We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
Cf)e pioneer of tfje Hear:
WILLIAM E. LESTER
"rrto receive an award is always gratifying but when it comes from people who have done so much for other people it is doubly gratify¬ ing,” Wm. E. Lester of Montreal, pre¬ sident of United Amusement Corp., told over 500 people who had gathered in the King Edward Hotel, Toronto to see him presented with the Pioneer of the Year Award of the Canadian Picture Pioneers by Frank H. Fisher, president.
"This is a Red Letter Day in my life and the life of my family,” Lester continued, saying that he believed no industry had more public conscience and as many warm, personal relation¬ ships as the motion picture industry. “I guess I’ll remember this day as long as I live.” The guest of honor had been welcomed with the playing of Alouette by the orchestra and a standing ovation, and later long lines formed in front of the head table to shake his hand.
The presentation to Lester was pre¬ ceded by four others — three Special Awards and the Service Award, which was presented to Harry Howard of Vancouver for the BC Branch headed by him. Then came Roy Tash of To¬ ronto, veteran newsreeler; Hugh Sedg¬ wick of Hamilton, a former CPP offi¬ cial for many years; and Wm. Stew¬
art, a leading publicist and promotion executive in the early days of films.
Biographies of each person to re¬ ceive the award were read by Win Barron. In calling on him Fisher ex¬ plained that "We are here to pay hom¬ age to those who have not only served the industry but raised it in the eyes of the public." He quoted as The Golden Rule: “He profits most who serves best.”
The congratulations of Lester’s parents and associates at Famous Players were offered by Reuben W. Bolstad, vice-president and last year's Pioneer of the Year. “You have brought honor to yourself, you have brought honor to your family and you have brought honor to your indus¬ try,” he told Lester.
Among the many head table guests were Rotus Harvey, International Chief Barker of the Variety Clubs In¬ ternational, and Max E. Youngstein and Jerome Pickman, then president and executive vice-president respective¬ ly of the newly-formed Entertainment Corp. of America. Lester noted Har¬ vey’s presence with high praise of the work of the Variety Club, of which he is a member, and described Young¬ stein and Pickman as "The Angry Young Men of the motion picture in¬ dustry.”
NEXT PAGE: PHOTOS OF THE PIONEERS' AWARD DINNER
The top photo shows the centre of the dais at The Pioneer of the Year dinner. At the microphone is Wm. G. Lester, president of the United Amuse¬ ment Corp., Montreal, who is responding to a presentation of the plaque (beside him on the table ) which symbolizes The Pioneer of the Year Award. On the left is Frank H. Fisher, president of the Canadian Picture Pioneers, and on the right
Mrs. R. W. Bolstad, R. W. Bolstad, who was the winner last year, and Martin Quigley, president of Quigley Publications, New York.
Second photo: Harry Howard, Vancouver, left, holds the Service Award presented to the Van¬ couver Branch, while Roy Tash, Toronto, and Hugh Sedgwick, Hamilton, hold their Special Awards as Fisher looks on.
16