Banks, Sydney : Sydney Banks, Canadian producer and director, was born in Toronto, Ontario on 6 January 1917 to British immigrants. The Banks family moved back to England in 1919, but returned to Toronto in the late 1920s. Sydney Banks was educated in Toronto, leaving school at age 14. Thereafter, he began work as a stage director, actor and writer. In 1941 Banks joined the war effort as a captain in the Canadian Army Film Unit. Together with David Wansbrough he made a short film on the construction of the Odeon Theatre in Toronto, circa 1948. Banks was a pioneer in television production in Canada, producing, for the Canadian market, weekly broadcasts from US border stations. In 1950 Banks began working for International Productions, a company owned by Toronto advertising agency owner Harry "Red" Foster. He was promoted to top director and production executive. In 1955, Banks left to work S.W. Caldwell Limited's Queensway Film Studios, of Toronto where he acted as executive producer of film production and film labs. Also in 1955, he filmed local Billy Graham's revival meeting for UK televisionIn 1958 Banks was named vice-president in charge of production for S.W. Caldwell Limited. With S.W. Caldwell Ltd., Banks produced several films including Central Circle, a tourist film about Northern Manitoba, shot for the Travel and Publicity Bureau of Canada. In 1962 Banks formed his own company, S. Banks (In Television) Ltd. where he began producing music series for television. During this time Banks produced Let's Sing Out; A Singin'; Brand New Scene; and One More Time (1969-1972), a series of musical variety shows taped in Montreal. In 1970 he partnered with Al Bruner, becoming co-founder and executive producer of the Global Television Network. After he left Global, Banks became founder and director of CUC Broadcasting, a Toronto cable firm that went on to become one of the largest cable systems in the greater Toronto area, now part of Shaw Cable. During the 1980s and 1990s Banks was president of S. Banks Group Inc., becoming, at the same time, a major shareholder in Essbee Productions and Sydbar Productions Inc. He continued to produce films late into the 1990s. Predeceased by his wife, Shirley, Banks died in Toronto on November 14, 2006 at the age of 89.
