Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1947)

VANCOUVER Toronto Will Form City Censor Board TORONTO— A municipal board of censors, the first of its kind in Canada, will be established here according to H. E. McCallum of the civic board of control, who said the new body would have jurisdiction over moving pictures, stage presentations, night clubs, radio programs and published books. He classed some of these features as “salacious.” Long ago, the city had a theatre censor, the late William Banks, a former local newspaper man, but his services were superseded by the provincial board of moving picture censors. No provision is made in the Ontario theatres and cinematographs act for any censorship by local or private bodies and the church. Hence, it is not clear on what legal basis city censorship can be imposed on moving pictures for moral reasons. The civic government has the power to cancel licenses for theatres for other causes. The Ontario government has yet to say anything about the prospective clash of jurisdiction in film censorship but the provincial regulations are there for all to study. Peace River Change PEACE RIVER, ALTA— The Valley Theatre here has again changed hands, the second time within the last year. Two Peace River residents are the new owners, A. Polukashko and William Todor. TORONTO •J*he Vaughan, latest addition to the B&F circuit, is approaching the finishing stage. The theatre, situated at Vaughan road and West St. Clair avenue has been completed insofar asjsteel and brick are concerned and work is being pushed on the front elevation and interior. The voyage of H. M. Masters, general manager of Canadian Warner Bros., and Mrs. Masters across the Atlantic is solely a holiday trip, it has been pointed out from a company source in Toronto. Lloyd Mills, former manager of the Belsize, continues to take a personal interest in the Teen-Age club which he founded at the theatre. Between trips in his new sales job, Mills has been appearing with the club members during their Saturday morning program over CHUM here, with the ready consent of Ralph Wilson, his successor at the theatre. Another unit of Famous Players, the Algoma at Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., of which A1 Hartshorn is manager, has launched a Movie club for boys and girls. The initial Saturday morning screen feature was “Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” plus an amateur hour on the stage. “The Way to the Stars” wound up its fifth straight week at the International Cinema April 5 but has some distance to go to equal the 19 weeks of “Henry V” at the same theatre last fall . . . Toronto has practically a new neighborhood house in the Ace at 605 Danforth Ave., which has reopened after being modernized. For “Calendar Girl” at the Circle and Midtown, the fronts of these 20th Century Theatres units were gaily decorated with enlarged pictures of Varga girls . . . Allens’ Theatre Holding Corp. is preparing plans for the erection of a suburban theatre on a Yonge street site at Lansing, a growing suburb just north of the city. No date has yet been announced for the opening of the annex to the company’s Hollywood here. 'The Lyric played a week’s engagement of the San Carlo Opera Co. Business was excellent. The Lyric opened a roadshow engagement of “Open City” April 7 . . . The arbitration board met last week to settle the dispute between Famous Players and the projectionists. No decision will be made until after the Easter recess. Jimmy Davie, recently appointed RKO manager, is covering the British Columbia territory, closing a number of situations . . . Lloyd Muir, RKO exploiteer, is back from a two-week trip covering prairie towns on “The Best Years of Our Lives” . . . Films on the control and prevention of tuberculosis, provided by funds raised in the annual Christmas seal campaign, have been given to film libraries at the British Columbia university extension department, the Vancouver school board, Langley Film council and Indian hospitals at Sardis and Miller Bay. poured nearly $290,000 into a fund for the relief of distress among navy veterans and men now serving, Admiral Nells announced. The revue was also made into a film by an English company, and proved popular in Canada. t Frank Soltice, manager for Eagle-Lion, is happy over the smashing business being registered by his Australian release, “The Overlanders” . . . Gross receipts from the annual Rotary ice carnival established an all-time high, Maynard Joiner, chairman, revealed. Joiner is British Columbia supervisor for FPC. For his outstanding job Rotary gave him a silver set. Harry Page, Monogram manager, is back from a trip which covered the B. C. interior. He reports business good, with plenty of cooperation from exhibitors on Monogram’s “Sweet 16” drive which ends June 27. Page hopes to finish among the leaders. Representatives of the students council at Regina college wrote to the exhibitors association saying they would boycott theatres in the Regina area if reduced admissions were not put into effect for students. Association members did not take any action. Odeon Movie club members are playing football for a cup and medals. The kids play each Saturday morning before attending the Movie clubs. Competition is quite keen. A representative of the fire department is visiting the clubs and giving a talk on fire prevention and fire drills each Saturday. Shirl Wilson, sound engineer for North American Productions, is busy supervising NAP's first cartoon feature, to be titled “Butch Bear and Buddy Beaver.” It is expected to be released by a major organization in the USA . . . Good Friday and the Easter weekend gave theatres smash business. Several ace attractions were released. “Sinbad the Sailor” at the Orpheum led the town. Cascades Drive-In at Burnaby opened its 1947 season this week with “Hollywood Canteen.” Many improvements have been made since the house closed. It is reported that a drive-in will be built this summer by Victoria interests which have purchased property near the capital city. The Cascades is the only drive-in theatre west of Toronto. “The Best Years of Our Lives” will have its Canadian first runs in Odeon circuit houses. It is booked for a five-week run at the Hastings here and also will play the Oak Bay Theatre at Victoria for three weeks at increased admission. James Mason, British star, is gaining in popularity here, and exchanges are now getting good returns from older releases which did not do so well on their first showings. “Hatters Castle” will be rereleased . . . The Canadian navy’s popular wartime revue Quebec Bans Drive-Ins ; One Sought at Toronto Toronto — A group of business men from the U.S. has applied to the North York council for a permit to establish a drive-in theatre northeast of Toronto at Dawes road and Sheppard avenue. The application was laid over to permit nearby residents to express their views. Meanwhile, the province of Quebec has placed a ban on the operation of open-air moving picture theatres because of the “noise.” Series of Preview Nights Started in Vancouver VANCOUVER — Inaugurating a new policy dedicated to “first-nighters,” the Park gave a preview night April 7 with admissions at 60 cents. Every Monday thereafter a similar show will be held. The Park was selected by Odeon as an ideal location, only five minutes from downtown Vancouver by bus or car. The theatre also is starting a second run policy. The Paradise, formerly second run, will go to first rim. Famous Players have been holding preview nights at the Stanley and Kerrisdale theatres for the last ten years. Opening of the Fairlawn May Run Into Delays TORONTO — There is now the prospect that “The Best Years of Our Lives” will not be the opening feature for the Fairlawn in north Toronto. Finishing touches to the house appear to be somewhat distant. It had been planned to have the Odeon unit opened by J. Arthur Rank on the occasion of his visit in May. The Academy award picture opened April 5 at the Kent in Montreal at $1.20 top instead of $2.40 as previously stated. The picture will play other Odeon units across Canada in quick succession. calgaA! “•Till the Clouds Roll By” did such excellent business at the Capitol in Edmonton, its Alberta premiere, that exhibitors here were encouraged. Good pictures still draw capacity despite recent spotty business. All feel more hopeful. J. B. Barron of the Grand Theatre here left by plane for Chicago. He is making a fast trip, to hurry up delivery of promised material needed for present renovations to entrance and lobby. Edward L. Steele, head usher at the Capitol, drew an Irish sweepstakes ticket in the Grand National He drew the horse Fabian, which was scratched. This brings him a lower award of $336. He was quite satisfied. J. Lieberman of the Rialto in Edmonton, superintendent of Odeon units, has been discharged from the hospital. He is feeling fine after an operation on his eye. BOXOFFICE :: April 12, 1947 115