Susan Tolusso is a former editor of Playback.

Canada’s film and television industry has lost one of its finest analysts, and a journalist with unmatched insight and understanding of the film and TV business in this country, and in particular, in his native Quebec.

Leo Rice-Barker, 56, who served as contributor, staff writer and Montreal bureau chief with Playback for more than 19 years, died Jan. 29 at the Montreal General Hospital after a protracted struggle with cancer. He leaves his parents, son Joey and three sisters.

‘Leo was the perfect trade journalist,’ recalls Mark Smyka, Playback’s founding editor, who hired Leo as a part-time contributor a few months after the magazine debuted in September 1986. He had previously worked at national film mag Cinema Canada.

‘He was completely content’ to write within the industry, without ‘the big byline and the glamorous image of the consumer papers. He was happy to learn everything he could about the business, and with knowing it better and caring more about it than some of the people in it. He’d be the advocate for his community within [Playback publisher Brunico Communications].’

Leo made a lasting impression on Quebec industry leaders, including Montreal producer Kevin Tierney.

‘There was so much respect and regard [for Leo],’ says Tierney. ‘To report in English on Quebec – it’s a huge beat. To do the politics, the financial structures, the institutions, the policies of Telefilm and SODEC, the unions, and to stay on top of it and still not get jaded – it’s hard. We’re going to miss him.’

‘I’m truly sad,’ says Galafilm Productions president Arnie Gelbart. ‘He really helped people in Montreal to have their stories told in Playback and realscreen. He gave equal space to the French producers. [They] – Denise Robert, Roger Frappier, etc. – all knew him and he had their confidence, which was rare.’

‘We all went to Leo for the breadth of his knowledge,’ reflects Playback copy chief Michelle Hille. ‘He was always shining a light in the dark corners of Canadian production. He made darn few errors – in fact, he saved me from myself on more than one occasion. He was my rock, and I loved him.’

Before Playback had a Montreal office, recalls Smyka with a laugh, Leo ‘filed his first stories from a phone booth – collect,’ raising his voice above the street noise to dictate to Hille.

Leo eventually got an office on the Main, and over the years contributed not only to Playback, but also to sister publications strategy, realscreen, KidScreen and Boards. He left Brunico on disability leave in late 2003.

Leo had a knack for distilling the essentials from government regulations, Cancon guidelines and international copro treaties. He’d provide advice to new producers on a range of topics. He could recognize the significance of developments in audio, video or multimedia technology and write about them all with authority.

He was famously opinionated, but his views never crept into his copy, except when his extensive knowledge of foreign and domestic films – or his eye for certain actresses – led to a complimentary adjective or two.

Leo outlasted seven editors (counting this writer, twice) and was one of the quirkiest guys we ever knew. For years, he measured how many copy inches were devoted to Quebec, each issue. He could talk your ear off but insist, ‘I’m not a chatty person.’

‘Leo was a real character who never ceased to amaze, and those of us who worked with him have many ‘Leo stories,” says Brunico publisher Jim Shenkman. ‘He cared passionately about his work, his stories, the publication, the company, and the industry. His reporting has been very much missed for the past couple of years, and now his passing will be noted with much sadness by many people.’