Boxoffice (Jul-Sep 1939)

See Breach Between FP, UA Visual Education Is Knitting After Two Years Stressed at Meets By MILTON GALBRAITH Toronto — The rumor persists along the Toronto Filmrow that United Artists Corp. of Canada, Ltd., and Famous Players Canadian Corp. are shortly to bury the hatchet after a two-year period of open warfare during which the UA product has been sold away from the coast-to-coast chain in the Dominion. Negotiations have been proceeding, it is understood, with a view to resumption of relations between the major film distributor and the circuit company in time for the release of new season product to the chain units with exceptions in a few situations. The latter include a number of long-term contracts with leading independent exhibitors, it is said, and also a priority arrangement in Toronto and London, Ont,, where the Loew Theatres have long had first-run rights for United Artists’ pictures produced in the United States, First indication of a change in policy was the release of “Four Feathers,” produced by Alexander Korda, to the Uptown Theatre, Toronto, large Famous Players’ unit, where it has just concluded a run of three weeks, A previous Korda production, “Drums,” had also played at this theatre some months ago but this came as the result of an issue raised by Nathanson revolving around the exhibition rights to Korda pictures made in a five-year period which had been distributed in the Dominion by Nathanson’s Regal Films, Ltd,, prior to the taking over of Korda pictures by United Artists in Canada. At that time, Nathanson presented the claim for exhibition of “Drums” on the ground that production of this feature had been started within the franchise term and the issue was settled with an agreement that the picture would have first-run at the Toronto Uptown instead of Loew’s, Toronto, where it had been dated. Elsewhere in Canada this feature played theatres other than those of the Famous Players’ chain. Regarding the release of “Four Feathers” to the Uptown, H. M, Masters, general manager of Canadian United Artists, made the brief explanation: “Korda pictures belong to the Uptown.” Currently, “Four Feathers” has played first-run in independent situations such as the Elgin in Ottawa and the Orpheum in Montreal in opposition to FP houses. In the light of current rumors in reliable quarters, it is significant that United Artists officials were in attendance at the recent national conference of Famous Players at Niagara Falls, although UA had admittedly been selling away from the circuit in its entirety with its own product. These representatives included Mr. Masters: Monroe Greenthal, director of publicity. New York; Sam Glazer, Toronto branch manager, and Mike Wilkes, director of exploitation, Toronto. Independent exhibitors had a field day with “Wuthering Heights,” “Captain Fury,” “Trade Winds,” “Cowboy and the Lady” and other productions with holdover runs, but a new setup is on the horizon. Deal Is Signed — F. E. Peters, right, general manager of Dominion Sound Equipments, Ltd., Montreal, and G. L. Carrington, vicepresident and general manager of Altec, as they signed an agreement covering interchaiige of technical information and pertaining to sound reproduction and other theatre equipment and servicing techniques. U, S. Thanksgiving Day Moveover No Disturber Toronto — The decision of President Roosevelt to move the date of Thanksgiving Day in the United States this year from November 30 to November 23 will have no effect on the holiday schedule in the Dominion, one reason being that the Canadian "rhanksgiving is held in the month of October and on a Monday so that the public will have the benefit of a long weekend. No proclamation has yet been made for the holiday in Canada but it has been anticipated that the date will be Monday, October 9, which is approximately mid-way between Labor Day in September and the observance of Armistice Day, November 11, also a statutory holiday. Originally, the theatre owners were not particularly enthused about the official preference for Monday as a general holiday but the eventual success of Sunday midnight shows during a holiday weekend has been a matter of appeasement, the midnight performance before Thanksgiving Day being one of the best of the year. The fact is that Canada has a general holiday for practically every month of the year and there has even been a complaint that the country has too many of ’em. The Province of Quebec has something in the way of a record with the addition of a whole series of religious holidays which are widely observed, these including Ascension Day, All Saints Day, Feast of St. John the Baptist, Feast of Concep Montreal — Utility of motion pictures in the education of the young was stressed at conventions in Montreal and Toronto. The Quebec Women’s Institute gathered at Ste. Anne de Bellevue and viewed educational films presented by C. R. Harnett of Associated Screen News, and in Toronto. 50 school teachers gathered in the Royal Ontario Museum began a study sponsored by the provincial department of education on the use of motion pictures in schools. The Ontario classes are being conducted by G. J. Cons, a London, England, expert. One group of teachers is studying the operation of projectors, and another the editing of films to insure desirable sequence and content of material. Another Veteran — Here we have E. J. “Jack” Laver, one of the old-timers in point of service with Famous Players Canadian Corp. and manager of the Bloor Theatre, Toronto unit of the chain, for a number of years. Laver is one of the original employes of the circuit, having been an “original” of 21 years ago when President N. L. Nathanson laid the foundation of the coast-to-coast chain. Laver was first at the Garden Theatre, College Street, Toronto, currently dark, and successively manager of different Toronto houses, spending years at the Belsize before his appointment to the Bloor which is considered a “hot spot” because of local competition. He is also an active community worker. tion, and Epiphany, to which can be added Mardi Gras, preceding Ash Wednesday in February which is a day of abstinence. Even the month of August has a day off in Civic Holiday which is proclaimed individually by the municipalities. 1G4 BOXOFFICE :: August 26, 1939