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00:00:28Transcription by CastingWords
00:00:58CastingWords
00:01:15CastingWords
00:01:39CastingWords
00:01:56CastingWords
00:01:57In other words, baby, kiss me, fill my heart with song, and let me sing forevermore.
00:02:13You are all I long for, all I worship and adore. In other words, please be true. In other words,
00:02:33I love you.
00:02:48In other words, I love you.
00:03:16Claire Tone was already history. By the time I was a child, by the time I was old enough to
00:03:24talk about those kinds of things to my father.
00:03:27But for him, it loomed large. It always loomed large right to the end of his life.
00:03:35He would say, Claire Tone was my first great love, and you never forget your first love.
00:03:51In the heart of Central Europe, situated on both banks of the Danube, is Budapest.
00:03:57In 1896, the Hungarians, led by Prince Arpad, established their government here.
00:04:04The favorite promenade of the Hungarians is the Corso.
00:04:08Here at midday and late afternoon, the people of Budapest gather to walk, or sit at the many cafes, and
00:04:15look out at the lovely Danube.
00:04:21Two blocks from the Corso is the fashionable shopping district, the Varsia Utica.
00:04:39My dad was 16 when the Germans marched into Hungary.
00:04:49Knowing the worst was to come, his grandfather managed to get the family on the Kostner train,
00:04:55a secret rescue operation that saved 1,686 Hungarian Jews.
00:05:28When the war was over, there was no reason to go.
00:05:31to go back to Hungary, there was nothing to go back to.
00:05:38His father decided it was best for him to leave Europe.
00:05:43So with help from his Uncle Nick, who owned a machine tool business in Toronto,
00:05:48my dad managed to get a student visa to come to Canada.
00:06:07Everywhere you go, sunshine follows you.
00:06:23Everywhere you go, the sky's on the way.
00:06:30At the University of Toronto, he studied electrical engineering, where he was a determined student and earned high marks.
00:06:44Uncle Nick knew someone over at Atlas Radio, a company specializing in high-fidelity equipment.
00:06:52After he graduated, Atlas hired my dad as their chief electrical engineer.
00:07:04Around that time, he met my mother, Linda Gutterson, and they got married.
00:07:26My dad was entrepreneurial, and seeing his ambition, his father-in-law,
00:07:32my maternal grandfather, told him to leave Atlas and start his own business.
00:07:45Good afternoon, Peter Monk Associates.
00:07:47He borrowed $3,000 from his father-in-law and $1,500 from his father and Uncle Nick.
00:07:55He hired a technician and a cabinet maker.
00:07:59And he started making custom hi-fi systems for affluent Torontonians.
00:08:15That's how it all started.
00:08:33In the mid-1950s, the way people listened to music was transformed by a new audio technology,
00:08:40which brought the richness of the concert hall into people's living rooms.
00:08:53What you're going to hear about today is nothing short of a miracle.
00:08:57It's dramatically new, made possible only through years of research and innovation.
00:09:05Living Stereo, played on a record.
00:09:11And now, it's available for everyone.
00:09:16Stereo, stereo, stereo, stereo, stereo, stereo.
00:09:28It's a most unusual day.
00:09:32Feel like throwing my worries away.
00:09:35As an old native-born Californian would say,
00:09:39it's a most unusual day.
00:09:42At Diana's Suites, a student hangout near the university,
00:09:45my dad met David Gilmore.
00:09:48I think he's cute.
00:09:51They were total opposites.
00:09:53David was from a blue-blood Canadian family.
00:09:57He was raised by a governess.
00:10:00He played polo.
00:10:02He wore a signet ring on his pinky.
00:10:05My dad?
00:10:08My dad was an immigrant with a Hungarian accent
00:10:11who'd arrived in Canada with only the shirt on his back.
00:10:15But they hit it off.
00:10:25David had no interest in joining his father
00:10:27in the stockbrokerage business.
00:10:34Instead, he began importing modern Scandinavian furniture,
00:10:39what was known as the new look.
00:10:49From the heart of Scandinavia
00:10:51comes a revolution in design
00:10:52known as the new look.
00:10:56In Denmark,
00:10:57craftsmen transform natural materials
00:10:59into sleek, functional furniture
00:11:01designed not just for use,
00:11:03but for harmony with life.
00:11:07Potters,
00:11:08shaped stoneware
00:11:09that is both delicate and durable,
00:11:12perfect for the modern home.
00:11:16Glass blowers
00:11:17shape molten glass
00:11:18into elegant forms.
00:11:26Artisans working in metal
00:11:27produce a wide range of everyday objects
00:11:29that are modern and minimalist.
00:11:39form and function work hand-in-hand,
00:11:41making life simpler,
00:11:43smarter,
00:11:43and more beautiful.
00:11:51This is Scandinavian design,
00:11:53the new look.
