The Canadian Motion Picture Exhibitor (Jun 1, 1941)

June Ist, 1941 Serial History Repeats Itself Serials, in the early days, had a powerful pull for old and young. They ran on all shows all week. Now the wheel has turned full circle. They’re back again. Once it was Ben Wilson, Pearl White, Ruth Roland, Grace Cunard and so on. Now it’s Buck Jones, Eduardo Cianelli, Tom Tyler, Ralph Byrd and Frances Gifford. Three companies are busy on the episodic epics—Universal, Columbia and Republic. They each produce four a year, with enough chapters to keep the urchins puzzled and amazed. The studios woke up to serial possibilities when an experiment with the Lone Ranger proved that a ready-made market, created by the comic strips and radio, was waiting. Paramount has Superman and is preparing a series of 12 cartoons in Technicolor by Max Fleischer. Superman is international. on radio in several countries, a cartoon in 117 periodicals, has a fan club of 100,000 and sells everything under the sun. The invincible character is the creation of Jerry Seigel and Joe Shuster. The latter is from Canada. He left Toronto, where he was born, at an early age. Current thrillers are Captain Marvel, Dick Tracy, The Green Hornet, Sky Raiders, The Mysterious Dr. Satan, Jungle Girl and the Lone Ranger. They’ll clog the place with kids on Saturday afternoons. No Rest For the Wicket Abbot and Costello, Universal’s slapsticklers, caused such a tumult at the box-office with their ‘‘Buck Privates” that the studio is letting them rampage through all the services. Toronto, being a military town, went all out for “Buck Privates,’ with an eight-week run at Shea’s, longest stay of anything in the history of the house. This fondness of the staid Queen City for army an tics first showed itself when George Formby, the English buffoon, bowed in. Universal has announced the release date of the new Abbot and Costello screamie, “In the Navy,” as May 30. The boys may live double lives on the Toronto film front, since “Buck Privates” will linger at Shea’s or go on to the second-run houses. Even early shorts of the team are pulling the customers in. The situation must be somewhat embarrassing for a certain.MGM producer. He tested the team two years ago and thumbed Abbot and Costello out. He’s |. The Exhibitor On the Square By HYE BOSSIN New York has its Broadway, Hollywood its Vine and Toronto its Dundas Square. This is where big-shots, bookers, busybodies and buyers meet on even terms. The keen awareness that is such a part of business inside the buildings is relaxed on the curb. Gossip and friendly joshing is the rule of the day. Exhibitors, though night workers and day worriers, are also matinee idlers. They like to loaf in the sunshine, borrow a shoulder to cry on or joke with the other members of the pavement parliament. Busy folks hurry by enviously with only a shout and a wave of the hand. Luckier ones stop for a quick kibitz. Out there in the sunshine, with the world on wheels whirling by, you can hear more about the state of the business across the country than in all the trade journals put together. That’s where the out-of-towners stop between bookings to greet old friends and pledge loyalty to the common cause of the exhibitor. Many an executive, looking lonesomely at the scene from his window, surrenders to the urge and joins the jibe session. On the Square there are no secretaries, counters or telephones to cut a man short. Everybody is equal and speaks right up. Here is a forum of democracy and free speech. Amd here’s where you learn things. These are the men who hand the product to the people who pay off—the public. They know the consumer’s whims and wherefores. What they say about the business makes sharp sense. Every town has its own equivalent of The Square. We'd like to hear what your curb congressmen have to say. * * * * * Sid Taube, the Automatic Vendor man and famed as a good fellow, is working overtime in the cause of craft comradeship. His idea is a Motion Picture Division of the Primrose Club, the boys to have a cave of their own on the premises to kibitz in. * * * * * Al Daniels of the Royal, Toronto, used to be a master of ceremonies in vaudeville. Maybe he’s hiding out in the picture business until it comes back. Something Al said the other day set us thinking about the phenomenon of the business, the horse opera. He overheard one patron complain to his friend: ‘Aw, two pictures—and not a horse!” Westerns have their owm name players who can outdraw a boxcar of the top stars in many small towns. Exhibitors throw Garbo in as an added feature—and with a prayer. No wonder they say that Gene Autry sells twice as many records as Bing Crosby. * * * * * The Hess Why-did-he-do-it? is still unrevealed. Gerry Shumer of Empire-Universal has her ‘own solution. After what Hitler did to the German film industry, says Shumer, Hess probably headed for England to see a good movie! * * * * * The Ritz Brothers would be surprised at the extra laugh they got in an English theatre recently while “Argentine Nights’ was showing. A girl’s orchestra was on the screen. Suddenly the picture was stopped and an air raid warning was flashed. The second the film was resumed one of the Ritz boys came on and said, “Say, girls, it’s about time you scrammed!”’ The English audience, who had been sitting there nonchalantly while the Nazis did their dirty work, roared. * * * * * Cecil Roberts, the author, has written a book called “One Small Candle.’”’ He found the title when, outside London, he saw an old lady burying her dog. The epitaph read: “There is not enough darkness in all the world to put out the light of one small candle.” It touches the heart and sticks in the mind these dire days. * * * * * A scene in the new picture, “A Yank in the RAF” called for nine planes to fly to Canada from the U.S. After the scene was finished the planes did fly to Canada to join the air arm! All-year-round attraction at the Casino, Toronto movie and burlesque spot, is the house cat. It ambles onstage at will and steals the show. One comedian recently defeated the feline Barrymore as a counter-attraction. “Scram, pussy,” he cracked. “This is a monologue—not a catalogue!” All Quiet (?) On Film Front The N. L. Nathanson-Famous Players split, which was newsworthy enough to command attention in the general press, seems to have died down. Since the first announcement and the subsequent explanations no further developments on either side have been made public. However, there is no doubt that there is great activity under the surface. A recent report said that the Nathanson interests had acquired thirteen new theatres throughout Canada and it can be presumed that they will keep adding to the string. Nathanson’s resignation, after twenty years with Famous Players, caused a realignment of executives and a test of loyalties. J. J. Fitzgibbons, who was vice-president, replaced his former chief. Nathanson’s explanation that the fight was over Canadian vs. American control of Canada’s market won him sympathy. Saturday Night, Canadian organ of opinion, had an article by Donald Fields on the subject. He wrote: ‘‘No matter how benevolent or beneficient American financial control of our movie business may be, it is anonymous and nationally irresponsible in Canada.” However, that view is not shared by everyone connected with or interested in the Canadian motion picture industry. Motion picture men agreed that there were other features in the case beside the main one of national control. Saturday Night indicated that Nat Taylor, head of 20th Century theatres, a powerful group, would become vice-president of Nathanson’s new set-up. They have opened offices in the Royal Bank building but Mr. Taylor hasn’t been seen mear them. At the time of going to press he couldn’t be reached for a statement of his position. Film for English Aid Finally Under Way After 18 months the much-publicized cooperative film effort of Hollywood’s English colony is under way. Called “The Changing World,”’ it is the story of the shifting scene told through the lives of members of one family from 1804 to 1941. The scene, the family seat, is retained throughout. It’s a patriotic scramble. Engaged in the work throughout its production will be thirty writers, five directors, over twenty-five stars and one composer, Noel Coward—figures subject to change without notice. Gene Lockhart is the only Can adian mentioned in that connection. i | |