Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1939)

MONTREAL QUTCOME of the 10 per cent admission tax levied by Quebec City on theatres is awaited with keen interest. The exhibitors have decided to carry on this month and see what effect the impost has on net returns. If the loss is too sharp, they may decide to close down. The Royal visit, bringing a host of tourists to the city, made the past week considerably better than it would otherwise have been. Prospect of closing down did not prevent Quebec exhibitors from paying a visit to the Montreal Filmrow. Among Quebec visitors were Raymond Gouge of the Rialto and Mr. and Mrs. Chouinard of the Princess and Imperial. Bill O’Regan of the Laurier Hull, and Gonzague Tremblay of the Capitol, Chicoutimi and Palace, Arvida, were other visitors from a distance . . . W. Picard looked in cm some of the distributors to inform them he had taken over the summer theatre at Valois, Que. Regulations for the Royal visit to Montreal stipulated that “while there will be no objection to the taking of photographs or motion pictures of Their Majesties as they pass along the route, no one will be allowed to break through the lines, or to step down from the curb for this purpose.” A storm at sea on the fourth day of Their Majesties’ voyage to Quebec caused cancellation of a cinema performance on the Empress of Australia arranged for that evening. “Sixty Glorious Years” was appropriately the fare at Loew’s Montreal theatre during the week of the Royal visit . . . Banned for a time, “Angels With Dirty Faces” is now playing at the Capitol. In lighter vein, is “Never Say Die” at the Princess. “Wuthering Heights” played a fourth week at the Orpheum, and “Dark Victory” a second at the Palace. “The Pour Feathers,” which is the rage of London, has been filmed four times. After seeing a former version, the author, A. E. W. Mason, wrote a polite note of appreciation to Richard Arlen who played the hero. He got back a postcard with a facsimile signature: “My Dear Friend — Thank you for your kind words. I regret I cannot accede to your request for a signed photograph. But you may buy one in either of two sizes on application to my secretary.” United Amusement Corp. directors have declared a dividend of 30 cents on the “A” and “B” stocks for the period ended April 30, payable May 31, record May 12 . . . “Gunga Din,” which concluded a week at the Imperial, has been banned by the Bombay board of film censors on the ground that it is unsuitable for exhibition in Indian cinemas. Frank Fay’s show played a week’s engagement at His Majesty’s . . . Confederation Amusements marked the Royal visit to Montreal by giving away a souvenir in the form of a plate bearing the portraits of the King and Queen. The souvenir, for which an extra charge of 20 cents was made, was procurable at the Outremont, Empress, Savoy, Chateau, Cartier, Dominion and Maisonneuve theatres. The new British cruiser, Bonaventure, has been equipped with a cinema for the entertainment of the crew . . . The British board of film censors has banned the Russian film, “ Professor Mamlock.” United Films of London, which is handling the film, is trying to get the decision reversed. Snowdon Theatre will start up its airconditioning equipment June 1. Larry Stephens, manager, anticipates a rush of hot weather business from people who will come to the theatre to cool off. The Snowdon, one of the city’s most beautiful theatres, was the first in Montreal to install air conditioning. “Use of Slides and Motion Pictures for Religious Education” was the topic chosen by Rev. John Peacock for an address to the Montreal Protestant Ministerial Ass’n. ... A cine camera and projector was the Duke of Windsor’s birthday gift to Princess Elizabeth . . . “ Goodbye , Mr. Chips” was shown to Their Majesties at the reception given them in London by U. S. Ambassador Kennedy two nights before their departure for Canada. Jules Levy, RKO general sales manager, came here from New York for the opening of “Sixty Glorious Years” at Loew’s . . . M. Plottel, manager of RKO’s Montreal office, is making a bid for leadership in the George J. Schaefer Drive. The Montreal office is second at the time of writing. The drive ends June 2. John Casey has presented Miss Mildred Doivbiggin with an engagement ring — a real sparkler. Both are with 20 th-Fox. A. J. Jeffery, United Artists sales manager for the province of Quebec, and Charles Chaplin, sales manager at Saint John, New Brunswick, have been attending the UA convention at Los Angeles and afterwards visited the San Francisco Fair. Oldtimer Emerges Montreal — Emerging temporarily from his snug haven of retirement along the Cote d’Azur, an oldtime stage and screen actor arrived in port aboard the Donaldson liner Letitia. Among his reminiscences he recalls being arrested with the “Sappho” cast in New York in 1900, and playing the romantic lead opposite Mary Garden in the silent screen version of “Thais.” The actor is A. H. Revelle Engstrom, known to the footlights audience as H. Revelle. Mr. Revelle’s last appearance was in New York a couple of years ago in "Moon Magic,” a play by Rita Weiman, with Rita Jolivet as leading lady. Acting in Belasco productions for years, he was cast in the part of de Brissac in “Du Barry.” “I think the most exciting time I ever had was when I was acting with Olga Nethersole in ‘Sappho’ in New York in 1900,” he said. “We all got arrested.” Here the memory of the affair made Mr. Revelle smile. “Were you ever in pictures?” he was asked. “Pictures? I should say I was. I appeared in dozens of them in the early CBC's Policies Win Committee's Nod Ottawa — The policy of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., the Government-sponsored radio commission controlling air entertainment in the Dominion, was endorsed by the radio committee of Canadian Parliament in an official report which was tabled in the Canadian House of Commons by A. L. Beaubien, M.P., chairman. This document covered a wide range of operations including television, facsimile broadcasting, short-wave, routine commercial and sustaining network programs, regulations for both public and private stations, revenues, expenditures and projects of the CBC. With respect to television and facsimile broadcasts, the report stated: “Your committee approves, as in the widest interests of the nation, the corporation’s policies regarding short-wave, television and facsimile broadcasting. The corporation hopes shortly to occupy the field of high-power short-wave transmission. As regards television and facsimile, the policy is to alienate no part of the public domain to private interests. The corporation intends, as soon as possible, to undertake experiments in facsimile broadcasting. Your committee recognizes that the responsibility of controlling and coordinating all broadcasting in the public interest rests upon the corporation.” The previously announced policy of the CBC with respect to television was that complete control would be maintained in this form of broadcasting on a public ownership basis, including the sponsorship of experiments, the development of facilities in due course, the licensing of television sets and retaining of all televised broadcasting in the public domain from the outset. It was pointed out that television was still in an experimental stage and that it was an expensive process but that all departments of visualized radio would be restricted to CBC direction and control. This has been confirmed by the radio committee of the House of Commons. The committee made use of the occasion to extend a tribute to the board of governors of the CBC, of which one member is N. L. Nathanson, president of Famous Players Canadian Corp. The report declared: “Your committee wishes to record its warm appreciation of the publicspirited manner in which the board of governors and the management are discharging their duties as trustees of the national interests in broadcasting. The corporation is developing a broadcasting system of increasing service to the people of Canada.” days,” said Mr. Revelle. He mentioned appearing in “Thais” with Mary Garden, for Goldwyn. He also appeared in “Captain Applejack” with Mary Nash, now of the films. Mr. Revelle said he was going to New York to see friends and look over the World’s Fair. He hoped later to go on to Hollywood, where, he was told, he would likely meet more stage old-timers than in New York. BOXOFFICE : : May. 20, 1939 83