Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1938)

ITA OF ONTARIO SEEKS MEANS TO COMBAT INFLUX OF 16MM COMPETITION IN PROVINCE Toronto Stages f Greatest Year Parade; 100,000 to See Array Toronto — With plans completed for the huge, spectacular “Motion Pictures Are Your Best Entertainment” parade beingstaged in Toronto October 22, it is expected the procession will be witnessed by some 100,000 citizens during the parade’s 20-mile course through a number of the principal streets. There are 80,000 theatre seats in Toronto, and as a tax of two cents per seat has been agreed upon as its share of defraying the parade’s cost by each participating theatre, it is expected that nearly all of these “seats” will be represented in this colorful parade, as the exhibitors are a unit in agreeing upon the procession’s value in increasing interest in the film industry’s great drive for enhanced theatre attendances. The Independent Theatres’ Ass’n of Ontario, with many members having theatres in Toronto, has approved the parade, with the proviso that the Quiz Contest shall not be advertised in the parade. Assurance along this line was given by Dewey D. Bloom, chairman of the Film Publicity and Radio Committee, and by Morris Stein, Toronto district manager for Famous Players Canadian Corp., who is a member of the committee and very active in working to make the occasion an outstanding event in the Dominion’s motion picture history. It is announced this week that already 440 theatres in the Dominion have pledged themselves to the industry’s better business drive and additional pledges are coming in all the time. lie? Stanley Baldwin succeeded Lloyd George as Prime Minister of England? Edward VIII established the Entente Cordiale? Sir Francis Drake was the first navigator to circumnavigate the globe? Canada has no National Flag? The Mounted Police were organized to put down the North West Rebellion? Benares is the Holy City of the Moslems? Canada is a Confederation of Provinces? The British Troops at the Tokot campfire sang Annie Laurie? General Smuts of South Africa played an important part in drawing up the Covenant of the League of Nations? In 1877 Lord Beaconsfield had Queen Victoria proclaimed Empress of India? The King of Great Britain has power to create new peers? Eventually the prizes will be presented to winners on the stage of the Elgin and, otherwise, the stunt has been localized as much as possible. Group Hopes to Regulate Shows Under 35mm Provisions By WALT FESSEY Toronto — Because many exhibitors are protesting they are being hemmed in by 16mm shows which divert patronage into town halls where large audiences gather in buildings not designed for film presentation purposes, a committee has been appointed by the Independent Theatres’ Ass’n of Ontario, under the chairmanship of O. J. Scott, of Weston, Ont., to seek means of combatting the spread of 16mm shows in this province. Exhibitors, as well as others, are pointing out that danger to public life exists when assemblies of people to see the 16mm shows are allowed to be held in buildings not having the required number of exits in case of panic or fire, where there is no fire-proofing of the auditorium or building or in those cases where the seats are not so arranged so that if the audience leaves in haste a jumble of furniture may block the movement of patrons. It is also stressed that exhibitors, who pay heavy property and business taxes and have large amounts invested in their theatres have difficulty in competing with itinerant showmen who pay very little into the community in which they operate. Scott’s committee intends to work along the lines of securing action by the Ontario government to have 16mm exhibition completely regulated in the same way that 35mm shows are governed. In mid-summer, the ITA held a meeting at which a resolution asking such regulation of 16mm film exhibition was approved and forwarded to the Ontario Board of Motion Picture Censors. In addition, N. A. Taylor, ITA vice-president and representative on the conciliation committee of the film section of the Toronto board of trade, will bring up this question of regulating 16mm films at the next meeting of the board film section. Empire Quiz Going Over Big in Ottawa Ottawa — The “British Empire Quiz Contest” has been going over big at the Elgin Theatre here where it had its inception under the direction of Manager J. J. Paul before being adopted by independent exhibitors elsewhere in the Dominion. There are 25 questions of a British historical or geographical nature which are to be answered by the use of an “X” under true and false columns, the contest at the Elgin being scheduled to close October 22 after which another test will be conducted. There are 22 prizes of which 12 have a total valuation of $50, the remainder being double tickets for the theatre. Entry forms are obtainable at the theatre and also at downtown bookstores and were distributed from door to door. Provision is made for a 75-word essay on the subject, “Why I am Proud to live under the British Flag,” which must be signed by the contestant and witnessed by either a parent or teacher, the competition being restricted to those under 17 years of age. The title of the essay may or may not have been intended as a subtle rap at the Hollywood quiz contest, but Manager Paul will not say. Attendance at the Elgin is not a requirement under the rules. A few of the questions are as follows: Canada is a colony of Great Britain? Britain owns the Suez Canal? Charles II of England, was called Bonnie Prince Char ITA Urges Conciliation Toronto — N. A. Taylor, vice-president of the Independent Theatres' Ass'n of Ontario and representative on the conciliation committee of the film section of the Toronto board of trade, was authorized by a general meeting of the ITA to ask for an early meeting of the conciliation committee so that he could urge upon it the necessity of dealing at once with the vexed questions of contract, clearance and score charge. Taylor was asked to request the committee to show its goodwill within the industry and to signify that conciliation is something that is specifically recognized. It was declared at the meeting of the ITA that the conciliation committee had given no evidence of vital functioning as yet, despite the fact that the committee was first established nearly two years ago. BOXOFFICT£ OctQljer 22, 1938 K 93