Don McLean–who reigned for decades as Canada’s most influential production house executive, helping to launch assorted companies as well as directorial careers–passed away last month of complications from heart bypass surgery. He was 72.
Best known for his long tenure at the helm of The Partners’ Film Company, Toronto–which he headed up until the day before his surgery–McLean had an ad career that spanned nearly 50 years. He began on the agency side of the business in 1957 as a radio and TV commercial producer at Vickers & Benson Advertising, Toronto. In ’62, he moved over to Needham Louis & Brorby, which soon became Needham Harper & Steers, Toronto, where he served as director of radio and TV production.
McLean jumped over to the production house arena in ’67, becoming general manager of Rabko Television Productions, a Toronto shop that was having difficulties. During his tenure there, he helped to revive that company, assembling a respected core of filmmaking talent.
In ’78, McLean was one of seven partners who launched Canada’s mainstay commercial production house, The Partners’ Film Company. Exec producer McLean was partnered with head of production John Sheridan, cinematographer George Morita and four commercial directors: Bill Irish, Ian Leech, Doug Moshoian and Brian Marshall. At Partners’, McLean mentored numerous directors, executive producers, producers and other artisans, while spawning the creation of various satellite and entrepreneurial shops.
In ’88, control of Partners’ was sold to Supercorp Inc., a partnership which included John Labatt Ltd. Seven years later, McClean bought Partners’ back from Labatt and became the sole owner of the production house.
MENTORSHIP
Among the many artisans to benefit from their relationship with McLean was director Steve Chase of Santa Monica-based Reactor Films. “I owe my career to Don,” said Chase. “I’m one of many people–directors, DPs, editors, producers, crewmembers–who can make that statement. He bred confidence in people and helped them grow. He was like my father.
“My fear is that there’s no one to fill Don’s shoes in terms of having the influence to convince people to use young directors,” continued Chase. “He made jobs happen. He helped my generation of directors–and the generation before me. But the next generation will never know his generosity and support.”
Chase hopes to help fill a portion of this large mentorship void by now organizing those artisans whose lives were positively impacted by McLean. During McLean’s memorial service in Toronto, which drew some 1,000 people, Chase networked with several of the attendees, asking them to consider putting aside a day to work with young, aspiring talent. Chase plans to organize an annual event in which established professionals will turn out to mentor up-and-coming artisans in Canada. This, he said, would be a fitting tribute to McLean, helping to continue, at least in part, his legacy.
TALENT SCOUT
Gary Prouk, an agency veteran who currently is a principal in the Sebastian Consultancy, Toronto, said in his eulogy of longtime friend McLean, “He saw things in people that I don’t think a lot of them really saw in themselves. Thanks to him there isn’t a major director, editor, producer or technician in Canada that doesn’t have bloodlines tracing back to him.”
Prouk’s agency pedigree includes serving as executive creative director at DDB, Toronto, and then heading up Scali McCabe Sloves, Toronto. Prouk estimated that over the years, he collaborated with McLean on upwards of 130 commercials. For McLean, spots were a labor of love, as reflected in Prouk’s eulogy of the Partners’ chieftain.
“Bill Bernbach once said, ‘A principle isn’t a principle until it costs you money.’ I mentioned this to Don one time and he just smiled,” said Prouk to the memorial gathering. “Because in the thirty-five years I knew him, I never saw Don not try to make a commercial he loved, even when neither you, nor he, could afford it. I absolutely believe that some of Canada’s finest commercials would never have been produced, if it hadn’t been for Don voting with his heart, instead of his head.”
“THE DON”
Roberto Cecchini, executive producer and sole owner of bicoastal The Artists Company, met McLean 20-plus years ago, dating back to when Cecchini became interested in a Partners’ director, Jeremiah Chechik, for stateside representation. “At that time, Partners’ was already the largest production house in the world,” related Cecchini, who went on to successfully launch Chechik in the American ad market.
Cecchini and McLean wound up working together regularly over the years. During a stretch when Cecchini primarily worked and lived in Europe, he brought jobs from agencies in such markets as France, Germany and Italy to Canada for filming, with the production facilitated by Partners’.
Cecchini described McLean as “a titan of the production industry. He had such powerful relations with agency creatives and was able to take young directors–like Chechik and Bruce Dowad to name just two–and get them the kind of projects that could build their careers and foster their growth. Don had a vertically integrated operation–stages, equipment companies, labs, editorial house, effects houses–that could produce jobs in a cost-effective fashion, generating opportunities for directors. These were opportunities that helped directors go on to have great careers.”
Partners’, observed Cecchini, was an incubator of not only great talent but of varied industry businesses. On the latter score, Partners’ set up, financed and/or provided resources that were used, estimated Cecchini, by 50 to 75 percent of the production industry in Toronto, spanning, production houses, music video companies, post shops, stages and assorted other entrepreneurial ventures. “Don was an extraordinarily self-confident, brilliant man who turned everything into success,” related Cecchini. “His confidence, his belief in and love for the production industry, and his vision translated into the kind of leader who only comes along once in every couple of generations.”
After a hiatus, The Artists Company recently renewed its professional ties to Partners’. Three months ago, Partners’ again became The Artists Company’s Toronto-based production resource, facilitating a couple of jobs. Cecchini said that he was gratified to know that their getting back together again represented a source of “joy and satisfaction” for McLean.
McLean was simply known as “The Don,” reflecting his lead role in shaping Canada’s production community. “There won’t be another like him. I don’t think anyone can attain ‘The Don’ status he enjoyed,” related Ross McLean, one of Don McLean’s three sons. “His passing marks the end of an era.”
Ross McLean continues to head operations for Partners’ holdings. He and others will collectively help to succeed Don McLean in the management of Partners’. That management team is headed by president Gigi Realini, whom Don McLean tabbed as his successor, with Liane Thomas and John Smythe serving as VPs.
Don McLean is survived by three sons, eight grandchildren, two daughters in-law, his sister, a brother in-law and a sister in-law. McLean was predeceased by his wife Joan, his brother Ross and his brother-in-law Michael Halicki.
In lieu of flowers, McLean’s family requests that donations be made to the Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit, Trillium Health Centre, c/o Manager Cardiac Surgery ICU, 100 Queensway West, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5G 1B8.
