Fonds SC510 - Holiff family fonds

Saul Holiff was born in London, Ontario in 1925 to Joel and Esther Holiff. Joel immigrated to Canada in 1914 from the Kiev region of Russia. Esther, as well as Joel’s sister Ann joined him in 1921, their arrival delayed by the start of the First World War and by anti-Jewish violence in Russia. Over the course of his life, Saul pursued many career and personal endeavors including airman, salesman, entrepreneur, restaurant owner, promoter, talent manager, columnist and television host, and in later years, a student of history.

Holiff left school in grade 10. Soon after, he, along with his brother Morris, joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). During World War II, he served as a physical fitness instructor, flight sergeant, and rear air gunner. With support from a Veteran’s fund, Holiff was later able to complete business courses. Following his discharge from the RCAF, Holiff traveled to Hollywood where he spent time on the film studio lots, met celebrities and became fascinated by the celebrity culture of the age and show business generally.

Following his service, Saul sold clothing door to door, ran the family business, Holiff Kustom Klothes, and opened a drive-in hamburger restaurant, Sol’s Square Boy. Holiff‘s interest in music (his own tastes ran to jazz and big band music) and the entertainment business led him to promoting concerts in London, Toronto and elsewhere. Holiff was one of the first promoters to bring the early rock and roll acts into Canada, including Bill Haley and his Comets, The Everly Brothers, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Buddy Holly. Through these connections, Holiff met Johnny Cash, becoming his personal manager in 1960. At this point, Holiff started his entertainment management company Volatile Attractions. Under this name he managed several Canadian and American acts including, Tommy Hunter, Statler Brothers, George Jones, The Carter Family, Carl Perkins, and Debbi Lori Kaye, among others.

Saul married Barbara Robinson in 1964. Barbara was born in Winnipeg and moved to London, Ontario in 1957, where she worked as the personal secretary to the director of advertising at the London Free Press; it was at the Free Press that she met Saul. Barbara later provided assistance to Saul in his business affairs. Barbara and Saul had two sons: Jonathan, born 1965, and Joshua, born 1966. Barbara became increasingly interested in the nuclear disarmament movement after moving to Victoria.

Saul Holiff resigned as Cash’s manager in 1973. Following his departure from the music industry, Holiff studied history at the University of Western Ontario, wrote restaurant reviews and hosted a cable television program “Ego’s Nest.” In 1980 he joined Barbara, Jonathan and Joshua in Victoria, British Columbia, where he completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Victoria in 1983. After moving to Nanaimo with Barbara, Holiff occasionally wrote for local publications. He was interested in the right to die movement and a member of the Hemlock Society. Saul Holiff died by suicide in 2005.

Jonathan Holiff is the son of Saul and Barbara Holiff, born June 8, 1965 in London, Ontario. Jonathan was raised along with his younger brother Joshua in London, Ontario and Victoria, British Columbia. Jonathan Holiff lives in Nanaimo, British Columbia.

Following high school graduation, Jonathan briefly attended the University of Victoria, but, like his father, was drawn to the entertainment world. He trained as a talent agent at the William Morris Agency in Beverly Hills, was founder and president of the Association of Celebrity Assistants in Los Angeles from 1992 to 1996, worked as a freelance producer with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation from 1988 to 1996, and was managing partner of the celebrity endorsement recruiter Hollywood-Madison Group from 1993-2005.

Following his father’s death in 2005, Jonathan learned about Saul’s archives from his mother and embarked upon a project to create a documentary to cast light upon his father’s role in music history, and also to come to a better understanding of his father. Jonathan established New Chapter Productions Inc in 2006 to enable the production of My Father and the Man in Black (2012); he wrote, directed and produced what would become and award winning feature documentary. The film tells the story of Saul from his childhood in London to the significant role he played as a Canadian concert promoter and personal manager in the early days of rock and roll. It follows in particular the manager –talent relationship between Saul and Johnny Cash, the tagline of the film being: “Before there was Johnny and June, there was Johnny and Saul.” The film received a number of awards and nominations:

WINNER "Best Documentary" at 2013 EDINDOCS Edinburgh (Scotland)
WINNER “Best Documentary” at 2012 RADAR Hamburg International (Germany)
WINNER "Best Documentary" at 2013 Available Light Film Festival (Canada)
WINNER "Best Documentary" at 2013 Lewiston Auburn Film Festival (USA)
WINNER "Best Documentary" at 2013 Buffalo Niagara Film Festival (USA)
WINNER "Best Documentary" at 2013 Memphis International Film & Music Festival (USA)
WINNER "Orson Welles Award" at 2013 Tiburon International Film Festival (USA)
WINNER "Audience Favorite" at Valley Doc Fest (Canada) [no date]
WINNER "Best of the Fest" at the 2014 Detroit Jewish Film Festival (USA)
TOP 10 Audience Favorite at 2012 Vancouver International Film Festival (Canada)
TOP 10 Audience Favorite at 2012 Calgary International Film Festival (Canada)