The Canadian Independent (Mar 1, 1938)

Mar. 1, 19388 B.0. Off, Air Competition Continues Exhibitors kept dropping in at the joint offices of Exhibitors Booking Association and The Canadian Independent at 21: Dundas Square, Toronto, with anxious faces, and _ inirate tones, asking if anything is being done about radio competition. The only answer we can make is that plenty is _being done about competition and it is all being done in Hollywood, and the competition goes on in the face of protests and sinking box office receipts. A recent report in a Hollywood trade paper bears the alarming headline of a general boxoffice slide of 18 to 20% in the United States with certain industrial sections showing a 35% falling off. The worst week-end business in 18 months showing on the West Coast itself. _ Figures for the Dominion are not available at this writing, but judging from information dropped _ into this office, which is a sort of clearing house for exhibitors, the falling off is even more serious in Canada than across the line. The depression or recession, whichever one wishes to call it, perhaps has much to do with the gloom of the picture, but it cannot befog the issue completely. A man is noworse off on a Thursday, whether he is employ THE CANADIAN CREE /CCUFD FOR Se INDEPENDENT HE BENEFIT OF EATRE OWNERS Drop In Number Of | Theatres According to the _ Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce the number of motion picture theatres the world over, has dropped from 97,379 to 89,097 . in the last year. U. S. pictures command 70 percent of the foreign screen playing time. ed or unemployed, than he is on other days of the week, yet Thursday, the night of the big Hollywood broadcasts, marks the low-_ exhibitor’s in these est spot on the financial chart parts. If the industrial situation were in a_ healthier state, and receipts at a more normal level, perhaps the extra competition furnished exhibitors by the Hollywood production studios could have been taken as the one fly in the ointment and swal lowed nevertheless. But conditions generally being what they should not be, the ointment is beginning to take on the flavor of pure fly-juice to the small exhibitor, and small as he is, producers should remember that he represents 75 percent of the Canadian market, and a sizeable chunk of the American market. FIVE CANADIAN THEATRES INSTALLED C.T.R. SOUND EQUIPMENT DURING FEBRUARY A one: month record which speaks for itself. Two of these ‘installations are in towns not more than 15 miles from another C. T. R. equipped theatre, THIS PROVES THERE’S EXTRA QUALITY IN C.T.R. SOUND Why not have the best? Full Legal Patent Protection Sold outright No service charge For descriptive folders and price on C TR Sound Equipment Perkins Electric Company Limited 277 Victoria St., Toronto 2027 Bleury St., Montreal INDEPENDENT PATRONIZE THE ADVERTISERS WHO MAINTAIN |T. maine EVERYBODY'S DOING IT Page 5 eens RKO RADIO CRASHING HOLLYWOOD— Again poking fun at Hollywood, this wisecracking little comedy will go far to help any program, Lee Tracy keeps things moving at a fast tempo. Keystone Rides Again! Sally Eilers and Preston. Féster try hard in an impossible story. Comedy relies entirely on poor slapstick. RADIO CITY REVELS— ed This musical comedy, while satisfactory, just misses being superlative. A cast headed by Jack Oakie, Milton Berle, Bob Burns, Jane Frohman, Victor Moore and Helen Broderick, contribute, but the picture lacks punch. REGAL MURDER ON DIAMOND ROW— : This comes nearer to the American-made fatune shan anything coming out of England so far. While this one is not as big as the usual London Films’ production, it is good entertainment and Edmund lena heads the cast. LOSE BAD MAN OF BRIMSTONE— tied Here is a vehicle starring Wallace Beery that rédulls his “Viva Villa.” -_ well were this type of. fare is popular, MANNEQUIN: Joan Crawford and Silencer pracy in a picture that gives Joan Crawford a chance to wear swell clothes and to act. She does both extremely well. be LOVE IS A HEADACHE— fe This picture emerges as swell entertainment for’ the whole family, and word-of-mouth build-up should-help business. Stars Gladys George and Franchot Tone. 20TH CENTURY-FOX INTERNATIONAL SETTLEMENT— Here is a picture depicting the Chinese war scene with plenty of action and thrills. It is well done but a bit hard to take. Comedy relief indicated. Delores de! Rio, Geo. Sanders and June Lang head the east. WALKING ON BROADWAY— A program with a swell cast headed by Claire if sedorhas a story about six Broadway chorines with a melodramatic sequence in which one girl is killed, another accidentally commits suicide and a third is ‘tried for murder. UNIVERSAL THE JURY’S SECRET— A pleasing little grade B picture about an innocent man who is tried for murder and freed by one member of the jury confessing. Strong support indicated. COLUMBIA PENITENTIARY— Walter Connolly does an excellent job in this Filigce of the Criminal Code. It is straight prison fare and needs contrasting with a good laugh-provoker, ° PARAMOUNT ee BIG BROADCAST OF 1938— ae This picture boasts a swell cast, lavish production, good cartoon sequences and some swell musi emerges as just another formula picture. that’ does not compare favorably with past Big Broadcasts, ‘but will do a fair amount of business: ~~ sie This elaborate Western will: ive | gh Xa ccc Sialic. Cig ag oe tng SRE