soldier and searches for survivors from his platoon, only to learn from commanding officer Captain Pritchett that they have all been killed in action. Despite requesting a discharge on the grounds of mental disability, Manning is promoted to sergeant and assigned to lead a new platoon of young inductees.

When Trumpets Fade

1998

The Gate poster
6.1

Three young children accidentally release a horde of nasty, pint-sized demons from a hole in a suburban backyard. What follows is a classic battle between good and evil as the three kids struggle to overcome a nightmarish hell that is literally taking over the Earth.

The Gate

1987

Atlantic City poster
6.8

In a corrupt city, a small-time gangster and the estranged wife of a pot dealer find themselves thrown together in an escapade of love, money, drugs and danger.

Atlantic City

1980

Ice Castles poster
7.3

Alexis is on top of the world until a tragic accident dashes her hopes and dreams of becoming a world-class figure skater. Only with the help of those who love her can she prove to the world — and herself — that she still has the potential to realize her dreams.

Ice Castles

1978

Louisiana poster
4.7

Virginia Tregan returns to her home in the U.S. Deep South from a sojourn in Paris only to discover that her family plantation and its holdings have been lost. She determines to recoup her family's fortune.

Louisiana

1984

Iron Eagle II poster
4.5

Chappy Sinclair is called to gather together a mixed Soviet/U.S. strike force that will perform a surgical strike on a massively defended nuclear missile site in the Middle East. Chappy finds that getting the Soviet and U.S. Pilots to cooperate is only the most minor of his problems as he discovers someone in the Pentagon is actively sabotaging his mission.

Iron Eagle II

1988

The Park Is Mine poster
5.6

A Vietnam vet takes forceful control of Central Park to remember those who served and died in the Vietnam War.

The Park Is Mine

1986

The Boy in Blue poster
5.0

Ned Hanlan was Canada's most successful sculling champion at the turn of the 20th century. This dramatization of his life begins in his youth, when the wild young man is informally adopted by a gambler who promotes Ned on the sculling circuit, betting on the boy's rowing skills solely to make money off him. Later, a ruthless businessman named Knox takes over Ned's career, but when Ned realizes how dishonest Knox is, he finds another manager. Walter is an inventor and the first honest man Ned has dealt with in his career and, under Walter's guidance, Ned rises to great success in the sculling world.

The Boy in Blue

1986

White Line Fever poster
6.1

An independent trucker with a pregnant wife fights cargo crooks and the big shot they work for.

White Line Fever

1975

The Josephine Baker Story poster
6.0

Biography of the African-American who became a major performer in the Paris cabarets of the 1920s and 1930s. The film follows her life beginning as a struggling performer in 1917 St. Louis, her frustrations leading to her move to France, and follows to her death in 1975. Written by John Sacksteder

The Josephine Baker Story

1991

Dead Silence poster
5.9

Three escaped convicts take a group of deaf students hostage.

Dead Silence

1997

Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story poster
5.9

A biographical portrayal of Simon Wiesenthal, famous Nazi Hunter. From his imprisonment in a Nazi Concentration Camp, the film follows his liberation and his rise to become one of the leading Nazi hunters in the world, bringing such criminals to justice as Adolf Eichmann and Klaus Barbee. (Written by Anthony Hughes)

Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story

1989

The Blood of Others poster
5.2

In the German-occupied Paris, Helene is torn between the love for her boyfriend Jean, working for the resistance and the German administrator Bergmann, who will do anything to gain her affection.

The Blood of Others

1984

The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz poster
6.1

The younger son of a working-class Jewish family in Montreal, Duddy Kravitz yearns to make a name for himself in society. This film chronicles his short and dubious rise to power, as well as his changing relationships with family and friends. Along the way the film explores the themes of anti-semitism and the responsibilities which come with adulthood.

