The Canadian Motion Picture Exhibitor (Jun 1, 1941)

June Ist, 1941 Yank Eagles In Newsreel Shots Adventurous flying men from south of the border are among the ranks of the R.C.A.F. in the fight for democracy, and are proving their mettle. One of the most colorful ‘‘veterans” of the Spanish war was recently the pilot for a newsreel cameraman at Trenton, Ont., shooting the story of the Empire Air Training Plan. The famous ‘“Whitey’’ Dahl is now a pilot instructor and it was he who flew Roy Tash, Associated Sereen News camera reporter aloft for aerial sequences in a newsreel story soon to be released in Canadian theatres. It will be recalled that Dahl fought with the Loyalists during the Spanish war, was taken prisoner and sentenced to be shot as a spy. His beautiful actress wife intervened by sending her photograph to General Franco. Charmed by this photograph the Spanish leader set Dahl free. He returned to the United States and early in the war offered his services to the R.C.A.F. Hey, Hollywood, Look Here! How to win friends and influence exhibitors. Leslie Plottel, RKO exchange manager in St. John and one of the famed film freres of that name, was out hustling the product. In New Glasgow he called cn N. W. Mason, who was in no mood to talk pictures. Mr. Mason once toured with Denman Thompson in “The Old Homestead.”’ Almost annually he stages the sentimental old vehicle and it’s a local tradition. He was in a jam. Curtain time was drawing nigh and one of the actors hadn’t turned up. But Leslie did. No Muni but game just the same, he donned the duds and trod the boards. P.S. He got the contract. THE SUCCESS of your THEATRE depends upon GOOD EQUIPMENT consult GENERAL THEATRE SUPPLY COMPANY itd. 104 BOND STREET ° 336 MAYOR STREET TORONTO MONTREAL The Exhibitor Meek—But Not Mild Donald Meek, to movie patrons everywhere, is the beloved little man. Everybody knows one of the rabbit-mannered, fussy fellows. The cartoonists have made the type famous as the over-burdened John Public. They always get kicked around and they always end on top. The character was crying to be brought to life. Nobody filled the need exactly until the nambypamby, nervous Meek turned up and took over. Since then he has moused through more than 100 pictures—and stolen a good percentage of them from the stars. You hear an undertone of glad cries when he comes on. The audience settles back satisfied. But the Meek of the shadows is not the Meek of the substance. The one of the films is a sissy compared with the one of the flesh. The latter fought in the first great war with the Ladies from Hell. He likes prizefights. The red-blooded poetry of Kipling is his favorite reading matter. Not that the popular picture of him is far and away wrong. His preferred pet is a canary. He also enjoys gardening. Canada occupies a vivid place in his memories. He came here with an acrobatic troupe from his mative Scotland. They were headed for an American tour. In Hamilton, Ontario, he fell at work and suffered four compound fractures. It put him in a hospital for 12 weeks. He gave up trying to fly through the air with the greatest of ease. In the hospital he had plenty of time to think, figured out his classic characterization and made up his mind on acting. It was healthier. No sooner did he get out, then, with that surprising and heroic reasoning of the little man when there’s a big job to be done, he enlisted with the Hamilton; Highlanders. After the big tiff he went to the States, married and settled in Boston. He joined a stock company there and shared a dressing-room with a beginner named Henry Hull. They finally got together again in “Jesse James.” Later he barnstormed through South Africa, India and Australia with a road show. In 1923 he broke in on Broadway in “Going Up.” Then, in 1928, HoHywood hauled him in to work in “Hole in the Wall.” Donald Meek has been gadding about the globe for quite a spell. He was born in Glasgow in 1880 and made his debut eight years later in that city’s Theatre Royal. Here’s hoping he’ll keep audience and management happy for more pictures than we can ever count. Television Knocking on the Door Gets Top-Spot Tryout in N.Y. Long talked about in the industry, Teievision is about to be offered to the public. Arthur Mayer of the Rialto, New York, has announced that he had leased equipment from an English firm for an 18-week experimental run. Admission prices will be increased to meet the added expense. The Rialto set will cost about $7500 and be in operation in several weeks. NBC is now sending out three shows a week, the total time of them being nine hours. Recently RCA gave a Television |the National Boxing Association |’ presentation of a boxing bout and the. 1200 spectators agreed that it was good entertainment and tech Real Duo Bill President and Choir When it’s speech time for President Roosevelt it’s Sunday at the theatre. | That is, like Canadian theatres, where, except in Quebec, the sabbath knows no movie business. But Louise Crane, who is producer of the opera, “Four Saints in Three Acts,” found the answer. , She rigged up a public iaddress system in Town Hall, N.Y., where the opera is in action. Roosevelt shared the show with the singers—and stole it. nically fine. Many movie men were present and added to the praise. When legal and technical problems are cleared up it is expected that the new type of offering will have a sharp impetus. A wag suggested that Television leads to all kinds of interesting possibilities. Imagine Darryl Zanuck bidding against Mike Jacobs for the services of Joe Louis, Will Hays worrying about below-thebelt blows and Jack Warner wondering whether to affiliate with or the New York Commission. Something new and_ different to worry exhibitors. Crabbe & Co. Share Take With Fund Buster Crabbe, if he isn’t careful, will find himself back on the ,screen—and in a bigger way. The Flash Gordon of pictures is in Canada wooing his first love, swimming. He gets top billing with a troupe known as the Water Follies. While here he’s been going overboard for the war effort, heeding requests for help. The other morning he and the troupe staged a special matinee for kids. Buster gave itthem tips on swimming. Ca a aS Ee cee 0 ae a 2 St 9 ne eT EO OT TY RE Se RS ee Ee Sa | Page 7 PERFORMANCE ALONE Determines the value of your equipment purchases. The QUALITY of our installation gives lasting satisfaction and results. PERIGINS COMPANY LIMITED 277 VICTORIA STREET 2027 BLEURY STREET TORONTO MONTREAL Lobbies Go Lit'y? Films Up Book Sales There’s a report that one of the studios with a theatre chain will install circulating libraries in the foyer. The idea probably arose from the fact that sales of standard and classic fiction have hopped up after movie translation. What with ‘candy concessions, dinnerware and_ screeno, who knows what kind of a business the exhibitor will wake up to find himself in about a generation from now? Look what happened to the modest druggist of a couple of decades ago. The book idea isn’t bad. Even the small man might cut in on the literary resurgance to help traffic. Ticket-bearers could be handed a giveaway copy of a classic. Many publishing houses have large stocks of the old reliables, in many cases paper-covered. A sizeable batch might be snatched for a price the house can stand. oR 1957