Donald Jack
Encyclopedia
Donald Lamont Jack was a Canadian novelist and playwright.
He was born in Radcliffe
, Bury
, England
and grew up in Britain, attending the well regarded Bury Grammar School
and Marr College
and later serving in the RAF
in World War II
(1943–47).
After the war he emigrated to Canada
in 1951, and became a Canadian citizen in 1964. From 1955-57 he was a scriptwriter for Crawley Films
. After 1957 he became a full-time freelance writer.
He wrote for the stage, radio, and for television programs such as General Motors Theatre
, The Unforeseen, Playdate, Hatch's Mill
, The Forest Rangers
, and On Camera
, but he is most famous for his novels, the Bandy Papers, which recount the humorous adventures of Bartholomew Bandy
, a World War I
fighter pilot. His play The Canvas Barricade
was the first Canadian play produced at the Stratford Festival of Canada
. Other stage plays included Exit Muttering, Crash, and Minuet for Brass Band. He had 39 TV plays produced, 22 radio plays, and numerous documentaries. Most of Jack's book-length works are being re-published, or published for the first time, by Sybertooth
.
Jack died of a stroke.
He was born in Radcliffe
Radcliffe, Greater Manchester
Radcliffe is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on undulating ground in the Irwell Valley, along the course of the River Irwell, south-west of Bury and north-northwest of Manchester. Radcliffe is contiguous with the town of Whitefield to the...
, Bury
Bury
Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and grew up in Britain, attending the well regarded Bury Grammar School
Bury Grammar School
Bury Grammar School is an independent grammar school in Bury, Greater Manchester, England, that has existed since Kev Cryer was born, c.1570. The current headmaster is the Reverend Steven Harvey MA. The previous headmaster, Keith Richards MA, retired after sixteen years of headmastership on 7...
and Marr College
Marr College
-History:Marr College was funded from the money left to the town of Troon by C. K. Marr. It opened in 1935.-Notable former pupils:*Ronni Ancona, actress*Tom Brighton, footballer*Gordon Brown, rugby player*Alan Hutton, footballer*Donald Jack, writer...
and later serving in the RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(1943–47).
After the war he emigrated to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1951, and became a Canadian citizen in 1964. From 1955-57 he was a scriptwriter for Crawley Films
F. R. Crawley
Frank Radford "Budge" Crawley, OC was an Academy Award winning film producer from Canada.-Career:Crawley was known for making avant-garde films with his wife Judith Crawley...
. After 1957 he became a full-time freelance writer.
He wrote for the stage, radio, and for television programs such as General Motors Theatre
General Motors Theatre
General Motors Theatre was a Canadian television anthology series, which ran on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation under its various titles from 1953 until 1961. First transmitted under the sponsored title on October 5 1954, a new 60-minute drama would be presented each week...
, The Unforeseen, Playdate, Hatch's Mill
Hatch's Mill
Hatch's Mill was a short-lived Canadian comedy television show that aired on CBC Television in 1967.-Premise:This filmed comedy series was among CBC Television's first colour productions. It was set in the 1830s and portrayed the life of the Hatch family members who were settlers in what is now...
, The Forest Rangers
The Forest Rangers
The Forest Rangers was a Canadian television series that ran from 1963 to 1965. It was a co-production between CBC Television and ITC Entertainment and was Canada's first television show produced in colour...
, and On Camera
On Camera
On Camera was a Canadian dramatic anthology television series which aired on CBC Television from 1954 to 1958.-Premise:Various dramatic and comedic works were featured in On Camera, as written or adapted by Canadian writers.-Scheduling:...
, but he is most famous for his novels, the Bandy Papers, which recount the humorous adventures of Bartholomew Bandy
Bartholomew Bandy
The Bandy Papers is a series of novels by British-Canadian author Donald Jack chronicling the exploits of a World War I fighter ace named Bartholomew Wolfe Bandy. Every book in the Bandy Papers series contains the word 'me' in the title as do many of the chapter titles which can also be interpreted...
, a World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
fighter pilot. His play The Canvas Barricade
The Canvas Barricade
The Canvas Barricade is a two-act play by Donald Jack. It won a Canadian play-writing competition held jointly by The Globe and Mail and the Stratford Festival, and had a six-performance run at the Stratford Festival in 1961. It was the first original Canadian play produced at Stratford...
was the first Canadian play produced at the Stratford Festival of Canada
Stratford Festival of Canada
The Stratford Shakespeare Festival is an internationally recognized annual celebration of theatre running from April to November in the Canadian city of Stratford, Ontario...