The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz

1974

No artwork available
NR

By using film as a means of communication, the people of Fogo Island, Newfoundland, voice some of their concerns. This film discusses efforts to obtain provincial support for the United Maritimes Fisheries Co-op to run the Seldom fish plant, and comments on the subsequent decision by the Newfoundland government in favour of the Yellow Fish Company.

Citizen Discussions

1967

Red King, White Knight poster
6.4

The CIA hears of a KGB scheme to assassinate the Soviet General Secretary and enlists Stoner, an agent retired for 10 years, to go to Russia to investigate. He verifies the plot, but then has trouble leaving the country. In the meantime, the U.S. policy makers struggle over whether or not to inform the Soviets of the plot. Stoner's problems are complicated by the renewal of an affair with Anna, a Russian, as he tries to convince her to defect.

Red King, White Knight

1989

Teamster Boss: The Jackie Presser Story poster
5.8

For a generation, the mobs main money machine was the Teamsters Union. When Jimmy Hoffa disappeared, the fight was on to see who could follow him. Jackie Presser was the son of a long time union board member and when he retired, Jackie was elevated to one of the most powerful position in the country; President of the Teamsters Union.

Teamster Boss: The Jackie Presser Story

1992

Shadow of the Hawk poster
6.0

After years of living in the city and working in a business world altogether apart from his roots, Mike, a westernized First Nations, is contacted by freelance reporter Maureen, who was enlisted by his grandfather, shaman Old Man Hawk, to track his grandson. When Mike assents to returning with Maureen, they find that the village is beset by the evil spirit of an ancient sorceress, Dsonoqua, animating beasts and objects and causing strange, deadly accidents. Only the heir of the tribe’s shaman can stand in the way of the evil and protect his people, but will Mike be able to harness his power in time?

Shadow of the Hawk

1976

Don't Let the Angels Fall poster
8.6

The lives of a businessman and his family begin to spiral downward after he has an affair at an insurance convention.

Don't Let the Angels Fall

1969

No artwork available
NR

A discussion on the methods of fishing, marketing, organization and welfare in Norway, with reference to the situation on Fogo Island.

Thoughts on Fogo and Norway

1967

No artwork available
NR

By using film as a means of communication, the people of Fogo Island, Newfoundland, voice some of their daily concerns. This film discusses fishermen's cooperation, the need for a fish plant, and adult education.

Andrew Britt at Shoal Bay

1967

The Best Damn Fiddler from Calabogie to Kaladar poster
7.7

"The Best Damn Fiddler from Calabogie to Kaladar" tells the story of Emery Prometer, a proud bush worker in Ottawa Valley, resisting government aid to support his family. The film compassionately depicts their struggles and the resolve of Emery's daughter, Rosie, (Margot Kidder in her film debut) to break the cycle of poverty through education. This '60s NFB standout authentically portrays their dignity amid hardship, showcasing Canadian filmmaking despite hurdles from private broadcasters' cost concerns. The Best Damn Fiddler from Calabogie to Kaladar won eight Canadian Film Awards, including Best Picture (John Kemeny, Barrie Howells), Director (Peter Pearson), Cinematography (Tony Ianzelo), Screenplay (Joan Finnegan) and Lead Actor (Chris Wiggins).

The Best Damn Fiddler from Calabogie to Kaladar

1969

Billy Crane Moves Away poster
NR

This short documentary features Newfoundland fisherman Billy Crane, who speaks frankly on the state of the inshore fishery and how the lack of government support has contributed to the industry’s downfall. He is being forced to leave home to seek employment in Toronto. This film was made with the Challenge for Change program.

Billy Crane Moves Away

1967

McGraths at Home and Fishing poster
NR

A discussion about Fogo Island fishing, with some criticisms of the longliners.

McGraths at Home and Fishing

1967

The Circle poster
7.0

Produced in 1967, this black and white film is an inmate's view of Daytop, a drug treatment centre on Staten Island, New York, where addicts learn to get along without drugs. Uncompromising, often brutal group therapy sessions are designed to shake loose the excuses a victim makes for himself. The people and situations shown are authentic; only one actor was employed. The results obtained at Daytop are regarded by some psychiatrists as a breakthrough.

