Riel (film)

Riel is a 1979 Canadian made-for-television biographical film about Métis leader Louis Riel.

Plot

 * Louis Riel (Cloutier) leads the Red River and North-West Rebellions against the Canadian government's expansionist ideas.
 * The first was a successful rebellion in which created the Province of Manitoba and a later more violent and unsuccessful one in Saskatchewan in 1885 which led to his capture, trial and eventual execution

Cast

 * Raymond Cloutier as Louis Riel
 * Christopher Plummer as Prime Minister John A. Macdonald
 * Roger Blay as Gabriel Dumont
 * Maury Chaykin as Howard
 * Barry Morse as MacTavish
 * Leslie Nielsen as Major Crozier
 * Dave Thomas as Militia Captain
 * William Shatner as The Barker
 * Don Harron as Donald Smith
 * Chris Wiggins as General Middleton
 * John Neville as General Wolseley
 * Lloyd Bochner as Dr. Schultz
 * James Bradford as Captain Bra
 * Brenda Donohue as Mrs. Schultz
 * Marcel Sabourin as Joseph-Noël Ritchot
 * Gary Reineke as Thomas Scott
 * Fern Henry as Maguerite Riel
 * Tony Robinow as Lemieux

Filming

 * Shot at Cinespace Film Studios in Kleinburg, Ontario, with additional photography at Ottawa, Ontario.
 * The production utilized the local community to fulfill extra roles and stunt riders. Community members like Jim Naish, and others, earned a spot with his shooting and riding abilities.