Lonely Boy (film)
Encyclopedia
Lonely Boy is a 1962 cinema verite
documentary about former teen sensation Paul Anka
. The film takes its name from Anka's hit song, Lonely Boy
, which he performs to screaming fans in the film. This short documentary is also unique for its use of hand-held cameras to record intimate backstage moments.
Co-directed by Roman Kroitor
and Wolf Koenig
, this National Film Board of Canada
production won a Canadian Film Award
as top film of the year and was nominated at the BAFTA Awards for its best short film prize.
film Privilege
. Watkins had studied the documentary in preparation for filming. The latter film deals with the phenomenal popularity of a pop singer and its abuse for political motives. One scene showing the central character Steven Shorter at a table with a venue owner is virtually a one-to-one reproduction of a scene in Lonely Boy, even using the same name (“Uncle Julie”) for the like-mannered venue owner. The cinema verité
style of Lonely Boy was also adopted, and one DVD release of Privilege included Lonely Boy as well as an excerpt of an essay on that film as extra features.
Cinéma vérité
Cinéma vérité is a style of documentary filmmaking, combining naturalistic techniques with stylized cinematic devices of editing and camerawork, staged set-ups, and the use of the camera to provoke subjects. It is also known for taking a provocative stance toward its topics.There are subtle yet...
documentary about former teen sensation Paul Anka
Paul Anka
Paul Albert Anka, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor.Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hit songs like "Diana'", "Lonely Boy", and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"...
. The film takes its name from Anka's hit song, Lonely Boy
Lonely Boy (Paul Anka song)
"Lonely Boy" is a song written and recorded by Paul Anka in 1959. Anka sang this song in the film Girls Town. When released as a single, it topped the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Anka's first song to do so, although he had earlier topped Billboard's Best Sellers in Stores chart with "Diana"...
, which he performs to screaming fans in the film. This short documentary is also unique for its use of hand-held cameras to record intimate backstage moments.
Co-directed by Roman Kroitor
Roman Kroitor
Roman Kroitor is a Canadian filmmaker who is known as an early practitioner of Cinéma vérité, as co-founder of IMAX, and as creator of the Sandde hand-drawn stereoscopic animation system...
and Wolf Koenig
Wolf Koenig
Wolf Koenig is a Canadian film director, producer, animator, cinematographer, and a pioneer in Direct Cinema at the NFB.-Early life:...
, this National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
production won a Canadian Film Award
Canadian Film Award
The Canadian Film Awards were the leading Canadian cinema awards from 1949 until 1978. These honours were conducted annually except in 1974 when Quebec directors withdrew their participation and prompted a cancellation that year....
as top film of the year and was nominated at the BAFTA Awards for its best short film prize.
Influence
Lonely Boy proved to be of substantial influence on the Peter WatkinsPeter Watkins
Peter Watkins is an English film and television director. He was born in Norbiton, Surrey, lived in Sweden, Canada and Lithuania for many years, and now lives in France. He is one of the pioneers of docudrama. His movies, pacifist and radical, strongly review the limit of classic documentary and...
film Privilege
Privilege (film)
Privilege is a British film directed by Peter Watkins. It was released in 1967 being produced by John Heyman. Story: Johnny Speight. Script: Norman Bogner...
. Watkins had studied the documentary in preparation for filming. The latter film deals with the phenomenal popularity of a pop singer and its abuse for political motives. One scene showing the central character Steven Shorter at a table with a venue owner is virtually a one-to-one reproduction of a scene in Lonely Boy, even using the same name (“Uncle Julie”) for the like-mannered venue owner. The cinema verité
Cinéma vérité
Cinéma vérité is a style of documentary filmmaking, combining naturalistic techniques with stylized cinematic devices of editing and camerawork, staged set-ups, and the use of the camera to provoke subjects. It is also known for taking a provocative stance toward its topics.There are subtle yet...
style of Lonely Boy was also adopted, and one DVD release of Privilege included Lonely Boy as well as an excerpt of an essay on that film as extra features.