00:11:54A timeless vision
00:11:55for living well.
00:12:06David and my dad decided
00:12:08to try something together.
00:12:11Inspired by a modern Danish sideboard,
00:12:15they made their first prototype.
00:12:17It was a long, low,
00:12:20oil teak cabinet
00:12:22outfitted with one of my dad's
00:12:24high-fi systems.
00:12:32They put it in the window
00:12:33at Sheila's,
00:12:34a boutique in Yorkville
00:12:36owned by David's sister.
00:12:44It cost $700,
00:12:46which was a huge amount of money
00:12:48in 1958.
00:12:50It sold right away.
00:13:07My dad and David
00:13:09saw that people would pay
00:13:10for high-quality stereo equipment
00:13:12in beautiful furniture.
00:13:14So they started a company
00:13:16to do just that.
00:13:22They called it
00:13:23Clare Tone.
00:13:33You're walking along the street
00:13:36or you're at a party
00:13:37or else you're alone
00:13:40and then you suddenly dig.
00:13:42You're looking in someone's eyes
00:13:45you suddenly realize
00:13:47that this could be
00:13:49the start of something big.
00:13:52Shoppers, Simpsons invites you
00:13:54to enjoy our fine buffet
00:13:55in the Arcadian Court.
00:13:57Messanine level,
00:13:58ninth floor.
00:14:01Simpsons is proud
00:14:02to announce the arrival
00:14:03of fine perfumes from Paris.
00:14:05It was a long shot
00:14:06for Simpsons to pick up
00:14:07an unknown brand
00:14:08by two Canadian nobodies,
00:14:11especially since Clare Tone's stereo
00:14:13cost twice as much
00:14:14as the competition.
00:14:17But, hey,
00:14:18it looked great,
00:14:19it sounded great,
00:14:21and the head of Simpsons
00:14:23radio and TV department
00:14:24agreed to give it a try.
00:14:28Dereophonic, what's that?
00:14:30I think it's a record player,
00:14:31but with two speakers.
00:14:33I like the way it looks.
00:14:40You've heard nothing yet
00:14:41like Clare Tone,
00:14:43a Canadian-built,
00:14:44Canadian-owned company,
00:14:45exclusively at Simpsons
00:14:47stores across Canada.
00:14:52The salesmen at Simpsons
00:14:53reported that Clare Tone's
00:14:55design was especially
00:14:56popular with women
00:14:58who saw it as a stylish
00:14:59addition to their homes.
00:15:06within a few months,
00:15:08David and my dad
00:15:09had orders to build
00:15:10and deliver 82 stereos
00:15:12to stores across Canada.
00:15:15music at Simpsons
00:15:16than that.
00:15:24I like the special
00:15:27ê¼ that show
00:15:27a little bit
00:15:27to support
00:15:28in their lives.
00:15:28we can't see
00:15:28That's a lot of
00:15:28But,
00:15:49My dad and David brought their stereos to an industry trade show in New York and they
00:15:55quickly became the talk of the event.
00:15:57Their modern design and innovative engineering stood out from what the big American companies
00:16:02were offering.
00:16:04By the end of the weekend, they had secured a deal to distribute Clartone stereos in
00:16:09stores across the U.S.
00:16:28Sales took off from $23,000 a month to $67,000 a month to $300,000 a month.
00:16:42It was wild.
00:16:44Even my dad was amazed.
00:17:12Clartone wasn't just a stereo.
00:17:14It was a revolution in allure.
00:17:18It was Canada's most seductive export.
00:17:29The people of Canada are using their resources to build a growing economy.
00:17:37This is a nation of lumbering, of fishing, of mining, of farming, and the manufacture of
00:17:48agricultural machinery.
00:17:50Today, Canadians are looking to a bright future as they find new ways to bring forth the riches
00:17:55they draw from this great land.
00:18:21The most fashionable luxury brands from around the world were always displayed in the big
00:18:27department stores of Manhattan.
00:18:30For a Canadian stereo to be featured in the windows of Bloomingdale's was unimaginable.
00:18:37And yet, there it was.
00:18:42My dad was seen as a trailblazer and soon began getting invitations to speak to Canadian business
00:18:49leaders about Clartone's rapid success.
00:18:56Canada's success depends on adopting a bold new attitude, free of inferiority, proud of the
00:19:04Made in Canada label, and committed to innovation and international trade.
00:19:10And yet, by embracing this new attitude, we can thrive as a confident, competitive nation.
00:19:51For the years, David's work to keep people, who never paid on time, they were always short
00:19:54of cash.
00:19:56To keep them going, David took out a $20,000 mortgage on the house he had inherited from
00:20:02his parents.
00:20:02but that was just a short-term fix.
