Count me as a huge fan of Saturday Night At The Movies, Magic Shadows and their inimitable host, Mr. Yost. Growing up in Ottawa, his shows really were our main source of exposure to classic films OTHER than the "usual suspects" shown on CBC. Like many of you, I remember Elwy seeming more a friend than a TV host. We have a coffee mug with a great caricature of Elwy from one of TVO's funding drives and it's the most-prized mug in the house, reserved for only honoured guests!

I can hear the theme of SNATM in my head as I type, all swirling strings. Anyone who ever watched Elwy will never forget the truly singular way he said the word "yeah". Impossible to convey in type, it rolled languidly off the tongue and trailed off into the ether... "yeeeaaunnnhhh... if you've heard it, you'll remember it.

Favourite moment from ALL the interviews he ever showed was a clip with Henry Fonda, talking about his casting as Frank in Once Upon A Time In The West. It was so against type, Fonda said he could picture stunned audience reaction to the first act of violence (and it's an unexpected doozy for the few here who haven't seen the film) and the revelation that it was HE who had committed it... "Jesus Christ, it's Henry Fonda!!!!"

To this day, my father and I each invariably exclaim that to ANY Fonda appearance in a film.

RIP, Elwy.

MacXoftheMounted.....................formerly known as Professor Von X