Appraisal note: Masters of the final films in the Chabot Solo series and By the Seat of their Pants were kept as the final expression of the projects (digital copies were acquired in order to facilitate access). Any raw footage, sound recordings of interviews and textual material that had substantively unique material not captured in the final films was kept. Archival research footage was kept where there was a risk that it had not been transferred to another archival institution (Willy Lazerich home movies, for example). Lexiconed versions, final mixes, broadcast copies, intermediate production elements and archival footage not at risk of disappearance will be assessed again for disposition in 10 years after the donation.
Leslie Philip Harris, known as Les Harris, born 4 January 1947 in England, began his career as a local reporter for BBC Radio Sheffield in 1967 while still attending Sheffield University. He was accepted as a trainee to BBC TV's Film Editing course in London in 1968. He became an Assistant Film Editor and then a Film Editor at BBCTV before leaving the Corporation in 1972. That year he established Leshar Films for his film editing and directing projects, and also Leshar Film Sales Limited, a film distribution (to television) corporation. At this time he also began work on the documentary Chabot Solo part 1: 1914-1918 on early aviator Charles Chabot. Chabot Solo part 1 and its two sequel documentaries, Chabot Solo part 2: 1918-1939 and Chabot Solo part 3: 1939-1975 were released to television world-wide over a short period between 1974 to 1975 with BBCTV being the lead broadcaster. Part 3 was shot mainly in Newfoundland, and all post-production work was done in Canada. Soon thereafter, Harris founded Canamedia Productions Limited to facilitate his future independent work in Canada. When he immigrated to Toronto in 1976 he had a year’s contract to direct and produce the ‘Country Canada’ programme for the CBC’s Agriculture and Resources Department. CTV’s W5 then hired Harris through Canamedia as a Senior Field Producer where he covered stories on a wide-range of subjects and produced hosts Henry Champ, Jim Reed and Helen Hutchinson. During this time, he produced a segment for W5 on the newly certified Canadian amphibious aircraft, the Trident TriGull. Harris left CTV to produce his documentary Escape from Iran: The Inside Story and then the TV movie Escape from Iran: The Canadian Caper. Broadcast as a simulcast in Canada and the USA in 1981, Caper was the first ever prime-time Canadian movie production to be commissioned by an American network (CBS TV). Harris fought to get recognition for Pat Taylor, wife of Ambassador Ken Taylor, and Zena Sheardown, wife of Chief Immigration Officer John Sheardown, for their roles in safely hiding the "houseguests" in Tehran – both were finally awarded the Order of Canada. With a few limited exceptions, Harris has worked exclusively on Canamedia projects, winning such awards as the George Foster Peabody Award for his documentary Threads Of Hope, the Banff TV Festival Rocky award; Gold and Silver medals from the International Film and TV Festival of New York; three Geminis; the Canadian Film and Television Producers Association’s Best Production of the Year; and, was nominated for an International Emmy. For example, Harris produced, directed, edited, narrated and wrote the 1989 documentary, By the Seat of their Pants, on Canadian bush pilots, which also won a Gemini among other awards. In order to help finance the film productions, a distribution division of Canamedia Productions was established to license Canadian TV programs to worldwide TV. The production company led by Harris was also one of the three co-founders of the cable children’s television network, YTV. When regulations changed in 1998, the production and distribution activities of Canamedia were divided in order to form two new companies: Canamedia Film Productions Inc. and Canamedia Inc. During this period, Harris produced and directed the documentary Alien Obsession for Canamedia Film Productions Inc. and produced Faces of a Vanishing World for the US Ovation Network. Both the production and distribution company were sold in 2010 to Access Media, now called Distribution Access, but prior to the sale, Harris re-acquired the copyright of all the films he produced through Canamedia over his career. Although officially retired, Harris continues to work as a filmmaker and is currently just finishing filming a documentary in Costa Rica called The Ultimate Challenge: Survival of the Great Green about saving a parrot species called the Great Green Macaw.
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The archives may also be referred to as the Les Harris Aviation Films in order to distinguish this work from the rest of his oeuvre.
Fonds includes:
240 video cassettes (ca. 87 hours, 54 mins) : Betacam
79 audio reels (ca. 35 hours, 10 mins)
51 video cassettes (ca. 25 hours, 43 mins) : U-matic.
37 video cassettes (ca. 64 hours, 20 mins) : VHS
31 film reels (22 hours, 11 mins; 14,603 m) : 16 mm
2 linear metre of textual records
ca. 450 photographs
10 video cassettes (ca. 33 hours, 39 mins) : SP, Betacam
9 video reels (ca. 6 hours, 37 mins) : 1" Type C.
4 cassettes (ca. 4 hours, 6 m) : 8mm.
2 audio cassettes (ca. 1 hour 48 mins) : DAT, 2 track.
1 video cassette (ca. 6 mins) : VHS-C.
1 flying helmet
1 optical disc (ca. 12 mins)
The fonds consists of raw footage, archival footage, sound recordings, masters, final mixes, other intermediate film versions or elements, research materials, publicity materials and digital copies from three main projects: 1) Chabot Solo – 3 films on early aviator and WWI pilot Charles Chabot, covering his early flights on different aircraft and the development of aviation in general right through to the Concorde; 2) By the Seat of their Pants, a 1989 documentary on Canadian bush pilots; and 3) Trident Trigull – raw footage from a documentary on the amphibious airplane developed in Burnaby, British Columbia, produced for CTV’s W5. Research materials gathered by Harris as he wrote the Chabot Solo films or By the Seat of their Pants include textual records, photographs (including negatives and slides), and home movies. The fonds is arranged by project into three series.