00:20:14One day, the tax department demanded immediate payment
00:20:18of $27,000 in overdue sales tax,
00:20:21or they'd forced the company into bankruptcy.
00:20:26My dad and David were already overdrawn at the bank.
00:20:30They had borrowed against every asset they had.
00:20:34Their banker refused to advance them another penny.
00:20:40They had five hours to come up with $27,000.
00:20:53Somehow, though, my dad was able to convince
00:20:57a few of his biggest retailers
00:20:58to make immediate advances
00:21:00payments on future deliveries.
00:21:03The buyer at Simpsons, for example,
00:21:05who had been the first to show confidence in them,
00:21:08agreed to help.
00:21:10But only if my dad could deliver 14 stereos
00:21:13by 3 p.m. that day.
00:21:17He pulled it off.
00:21:25Still, it was one financial crisis after another.
00:21:30They were growing faster than ever,
00:21:32but barely staying afloat.
00:21:36They needed to find a long-term solution.
00:21:44At a party, their accountant was introduced to Irving Gould,
00:21:49a financier who assured them
00:21:51he could raise a quarter of a million dollars
00:21:54by selling a tiny part of Claire Tone
00:21:57on the so-called unlisted market.
00:22:01Within a year, shares had quadrupled in value.
00:22:11At that moment, my dad and David were millionaires,
00:22:17at least on paper.
00:22:24The first thing my dad did
00:22:26was pay back the $3,000 he'd borrowed
00:22:29from his father-in-law.
00:22:56Coming off a record-breaking year
00:22:58and excited about their new product line,
00:23:01David and my dad turned their attention
00:23:03to making Claire Tone a household name.
00:23:12Ever wonder why advertising
00:23:15is the key to business success?
00:23:17Let's take a look.
00:23:20Imagine you have a great product,
00:23:22but no one knows about it.
00:23:25How can you make it visible?
00:23:28The answer is advertising.
00:23:33When your product is visible,
00:23:35John and Jane Consumer can see it,
00:23:38and that means more sales for you.
00:23:43But how did John and Jane know
00:23:45that Acme was the best widget to buy?
00:23:48Well, there's newspaper advertising.
00:23:52It's aimed at everyone.
00:23:57It's aimed at people with special interests.
00:24:01And on top of that, there's radio advertising.
00:24:05Acme widgets are darn good.
00:24:07It reaches John as he's driving to work,
00:24:09and Jane as she cooks dinner or cleans the house.
00:24:13Which one should we buy, John?
00:24:15Well, I've heard that Acme widgets are darn good.
00:24:18Where did you hear that?
00:24:20Hmm, I'm not sure.
00:24:22Yes, John isn't even sure where he heard it.
00:24:26All he knows is that Acme widgets are,
00:24:28well, darn good.
00:24:31So why wait?
00:24:32Invest in advertising today
00:24:34and watch your business grow.
00:24:43Dalton Camp, the ad man and political strategist,
00:24:47was hired to come up with a brand new
00:24:49advertising campaign for Clare Tone.
00:25:01Instead of focusing on technical specs and sound quality,
00:25:04Dalton Camp's ads focused on David and my dad.
00:25:17Understatement's always been a virtue in Canada.
00:25:20But the Clare Tone boys, as they were known,
00:25:23were anything but understated.
00:25:26They were unapologetic showmen.
00:25:31Dalton Camp also made the most of negative or white space.
00:25:37He used minimal text and minimal color
00:25:40to really emphasize the beauty and modernity of a Clare Tone,
00:25:43to position it as a status symbol.
00:25:58When my dad asked why they were paying for all that white space,
00:26:02Camp told him,
00:26:03it represents the missing note
00:26:06that can only be heard on a Clare Tone
00:26:08because the sound's so great.
00:26:25My dad loved that line.
00:26:38Another thing they did is hire Hugh Spencer,
00:26:41a genius designer from England.
00:26:58The first thing Hugh did
00:26:59was design a modern, minimalist look for the company.
00:27:24So if you'd be wise to get to the company,
00:27:32Claire Tone's advertising campaign and image-building strategy translated into
00:27:37so much new business that they moved into a brand new factory my dad said he
00:27:47had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't just dreaming
00:27:56today Claire Tone Sound Corporation moved out of the unlisted market and was
00:28:00officially listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange in other news the Toronto Maple
00:28:04Leafs have clinched the Stanley Cup for the second year in a row will this
00:28:08dynasty ever end
00:28:17from the very beginning Claire Tone fused modern design with the latest
00:28:22technology and in 1963 they introduced the world's first transistor-powered stereo
00:28:38the transition from hot and bulky vacuum tubes to solid-state transistor components
00:28:46which were far more efficient and didn't need ventilation opened up a whole new world design
00:29:04possibilities
00:29:05Claire Tone Sound Corporation Limited brings you the world's first tubeless stereo console
00:29:12the Claire Tone model T 355 features the XP five solid-state transistor receiver all enclosed in a
00:29:19beautiful walnut cabinet this revolutionary advancement in sound technology is only available at select
00:29:26retailers of premium stereo equipment Claire Tone became known as one of the most forward-thinking
00:29:37electronics companies in North America
00:30:10in the 1960s the design of things was changing music clothing everything
00:30:21this I have to say
00:30:24the station that keeps you in my
00:30:29Tonight's topic the new city hall see more north York go ahead speak your mind it's a disgrace like
00:30:34some kind of spaceship and with all the hot air coming from the politicians will probably lift off
00:30:39Interesting. Dave in Yorkville, speak your mind.
