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| Jazz legend Oscar Peterson and Frank Sinatra were both fans of Clairtone's futuristic "Project G" home listening system... sweet! |
Here's the scoop...
For a decade, Clairtone Sound Corporation captured the spirit of the times: sophisticated, cosmopolitan, liberated. From its modern oiled-walnut and teak stereos to its minimalist logos and promotional materials, Clairtone produced a powerful and enduring body of work that epitomized iconic mid-century design.
Clairtone soared to international acclaim, becoming a symbol of Canadian ingenuity and modernity; however, after six years of spectacular growth, Clairtone’s collision with economic challenges led to their dramatic decline.
Writes Peter Munk's daughter Nina Munk: "As some of you know, my father Peter Munk and David Gilmour founded Clairtone Sound Corporation in 1958. For a brief but dazzling stretch it was one of Canada’s most admired companies, celebrated for its sleek designs and daring advertising. Clairtone's Project G hi-fi became a symbol of the Swinging Sixties: Hugh Hefner had one, Frank Sinatra too, and Oscar Peterson swore his music sounded as good on the Project G as it did live.
"A new documentary tells the story of Clairtone’s meteoric rise and spectacular fall — a story of audacity, beauty, and the boundless optimism of invention. When the director Ron Mann asked me to narrate the film, I didn't hesitate. Not only because Ron is a superb filmmaker, but because Clairtone was my father’s “first love,” as he often said. More ruefully, he once told the New York Times, “Clairtone was the single most formative experience in my life because it was so traumatic.”
"I was born the year Clairtone collapsed — the year my father remembered as the worst of his life. Clairtone has always loomed large in my imagination, as it did in his. A few years ago, together with the curator Rachel Gotlieb, I wrote a book about the company. And now this. If my father were still alive, he'd be over the moon to see this story on screen.
"The world premiere is Friday, December 5 at Toronto's Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, where Ron and I will be speaking. Tickets are still available. A national tour follows with screenings in Montréal, Vancouver, Victoria, Halifax, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary, and Kingston."
Ron Mann's "Clairtone" documentary premieres at Hot Docs Cinema (506 Bloor St. West) on Friday (December 5) at 6 pm with Ron Mann and Nina Munk present. For upcoming screenings near you, check out the dates listed below and/or visit the Films We Like site in the links section. Check the clips featuring Clairtone co-founder Peter Munk, his Clairtone operation and their products.
