Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1939)

Saskatchewan Ban On Four in 1938 With Recipes From Columbia — Canada’s crew at the Columbia regional in Chicago enjoyed the beefsteak, party. Those shown, left to right: Dave Coplan, Canadian general sales manager, Toronto; Mitchell Bernstein, St. Johns manager; Bill Ellman, Montreal manager; Irving Levitt, Winnipeg manager; and Abe Cass, Toronto manager. "Alexander Nevsky" Wins High Praise Ottawa — “There is no more of Communistic propaganda in ‘Alexander Nevsky’ than in Shakespeare’s ‘Histories,’ which seem to have been the inspiration of Sergei Eisenstein and Peter Pavlenko. Even Shakespeare’s patriotic utterances like the epilogue to ‘King John’ spoken by Falconbridge seem to have given them a cue,” declared Hector Charlesworth, noted veteran dramatic critic in a discussion on the Soviet Film, “Alexander Nevsky,” which has been released in the Dominion by Cosmopolitan Films, Ltd. Writing in the Ottawa Journal, Mr. Charlesworth described the picture as the most magnificent of all Russian film productions “which must have been months in preparation and as strong a patriotic appeal to Russian patriotism against German aggression as could be conceived. As is well known, film production in Moscow and Leningrad is as completely under government control as the press itself, and the decision to create an historical film, vast in scope, which would serve to solidify the sentiment of the Russian people against German ambitions, must have emanated directly from Stalin and his advisers. “The film depicts the preparations and the great battle which helped to settle the future of Russia. The Soviet producers have spared no pains or expense in historic detail and stupendous masses of auxiliaries. I have witnessed nothing to match it since D. M. Griffith’s early film, ‘The Birth of a Nation,’ but the medieval picturesquesness and the improvement in screen acting and photography since Griffith’s day make it more impressive. Throughout, the note of Russian national unity is sounded. It shows us the greatest of all film actors, Nikolai Cherkassov, in a new aspect, young, buoyant and irresistably masterful. The last time I saw him was as an 80-year-old scientist in ‘Baltic Deputy’ and this role proves his marvelous versatility. I could not help desiring to see him in Shakepeare’s ‘Henry V’ because the Nevsky of legend is an heroic soldier of the same type. A dozen other artists of a high order are associated with him. The meaning of the film is made clear in his concluding utterance to the remnant of Germans who survive as prisoners: “ ‘Go home and tell all in foreign lands that Russia lives! Let them come as guests without fear. But if anyone comes to us with the sword, he shall perish by the sword. On this the Russian land stands and will stand.’ ” “Obviously this is intended as a message to world audiences today but I doubt very much whether ‘Alexander Nevsky’ will be shown in Germany.” This comment by the dean of Canadian reviewers is in direct contrast to the attack against the Picture by Roly Young which was recently published in the Globe and Mail, despite which the production had a highly successful first showing of one week in the Toronto Hollywood and has now been released in Winnipeg. Relieved of Burden Montreal — Ralph Nelson, one-time theatre doorman at Saint John, N. B„ no longer needs to keep that $35 a ticket seller gave him to take care of 16 years ago when he feared a celebrating patron might lose it. Nelson, who never saw the man again until the other day, remembered his face and paid him. The man, in 1923, tried to purchase a ticket with two $20 bills. The ticket seller, Miss Gladys Selby, gave him change for only $5 and handed the rest to Nelson after telling the doorman to take a good look at the man so he would remember. The patron never returned, the theatre burned down, and Miss Selby was killed Regina, Sask. — During the whole of 1938 only four pictures out of over 4,000 were refused a showing in Saskatchewan, according to the report of Hon. E. M. Culliton, provincial secretary, under whose authority the motion picture business in Saskatchewan is carried on, given in the Saskatchewan legislature. The report further states that two of the four rejected pictures were later reconstructed and passed for public showing. Saskatchewan has an arrangement with the Manitoba government whereby films may be censored at Winnipeg the same time as the other province’s films are done. It makes for a saving in time to exhibitors and money to both province and film exchange houses. In all, 3,988 film subjects were reviewed in Winnipeg, totaling 12,771 reels, of which only 885 were 16 mm. In Regina six reels of 35 mm and 57 of 16 mm were reviewed. Regina is headquarters of General Films, Ltd., largest Canadian 16 mm distributors. During the year 35 films were seized for not having the Saskatchewan censor’s approval, four less than a year previous. There were more than 2,000 more reels of film checked through at Winnipeg last year than in 1937, Culliton said. He ascribed most of it to the increased number of 16 mm films. in a motor accident. Nelson kept the money at home. Seeing a man on the street who looked familiar. Nelson said: “I’ve got $35 for you.” The other could not believe it but later recalled that when he awakened that gray morning more than a decade ago he thought he had lost the money. British Film Quota Act Denounced by Asquith London, Eng. — “Cuckoo films” that may oust British products were denounced by the Hon. Anthony Asquith in his presidential address to the Association of CineTechnicians. He said the Films Quota Act, as framed at present, would not lead to the building up of a sound and prosperous British industry. Merely to force foreign companies to make or acquire films in the United Kingdom was no way to build up the British industry, he added. “The only man who has the right to protection is the British producer,” he said. “Don’t give the importer an opportunity of using this pseudo-British production, this cuckoo film, to oust the British film from its right nest.” Assign Clement Ripley Hollywood — Clement Ripley has been assigned to the script of “John Paul Jones,” a Warner film to star Jimmy Cagney. 86 BOXOFFICE :: May 20, 1939