Mike Canning 1941-2023

A Life-long Lover of Films

by Mary Procter and Bill Matuszeski

In many ways Mike Canning’s whole life set him on the path to become the threedecade film reviewer for the Hill Rag. He loved movies all his life and loved introducing ones he liked best to friends and neighbors and his DC community.

He grew up in Fargo, North Dakota in a family with no TV, but there were a half dozen movie theaters where he could watch abundant cartoons and Western and Disney features. When Mike went on to college at North Dakota State University in Fargo, his interest in films deepened when he became fascinated by foreign films.

In 1963-64 he broadened that knowledge during a year’s scholarship program, first at the University of Tübingen then at the Free University of Berlin. He met Judy Jones on the student ship to Europe. She was also heading for Berlin. Judy and Mike’s courtship included a lot of movie dates watching films like Black Orpheus, La Dolce Vita and Lawrence of Arabia from Mike’s list of 68 movies that he saw in Berlin that year. Soon after, he was accepted into the U.S. Information Agency Foreign Service.

At the time he died of leukemia on June 1 of this year, it had been 30 years since Mike was hired by the Hill Rag as a film reviewer. In 2016, he wrote an engaging short bio called “The Best Job in the World” in which he reported that he had seen about 2500 films and had reviewed about 300 of them (source: Mike’s website mikesflix. com). Since then, many more films have been added to his impressive total.

Mike was well respected in his work as Cultural Affairs Officer and Information (Press) Officer in the U.S. Information Agency. He and Judy served in eight different posts on three continents: in Nicaragua, Peru, Uganda, Kenya, Iran, Italy, Argentina, and Brazil. Mike’s favorite tour was his four years in Rome from 1982-1986 as Embassy Press Officer.

Joe Johnson, the Assistant Press Officer in Rome wrote a portrait of Mike after he died (for the organization The Public Diplomacy Council) giving a sense of the mix of demanding work and pleasure in Rome. “Our workday began with a press briefing, after which we customarily repaired across the street for a cappuccino and cornetto in the bar, which was operated by a Communist Party trade union. After that we got down to work….Mike had his hands full with the large American media presence and influential Italian television networks...”

His colleague and close friend, Pete Cecere, worked with Mike as young officers, when Mike was made Chief of the Seminar and Youth Programs Office for USIA in Latin America. One task was to come up with a solid understanding of what to expect of student unrest in various Latin American countries and how these differed from the roles of college students in the U.S. The next step was to propose USIA programs that would reach these Latin American young people. Cecere said that “Mike had a gift for clear descriptions of the challenges of Latin American youth movements for the U.S. and sound proposals for elements of USIA programs that would be effective with them.”

Even when absorbed with the political issues and American cultural outreach to the countries where he was posted, Mike found a way to enjoy films and introduce American movies to people in these countries. He would lead film discussions, organize film festivals, and write about films of all types.

Life on the Hill

After returning from Peru in 1969 with first daughter Elizabeth, Mike and Judy bought a house on 5th St. SE. By the time they left for Uganda in 1972, their second daughter, Rachel, had been born. Both girls went to Brent Elementary School later from 1978-82.

After retiring from the Foreign Service in 1993, they had just returned to the 5th St. house when Mike saw an ad in the Hill Rag for a film reviewer, applied, and was hired. In addition to writing film reviews, he and Judy delivered meals for Food and Friends in and were active with the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop.

In 2007, they became members of the newly formed Board of the Capitol Hill Village, and conducted about 40 gatherings in homes all over Capitol Hill to promote the idea of aging in place with funds for a minimal staff. They were surprised that many people they talked to wanted to volunteer to help their neighbors, through driving them to medical appointments, tending gardens, and solving simple electronic problems. They also wanted to form clubs: bridge, book, walking, exercise and more.

Years ago, Fran and Tom Zaniello moved to DC and joined the Capitol Hill Village. In 2013 they sent out an invitation to Village members to