Boxoffice (Jan-Mar 1940)

Jurisdictional Issue Publicity Repercussions Likely Rises in Ontario Boon for March of Time Toronto — The national film board and the question of priority rights with regard to censorship became involved in the sensation of the political campaign which grew out of the banning of the March of Time release, “Canada at War,” by Premier M. F. Hepburn of Ontario in his capacity as chairman of the appeal board of the Ontario board of moving picture censors. The condemning of the release “at least until after the federal elections on March 26” was an outcome of a feud between Hepburn and Prime Minister W. L. M. King, head of the federal government, with the Ontario leader having forced the election by the adoption of a vote of censure in the Ontario legislature against the Dominion government for the alleged lack of war action on the part of Prime Minister King. The picture played up the military preparations, but Hepburn declared that the film was “misleading” and was “purely propaganda of a political nature” which was being kept from the Ontario theatres under the policy of the censor board to condemn political propaganda of any party during an election. The new National Film Board became involved when it was brought out that John Grierson, film commissioner of the Canadian government, had implied that “Canada at War” had been produced under the sponsorship of the National Film Board and as a part of its program in an “Eyes of Canada” series. Further, the film had been boosted on the Canadian network by the government-sponsored Canadian Broadcasting Corp., while representatives of the Canadian government had given active assistance in the making of the picture. Claims Early Release The matter of prior rights revolved around the question as to jurisdiction — whether the federal government could overrule a provincial board in dealing with a Canadian film — but the announcement was forthcoming that the federal authorities would take no further action. Premier Hepburn claimed that “Canada at War” had been brought out ahead of schedule to assist the Federal Liberal Party in its election fight in which an issue is the manner in which the war activities have been prosecuted. In support of his argument that the picture was “pure political propaganda,” Hepburn, who also is a Liberal, produced an advertisement from a liberal association endorsing the picture and referring to the war preparations by the former minister of national defense, Hon. Ian Mackenzie. Chairman O. J. Silverthorne of the Ontario Board of Censors declared that the March of Time release, “Vatican City,” had been approved and had been scheduled for showing February 22 but it had not been screened yet in any Ontario theatre because of the substitution of “Canada at War.” He declined to speculate as to the reason, but intimated that the facts were there for judgment. The statement has been made, otherwise, that the (Continued on next page) BOXOFFICE :: March 16, 1940 K But Definitely ! — How the Toronto Daily Star views Premier Mitchell Hepburn's proscription in Ontario against The March of Time’s subject, “Canada at War.” Lag in Presentation Of Documentaries Winnipeg — At present on a tour of the west arranging distribution deals for Canadian government films, O. C. Wilson, organizing secretary of the National Film Society of Canada, opines that Manitoba is not so far advanced as a number of other dominion provinces in facilities for the presentation of films of Canada. A provincial film library and a number of projectors are needed to give impetus to the movement for the showing of such documentary films in Manitoba, he asserted. The National Film Society is assisting the National Film Board in publicizing Canadian films, according to Wilson. “We are endeavoring to build up a better concept of Canadian citizenship and a feeling of national unity through the medium of the motion picture. The board has agreed to produce six or seven films dealing with the life of a Nova Scotia fisherman, the prairie farmer, the lumberjack and so on, showing their lives in relation to their environment.” The society will donate three films — “Heritage,” “The Case of Charlie Gordon” and “Spring Is in the Air” — for free distribution to schools and other educational groups, he said. While Winnipeg had a branch of the National Film Society last year, which brought to the public films not ordinarily made available to them through routine commercial channels, it was allowed to lapse and is no longer in existence. — B. L. By ROY CARMICHAEL Montreal — One man who is not perturbed by the rumpus raised by Premier Mitchell Hepburn of Ontario over possible Mackenzie King propaganda in the March of Time film, “Canada at War,” is Leslie Dowbiggin, manager of the Capitol in Montreal. Not only has the continentwide publicity been the best advertisement that any March of Time picture ever had, but the Capitol itself has been widely advertised, especially in Ontario, owing to reporters from Toronto and other Ontario points being sent to Montreal to see the first showing and tell Ontarions what it is all about. The reporters had a hard time finding the “propaganda” but finally decided it lay in a brief speech by Premier King, head of the government which sent Canadian troops to the war. A Montreal critic’s impression was that the picture might well have borne as a sub-title “The United States Looks at Canada’s War Effort.” No Canadian money was spent on the production, and Canada’s participation in its production, apart from the military and naval aspects, was confined to the assistance given to March of Time producers by the national film board and the Associated Screen News. Montreal Papers Dumbfounded Montreal newspapers were dumbfounded by Premier Hepburn’s onslaught on the film, and two “independent” newspapers, usually conservative, the Montreal Star and the Montreal Gazette, devoted editorials to excoriating the Ontario prime minister for his ruling that Ontario will not be allowed to see the film until after the election, “if then.” Says the Montreal Star, whose editor is the film and drama critic, S. MorganPowell: “It would be difficult to imagine any more puerile or childish action on the part of a man to whom has been entrusted by the electorate the administration of a great Canadian province than the banning by Premier Hepburn of the news film, ‘Canada at War’ . . . There is not a single statement in this news film which is either far-fetched or misleading. There is not a single scene or statement that is inaccurate. As an actual matter of fact, the film was planned and started before the election was heard of . . . The venom behind Mr. Hepburn’s insensate act is only too clear.” Montreal Gazette comments: “The film is on exhibition in Montreal. Those who have seen it will be prepared to bear testimony that it is straightforward pictorial journalism, and depicts the defensive and industrial organization that has been created for the war . . . The authenticity of the pictures is beyond question. The independent source of their preparation places the production beyond suspicion of political bias on one side or the other . . . To ban the film and gag the Canadian Prime Minister manifestly is the wrong way to sustain the Opposition contention that the Federal Government’s war effort (Continued on page 86) 83