Boxoffice (Jul-Sep 1939)

Move Pigeonholed For a Film Board Ottawa — The proposal to establish a National Film Board for Canada, authorized by act of Parliament in the closing hours of the last session, has been pigeonholed and may not be acted upon — at least for a long time, according to information from a reliable source. Although John Grierson of the Film Advisory Council, London, recently paid another visit to Canada, no definite steps have been taken for the organization of the board and the reason given is that the European situation has prevented careful consideration of the matter. On the other hand, the prediction is made that the film commission will never come into actual being because of opposition in certain Parliamentary circles. Elections Cause Delay General elections are due in the Dominion but the election writs have not been issued because of international developments which have also delayed the organization of the film board. If, however, the elections are held this fall and a change in government is brought about, the Conservatives now forming the Opposition side of the House of Commons have hinted one of their first acts would be to cut off the board as an expensive and unnecessary luxury. During the debate in the House, Conservative spokesmen roundly condemned the proposed commission. The present highly efficient Government Motion Picture Bureau was largely developed during the regime of Hon. H. H. Stevens as Minister of Trade and Commerce, who is a prominent Conservative. He has asserted that the present bureau, with its film laboratory equipment, is sufficient for Canada’s film needs. Hence, if there is a general war and the federal elections are indefinitely postponed, the National Film Board will be sidetracked. If the elections are held and the present government is turned out — as predicted by some political students — the film board will never be created. Critic Eagerly Awaits Film Board's Start Montreal — Intimation that a National Film Board would be set up has gladdened the heart of S. Morgan -Powell, veteran drama and film critic of the Montreal Star. “For several years past,” he commented, “I have been advocating that Canada ought to make educational films designed specifically to interpret Canada to the rest of the British Empire and to the world at large. I have contended consistently that the most invaluable medium whereby such interpretation could be accomplished is the motion picture, and that this medium should be utilized without delay in order not only to correct many misapprehensions and misconceptions of this country and people that exist outside our own boundaries, but also with the broader Imperial objective of bringing about better understanding between the component parts of the Empire and there by strengthening the Imperial bonds around the world. “For some considerable time past the Union of South Africa has been sending to Canada and other parts of the Empire educational films that have taught us more about the Union and its geography, flora and fauna, its people and its civilization and culture, than could have been taught — and even then not half as successfully— by reading a small library of books. So far, however, Canada’s contribution to educational films has been decidedly limited alike in number and in scope. “Now all this is to be changed. Apparently the authorities have awakened to the fact that the tour of the King and Queen has aroused great interest about things Canadian throughout the Empire, and this in turn has created a demand for information about the Dominion which the Government believes can best be furnished through the medium of the screen. It is very encouraging to find that Ottawa has arrived at this conclusion, even though it has taken them a fearfully long time to do so. “According to present plans the film which will be prepared under the supervision of the board will be designed to illustrate modes of life and work in various parts of Canada, and will be distributed on a plan designed to show the people in each section how those in all the other sections work and live. They will be distributed at the same time to Great Britain and other Dominions in exchange for similar films from those countries. “The board will consist of seven members who will give their services gratis. A full-time administrative director on salary will be in charge of production. The board will consist of two cabinet ministers, two senior civil servants, a prominent educator, a publicist with experience in the dissemination of propaganda, and one representative of the public who possesses a technical knowledge of the film industry. “The sooner the board gets to work, the better for all concerned.” Two-Men-in-Booth Bill Is Fought by Independents ,i Vancouver — Independent exhibitors sent a delegation to Victoria to confer with the attorney-general in pursuance of their endeavor to be relieved of the necessity of two projectionists in a booth, which, they claim, burdens them with an extra and unnecessary expense. They argue “suburban” theatres in many parts of the dominion are not so handicapped and unless some logical reduction can be made, some houses will be darkened. A round-table conference, with all concerned represented, is suggested, but no date has been set. Draws Visitors New York — A recent Canadian visitor to the RKO Radio exhibitors’ lounge here was Mrs. Garson Soloway of the Paramount and Bloordale theatres, Toronto. A guest from Coventry, England, who also called was H. C. Orr of the Orr circuit. Slow-Burning Film Has Commendaiion Montreal — An important pronouncement on the question of risk of fire in cinemas where slow-burning films are used has been made by the committee set up by the British Home Office and the Scottish Office. The finding of the committee is that danger from fire may be treated as negligible. The committee agrees with the policy of the majority of local authorities in treating such films as outside the Cinematograph Act. Two kinds of films are in use today. They are the highly inflammable film on a nitrate basis and the slow-burning film on an acetate basis. In experiments made before the committee by representatives of the London Fire Brigade the nitrate film caught at once and burned quickly and fiercely. The other took much longer to ignite and burned slowly. Slow-burning films are mainly used for advertising, documentary, educational, instructional, and propaganda purposes. It is the committee’s view (with one exception) that those concerned with the production and exhibition of slow-burning films may be safely left with the responsibility for the contents of the films. It is understood that the Home Secretary and the Secretary for Scotland have accepted the committee’s recommendations generally. A Dispute Over Pictures Taken of Quintuplets Toronto — Because pictures and stills were taken of the Dionne Quintuplets on the occasion of their trip from Callander to Toronto to meet the British Monarchs, although efforts had been made by the Ontario government’s official guardians to keep them from cameramen, a dispute has arisen between the Newspaper Enterprise Ass’n of Cleveland, Ohio, and the officials, one result of which has been that the NEA has refused to make further payments under its contract calling for $25,000 per year for the exclusive picture rights for the famous children. The NEA has declared the contract has been broken, but R. L. Kellock of Toronto, lawyer for the guardians, has replied every precaution had been taken to guard against unauthorized pictures and, if such had been taken by the Royal Tour cameramen who worked under a pool arrangement with the Dominion government, the guardians were not responsible. The dispute will come before Judge J. A. S. Plouffe in the court at North Bay, Ont., late in September, the judge having been named as the referee in matters affecting the Quints. No announcement has been made of a similar move by 20th Century-Fox which holds a contract for exclusive picture feature rights, with two more features to be made of the growing babies under the contract. BOXOFFICE :: September 2, 1939 K 87