Arising form a moribund aviation company, in the 1970s, the new CanadairChallenger business jet on the drawing board was a risky proposition. Derived from a design by American inventor and aircraft developer Bill Lear, Canadair Chief Designer Harry Halton married a wide-body fuselage with a high performance wing and state-of-the-art engines. With banks and the then federal Minister of Industry, Trade and CommerceJean Chrétien requiring 50 "firm orders", a Canadair sales team was dispatched to sell a "paper aircraft" with only sales brochures, scale models and a wooden mock-upto go on. The innovative Challenger design boasted industry-leading performance. It promised to be faster, cheaper to fly, and more comfortable than any other business jet. With orders of 56 aircraft from North America, Europe and the Middle East, Canadair's top management, headed by Frederick Kearns, gave a "go" to the Challenger project. As the first prototype was completed, competitors touted their "off-the shelf" availability. Although months late, the Challenger was finally unveiled and prepared for its maiden flight, piloted by Canadair Chief Test Pilot Doug Adkins. After successful tests at the company plant in Montreal, the Challenger was flown to Mojave, California, to complete its arduous flight testing in order to obtain its certification for worldwide operation.
Stephen Low began work in 1977 on the film after seeing an article in The Globe and Mail on the Challenger project. After successfully approaching Canadair with his idea for a documentary, Low was able obtain support from Roman Kroitor, head of the drama studio at the National Film Board of Canada. Kroiter would later act as the executive producer on the project. Additional support came from the Department of Industry, Trade and Commerce and Minister Jean Chrétien, who agreed to finance the film as a co-production with the NFB. Low submitted a proposal for a one-hour film for television and a 10-minute version for theatrical release. Filming throughout a three-year span, he concentrated on the human aspects of a highly technological achievement, focusing on the individuals who designed, built, flew and ultimately sold the Challenger to a global market. Notable for the use of the newly developed 70 mm Astro-Vision system, Clay Lacy Aviation Inc., in partnership with Continental Camera Inc., filmed the aerial scenes over the Mojave Desert. The strains of Pachelbel's Canon ends the film.
Reception
Challenger: An Industrial Romance was broadcast on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on July 9, 1980, to excellent reviews. The following January, a French version also played on Radio-Canada, also garnering top reviews. The film was also broadcast on PBS. The film was edited into a 1980 30-minute short version of the same name, requested by NFB distribution in New York. "Low worked with an editor and re-wrote the narration but was never happy with this version as he felt it was not long enough to properly tell the story." Next Generation, a separate 10-minute theatrical film consisting primarily of the aerial footage of the flight testing over the Mojave Desert, played in Canadian theatres throughout 1983 and 1984, as well as in Australia and New Zealand.
Awards and honours
Challenger: An Industrial Romance was screened in several festivals and won many prizes, including at the Cindy Awards in Hollywood and the Genies in Canada.
