Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1939)

^■HE past week marked the arrival in Canada of four people — the British monarchs stepped foot on Canadian soil for a slightly delayed tour — and H. M. Masters, general manager, and Sam Glaser, Toronto branch manager of United Artists Corp., Ltd., reached Toronto after attending the company convention in Hollywood. The latest bulletin on the condition of J. J. Fitzgibbons, vice-president of Famous Players Canadian Corp., Toronto, is that he is rapidly recovering from an operation which was performed at the Mayo Bros. Clinic at Rochester, Minn. N. L. Nathanson, president of Famous Players Canadian Corp., made a trip to New York City for an important business conference with Paramount executives. Vice-President Paul Nathanson and General Manager W. A. Perry of Empire-Universal Films, Ltd., Toronto, spent last weekend in Vancouver, B. C., for a regional meeting of the distributing company before returning to the Ontario Capital. James O’Loghlin, general manager of 20th Century-Fox Films, Ltd., Toronto, spent several days in Montreal to confer with eastern officials of the firm. Frank O’Byrne of Associated Screen News was appointed chief cameraman for the Toronto visit of the British King and Queen. As such he is responsible for the newsreel shots of local ceremonials and processions for all newsreel companies. Lou Karp, head-office booker of Famous Players Canadian Corp., and P. Wright of Empire-Universal Films, Ltd., were among the first angling devotees to proceed to secret fishing destinations, the result also being kept a secret. The charge is that they just went for the trip. Jack Chisholm of the Associated Screen News, Ltd., spent several days in the Hamilton district to reconnoitre for a forthcoming film. C. T. Ross, proprietor of the Royal Theatre, Bowmanville, and former president of the Allied Exhibitors of Ontario, has been elected president of the smart Bowmanville Baseball Club. Mr. Ross is a real Kamin Opens Theatre in St, Catharines, Ont, Toronto — Coinciding with the annual Blossom Week Festival of the famed Niagara Peninsula, with its thousands of fruit orchards and vineyards, was the opening of the second theatre in St. Catharines, Ont., within three months. Tire latest is the Lincoln Theatre, an independent house erected and owned by Paul Kamin. The opening attraction was “Three Smart Girls Grow Up.” The previous opening in St. Catharines was the Centre Theatre which is owned by H. Freedman of Toronto, past president of the Independent Theatres Ass’n. A chain house is also operated there by Famous Players Canadian Corp., making three modem houses for the center. community booster, being a past president of the local Rotary Club and identified with various other organizations. Manager Raymond Allen of the Casino Theatre has sliced the evening admission price for the summer from 40 cents to 35 cents and occasionally advertises a bargam night at 30 cents. The return of daylight saving time made the difference. Manager W. S. Brady of the Madison Theatre, Toronto, secured a nice tieup with the Globe and Mail in the publication of a line across the top of the “Blondie” comic strip for the engagement of "Blondie Meets the Boss.” Mike Wilkes, veteran exploitatio-n manager of United Artists here, traveled across to Buffalo, N. Y., where his son is a student at the University of Buffalo. Would Except Ottawa As Amusement Taxer Ottawa — Mayor Stanley Lewis of Ottawa, secretary of the Ontario Mayors Ass’n, took time off from his official duties as chief magistrate of the Canadian capital in connection with the formal visit of the British monarchs to grant an exclusive interview to the representative of this paper regarding the proposal for the re-establishment of the amusement tax in the Province of Ontario. “I am solidly in support of the move on the part of the Ontario Mayors Ass’n to have the provincial legislature enact a statute which would extend power to the municipalities to impose a local amusement tax,” he declared emphatically. “I approve the idea because I am in favor of the principle of permissive legislation but I am definitely opposed to the enactment of any bylaw, under permissive legislation, which would provide for the collection of an amusement tax by the Municipality of Ottawa. I feel that it is not a proper tax and I do not want to see it imposed in this city. “Generally speaking, however, I believe it is proper for municipalities to have the right to impose by-laws, but whether they do so or not is another question. I believe in permissive legislation by the province in the rights of civic government but it is not necessary to use that privilege, once it has been obtained. That is my view with regard to the proposal of the association for an enactment which would enable the municipalities to decide whether or not they want an amusement tax. In the case of Ottawa, however, I am not in favor of it and would discourage its adoption here.” "Our Town" to Lesser Hollywood — “Our Town,” the Thornton Wilder story, has been purchased by Sol Lesser. It will be made in Technicolor as one of the Lesser-Lubitsch productions for UA release. Frank Myers, Ontario branch manager of RKO Radio, has been fondling a brand new fishing rod and reel but has been unable to get away for a fishing expedition because of the flood of business for “60 Glorious Years” which has been released in conjunction with the royal visit. Sumiyside Beach Park opened for the season on the coldest night in May and the theatres enjoyed a break with the amusement-seekers flocking to the cinemas instead. The first carnival of the season has made its appearance locally but is operating outside of the eastern city limits because of the heavy civic license fee. Jack Arthur, manager of the big Uptown Theatre, has been wearing a broad smile because of a forced hold-over of “Dark Victory” for a second week. H. Yudin, manager of the new Centre Theatre, St. Catharines , came to tou>Ji with a glowing report of good business with the Niagara district swarming with visitors for “Blossom Week.” Harry Lester, proprietor of the Bonita Theatre, is off again with a strong softball team which plays for the theatre in the Withrow Senior League, the Bonitas being bracketed in a first-place tie. Clair Appel, assistant publicity director of Famous Players, is a grandfather, a baby having arrived in the home of his daughter in Calgary. Sam Fine, one of the heads of the B. & F. Theatre circuit, hurried to northern Ontario for a four-day fishing trip at the opening of the piscatorial season. Archie Laurie, local sales manager of Empire-Universal Films, and winner of golfing titles and trophies last year, complained of feeling off-color until he suddenly remembered that he had put in only nine holes of the Royal and Ancient so far in 1939. “Grand Illusion,” French film released in Canada by Harry J. Allen, general manager of Grand National Films, Ltd., opens May 22 at the Toronto Hollywood for a special run following an extensive teaser campaign. Trade Shows Interest in Sound System Exhibit Toronto — A feature which aroused wide interest in film trade circles of Ontario was the demonstration of the new Northern Electric Mirrophonic master theatre sound system which was conducted in the Royal York Hotel here, in conjunction with the presentation of the same equipment on the same date in key centers of the United States and other countries. The exhibit, which was on display for three hours during the afternoon, was arranged by the Dominion Sound Equipments, Ltd., Canadian distributor of Western Electric and other theatre equipment lines, under the direction of F. E. Peters, general manager, and S. A. Goldham, Toronto branch manager of Dominion Sound. 82 BOXOFFICE :: May 20, 1939