00:30:42Groovy, man. What's inside? Like a club?
00:30:45It's City Hall, idiot.
00:30:47Patrick in Corktown, Moe, speak your mind.
00:30:49Uh, I just wish they hadn't torn down Jimmy's Diner.
00:30:52Best corned beef and cabbage in town.
00:30:55Patrick, it's the 60s. Something had to go.
00:31:07Recognizing that the times were changing,
00:31:10my dad turned to Hugh Spencer to design something far out.
00:31:48Hugh's design had a low-slung rosewood cabinet
00:31:52that floated on a metal base.
00:31:53And cantilevered at either end
00:31:58two rotating black aluminum sound globes
00:32:03that projected 340 degrees of sound.
00:32:28It didn't look like any other stereo.
00:32:31It looked like it came from outer space.
00:32:53My dad and David launched the G
00:32:56at the National Furniture Show in Chicago.
00:32:59And then they personally introduced it
00:33:02to every major retail executive in North America.
00:33:09No one had seen anything remotely like it before.
00:33:21On a wonderful day like today
00:33:25I defy any cloud to appear in the sky
00:33:30They hired a product placement agency in Hollywood.
00:33:34On a wonderful day like today
00:33:35Their first coup was getting a Project G into a major movie.
00:33:41Marriage on the Rocks starring Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.
00:33:46Open fireplace with a real fire.
00:33:57Just the right kind of music.
00:34:03Bar not too far from the action.
00:34:08Other films quickly followed.
00:34:14L is for the way you look at me
00:34:21O is for the only one I see
00:34:26And then Clair Tone sought and got endorsements
00:34:29from some very enthusiastic celebrities.
00:34:32The extraordinary E
00:34:36Is even more than anyone
00:34:39Oscar Peterson said his music sounded as good
00:34:42on a Project G as it did live.
00:34:51Sinatra liked the Project G so much
00:34:53He ordered a half dozen for his Rat Pack friends.
00:34:56Two in love can make it
00:34:59Take my heart and please don't break it
00:35:03Love was good for me
00:35:05Hugh Hefner bought one for the Playboy Mansion
00:35:07to play at all his parties.
00:35:31Congratulations on the purchase of your new Clair Tone console stereo system.
00:35:36We thought you might like to hold a party for your new Clair Tone.
00:35:39So we've enclosed everything you need to get started.
00:35:42Cue the music, dim the lights, and let the good times spin.
00:35:46He don't act like he don't
00:35:49Oh, no
00:35:49She belongs to me
00:35:51Yeah
00:35:52Now look at how they wobble
00:35:56Uh-huh
00:35:57She's the best in town
00:35:59Oh, yeah
00:36:01I think I'm in trouble
00:36:03Oh, no
00:36:04I forget that I'm around
00:36:06Oh, no
00:36:07Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
00:36:10Oh, no
00:36:22We here at Clair Tone want to congratulate you, our dealers across North America
00:36:26for your record-breaking sales of Clair Tone's award-winning Project G stereos.
00:36:33Now, for 1966's Modern Consumer, we present the lower, sleeker G2 series
00:36:41with removable speaker globes that can be positioned anywhere.
00:36:50And for the space-conscious consumer, there's the G3, our smallest console yet.
00:36:56Perfect for the go-go generation as they prepare for their Saturday night dance parties.
00:37:20The more I see you
00:37:23The more I want you
00:37:28Somehow this feeling
00:37:31Just grows and grows
00:37:35With every side
00:37:37I've become more mad about you
00:37:42More lost without you
00:37:46And so it goes
00:37:51La, la, la, la
00:37:53La, la, la, la
00:37:58La, la, la, la
00:38:06But the bigger Clair Tone became, the more money it needed.
00:38:12Most of the cash flow was going to pay outside suppliers who had to be paid in advance.
00:38:18But the income from sales didn't arrive until months later.
00:38:23It was an impossible situation.
00:38:30Determined as always, David and my dad decided the solution was to become even bigger.
00:38:37To become an industrial giant like a Zenith or an RCA Victor.
00:38:43To do that, they needed an enormous factory.
