Boxoffice (Jul-Sep 1939)

(Continued from page 74) going to England to meet Phyllis Brooks, former toothpaste advertisement model, now a film “starlet,” whom he hopes to marry. Fines of ten dollars and costs for admitting juveniles to see motion pictures, contrary to the Quebec law, may not seem heavy, but the prosecutions against the Laval Theatre for a number of infractions cost the owner a total of $174.30, which means the admission charges on probably 1,740 children. Mrs. Cora Scovil, Chicago artist who modeled film stars as mannequins for department store windows, is trying to sell the idea to British shopkeepers. She says: “All women dramatize themselves. So, as they gaze into shop windows they see themselves in the gowns on display.” Canada’s famous “Mounties,” often portrayed by Hollywood actors, are likely to be shown "in person" in a new film to be produced by Cecil B. DeMille in which the action takes place in the Northwest Territories. Mr. Milliag, de Mille’s Canadia7i agent, has asked the Commissioner, Colonel Wood, whether the "Mounties” can be used in the film, and is said to have received a reply in the affirmative, provided that certain regulations are observed. Films showing hazards encountered on the streets by cyclists and how to avoid them will be shown to a mass gathering of Canadian wheelmen in Montreal by the Province of Quebec Safety League. "Confessions of a Nazi Spy," banned in the Argentine, has been passed by the British board of film censors — Two Parisian films, of a religious nature, "La Rose Effeuillee” and "Le Secret de la Confession,” were shown to convent girls by Montreal Kiwanis. Interest is being expressed in the return of John Grierson, British documentary film expert, expected to arrive in July. It was Mr. Grierson who designed the plan for Canada’s new film board which is still without a head. Eric Mayell, British cameraman for Fox Movietone newsreel, who was arrested and imprisoned by the Japanese for taking pictures near blockaded concessions, and whose release was refused at first because of his allegedly "truculent” attitude, has been liberated. Mayell, a native of London, England, worked for some years in Canada, particularly in British Columbia. Scripts Next DeMille Hollywood — Alan Lemay has been set to script “Royal Canadian Mounted Police,” next Cecil B. DeMille production for Paramount. "Iron Men” to Reeves Hollywood — “City of Iron Men,” in which James Cagney will star, will be adapted by Ted Reeves from his own original for Warner. Television Attracts Scophony, Ltd, Montreal — Increasing attention to television in the United Kingdom is noted in the capital increase of Scophony. Ltd., from £300,000 to £500.000. Commenting on the capital hike. Sir Maurice Bonham Carter, the chairman, said; "The company has reached the stage of transition from purely laboratory developments into the commercial and revenue earning field, and we have every reason to believe that Scophony will establish itself firmly in the television market. Our present personnel and space facilities are, however, totally inadequate for manufacturing activities, and in order to be able to fulfill the orders for cinema equipment and in order to be able to enter on the manufacture and marketing of home receivers, more finance is required." Public Domain Policy Delays Television Montreal — Montreal is ready for its first television program, but it will not materialize for an indefinite period. CKAC has been experimenting with television for the past eight years and it is now ready to install a transmitter. Television receiving sets are being manufactured and are available on the Montreal market but cannot be used. The reason why Montreal is ready for television but cannot have it, is to be found in a ruling of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., enunciated at a meeting of the board held in Montreal. “With respect to the control and development of television and facsimile broadcasting, the board reiterates the policies explained to the Parliamentary Committee, viz.: That no part of the public domain with respect to those developments will be alienated to private interests.” Investigation of this policy by CKAC which is ready, willing and able to broadcast television in the Montreal area indicates the phrase regarding alienation of interests means that no private station can operate television on any account. The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. maintains it will grant no licenses but proposes to keep for itself a complete monopoly of this field, as well as that of facsimile broadcasting. Whether CBC itself has advanced plans for television in Canada is not disclosed. Non-CBC radio stations, however, point out that if CBC itself were to attempt to inaugurate television in Canada, it would be brought face to face with a serious regional problem. In explanation of this, they point out as it is developed now, the workable range of television is about 100 miles. Thus, they say, if CBC were to establish a television transmitter in Montreal to the exclusion of Toronto, for example, there would be much natural complaint from JS^ R. COOPER, manager of the Prince Edward Theatre, Charlottetown, P. E. I., was recently elected president of the Rotary Club of Charlottetown and represented the club at the International Rotary convention at Cleveland, Ohio. During his absence Gordon Spencer of Saint John has been managing the theatre. Joe Franklm of the Franklin-Herschorn theatres of Halifax and Saint John recently made a trip to Toroiito to confer with executives of Famous Players Canadian Corp. with lohich his theatres are affiliated. Jay Lieberman of the Rialto Theatre, Edmonton, Alta., has been visiting his brother, Joe Lieberman, of the Maritime Film Co. of Saint John and planned to go to the New York World’s Fair before returning home. W. H. Golding, manager of the Capitol Theatre, and F. G. Spencer of the Spencer circuit, are well known and respected citizens of Saint John. Their sons. Jack Golding and Gordon Spencer, when soliciting subscriptions for the Kinsmen Club, put something over on the offiee of a mail it is sometimes difficult to see without an appointment, when they had themselves announced as Mr. Golding and Mr. Spencer and were immediately ushered in to the iniier office. They caused a surprise but got the subscription. The London Repertory Co., returning from a season in the West Indies, had made arrangements to present six plays at an auditorium in Saint John, being unable, due to picture commitments, to engage a theatre. Bill Metz, advertising manager of the F. G. Spe7icer Co., Ltd., a7id a7nateur photographer, has bee7i domg quite a profitable busmess 07i the side lately by selling pictures he took durmg the Royal visit to Samt John. J. A. Cashman, manager of the Algonquin Hotel, St. Andrews, N. B., was a visitor to Filmrow recently when he came in to arrange his program of pictures to be shown at the hotel during the summer months. T. J. O’Rourke of the Gaiety, Mmto, N. B., a7id Colm Da7iso7i of the Stra7id, Sussex, N. B., were rece7it visitors to Fibnrow. the latter city. Private stations would have no such difficulties to face, for even though any television transmitter they might choose to install would serve only a small part of the area over which their regular broadcasts are heard, there could be no legitimate grounds for complaints. In support of their argument, they cite the New York installation which serves only the immediate district. “Montreal is ready for television and television is ready for Montreal, but the powers-that-be are not ready for either,” is the way a radio man expresses the position. BOXOFFICE :: July 1, 1939 77