Boxoffice (Jan-Mar 1939)

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Patrick Nolan Opens Barrage on Ban Ottawa — Patrick J. Nolan, former mayor of Ottawa and owner of thi’ee Ottawa theatres, opened a campaign in Hull, Quebec, for the removal of the ban by the Quebec provincial government on the admission of all children under 16 years of age from moving picture theatres in Quebec in an address before the Rotary Club of Hull when he was introduced by Judge Roland Miller of Hull and subsequently was given a vote of thanks by Rodrique Bedard, Hull legal recorder. “There is no form of entertainment as rich in educational value as the moving picture,” declared ex-Mayor Nolan. “The average child will learn to speak correct English and French by going to pictures and I challenge lanyone to name a single picture in the past 15 years where a criminal is portrayed as a glamorous figure or escaping punishment. “I can see no objection whatever to children attending matinee performances and hope the time when Quebec provincial authorities will agree with me is not far distant.” Tracing the development of the motion pictui’e industry, Nolan declared that all fire menace arising from the projection of films had been eliminated in modern theatres. Hollywood Air Programs Broadcast in Canada Ottawa — Canadians get a full share of entertainment over the air from Hollywood via the national network of the Canadian Broadcasting Coit. in the regular week-to-week programs in which screen stars and directors are principal players. These are apart from the occasional sketches which fonn a broadcast preview of forthcoming screen attractions which are presented by the CBC as an international exchange feature in a tie-up with the NBC, CBS or the MBS in the United States. There has been some protest on the part of the theatre owners against these previews but the complaints have died down. Among the Hollywood programs heard on Canadian stations are: Chase & Sanborn Horn*, with Charlie McCarthy, Edgar Bergen, Don Ameche, Nelson Eddy, Dorothy Lamour, etc.; the Silver Theatre, with Conrad Nagel, Ida Lupino and other stars; Jell-O Program, with Jack Benny, Kenny Baker, Mary Livingstone and Phil Harris; the Radio Tlreatre, with Cecil B. DeMille and a variety of featured players; One Man’s Family, directed by Carlton E. Morse; Bing Crosby Music Hall, with guest artists; Campbell Playhouse, directed by Orson 'Welles and with different stars; Good News 'Variety; A1 Pearce and His Gang; A1 Jolson and other features. ITiere are, of course, a number of musical programs which originate in New York City but it is in the array of Hollywood features in which the film stars are really prominent. CAILG AR Y BILL KELLY, manager of the Paramount branch in Calgary, is still wearing carpet slippers four weeks after his feet were frozen. Bill received a bad attack of frozen feet when he was stalled all night in his car some miles from High River. During a blizzard he was caught in a snow drift and did not receive aid until morning. Few people realize the extensive territory covered from the Calgary branch office. Taking in the western portion of Saskatchewan and Eastern British Columbia in addition to the whole province of Alberta, the film boys cover many miles. Much of this is made by road and portions across the Rockies by train. A trip out may extend over 500 jniles east or west and while calls are not made personally , still film is shipped as far north of Yellowknife, 1,200 miles away. In the whiter traveling by car is made comfortably, considering the temperature, unless when the winds blow when all transport ceases by road unless the traveler is caught unawares. Such was the ill-luck of Bill Kelly during the first storm of the season. E. Zorn, district manager of the Famous Players chain, attended the official opening of the new Capitol Theatre at Red Deer on December 23. This new theatre serving this central Alberta community, is a Bijou house completely modern in construction and equipment. Reminiscent of more prosperous times in attendance and in enthusiasm was the farewell banquet given to Frank Vaughan at the Palliser Hotel, Calgary. A dozen managers from the city theatres, bookers and managers of Filmrow and Wilmer Tidwell, Warner Bros, auditor of New York attended a gathering that took on a festive mood suitable to the season. A traveling wardrobe trunk was presented to the departing manager of Empire-Universal. Vaughan goes to Vancouver, B. C., to make his headquarters while in charge of both Vancouver and Calgary offices. Frank Cohen will remain to conduct the Calgary office. 'Vaudeville season in Calgary closed with a full seven-day engagement on January 2. For the past three months, the Grand here has been playing a four-act program supplied by the Bert Levy Circuit of Chicago. Playing three days a week with a film feature, business has been just fair and J. B. Barron, controlling the Grand, has decided to revert to a full picture program for the balance of the season. A welcome chmook wmd that broke up a spell of cold weather came to the relief of theatremen of Calgary during the holiday week. Result was capacity business for the last three days of the year and SRO sigiis at the New Year previews. Three suburban and five downtown houses held previews. All but three charged regular prices. Palace and Capitol, units of the Famous Players chain, got one dollar admission with Chesterfield suits and numerous prizes as the added attractions. Movie Quiz Contest Retires in Silence Ottawa — The Movie Quiz Contest faded out of the picture in Canada without a final splash, the termination of the competition being marked by the mere withdrawal of the final trailer warning patrons to make sure that their entries were mailed to contest headquarters before the expiration of the time limit. A quick survey of the situation did not reveal any large display announcement in newspapers to mark the close of the contest and there was no last minute rush for fresh quiz booklets for additional entries. The four-months’ contest period came to a close with a fairly large number of independent exhibitors not making any use of quiz promotion although they had given financial support to the continentwide stunt. A number did not have the oportunity to play a quiz feature; some had secured December bookings of one or two contest attractions, and, therefore, did not make use of the campaign accessories because of the late date. All exhibitors, however, had secured benefit from the cumulated institutional advertising and also from the cooperation extended by newspapers in the way of extra publicity which included display copy and page-wide sweep lines as weU as tree reading matter. This factor was recognized openly by a number of independents. M. L. Axler, supervisor of the 20th Century Theatres, a chain of independently owned houses, declared that a really constructive job had been done in driving home the thought that “motion pictures are your best entertainment.” But he regarded the effect of the movie quiz contest in itself on screen fans as “generally bad.” the offering of a spectacular inducement to attend the theartes being “poor psychology” in his opinion because it indicted that the pictures themselves were not strong enuough in their attractiveness to be successful or popular. According to the Independent Theatres Association, the organized independents will not participate again in any campaign similar to the 1938 drive. BQ Itinerant Exhibitors Licensed in Ontario Toronto — A sixth province licensing itinerant exhibitors is Ontario, in addition to the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, British Columbia and Prince Edward Island as revealed by the Dominion government. Ontario has licensed 16mm operators since June, 1938, and at present there are 60 such licensees in the province. Paynter to Universal Toronto — Harry Paynter, Toronto manager for 'Warner interests, has resigned and taken over an executive position with Empire-Universal. 122 BOXOFFICE :; January 7, 1939