00:38:47Big enough to bring every part of the manufacturing process under one roof.
00:38:52The cabinets, the electronics, everything.
00:38:56There was only one problem.
00:38:58If Clair Tone could barely fund its day-to-day operations,
00:39:03What were the chances of financing a multi-million dollar factory?
00:39:35To be continued
00:39:38Of the tree of life, I just picked me a plum
00:39:44At a crossroads, David and my dad were determined to find money to build a new factory.
00:39:53Then, out of nowhere, an opportunity came their way.
00:39:57I bet the best is yet to come.
00:40:11Not too long ago, Nova Scotia looked to its primary industries.
00:40:15Fishing, forestry, farming and mining as the most important factors in its economy.
00:40:24But something new has been happening in this province by the sea.
00:40:29Manufacturing has become the largest single industry.
00:40:34Money is being placed in new projects by the province through Industrial Estates Limited.
00:40:42Industrial Estates Limited operates like a private industrial development company.
00:40:47If a company wishes to build a new manufacturing plant in Nova Scotia,
00:40:52IEL will finance the construction of the building,
00:40:55Attracting the industries of tomorrow,
00:40:57And ensuring economic progress for the working men and women of Nova Scotia.
00:41:11To attract new industries and jobs to the province, Robert Stanfield, the premier of Nova Scotia,
00:41:18Set up an ambitious development agency they called IEL.
00:41:25To run it, he hired Frank Sobe,
00:41:27A respected business leader who shared Stanfield's vision for Nova Scotia's future.
00:41:42Stanfield and Sobe knew that landing an innovative company like Clairtone
00:41:46Would be a shot in the arm for the entire province.
00:41:49So they offered my dad a sweetheart deal.
00:41:53Nova Scotia would build Clairtone a new factory if they'd move their entire operation from Toronto
00:42:00To the depressed backwater of Pictou County.
00:42:04It was too good an offer to turn down.
00:42:09Mr. Munt, why did your company select Nova Scotia?
00:42:12Because we felt that the industrial and the economic climate
00:42:15Was just right for a growing company in our industry.
00:42:19Because we felt that the people of Nova Scotia seem to have a steeped in tradition of integrity.
00:42:28Craftsmanship.
00:42:29The people are artisans who appreciate the quality which are inherent in our products.
00:42:35And because of the geographical location which is so favorable in our case,
00:42:41Because most of our output is being shipped to the eastern seaboard of the United States.
00:42:56There's a place I always cherish
00:42:59Near the blue Atlantic skies
00:43:01Where the shores down in Cape Breton
00:43:04Beds the golden sun to rise
00:43:06And the fragrance of the apple blossoms
00:43:09Praise the dukes long
00:43:10Back in dear old Nova Scotia
00:43:13A place where I was born
00:43:24Premier Stanfield, Mr. Sobe, let me offer a pledge.
00:43:29We shall not let you down.
00:43:32We shall be in the forefront of your industrial revolution.
00:43:35We shall be in the vanguard of the change.
00:43:38A change which will put this region into the economic mainstream
00:43:42Of Canada's total economic and industrial revolution.
00:44:02The Stellerton factory stretched out over seven acres.
00:44:07It was so big you couldn't see from one end to the other.
00:44:14The equipment was state of the art.
00:44:17With the latest technology imported from Germany.
00:44:23It employed 1,200 workers.
00:44:2760% of them were women who'd been specially trained.
00:44:38In a town that had once been dependent on the coal industry.
00:44:42The Clartone factory brought Stellerton back to life.
00:44:54Oh, something else.
00:44:56My dad persuaded Stanfield to let him use a million dollars of the government's money
00:45:01To bring Japanese car manufacturing to Nova Scotia.
00:45:06What do cars have to do with stereo manufacturing?
00:45:11Not a whole lot.
00:45:12But because my dad's eyes were always on the future,
00:45:15He got involved with a group that managed to secure an exclusive license
00:45:20To assemble and sell Toyota cars in Canada.
00:45:24And he wrapped it all into the Clartone deal.
00:45:31I'm proud to announce the formation of Canadian Motor Industries Limited.
00:45:36And we want to thank the government of Nova Scotia.
00:45:39And the Clartone company for their investment.
00:45:42Like Clartone, we are determined to be a key factor in Nova Scotia's industrial resurgence.
00:45:50When Premier Stanfield approached me with the idea of expanding the automotive...
00:45:55With their control of CMI, Clartone was about to become an industrial giant.
00:46:19The following is a color presentation.
00:46:24By the mid-60s, color television was being introduced.
00:46:28And everyone was convinced it was going to be the next big thing.
00:46:37Imagine a world where every moment bursts to life in brilliant, vivid color.
00:46:44Your favorite programs are now more lifelike than ever before.
