Photostory #512: Bruno Gerussi

Photographers
John Reeves
Maker
National Film Board of Canada
Release Date
November 1, 1970
Collection
CMCP fonds
Credit Line
Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography fonds, National Gallery of Canada Library and Archive
Main Text
In progress Photostory 1/4 : Cultural, popular, entertaining and informative, the daily radio show featuring Bruno Gerussi is carried to Canadians from sea to sea across the full sweep of the North American continent. Relying fully as much on the dynamic personality of Gerussi as on the high powered radio transmitters of the Canadian Broadcasting Company, this show brings to listeners a sparkling variety of views, opinions and creative works from the broad fields of the arts. _x000B__x000B_For Bruno Gerussi, with a background of many years of acclamation as a leading Shakespearean actor and theatrical personality, this radio show is a medium to project his abundant talents and interests and bring them before millions of Canadians as a rich daily fare. _x000B__x000B_Born in Medicine Hat, Alberta, he graduated from the Banff School of Fine Arts and the Seattle Repertory Play House where he acted and studied for three years. After a varied acting career ranging from radio drama series to touring Canada and the United States with professional companies, Mr. Gerussi became famed for his portrayal of leading roles at the Stratford Shakespearean Festival Company. For years, with gifted accomplishment, he earned praise at Stratford, Ontario, Chichester in England, the Edinburgh Festival and in cities across Canada and the United States. As Romeo, Brutus, Oberon, Autolycus, Bishop Cramer and in many other roles, he played the gamut of Shakespeare's works as well as title roles in such other productions as Peer Gynt. Then followed a television series in the title role of Louis Riel and leading parts in a host of other productions. He roved the country as a one-man show, played modern drama on radio, television and with touring companies, and continued with his Shakespearean successes. _x000B__x000B_Then with the loss of his wife, with children to look after, Bruno Gerussi turned more readily to the electronic media with its growing influence on the cultural life of the nation. Today, to that influence, Bruno Gerussi is contributing a welter of views on day-to-day happenings, current politics and the varied facets of a bustling Canada. His technique in human communications, rich in comment about social, scientific and industrial progress, is all the more enjoyable and provoking by Mr. Gerussi's wide knowledge of the arts, learned and demonstrated as one of the great professionals of modern dramatics.