Associated Screen News of Canada
The Associated Screen News of Canada (ASN) was incorporated in 1920 by the Canadian Pacific Railway in Montreal. Ben Norrish, who formerly worked for the Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau, was appointed its director. In the period from 1921 to 1958 ASN, the largest private film production company in Canada of the first half of the 20th century, produced the majority of newsreels, shorts and industrial films in Canada. In addition to commissioned films, ASN produced films for theatrical release, out of which came the celebrated "Canadian Cameo" series (from 1932 to 1954). This series  of 85 theatrical short films was totally the creation of Gordon Sparling. It represented Canada's only creative film effort in the 1930s. Each film was approximately 10 minutes in length and covered a range of subject matter, ranging from sport, to historical compilations about Canada, and Canadians, to portraits and aspects of Canadian life and activities.