Boxoffice (Jan-Mar 1941)

Doric Accident Nets Drive on Theatres Toronto — Inspectors of the theatres branch of the Ontario government have been making a drive on exhibitors and managers since the Doric accident in which a number of juvenile patrons were overcome by coal gas fumes, with the result that a number of operators have been brought to court. Ronald McClelland, manager of the Capitol in North Toronto, pleaded guilty to permitting patrons to stand in the aisles at the matinee performance and was fined $20 and costs. He was fined a similar amount when he was found guilty of having exit doors locked or fastened during a performance. Inspector A. H. Gray of the Ontario government appeared for the prosecution. Aaron Wolfe, manager of the Parliament, was fined $20 and costs because juveniles were said to have been standing in the aisles, Inspector Gray testifying that more admission tickets were sold than there were seats. Wolfe declared the children were going back and forth to the washroom. Doric Is Permitted Limited Operation Toronto — Sam Lester, proprietor of the Doric, has been permitted to reopen the theatre for Saturday and holiday matinee performances. The closing of the house for these shows was the penalty imposed for the accident last January in which a number of juvenile patrons were overcome by coal gas fumes. In the meantime, the heating and ventilating equipment of the Doric has been overhauled and the staff has been reorganized with a view of safety precautions. Lester, meanwhile, has sponsored a series of benefit shows on Sundays, the proceeds of which have been turned over to war charity funds. Arthur Fielding Leaves Spencer Circuit April St. John, N. B. — Arthur A. Fielding of St. John, N. B., for the past 16 years general manager of the F. G. Spencer Co. of St. John, operating 21 theatres in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, will retire from this post about mid-April. He will devote all his attention to several theatres of his own. Replacing him will be F. Gordon Spencer, a son of the president and founder. The son has been on the staff for several years, at the St. John headquarters in the Strand. The change will become effective on the return of F. G. Spencer from Florida. At Truro, N. S., Fielding, with the Strand, erstwhile Spencer house, will be opposition for the Spencer Capitol, and a new theatre now being built for Spencer, and to be ready this summer. ( r : From the Newspapers : iS ■ V Toronto — Preferred stockholders of Hamilton United will be paid 1 Vi on March 31. Hamilton United Theatres has further advised preferred stockholders it is interested in purchasing a limited number of preferred for redemption. Winnipeg — Winnipeg women, co-ordinating their voluntary efforts in war and peace work, will take key parts in a new film about Canadian women at war, to be released by the national film board. Toronto — Arthur Gonder, widely known scenic artist, suffered a fatal heart attack at his home here. Montreal — Terming the fire risk claim for denying children admission to theatres as a blind for “moral” regulations, an editorial in the Montreal Star cites the British method of endorsing pictures in two ways, for adults only and for all, as worthy of emulation. A board representing both religious and lay authorities to pass on films is suggested. Assured of No New Taxes for a Year Toronto — In tabling the budget before the Ontario legislature, which revealed that the province would close the fiscal year on March 31 with a huge surplus, Premier M. F. Hepburn officially announced that no new taxes would be imposed during 1941-42, thus there would be no provincial amusement levy for another 12 months. Hepburn disclosed, however, that the new corporation tax, which he introduced one year ago as a temporary measure, would be continued. During its first year, this assessment on the income of incorporated businesses brought a revenue of no less than $23,000,000 to the treasury and the large chain companies contributed substantially to this amount. Hepburn, in the role of provincial treasurer, announced that the revenue of the theatres branch of the treasurer’s department was approximately $200,000, this being derived from the fees collected by the Ontario film censor board and from theatre licenses numbering 408, this being the first year in which the number of theatres had exceeded the 400 mark. Succession duties collected on estates during the year totaled $11,000,000, of which more than $1,200,000 was derived from the estate of M. J. O’Brien, millionaire owner of the Ottawa Valley theatre circuit, who died recently. Famous Players to Hold Managers' Convention Toronto — Famous Players Canadian Corp. will have a managers’ convention this year. In 1940 the big conference was called off because of war conditions and the last gathering was the spectacular function which was staged at Niagara Falls in mid-summer of Royal Visit Year. Odeon Sponsors May Soon Be Verified Ottawa — Sponsors of Odeon Theatres of Canada, Ltd., which is creating a new theatre chain in the Dominion, may be revealed at the close of the current fiscal year, March 31, of the Canadian Government when annual reports are required from all companies operating under a Federal Charter under the provisions of the Companies Act. These returns, which embody the names of officers and directors as well as an outline of operations, are filed with the Secretary of State at the end of March each year and they must be filed by firms which have been incorporated only a short time — in other words, for only a part of the preceding 12 months. Odeon Theatres of Canada, Ltd., was incorporated last January and it may be only a coincidence that the charter was taken out a short time after Jeffrey Bernerd, a representative of Gaumont-British Pictures and other British film interests, paid a short visit to Canada. The only one whose name is definitely linked with Odeon Theatres of Canada is S. S. McNairn, solicitor for the company, whose address is Temple Building, Toronto. It was through him that H. G. Duerr, architect, received instructions to draw plans for the Odeon Theatre at Kingston, Ontario. The usual custom in filing application for incorporation papers is to use the names of stenographers or other legal employes as directors of a company, but the official list is revealed when the first annual report of a firm is placed in the hands of the government. Denial has been made that 20th Century Theatres, operating a theatre circuit in Ontario, is associated with the Odeon move although this suggestion had been included in the flock of rumors which accompanied Odeon developments. Various officers and members of the Independent Theatres Association of Ontario are identified with 20th Century Theatres which operates units in Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, London, Sudbury, Belleville, Trenton and elsewhere. Incidentally, the names of officers and directors of 20th Century have never been publicly announced, which is perhaps one reason why there has been gossip that this chain might be associated with the Odeon move. $202,000 in Six Months For Public Information Ottawa — The director of public information in the Dominion government, spent $202,000 during the six months ending December, 1940, it has been announced. Apart from $45,000 for salaries and allowances, this money was spent for war propaganda, including motion pictures, press stories and printed pamphlets. The expenditure for films, which were released to theatres and organizations through the National Film Board, was $70,000. These pictures were produced largely by the government motion picture bureau and Associated Screen News. BOXOFFICE :: March 22, 1941 K 89