00:46:50The ordinary becomes extraordinary in Living Color.
00:47:14Knowing it would create even more jobs,
00:47:17Stanfield and Sobe offered Clartone an additional $3 million
00:47:20if it committed to manufacturing color televisions.
00:47:25So with the enthusiastic backing of the government,
00:47:28Clartone jumped headlong into the color TV business.
00:47:41My dad hired designer Tony Mann to come up with a television that matched Clartone's aesthetic.
00:47:51Tony's design featured a premium 25-inch picture tube set in a modular chassis.
00:47:58All encased in beautiful Brazilian rosewood and luxurious black leather.
00:48:06It sat on a unique aluminum swivel base and came with a snappy remote control.
00:48:24Good morning, Pictou County. The sun is shining, the birds are singing,
00:48:26and it's shaping up to be another gorgeous day in our own little slice of paradise.
00:48:30Here's the Maritime Zone Katie McKinnon to tell us what kind of morning she's having.
00:48:34It's a beautiful morning.
00:48:41I think I'll go outside for a while
00:48:45And just smile
00:48:48Taking some clean, fresh air for
00:48:51No money to stay inside
00:48:54If the weather's fine
00:48:57And you've got the time
00:48:59It's your chance
00:49:00To wake up and find another brand new day
00:49:05It's a beautiful morning
00:49:10Each bird keeps singing his own song
00:49:15So long
00:49:24The finest color TV you can buy is a Clartone.
00:49:29These two men insist on factory testing every Clartone for one week
00:49:33So they can guarantee the performance.
00:49:36Peter Monk, President and Director of Engineering.
00:49:38David Gilmour, Executive Vice President, Director of Styling and Merchandising.
00:49:43Look into Clartone Colors soon.
00:49:45Smart people won't settle for anything less.
00:49:51Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon?
00:49:58Would you like to glide in my beautiful balloon?
00:50:03We could float among the stars together, you and I
00:50:09But we can fly
00:50:10But we can fly
00:50:13Expo 67 showcased the boldest designs from every country in the world.
00:50:19And Clartone's G-series was selected as the official television.
00:50:37With the G-TV's high-profile promotional campaign, my dad was certain that sales would take off.
00:50:43And soar.
00:51:07But by the fall of 1967, it was evident that something was amiss in the marketplace.
00:51:14The booming sales of color TVs that the industry had geared up for just wasn't happening.
00:51:30On top of that, Japanese companies started flooding the market with low-cost stereo components.
00:51:37It's Psycho Mike's sickest stereo sale ever!
00:51:39We've got Sony, Sensui, Hitachi, Hibachi, Yamaha, Omaha, Kenwood, Flywood, and Pioneer!
00:51:44Pioneer! Pioneer!
00:51:46Every speaker, every app, every preamp, receiver, tape deck, on sale at 10, 20, 30% off!
00:51:50I can't believe I'm doing this!
00:51:52I must be Psycho!
00:51:53I am Psycho!
00:51:54I'm Psycho Mike!
00:52:01To make matters even worse, it turns out Clairton had built that big modern factory in a place totally unsuited
00:52:09for manufacturing.
00:52:14The inexperienced workforce had a hard time transitioning to the demands of a modern assembly plant.
00:52:37And there were other problems.
00:52:39The road to Stellerton was so bad that Clairton's stereos and TVs got damaged on the way to Halifax.
00:52:49And because the factory was so remote, it took forever to get parts, which caused endless production delays.
00:52:57Inventory went missing.
00:53:00Union issues threatened to shut down the plant.
00:53:04Cost control was impossible.
00:53:23As the problems compounded, my dad and David, in a panic, tried to raise more capital.
00:53:30But nobody was interested.
00:53:36They tried to raise money through a merger with the Singer Sewing Machine Company.
00:53:42But that deal fell through.
00:53:48And their plans to build Japanese cars?
00:53:53That was years away from generating any income.
00:54:01Robert Stanfield, their biggest supporter, was no help.
00:54:06He'd left Nova Scotia to run for leadership of the Federal Conservative Party.
00:54:10The result of the fifth and final ballot, and the new leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, Bob Stanfield!
00:54:36Clareton was definitely the last thing on Bob Stanfield's mind.
00:54:45To save the company from going under, Frank Sobe offered my dad a deal.
00:54:52Nova Scotia's development agency would advance another $2 million, but only on the condition that my father and David surrender
00:55:02control of the company.
00:55:28My dad and David were forced to step down.
00:55:32The Nova Scotia government took over.
00:55:36It was devastating.
00:56:07The Nova Scotia is training.
00:56:07Lisa foré…’, a new symbol was recently
00:56:28Uh, this just handed to me.
00:56:31This morning, Frank Sobey of Industrial Estates Limited
00:56:33announced the surprise resignation of Peter Monk and David Gilmore
00:56:36from the senior management of the Clairtone Sound Corporation,
00:56:39Pictou County's largest employer.