All material in the fonds was found to be in good condition at the time of donation.
Les Harris stored his archives in his offices and home studios until he donated them to the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in 2017. Harris re-acquired copyright over the films he produced for Canamedia when the company was sold to Access Media in 2010.
No restrictions on access. Please make an appointment in advance so that we can check the availability of playback equipment.
As per the donation agreement, Les Harris retains copyright to all his works donated in this fonds. Ingenium and the Museum are licensed to use the material for all purposes consistent with the Museum’s activities (excluding commercial use, such as, for example, merchandising). We will refer any researcher seeking to reuse Harris’s works to him for permission. Harris also collected archival and other material with third-party copyright as part of his research process. These materials will be made available for private, research purposes, but it will be the researcher’s responsibility to find the rights holders and seek permission for any other use.
File/item-level inventory available upon request. The inventory was created by the donor and then updated by the archivist during processing.
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Les Harris began work on the documentary series Chabot Solo in 1971. Born in 1890, Charles Chabot was the oldest still-flying aviator when Harris began interviewing him that year. Interviews were recorded on reel-to-reel before any filming began. Harris then conducted research at the Imperial War Museum, the Royal Air Force Museum, the Royal Aeronautical Society, and the Southend Historical Aircraft Museum. He copied often fragile archival footage and photographs from the BBC Archives, Movietone and Pathé. In addition to photographs he received directly from Chabot, he also gathered material from contacts made through or by Chabot. Harris began shooting original footage with a rough shooting guide in the summer of 1972. 16mm cameras were used to shoot original material. The first film should have been completed at the end of 1973, but Harris was in a serious car accident and the last work on the first part of the project was delayed. Post-production work on the first film was completed in 1974. Part 3 was shot mainly in Newfoundland, and all post-production work was done in Canada. The last original footage for Part 3 of Charles Chabot taking the Concord to Gander was recorded in 1975. Chabot Solo part 1 and its two sequel documentaries, Chabot Solo part 2: 1918-1939 and Chabot Solo part 3: 1939-1975 were released to television world-wide over a short period between 1974 to 1975 with BBCTV being the lead broadcaster. Harris kept his production records and research materials, as well as film elements from the point of the first work print and negative trims to final masters and viewing or broadcast copies. The series is arranged into six main subseries: 1) Masters; 2) Viewing or broadcast copies; 3) Final mixes and international tracks; 4) Intermediate production elements; 5) Research material and other textual, art and photographic records; 6) Raw footage. There is also a flying helmet that Chabot wore in the film.
Series contains:
94 film reels (48 hours, 5 mins; 33,817 m) : 16 mm
75 audio reels (ca. 32 hours, 46 mins)
1 linear metre of textual records
8 video cassettes (ca. 6 hours, 25 mins) : U-matic.
6 video cassettes (ca. 5 hours 24 mins) : SP, Betacam
6 video reels (ca. 5 hours, 36 mins) : 1" Type C.
ca. 371 photographs
2 GB ( 4 films)
1 flying helmet
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Les Harris began work on a documentary on bush pilots in 1987, first under the working title of “Aviation in the North.” Noted bush pilot Punch Dickens served as historical consultant to the film. Harris and a small crew conducted a research trip in February 1988 where he shot some preliminary interviews and location footage with a JVC camera on VHS tapes. Later in 1988, Harris returned with Sony Betacam cameras to record extensive interview footage with pilots and others working in the industry. Harris conducted these interviews in their homes or places of work, including filming pilots during flights. A last trip to Yellowknife was made in February 1989 and additional footage was shot up until March 1989. Archival footage and photographs were gathered from the National Archives of Canada, Northern News Service Ltd, the Provincial Archives of Alberta, Cine audio visual, Provincial Archives of Manitoba, RCMP, National Defense, Bellevue Pathé, and Wardair. Harris also copied footage from three individuals: Punch Dickens, Willy Lazerich, and Thomas Pierce. Harris used VHS, U-matic and Betacam cassettes for editing and rough prints. Final masters are on 1” and were migrated to Betacam SP. Harris kept his production records and research materials, including photographs, notes, correspondence and clippings. The series has been arranged into seven subseries: 1) Masters; 2) Viewing or broadcast copies; 3) Final mixes and international tracks; 4) Intermediate production elements; 5) Research material and other textual and photographic records; 6) Raw footage; and, 7) Archival footage.
Series contains:
240 video cassettes (ca. 97 hours, 54 mins) : Betacam
43 video cassettes (ca. 19 hours, 18 mins) : U-matic
37 video cassettes (ca. 64 hours 20 mins) : VHS
1 linear metre of textual records
ca. 79 photographs
6 audio cassettes (ca. 9 hours)
4 cassettes (ca. 4 hours, 6 m) : 8mm
4 audio reels (ca. 2 hours, 24 mins)
4 video cassettes (ca. 2 hour, 6 mins) : SP, Betacam
3 audio discs (ca. 36 mins) : 33 1/3 rpm
2 audio cassettes (ca. 1 hour 48 mins) : DAT, 2 track
1 video reel (ca. 56 mins) : 1" Type C
1 video cassettes (ca. 6 mins) : VHS-C
1.2 GB (2 films)
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The series includes 16mm raw footage of the Trident TriGull, the amphibious airplane developed by Trident Aircraft in Burnaby, British Columbia. The footage was shot with a 16 mm camera in 1978 for a programme Les Harris directed and produced (Canamedia) for CTV’s W5. Editing took place in 1979 and the programme aired later that year. In addition to the footage, a copy of the programme was donated as well to act as a finding aid.
Rights for the finished programme remain with CTV. Les Harris has rights for the unused footage.