Elwy Yost was an icon for movie lovers. In Ontario, for decades, he hosted "Saturday Night at the Movies" available on the Ontario public TV network.
It was always a double bill and in between the films he would interview the directors and stars of those films - mostly films from the forties (my favourite era) but often moving into the fifties, sixties and seventies. They provided so much insight into how the films were made, written, shot and cast. His enthusiasm for the films he presented was infectious. This was always part of the charm.
Many of the directors, producers, stars and cinematographers have passed on now but I would imagine the archives of these incredible interviews have been preserved and to my knowledge he was the only film aficionado accumulating such an incredible body of cinematic behind-the-scenes work.
I salute you Elwy, us film buffs will sorely miss you.
You were truly one of a kind and always part of Saturday nights in our house. I am so glad I taped so, so much of all you presented including those priceless interviews!
RIP, my friend.
My sentiments also, I rarely missed Saturday night at the Movies when he was the host.On a personal note: my mother worked with him in the Toronto Star circulation department and I recall her talking about this pleasant co- worker with the odd name.
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ReplyDeleteAnother fan! I met him once at one of the TVO fundraisers, he had the most remarkable way of looking at you as if you were the only on in the room. And he always said he was doing what he loved and the bonus was getting paid for it.
Lovely that your mother worked with him!
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I love Saturday Night at the Movies! It is still on TVO every Saturday but it has never been the same since Elwy stopped hosting it.. He is definitely missed.
ReplyDeleteYes Heather, Shelagh Rogers did it for a while and then Johanna something, can't remember. But none had the knowledge and enthusiasm that Elwy offered, plus those priceless interviews - he did all the big stars, Henry Fonda, the Hustons, Shirley Maclaine, I could go on and on and their insight was incredible in discussing their art.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you were a fan too!!
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Another Elwy & SNAM fan here.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to believe that he stopped hosting in 1999 - doesn't seem like that long ago.
Shelagh Rogers did a good job (as she does with just about everything) as replacement host of the show but then she moved to CBC and was replaced by Johanna Schneller and the current host is Thom Ernst.
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ReplyDeleteMy, 12 years since he hosted! Yes I liked Shelagh but nothing could ever match Elwy, he was born to it, as the saying goes.
I'm so glad I had the foresight to do all that taping back in the day!!!
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Saw he and his wife on the subway one evening years ago. We gave each other the nod - mine of appreciation, his a thank you. Johanna is married to Ian Brown.
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