00:56:41No indication was given as to who might be chosen to replace them.
00:56:49The Nova Scotia government hired a new CEO for Clairtone.
00:56:54Mangles was his name.
00:56:56He came from Olin Corporation,
00:56:58a big American chemical company.
00:57:04Mangles believed the way to turn things around
00:57:06was to go high volume and low cost.
00:57:12Clairtone started pumping out mass market stereos
00:57:16and cheap little radios.
00:57:20It was a complete 180.
00:57:23From sophisticated technology and elegant design
00:57:26into disposable junk.
00:57:44Customers who loved Clairtone
00:57:46for its high quality and sophisticated style
00:57:49were not only confused,
00:57:52they were aghast.
00:57:58Mangles only lasted a year,
00:58:00but in that time,
00:58:01he destroyed everything
00:58:02that David and my father had created.
00:58:18My dad retreated to a small cottage in Georgian Bay
00:58:22to reflect and try to understand what went wrong.
00:58:46My parents were forced to sell their house
00:58:49and move into a rental apartment.
00:58:51My father's friends disappeared.
00:58:53The speaking engagements stopped.
00:58:57And he began to wonder
00:58:59if it had all just been a fluke.
00:59:07That's when I was born.
00:59:16This new Clairtone plant
00:59:18opened at Stellerton in 1966.
00:59:22It was a showpiece of its time.
00:59:24But even as the plant opened,
00:59:27Clairtone was in trouble.
00:59:28Barely a year later,
00:59:30IEL took it over for the province.
00:59:32And by 1970, it was closed.
00:59:35A thousand jobs gone.
00:59:37A dream ended.
00:59:39What went wrong?
00:59:42What went wrong?
00:59:43What went wrong was that I forgot my script.
00:59:49The sun was setting in the west.
00:59:54The birds were singing on every tree.
01:00:00In an effort to cut their losses,
01:00:02Clairtone will have to sell off
01:00:03approximately 5,000 unsold color televisions
01:00:06currently sitting in their warehouse.
01:00:07This may prove difficult,
01:00:08especially since Simpsons and Eaton's department stores
01:00:11announced today that they would no longer carry
01:00:12the Clairtone product line.
01:00:24It wasn't very long after you took charge
01:00:27that things began to go sour.
01:00:30I don't like the way you put that.
01:00:32You sound as though you were suggesting
01:00:34that I was to blame for it going sour.
01:00:37I think it is true, however,
01:00:39that in 67,
01:00:43the good picture that had been projected
01:00:48began to look not so good.
01:00:52Clairtone's annual report issued today
01:00:54indicated that losses from all manufactured products
01:00:58were much greater than anticipated.
01:01:02Clairtone has had much worse troubles
01:01:05and much greater losses
01:01:07after the government took over control
01:01:09rather than before.
01:01:12Following the suspension of Clairtone's lines of credit,
01:01:15new Clairtone boss G.A. McDonald
01:01:17announced today that all unsold inventory
01:01:19would be liquidated immediately.
01:01:22Trading in Clairtone shares was suspended today
01:01:24as the company was delisted
01:01:26from the Toronto Stock Exchange.
01:01:27From a peak of over $15,
01:01:29the value of a share had fallen to less than 30 cents.
01:01:34It was a dark day at the Clairtone factory
01:01:36as employees left after punching out for the final time.
01:01:41Some spoke of looking for work in Ontario,
01:01:43but many will wake up tomorrow with no jobs
01:01:47and no prospect of future employment.
01:01:50Let your mountains dark and dreary be.
01:01:56For when I am far away on the prime ocean toast,
01:02:01will you ever leave a sigh and a wish for me?
01:02:05Will you ever leave a sigh and a wish for me?
01:02:10After selling off Clairtone's assets
01:02:13and the Stellerton factory,
01:02:15the government of Nova Scotia
01:02:17had lost over $23 million.
01:02:40Looking back, what would you say was so special about Clairtone?
01:02:44It was the best product at that time,
01:02:46and it was a great amount of satisfaction and thrill
01:02:49to see a product totally designed and made in Canada
01:02:52in a country that suffered traditionally
01:02:54from an inferiority complex
01:02:55vis-Ã -vis their American and European counterparts.
01:02:58To be able to design something, conceive it, design it,
01:03:01both from an exterior point of view
01:03:03as well as from an engineering point of view,
01:03:04which against any prize competition
01:03:07stood up internationally as the best product.
01:03:10And people, when people like Frank Sinatra
01:03:11or Hugh Hefner or The Beatles had bought a Clairtone,
01:03:15it was not because they had Canadian nationalism,
01:03:17it was not because somebody said, buy Canadian.
