McMaster funnymen
1960S AND ’70S
MCMASTER UNIVERSITY is known for a lot of things — its medical, engineering and business schools, world-renowned research, and host to a portion of Einstein’s brain, to name a few. But it has also produced some of the greatest names in Canadian comedy, including Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas, Ivan Reitman and John Candy. All of these funnymen attended Mac in the late ’60s and early ’70s, where they got their start in theatre and film before going on to Hollywood fame.
Significance
THOMAS, LEVY, SHORT and Candy made it big after SCTV took off in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Reitman is known for his work as a Hollywood producer and director. Three of the men — Short, Levy and Thomas — were also born in Hamilton.
Martin Short
SHORT STUDIED social work at McMaster University after first starting in pre-med. Born in 1950, he grew up in Hamilton near Mac and attended George R. Allan Elementary School, Dalewood Elementary School, Westdale Secondary School and Hamilton Collegiate Institute. After graduating from Mac, he landed a part in a 1972 Toronto production of Godspell alongside Levy and Thomas. He achieved fame through SCTV and Saturday Night Live and through the creation of memorable characters like Ed Grimley and Jiminy Glick. He then went on to Hollywood movies. Short received an honorary degree from Mac in 2001. He was named to the Order of Canada in 1994.
Eugene Levy
HAMILTON-BORN and Mac-educated Levy has starred in and written Hollywood comedies. On SCTV, he played everyone from Alex Trebek to Moammar Gadhafi to Stan Schmenge. In 2005, he received an honorary degree from McMaster. He served as photo editor at Mac’s student paper, The Silhouette, in 196869. It was at the McMaster Film Board where he met Reitman, who offered him his first job.
Ivan Reitman
THE HOLLYWOOD MOVIE director behind Ghostbusters attended Mac in the same class as Levy. He graduated with an honours BA in music in 1969. Reitman got his start making films at Mac in the late ’60s. He began his directing career in 1971 with a picture called “Foxy Lady.” Rumour goes he asked Levy to be a coffee boy before casting him as the lead in “Cannibal Girls” two years later. Reitman also co-produced “Animal House,” said to be inspired by McMaster’s wild orientation week. Some of his other works include “Space Jam,” “Junior” and “Kindergarten Cop.”
Dave Thomas
THOMAS WAS BORN in Dundas. He has had success in the States as a writer and an actor. Probably best known for his hoser character Doug McKenzie on SCTV, the comedian graduated from McMaster with an honours degree in English in 1972. During his time there, Thomas was executive editor of the The Silhouette. While at Mac he was involved in numerous theatre productions, sowing the seeds for much of his future work in movies and TV. Thomas received an honorary degree from Mac in 2009.
John Candy
CANDY, WHO ATTENDED McMaster as an undergraduate student, is well known for his roles in films “Uncle Buck” and “Planes, Trains & Automobiles.” On SCTV, Candy played Yosh Schmenge — one half of the Schmenge Brothers duo. The other brother, Stan, was played by Levy. The two worked closely together on SCTV, and were involved in eight projects including “The Last Polka,” “Armed and Dangerous” and “Splash.” Candy was born in Newmarket and died in 1994 while filming “Wagons East.” He reportedly stayed at Whidden Hall residence during his time at Mac.