'''Donald Alexander Haldane''' (December 3, 1914 – September 21, 2008) was a Canadian film and television director, most noted as the director of the films ''Nikki: Wild Dog of the North'' and ''Drylanders''.<ref name=mcsorley>Tom McSorley, [https://cfe.tiff.net/canadianfilmencyclopedia/content/bios/don-haldane "Don Haldane"]. ''Canadian Film Encyclopedia''.</ref>

==Background== Born in Edmonton, Alberta, and raised in the small town of Olds, he was raised principally by his mother after his father returned from military service in the First World War suffering from severe shell shock.<ref name=martin>Sandra Martin, "Pioneer director made Drylanders, the NFB's first feature in English". ''The Globe and Mail'', November 8, 2008.</ref> After having acted in school drama productions in high school he trained as a teacher before going to Yale Drama School in the late 1930s to study theatre direction.<ref name=riches>Hester Riches, "Director Haldane knows all about tough situations". ''Vancouver Sun'', July 4, 1988.</ref> After returning to Canada he began working as a theatre director in Montreal, where after befriending Bill Trott, a Black Canadian tailor, he helped Trott to establish the Negro Theatre Guild, the city's first Black theatre company.<ref>Sylvia Warner, "Black community provided fertile ground for Green Pastures". ''Montreal Gazette'', February 29, 1992.</ref>

He enlisted in the Canadian Army in 1942 to serve in World War II, but spent his entire military career posted to CFB Borden without ever being shipped overseas to fight.<ref name=martin/> He then returned to the United States to study filmmaking in New York City,<ref name=riches/> and made a number of sponsored advertising films there before returning to Canada in 1954 to begin his long association with the National Film Board of Canada.<ref name=martin/>

==Career== He directed a large number of films for the NFB, including the ''On the Spot'' and ''Perspective'' series, and established the Westminster Films studio with partners Lee Gordon (his wife) and Roy Krost.<ref name=riches/> Associated primarily with documentary films in his early career, he got his first chance to direct a feature film when Westminster Films partnered with Disney on ''Nikki: Wild Dog of the North'', and directed ''Drylanders'' for the NFB the following year.<ref name=martin/> With both the NFB and Westminster, he continued throughout his career to work on documentaries, feature films and television productions.<ref name=martin/>

He was a five-time Canadian Film Award winner for his work, receiving awards at the 8th Canadian Film Awards in 1956 for ''Saskatchewan Traveller'', at the 12th Canadian Film Awards in 1960 for ''Bad Medicine'', at the 16th Canadian Film Awards in 1964 for ''Land on the Move'', at the 21st Canadian Film Awards in 1969 for ''Rye on the Rocks'', and at the 23rd Canadian Film Awards in 1971 for ''Shebandowan: A Summer Place''.<ref>Maria Topalovich, ''And the Genie Goes To...: Celebrating 50 Years of the Canadian Film Awards''. Stoddart Publishing, 2000. {{ISBN|0-7737-3238-1}}. pp. 49–51.</ref>

In 2003 he was awarded the Directors Guild of Canada's Distinguished Service Award for his lifetime contributions to Canadian filmmaking.<ref>"Time for directors to shine". ''Toronto Star'', August 17, 2003.</ref> The award was later renamed the Don Haldane Distinguished Service Award in his honour.<ref>"Nominees announced for directors guild awards". ''Guelph Mercury'', August 18, 2007.</ref>

==Filmography==

===Films=== {{columns-list|colwidth=30em| *''Alcoholism'' – 1955 *''Backstage at Parliament'' – 1955 *''Child Guidance Clinic'' – 1955 *''Coal at the Crossroads'' – 1955 *''Canadians Abroad'' – 1956 *''Case of Conscience'' – 1956 *''Curtain at Noon'' – 1956 *''Elder Citizen'' – 1956 *''Embassy'' – 1956 *''Fighter Wing'' – 1956 *''Is It a Woman's World?'' – 1956 *''Night Shift'' – 1956 *''Railroad Town'' – 1956 *''Saskatchewan Traveller'' – 1956 *''Ship in Harbour'' – 1956 *''Win, Place or Show'' – 1956 *''Crossroads'' – 1957 *''Fires of Envy'' – 1957 *''The Ghost that Talked'' – 1957 *''Howard'' – 1957 *''Joe and Roxy'' – 1957 *''Who Is Sylvia?'' – 1957 *''The Whole World Over'' – 1957 (co-director with Léonard Forest) *''Mystery in the Kitchen'' – 1958 *''Eternal Children'' – 1959 *''The Gifted Ones'' – 1959 *''U.N. in the Classroom'' – 1959 *''Nikki: Wild Dog of the North'' – 1961 *''Drylanders'' – 1962 *''Political Dynamite'' – 1962 *''The Reincarnate'' – 1971 }}

===Television=== {{columns-list|colwidth=30em| *''R.C.M.P'' – 1959, eight episodes *''The Forest Rangers'' – 1963, 16 episodes *''The Collaborators'' – 1974, one episode *''Dirty Sally'' – 1974, one episode *''Swiss Family Robinson'' – 1976, one episode *''Sidestreet'' – 1976, one episode *''For the Record'' – 1977–78, three episodes *''Ritter's Cove'' – 1980–81, six episodes *''The Campbells'' – 1985, four episodes *''The Beachcombers'' – 1985, one episode *''The Edison Twins'' – 1985–86, eight episodes *''The Way We Are'' – 1988 }}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{IMDb name|0354793}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Haldane, Don}} Category:1914 births Category:2008 deaths Category:Canadian documentary film directors Category:Canadian television directors Category:Film directors from Edmonton Category:Film producers from Alberta Category:National Film Board of Canada people Category:Canadian Screen Award winners Category:Canadian film production company founders Category:Canadian horror film directors Category:David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University alumni Category:Canadian Army personnel of World War II Category:People from Olds, Alberta