The Circle

1967

Ride for Your Life poster
9.0

This short documentary is about Mike Duff, a Canadian motorcycle racer, and the sport that almost killed him. After a near-fatal crash in Japan and extensive surgery and therapy, Duff returned to racing to claim two victories in Canadian races. Though the sport takes its toll on the lives of his friends and fellow competitors annually, the racer explains he can’t give up just yet – not before winning a world championship.

Ride for Your Life

1967

No artwork available
NR

By using film as a means of communication, the people of Fogo Island, Newfoundland, voice some of their daily concerns and thoughts about the future. Some of the problems discussed are the fishermen's unions, the fish plant, able-bodied men on welfare, the problems of education, and the issue of the consolidation of schools.

Some Problems of Fogo

1967

No artwork available
NR

By using film as a means of communication, the people of Fogo Island, Newfoundland, voice some of their daily concerns. In this film, some of the problems discussed are the lack of fish and the inability to market any species but cod.

Fishermen's Meeting

1967

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Leonard Cohen poster
7.2

A 1964 documentary portrait of Cohen in his pre-musician days as a poet and stand-up comedian.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Leonard Cohen

1966

The Game poster
8.0

It’s the typical boy-meets-girl game, but played without rules and at a time when the boy must prove himself. Touching on the subject of teenage sexuality, the film shows that the game often starts with a challenge to the boy’s masculine ego from his peers.

The Game

1966

The Bay Boy poster
5.7

A Roman Catholic teenage boy in Glace Bay, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia during the 1930s faces various growing-up problems: Should he become a priest? What should he do about the murder he witnessed, committed by a local cop and upstanding parishioner? And how far should he go with his girlfriend, who happens to be the murderer's daughter?

The Bay Boy

1984

The Fogo Island Improvement Committee poster
NR

The Fogo Island Improvement Committee discusses the building of a speaking platform for the anticipated visit of the Newfoundland premier.

The Fogo Island Improvement Committee

1967

A Woman's Place poster
NR

Two women discuss the roles and problems of women, education, and shopping on Fogo Island.

A Woman's Place

1967

No artwork available
NR

The story of how one Fogo Island family managed to raise an old passenger boat from where it had been sitting for four years, and to renovate it for use as a fishing boat, despite lack of capital and government aid.

The Story of the Up Top

1967

You're No Good poster
10.0

Troubled youth Eddie McGeer, on a whim, steals a motorcycle and takes it on a short joy ride with his girlfriend Marie before they ditch it when they hear police sirens. Indeed, the police do know he stole the bike. Eddie doesn't know what to do except hang low for for while and dream about getting away from his troubles by going someplace like Acapulco with Marie. He tells his friends that they haven't seen him if anyone asks. He doesn't tell his mother what trouble he's in this time. And his social worker, knowing something is the matter, tries to get him to at least open up to him. Eddie eventually does tell his social worker, who knows that Eddie is not a bad kid but a scared one who needed to grow up far too quickly. Only Eddie can decide to take his advice to turn himself in, or continue to run, especially as Marie seems to be distancing herself further and further from him

You're No Good

1965

No artwork available
NR

This documentary short captures a lively confrontation between the American community organizer and writer Saul Alinsky, and the members of the Conpany of Young Canadians (CYC). Among other topics, the parties argue and disagree about the means and costs of securing social change.

Encounter with Saul Alinsky - Part 1: CYC Toronto

1967

No artwork available
NR

Through the use of film as a means of communication, the people of Fogo Island, Newfoundland, voice some of their daily concerns. This film looks at the success of the longliner and the problems encountered in obtaining and running it.

Dan Roberts on Fishing

1967

No artwork available
NR

This short film presents a discussion about the role of merchants on Fogo Island, and of the feasibility of cooperatives.

The Merchant and the Teacher

1967