The Man Who Might Have Been: An Inquiry into the Life and Death of Herbert Norman
This feature documentary is a portrait of Herbert Norman, the Canadian ambassador to Egypt who leapt to his death in 1957. During his remarkable career, Norman had been a trusted aide of General MacArthur in post-war Japan and later played a key role in the Suez crisis. But for years, a US Senate subcommittee probed his past while the FBI accumulated a huge file on him, refusing to accept an RCMP investigation that cleared him of being a communist spy. Interviews with key players and dramatizations help reconstruct Herbert Norman's life.
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This feature documentary is a portrait of Herbert Norman, the Canadian ambassador to Egypt who leapt to his death in 1957. During his remarkable career, Norman had been a trusted aide of General MacArthur in post-war Japan and later played a key role in the Suez crisis. But for years, a US Senate subcommittee probed his past while the FBI accumulated a huge file on him, refusing to accept an RCMP investigation that cleared him of being a communist spy. Interviews with key players and dramatizations help reconstruct Herbert Norman's life.
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writerJohn Kramer
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directorJohn Kramer
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producerGerry Flahive
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castGreg Ellwand
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director of photographyAndreas Poulsson
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music composerMark Korven
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orchestrationMark Korven
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editorDavid Kazala
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additional editingNick Hector
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narratorKenneth Welsh
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sound recordistJohn Martin
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sound editorAlan Geldart
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production managerElizabeth Klinck
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location coordinatorNobuko MatsushitaNaila Hamdy
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camera assistantLori Longstaff
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researchElizabeth KlinckNadine Simunic
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archival film researchTanya Fleet
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production assistantNadine SimmirTina HahnEnrico Pradal
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historical consultantRoger Bowen
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historical advisorToshiko Nakano
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stills photographyJohn Walker
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graphicsMartha Newbigging
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translationNobuko MatsushitaDeirdre Tanaka
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re-recordingPeter Kelly
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foley artistSteve Hammond
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colour correctionJoanne Rourke
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performerFrank BlanchDerek CurwinErnest DyckLisa MininniMichael O'Neill
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production supervisorKemp Archibald
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post-production coordinatorRuss McMillen
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post-production assistantPeter St. Laurent
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program administratorIda Di Fruscia
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program administration assistantLorena Philp
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castingTait-Ritchie Casting
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additional castingIvan Sutton
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propsDexter Bonaparte
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executive producerLouise Lore
Herman Norman ended his life in 1959. Although he had been cleared by the RCMP of any wrongdoing, he was continually accused of being a communist spy by the U.S. This documentary takes the viewer through significant world events, from the stock market crash in 1929 to the Cold War. The film can lead students into discussions, debates and research essays about Norman’s life, McCarthyism, and the far-reaching implications of being associated with communism in this era.