01:03:19It was bought because it was the best product
01:03:21available at any prize.
01:03:57But my dad's story didn't end with Clairtone.
01:04:07I've got an island in the Pacific
01:04:10and everything about it is terrific.
01:04:14I've got the sun to tan me, palms to fan me,
01:04:19and an occasional man.
01:04:24I've got an island, it's very lazy.
01:04:28If I should ever leave it, I'd be crazy.
01:04:31Back in 1962, when they'd had some money,
01:04:35David and my dad bought two parcels
01:04:37of beachfront land in Fiji, on a whim, sight unseen.
01:04:45Turning their attention to this last thing
01:04:47they owned together, they got financing
01:04:50to build a luxury resort.
01:04:53And within a few years, they'd expanded it
01:04:58into a chain of hotels and resorts across the South Pacific,
01:05:03which they sold in 1980.
01:05:20with their profits, David and my dad then started
01:05:23a commercial real estate company,
01:05:32with their profits, David and my dad then
01:05:32which they sold in 2006.
01:05:54And they also founded one of the biggest gold mining companies
01:05:57in the world, Barrick Gold.
01:06:29My dad never forgot that Canada took him in
01:06:32when he had nothing.
01:06:33And he felt he owed Canada a debt.
01:06:37As soon as he could, he began to donate hundreds
01:06:41of millions of dollars to support healthcare,
01:06:44education and public policy.
01:06:58My dad died in March of 2018 at the age of 90.
01:07:04David Gilmour died five years later at 91.
01:07:09From the day they met until the day my dad died,
01:07:12he and David remained the closest of friends.
01:07:30The Middle East
01:07:30THE END
01:07:48That's life
01:07:51That's what all the people say
01:07:55You're riding high in April
01:07:58Shot down in May
01:08:00But I know I'm gonna change that tune
01:08:07When I'm back on top
01:08:09Back on top in June
01:08:12I said that's life
01:08:15That's life
01:08:17And as funny as it may seem
01:08:21Some people get their kicks
01:08:24Stomping on a dream
01:08:27But I don't let it
01:08:29Let it get me down
01:08:33Cause this fine old world
01:08:36It keeps spinning around
01:08:39I've been a puppet
01:08:41A pauper
01:08:42A pirate
01:08:43A poet
01:08:43A pawn and a king
01:08:46I've been up and down
01:08:48And over and out
01:08:50And I know one thing
01:08:52Each time I find myself
01:08:56Flat on my face
01:08:59I pick myself up
01:09:02And get back in the race
01:09:05That's life
01:09:07That's life
01:09:08I tell you
01:09:09I can't deny it
01:09:13I thought of quitting baby
01:09:16But my heart just ain't gonna buy it
01:09:19And if I didn't think it was worth one single try
01:09:25I'd jump right on a big bird
01:09:27And then I'd fly
01:09:31I've been a puppet
01:09:33A pauper
01:09:34A pirate
01:09:34A poet
01:09:35A pawn and a king
01:09:38I've been up and down
01:09:40And over and out
01:09:41And I know one thing
01:09:44Each time I find myself
01:09:47Laying flat on my face
01:09:50I just pick myself up
01:09:53And get back in the race
01:09:57That's life
01:09:58That's life
01:10:00That's life
01:10:01And I can't deny it
01:10:04Many times
01:10:06I thought of cutting out
01:10:08But my heart won't buy it
01:10:10But if there's nothing shaking
01:10:12Come this here July
01:10:17I'm gonna roll myself up
01:10:21In a big ball
01:10:24And I
01:10:33My, my
01:10:47The sun was setting in the west
01:10:53The birds were singing on every tree
01:10:57All nature seemed inclined for a rest
01:11:03But still there was no rest for me
01:11:11Farewell to Nova Scotia
01:11:14The sea-bound coast
01:11:15Let your mountains dark and dreary be
01:11:20For when I'm far away
01:11:23On the briny ocean toss
01:11:25Will you ever heave a sigh
01:11:28And a wish for me
01:11:33I grieve to leave my native land
01:11:38I grieve to leave my comrades all
01:11:43And my parents who I held so dear
01:11:48And the Pawnee Pawnee lad that I do adore
01:11:56Farewell to Nova Scotia
01:11:58The Scotia
01:11:59The sea-bound coast
01:12:01Let your mountains dark and dreary be
01:12:06For when I'm far away
01:12:09On the briny ocean toss
01:12:11Will you ever heave a sigh
01:12:13And a wish for me
01:12:15Will you ever heave a sigh
01:12:19And a wish for me
01:12:21Will you ever heave a sigh
01:12:24Will you ever heave a sigh
01:12:24And a wish for me
01:12:26Will you ever heave a sigh
01:12:27And a wish for me
01:12:36Will you ever heave a sigh
01:12:37And a wish for me
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