. Other stage plays included Exit Muttering, Crash, and Minuet for Brass Band. He had 39 TV plays produced, 22 radio plays, and numerous documentaries. Most of Jack's book-length works are being re-published, or published for the first time, by Sybertooth
Sybertooth
Sybertooth is a Canadian book publishing company based in Sackville, New Brunswick. They publish fiction, non-fiction, stage plays, and poetry....
.
Jack died of a stroke.
Published Works (Novels, Plays, and Non-Fiction)
- Three Cheers for Me - 1962 (Winner of the 1963 Stephen Leacock Award)
- Exit Muttering - 1972
- Three Cheers for Me (revised & expanded edition) - 1973
- That's Me in the Middle - 1973 (Winner of the 1974 Stephen Leacock Award)
- It's Me Again - 1975 (Also published as two volumes, It's Me Again & Me Among the Ruins)
- Sinc, Betty and the Morning Man - 1977 (non-fiction)
- Me Bandy, You Cissie - 1979 (Winner of the 1980 Stephen Leacock Award)
- Rogues, Rebels, and Geniuses: The Story of Canadian Medicine - 1981 (non-fiction)
- Me Too - 1983
- This One's On Me - 1987
- Me So Far - 1989
- Hitler Versus Me: The Return of Bartholomew Bandy - 1996
- Stalin Versus Me - 2005
- Hitler Versus Me paperback combining H vs M with the author's novelette, "Where Did Rafe Madison Go?" - 2006
- The Canvas BarricadeThe Canvas BarricadeThe Canvas Barricade is a two-act play by Donald Jack. It won a Canadian play-writing competition held jointly by The Globe and Mail and the Stratford Festival, and had a six-performance run at the Stratford Festival in 1961. It was the first original Canadian play produced at Stratford...
- 2007 (stage play) - Me Bandy, You Cissie paperback combining the novel with the author's radio play Banner's Headline - 2009
- Three Cheers for Me 50th anniversary edition of the original 1962 version, with a foreword by Paul MarlowePaul MarlowePaul Marlowe is a Canadian author of historical fiction and science fiction. Much of his historical fiction is connected in some way with the Etheric Explorers Club, a Victorian society devoted to investigating unusual or supernatural phenomena.-Radio Plays:...
- 2011
Stageplays
- Humbly, for Fyodor (1953)
- Minuet for Brass Band (1953) A 3-act play first performed at the Canadian Theatre School in Toronto, founded by Sterndale Bennett.
- Flamacue Serenade
- The Canvas BarricadeThe Canvas BarricadeThe Canvas Barricade is a two-act play by Donald Jack. It won a Canadian play-writing competition held jointly by The Globe and Mail and the Stratford Festival, and had a six-performance run at the Stratford Festival in 1961. It was the first original Canadian play produced at Stratford...
(1961) A 2-act comedy about an artist defying materialism. Set on the Quebec-Ontario border, and in Toronto. Performed in 1961 at the Stratford Festival, where it was the first original Canadian play performed. Music by Harry FreedmanHarry FreedmanHarry Freedman , was a Canadian composer, english hornist, and music educator of Polish birth. He wrote a significant amount of symphonic works, including several film scores, and also composed a substantial amount of chamber music... - Exit Muttering (1962) A 2-act comedy first performed at the Grenville Street Playhouse, directed by Hugh Webster, with set design by Vincent Vaitiekunas. Published 1974.
- Reckless (1969/1971)
- Folly (1985) Alternate titles: Love in Business Hours; Pension Play.
- Blast (1988) Comedy about espionage at an English country house.
- Crash A 2-act comedy about a timpanist who inherits a funeral home. First performed at the Ontario Playwrights' Showcase.
Radio Plays
- Three Cheers for Me (CBC Theatre 10:30, 1972)
- Your Tiny Head is Frozen (for CBCCanadian Broadcasting CorporationThe Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
Stage) - Grave Tidings (for Sunday Theatre)
- Banner's Headline
- More Joy in HeavenMore Joy in HeavenMore Joy in Heaven is a novel written by Canadian author Morley Callaghan and published in 1937.The central figure, Kip Caley, was inspired by Norman Ryan , a criminal who had committed a number of robberies in Quebec, Ontario and the United States.Callaghan's friend Ernest Hemingway had also...
(dramatization of Morley CallaghanMorley CallaghanMorley Callaghan, was a Canadian novelist, short story writer, playwright, TV and radio personality.-Biography:...
's novel for Theatre 10:30)