Leslie McFarlane
Writing
Known For
This short 1949 documentary studies the impact Canada's National Health Program has had on people who might otherwise not had been able to obtain medical help.
White Fortress

This short film is a re-enactment of the critical year in Dr. Frederick Banting's life when he discovered insulin for the treatment of diabetes at the University of Toronto. It depicts the odds against which he and his assistant, Charles Best, worked; the scepticism of other doctors and the final victory that gave thousands of diabetics hope for a healthier life.
The Quest

Herring Hunt is a 1953 French-English language documentary about the operations of a herring boat off the coast of British Columbia, directed by Julian Biggs, written by Leslie McFarlane, and produced by Guy Glover. It was nominated for an Oscar for Best Short Subject, One-Reel.
Herring Hunt

A close-up of a snow-bound city, and the men, money and machinery it takes to dig it out.
Snow Fighters
A wartime tribute to the men who built Canada's merchant ships during World War II and those who sailed in them. Alternating scenes in Canadian shipyards and at a merchant seamen's school show a ship taking shape as young men are trained to join its crew. When Hull 39 is launched, we follow it out to sea and hear the crew talking over their work and experiences in action.
Ships and Men

Featuring Jean Beliveau, this short film focuses on hockey from the inside out. Known as Canada's national pastime, this film demonstrates why hockey is such an exciting spectator sport. From east to west, the connection between fans and players is evident in the excited cries of "we've won!" From Pee-Wee to Bantam, from the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association to the big league pros, Here's Hockey! shows what it takes to make a great hockey player.
Here's Hockey!
An British Columbia Social Services Documentary.
A Friend at the Door
This is a Canadian Civil Defence documentary about what might happen during and after a nuclear attack. In particular it highlights the role of Civil Defence Welfare Services.
The Homeless Ones
This short documentary studies the contrast between the sedate Toronto of the turn of the century and the thriving, expanding metropolis of 1951. Aerial views give evidence of the conversion of the old Toronto into the new--the city with towering skyscrapers, teeming traffic arteries, vast industrial developments and far-reaching residential areas housing over a million people. Toronto's mid-century progress is also Canada's, as manifested in the building of Canada's first subway, and in the bustle of the nation's greatest trading centre--the Toronto Stock Exchange.