The Canadian Motion Picture Exhibitor (May 15, 1941)

Page 4 LARGEST MOVIE (cont. on page 1) court, and six badminton courts, further all the necessary outfit for wrestling and boxing. The hall has 14 windows 9’ 4” x 13’ high, and 8 windows 9’ 4” x 19’ high, which had to be provided with draw curtains. The C.T.R. equipment uses three of the largest speakers, equipped with 54” batfles. The special Marvelite screen built by the Theatre Screen Corporation for this job enables those sitting in the very end seats to see as clear a picture as those sitting in the middle of the theatre. As the machines are 225’ from the screen, more light high intensity lamps and special Baldor rectifiers were used to light the picture. Ilex adjustable lenses with a speed of 2.5 are installed and to assure rocksteady projection extra heavy machine bases were used. The house opened with “Buck Privates’, and a full program of shorts and news. It will play every night. Apart from Lee Hall there are two other 35 mm theatres in Camp Borden; an Air Force theatre of 550 seats and an army theatre of 2500 seats. Another 35 mm house (500 seats) is at the Air Force camp at Trenton. In addition Camp Borden has four 16 mm theatres; another four 16 mm places are at Debert, and a further four at Petawawa. All these theatres are co-ordinated with other entertainment besides movies. All told there are 175 16mm theatres in military camps in Canada. They do not charge admission ‘fees and the tilm rentals are being paid by the various War Services. The theatres are not a departmental undertaking but are run on a co-operative basis. Considering the number of houses — 179 — the armed for| ces are operating the largest movie circuit in this country. THE Vv MIDTOWN TORONTO The Midtown 20th Century Theatre opened on May 8th with “Sis Hopkins” before a packed house. The theatre has a capacity of 1,125 seats, of which 250 are in loges, 250 in the balcony, and the remainder on the main floor. The seats are deluxe heavy duty ‘‘Dunlopillo’’ wide opera chairs. Custom built, softly cushioned, with restful backs and arms covered in rose to match with the interior decorations, the chairs are placed in a manner to give easy access and plenty of leg room for each patron. The construction is brick and concrete fire-proof throughout. The spacious foyer, with inlaid terazzo floor, has indirect neon lighting and stainless steel lobby display panels. A complete fully-modern air-conditioning system assures a constant supply of clean, washed air at all times. During the summer months the atmosphere will be cool and healthful. The arrangement of the seats assures an undistorted view ot the screen from all chairs. The accoustics is perfect. A new feature are the Magic Carpet and Black Light. All aisles are covered with a fluorescent weave carpet whose chemical treatment, when subjected to the ultra-violet ray properties of the Black Light fixtures concealed high in the ceiling, glows and lights the aisles without any visible source of light supply. There are large restrooms and a large ladies cosmetics room with walled-in mirrors and an ample number of cosmetic tables. Another convenient feature is provided by complete checking facilities. The Midtown will open daily at 1.30 p.m, (12.30 Saturdays and holidays) and will play | continuously until closing time. Xill GRAND OPENINGS NS CANADIAN MOTION PICTURE CENTRE PEMBROKE Sam Ulster’s Centre Theatre opened May Ist with ‘Foreign Correspondent’’. The opening ceremony was performed by Mayor F. W. Beatty. The Centre, which has approximately 500 seats, has a brilliant blue-tone vitrolite facade which gives it an attractive appearance. Inside the walls have a rich shade of burnt rose with blending tones ranging to buff. The seats are roomy, of rich red fabric with leather covered cushions. The screen occupies a small attractive stage. The air is filtered, humidified and conditioned. The projection units were installed by Coleman Electric and the sound equipment by Dominion Sound Equipments. Everything is of the latest designs. The Centre will run a daily matinee at 2.30 p.m. In the evening the box-office will open at 6.30 and on Saturday a continuous show will-be run from 1.30 p.m. Midnight shows are planned for after midnight on Sundays, with the box-office opening at 12.05 p.m. CHARLIE CHAPLIN FESTIVAL The first series of six Chaplin 1916-18 shorts is in its sixth week at the 5th Ave. Playhouse in New York and the advertisements say that “this program or any part of this program will not be shown in any other theatre in New York before the fall of 1941.” In a letter to the editor of a New York paper a writer complained about the “sound track which has been added to the detriment of the films, I think. It seems to me that a simple musical score would have been enough without all the whistles and cat-calls and noise effects which merely cluttered up the entire performance.” ~ May 15th, 1941 STEEP RISE (cont. from page 2) tions. He said those organizations had gone into the entertainment business and should bear their tax load the same as the industry. Where no admission charge is made, or only a slight charge, the tax should be charged on the use of their facilities. In contradistinction to Canada there is no question in the U.S. of imposing or increasing the admission tax for reasons of curtailing consumption and the spending of money, but the proposed measures are soley a means of raising revenue. If instead of lowering the exemption limit the government should introduce a 5 per cent rental tax, Myers declared, it should be made clear that the tax must be borne by the distributors, as exhibitors are not in the position to bear it. “The independent exhibitors are small businessmen, exploited by the film trust, whose business is already burdened.” Ed. L. Kuykendall, president of the MPTOA declared: ‘’Because of the insistence of treasury officials on the defence needs, little can be done on admission tax proposals. The MPTOA is working on changing the student tax, and that on men in uniform. However, present proposals may be changed to include all amusements that are now exempt.” The MPTOA would ‘do everything possible to keep the industry from being discriminated against in the matter of taxafirey ae HEATING AND VENTILATING CONTRACTORS AND ENGINEERS' AA aie