ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the film City of Towers directed by Gordon Sparling. City of Towers is the third film in a series of city symphonies directed by Gordon Sparling as part of the Canadian Cameos series for Associated Screen News, a Montreal-based studio. City of Towers was conceived in 1934, during Toronto's centennial, shot from 1934 until early 1935, and released in May 1935. As the film's title suggests, the film focuses on Toronto's many "towers"—its tallest monuments, steeples, and skyscrapers—and claims that it is these structures that hold the key to a deeper understanding of the city. Just as towers seem to dominate every phase of Toronto's busy life, so City of Towers finds in them a striking medium for portraying the highlights of Ontario's metropolis. The film's tone and pacing varies depending on what geographic regions of Toronto were being depicted.
