''Improper Channels'' is a Canadian

comedy-drama Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...

film, directed by

Eric Till Eric Till (born 24 November 1929) is an English people, English film and television film director, director working in Canada, the United States, and Europe since the 1960s. His 1977 film ''It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet'' was entered into the 10t ...

. Its copyright year is listed as 1979, but it was not released until 1981. The film stars

Alan Arkin Alan Wolf Arkin (March 26, 1934 – June 29, 2023) was an American actor, filmmaker and musician. In a career spanning seven decades, he received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Tony A ...

as architect Jeff Martley, and

Mariette Hartley Mary Loretta Hartley (born June 21, 1940) is an American film and television actress. She is possibly best known for her roles in film as Elsa Knudsen in Sam Peckinpah's '' Ride the High Country'' (1962), Susan Clabon in Alfred Hitchcock's '' M ...

as his estranged wife Diana. After their daughter Nancy suffers a mild injury as the result of a car accident, a zealous social worker (Monica Parker) wrongly accuses him of

child abuse Child abuse (also called child endangerment or child maltreatment) is physical abuse, physical, child sexual abuse, sexual, emotional and/or psychological abuse, psychological maltreatment or Child neglect, neglect of a child, especially by a p ...

and takes custody of the girl. The film received four nominations at the

3rd Genie Awards The 3rd Genie Awards were presented on March 3, 1982, to honour Canadian films released in 1981. The film ''Les Plouffe'' ''( The Plouffe Family)'' won the most awards overall, although ''Ticket to Heaven'' won Best Picture. Those two films wer ...

in 1982. These were for Best Foreign Actor (Arkin), Best Foreign Actress (Hartley),

Best Original Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award (also known as an Oscar) for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best ...

(

Adam Arkin Adam Arkin (born August 19, 1956) is an American actor and director. He is best known for playing the role of Aaron Shutt on ''Chicago Hope''. He has been nominated for numerous awards, including a Tony Award, Tony (Best Actor, 1991, ''I Hate Ha ...

, Morrie Ruvinsky and Ian Sutherland) and Best Art Direction/Production Design (Ninkey Dalton and Charles Dunlop). Arkin won the award for Best Foreign Actor."Ticket To Heaven top movie". ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...

'', March 5, 1982.

Cast

as Jeffrey Martley *

as Diana Martley * Monica Parker as Gloria Washburn * Harry Ditson as Harold Clevish * Sarah Stevens as Nancy Martley * Danny Higham as Jack * Leslie Yeo as Fred * Richard W. Farrell as Fraser *

Ruth Springford Margaret Ruth Springford (September 1921 November 20, 2010) was a Canadian radio, stage, television and film actress.Martin Yan Martin Yan (; born 22 December 1948) is a Chinese-American chef and food writer. He has hosted his award-winning PBS-TV cooking show '' Yan Can Cook'' since 1982. Early years and education With ancestral roots in Hoiping, Yan was born in ...

as Hu *

Tony Rosato Antonio Rosato (26 December 1954 – 10 January 2017) was a Canadian actor and comedian, who appeared in television and films. He was best known as a cast member on both '' SCTV'' and ''Saturday Night Live'', and for voicing Luigi in '' The Adven ...

as Dr. Arpenthaler *

Philip Akin Philip Akin (born April 18, 1950) is a Canadian actor. Akin has been acting and directing for over 40 years. He has had roles in major American films such as ''The Sum of All Fears'', '' S.W.A.T.'', and '' Get Rich or Die Tryin. He has also d ...

as Cop *

Harvey Atkin Elliot Harvey Atkin (18 December 1942 – 18 July 2017) was a Canadian actor. He was best known for his roles as Morty Melnick in ''Meatballs'', Sergeant Ronald Coleman in '' Cagney & Lacey'', and for voicing King Koopa in '' The Super Mario Bro ...

as Sergeant * Richard Blackburn as Fraser's Assistant * Eugene Clark as Security Guard #1

References

External links

* 1981 films English-language Canadian films 1981 comedy-drama films 1981 independent films Canadian comedy-drama films Canadian independent films Crown International Pictures films Films about children Films about families Films about miscarriage of justice Films directed by Eric Till Films scored by Maribeth Solomon Films scored by Micky Erbe Films set in hospitals 1980s English-language films 1980s Canadian films English-language comedy-drama films English-language independent films {{1980s-comedy-drama-film-stub