MICHAEL SNOW

Michael Snow

SALUTE Michael Snow a Canadian Icon has passed away. Condolences to family and friends

I had the pleasure of knowing Michael personally and even attending a few of his art openings. We would often share a glass or two, and maybe even a toke or two, while listening to the talented Jazz band he would bring along. Though I must admit, I did suffer through a couple of his more experimental films. But let's not make this story about me. It's about the incredible party I was invited to after a Michael Snow retrospective at the AGO. Held in a lavish mansion in the affluent neighborhood of Rosedale, Toronto, I couldn't help but feel like a stranger in a strange land. The party had all the makings of a great time with delicious food and an abundance of booze, but it seemed like the usual crowd was missing. Even my attempts to strike up a conversation with Michael were thwarted by the never-ending line of admirers. Feeling a bit overwhelmed, I excused myself to find the nearest washroom. As I wandered upstairs, a door suddenly swung open and a head poked out, asking if I wanted to smoke a joint. Without hesitation, I followed the young man inside. To my surprise, he did one of those cool joint mouth flips and passed it to me, almost kissing me in the process. His name was George, and it finally dawned on me that he was none other than George Eaton himself. In no time, his brother Thor and his wife joined us, and we passed the joint back and forth while making introductions. Feeling much more relaxed, we floated down the stairs, thanks to the amazing cannabis. We grabbed some drinks and, not knowing anyone else at the party, followed the Eaton brothers to a cozy refuge under the stairs. As it turns out, they were not big on mingling either, and we spent the rest of the night chatting, drinking, and observing the party from our secluded spot. At one point, an elegant older lady appeared, bringing us drinks and sandwiches. It was none other than Mrs. Eaton, the mother of George and Thor. As I looked around at the surreal scene, I couldn't help but think that I have truly lived a wild and unexpected life.

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Elway Yost

My sister Gaille was Elway Yost's secretary for a few years at TV Ontario. "I had the incredible opportunity to meet and engage in conversation with the talented Elwy on multiple occasions. On two separate occasions, I was even asked to be a stand-by guest for his show, Magic Shadows. Though I never had the chance to step in, just being considered by Elwy himself was an honor I will never forget. As a devoted fan of Magic Shadows from the very start, these moments were truly unforgettable.

Keenan Wynn

This is me with Keenan Wynn during the shooting of 'The Ballonist' a "Littlest Hobo" episode shot in my parents home in Uxbridge Ontario in the Summer of 1980. It was directed by Allen Eastman (Alien) and Keenan enjoyed tormenting him a bit. Keenan and I spent the breaks talking about movies like 'Dr. Strangelove' etc. it was a fun afternoon. Keenan had the shakes a bit and didn't want to sign autographs, he always had the continuity girl around to take poloroids and gave out pictures instead .

Roy Payne

I first met Roy at the Horseshoe in the summer of 75 The horseshoe was across the street I was a regular and a good friend of Morty Starr the manager. Morty pointed to Roy setting up on stage. Morty told me that Roy owed him 3000 dollars so he had hired him for the whole month of August so he could get his money back. He told the waiter and the bartender not to let Roy have anything to drink until the last half of the show that night. Morty went off to the office. I was sitting in a booth opposite the bar with Morgan Vice who was leader of the usual house band. suddenly I felt something grab my ankle. it was Roy he had crawled under all the empty booths going back to the stage so that Morty or the Bartender couldn't see him. Get me a beer bye he croaked. I ordered him a beer and we became fast friends. He was at my bar pretty well every night for the month. At the end of the month Morty told me Roy owed him 6,000 dollars. One night Roy found a water pistol somewhere and squirted me...

Gary'sGlimpses

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