Boxoffice (Jul-Sep 1939)

General Theatre Supply Of Toronto Reports Sales Toronto — Recent installations are announced by General Theatre Supply Co., Ltd., for this territory as follows: Projectors — Dreamland, Rialto, Edmonton, Alta.; Bellard, Fort Erie, Ont.; Canyon Recreation Club, Fraserdale, Ont.; Grand, Galt, Ont.; Capitol, Lethbridge, Alta.: Strand, Port Colborne, Ont.; Rex, Regina, Sask.; Metro, Toronto, Ont.; Capitol, Vancouver, B. C.; Capitol, Windsor, Ont. Lamps — Capitol, Galt, Ont.; Wonderland, Magog, Que.; Strand. Port Colborne, Ont.; Lincoln, St. Catherines, Ont.; Alhambra, Metro, Paradise, Toronto, Ont.; Capitol, Windsor, Ont. Generators -— Strand, Port Colborne, Ont.; Lincoln, St. Catherines, Ont.; Metro, Toronto, Ont. Screens — Capitol, Chatham, Ont.; Canyon Recreation Club, Fraserdale, Ont.; Capitol, Grand, Galt, Ont.; Uptown, Kirkland Lake, Ont.; Strand, Port Colborne, Ont.; Lincoln, St. Catherines, Ont.; Capitol, St. Thomas, Ont.; Esquire, Southampton, Ont.; Alhambra, Beach, Metro, Oakwood, Toronto; Capitol, Wallaceburg, Ont.; Capitol, Windsor, Ont. Premier Hepburn Heads Fishing, Filming Trek Toronto — Premier Mitchell F. Hepburn of Ontario headed a combined motion picture and fishing expedition to northern Ontario when a wide range of films were shot by Fi’ank O’Byrne of Associated Screen News, Ltd., Toronto. They stopped over at Callander where they spent an hour with the Dionne Quintuplets who were facing the cameras for a forthcoming screen short. Other members of the party included Hon. Harry C. Nixon, provincial secretary, and James Taylor, deputy minister of game and fisheries. Although Premier Hepburn is one of the official guardians of the Quints, no moving pictures of the famous babies were privately taken because of the exclusive film rights held by 20th Century-Fox and Pathe. Disney Visit to His Former Ontario Home Awaited Toronto — Walt Disney, creator of animated films, has arranged to visit his old home near Bluevale, Huron county, in western Ontario, for a period in July, bringing with him his father, Elias Disney, from California for a visit with relatives in and around Goderich and a tour of places associated with the childhood of the film celebrity. The old Disney farm, the address of which is Concession No. 1, Morris Township, Bluevale, is largely in its original state and is operated by a farmer, Sandy McEwen. One of the Disney relatives is Peter Cantelon, a cousin of Elias Disney, who resides in Goderich and who is to be host for the visit. Mr. Cantelon spent the past winter with the Disneys in California. C A IL G A K Y JjDDIE ZORN, manager for the Famous Players houses in Alberta, has been promoted to western divisional manager with headquarters at Winnipeg. Territory under Zorn’s management is largest on the continent extending from the Great Lakes in the east to the Rockies. Tliis includes western Ontario and the large provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Changes taking place at the Capitol here bring promotion for the present staff. Ralph Mitcheltree, assistant manager, takes over managerial duties next week and Fred Tickell, publicity man, becomes assistant manager. Both boys received their education and theatre training in Calgary. On July 1, the Crescent Theatre changes hands. Les Pitch of this city will be the manager for the new owners. This suburban house on the North Hill will close for alterations and reopen on August 5. St. Joseph d'Alma Is Hit by Depression By ROY CARMICHAEL Montreal — Driving 400 miles to Montreal from the beautiful Lake St. John district northeast of Quebec, U. H. Pelletier, managing director of the Alma Theatre Co., Ltd., of St. Joseph d’Alma, which operates the Alma Theatre in that town of 4,000 population, made a quick round of calls along Filmrow, then painted for this Boxoffice correspondent a rather depressing picture of economic conditions in his town where 80 per cent of the population, he estimated, are unemployed. The only industry in the neighborhood is Price Bros.’ newsprint mill at River Bend, two miles away, which gives work to about 400. Adverse conditions in the newsprint industry have been reflected in the attendance at the theatre. Pelletier was driving a new Buick, which the correspondent remarked did not appear to indicate a depression. The explanation: “Happily we don’t have to depend on the theatre business for all our income.” He pointed out he was also engaged in the newsprint industry. The Alma Theatre seats 300, and the attendance runs all the way from six to 150, Pelletier said. It is open evenings only, including Sundays, and shows one French and two American programs weekly. It never plays British films. Pelletier explained the local French population has difficulty in understanding the accent of English players, while he thought that most British pictures did not show enough action, although he had seen one or two which he, personally, considered good. He admitted the same objections could be applied to French films, as the Parisian accent is sometimes hard for French-Canadians of that northern district to follow and there is more talk than action. “But, after all, it’s their language,” he remarked, explaining their preference. Despite his French name, Pelletier is American Films Popular In British Moose Jaw Moose Jaw, Sask. — One thing Moose Jaw has long boasted about is its predominately British-born population in a province where two-thirds of the residents come from non-English-speaking countries. But that doesn’t mean a thing where British-made motion pictures are concerned, according to Harry Marrs, ownermanager of the Orpheum. Marrs just isn’t buying any more British-made pictures, whether Korda, Universal, United Artists or what-have-you. “They just won’t spend a dime in this town to see a British picture any more. There have been too many poor ones, not only in scenario and casting, but technically. They want the Hollywood product now,” he told Boxoffice. “English pictures won’t sell to the crowd. For one thing, they don’t know the stars in most cases because the English producers simply don’t advertise them, while Hollywood booms theirs by radio, newspaper, magazine and everything else. British picture companies don’t spend a dime on advertising and the people reply by refusing to spend anything for admission. If they would only build up their name players!” he emphasized. Marrs explained he has not booked a British picture in months because he found it simply a losing proposition “and no one can doubt my loyalty. I’d snap up any British picture if they would only give it the build up necessary in this country. I guess we’re too close to the United States to think eastward 7,000 miles.” License Supension Order In Orillia Rescinded Toronto — The Orillia, Ont., situation has been cleaned up by the rescinding of the Ontario government order for the suSt pension of the license for the municipallyowned Orillia Theatre which had been operated to June 30 by Associated Theatres, Ltd., Toronto. The theatre has been leased for five years at an annual rental of $4,200 to L. H. Vicary, independent exhibitor who also operates the Princess Theatre in Orillia, which has a seating capacity of 311. Much controversy developed over the cancellation of the theatre license, with the Orillia council leading in the protests. more at home in the English tongue than in French. He was born in the United States, and his French ancestry is some generations back. He explained this in reply to compliments on his very terse, racy and colloquial English. The Alma was started as a community project in 1932. Before that, there had been a silent film theatre, the Canadian, but that was in the days when construction of the power plant at Maligne gave employment to 2,000 men. “These i were the good old days,” he reminisced, adding that when the construction camp was abandoned the theatre slowly faded |ij out. ’ 78 BOXOFFICE :: July 1, 1939