The Canadian Motion Picture Exhibitor (Aug 15, 1941)

Page 6 3 The Exhibitor English Kids Get Going After Them! U.S. Lowdown British school children should be. taught that “Hollywood, hot music and slang are not the most important features of life in the United States,” the London Board of Education said in a pamphlet being distributed to 30,000 schools. Urging a broader treatment of American history, the pamphlet said children “should learn something of the ideals that inspire that nation, of the men that shaped its history, of the forces working to bring her on our side in our greatest need.” British history books, it was. observed, have not entirely disregarded American history but have chopped it off after the War for Independence, save for a_ brief treatment of the Civil War. The principal fault has been that too many children gained their impressions of the United States from movies dealing with Indian fights, Hollywood glamor and sordid gangster squabbles, the pamphlet said. Teachers were warned against a tendency to assess American history in terms of English values. It is not helpful to AngloAmerican understanding, it said, for Britons to use in ‘conversa‘tions with Americans such phrases as, “your English-speaking President” or “blood is thicker than water.” “Many matters which to Englishmen seem important seem to Americans supremely unimportant,” it said. ‘‘The converse is equally true.” |The pamphlet re ferred to the War of 1812 between the United States and England as a “squalid episode’ dishonorable to both sides. It said that in the post-Civil War era, United States Presidents “were generally figureheads in the hands of party bosses and the nation as a whole seemed given up to the pursuit of wealth.” But the pamphlet said there was a latent idealism which asserted itself from time to time through such men as William Jennings Bryan, Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. Walt Whitman, Vachel Lindsay and Mark Twain were mentioned as authors who had given stature to American literature. The life of Thomas Edison was recommended for reading. Celluloid Comics The funnies are taking hold in Hollywood as subject matter. The news is that the strips being negotiated for with an eye to cinema translation dre ‘Little Orphan Amnie,’’ Winnie Winkle” and Gasoline Alley.” By LLOYD M. MILLS A very timely and clever stunt, was thought up by Bob Berezin, 20th Century’s ace go-getter in the Elgin Theatre, Ottawa. Bob used the idea to good advantage on the repeat run of “The Great Dictator.” He got an usher to drive around the town in a buggy” featuring this copy: ‘Save Gasoline for the War Effort. Drive This Way to the Elgin Theatre to see ‘The Great Dictator’. And so on. This carried a twofold meaning. It gathered lots of goodwill and comment on the saving of gasoline. And it invited people to see this outstanding United Artists picture. The picture, on this repeat run, did standout business for more than ten days of the two-week run. The first eight days the matinees were turnaways. Of course, that Berezin, he’s a worker. He got in the extra 40 per cent business by all that extra application. Many other clever stunts were pulled by him. * * * I would like to take time here to wish Godspeed to Eddie Newman, who has just been promoted from the Midtown, Toronto, to the Metropolitan, Winnipeg, which is, by the way, Eddie’s home town. Vernon Burns of the Kenwood Theatre, Toronto has been upped to the Midtown post. I know I can depend on a lot of good idea to come from Vernon because, take it from me, he’s a working manager. He only sleeps after midnight, like all good citizens. Congrats, Eddie. Congrats, Vernon. * * * Newman, just before leaving the the Midtown, came through with some good ideas for “Pot ’o Gold.” Along with his big campaign he had several stunts worth mentioning that were each used in different locations. First a pot of pennies in a window, the number of which was guessed for prizes. Backed up by copy plugging the Midtown, of course. Secondly a number of small concrete blocks with footprints of Stewart and Goddard imbedded in them—on the sidewalk in front of shoe stores. You get a free ducat if your shoe fits. Confidentially, only six out of 500 tries were successful. _A sign-bearing stick is imbedded in the back of the concrete block. The sign tells the story. The whole thing costs very little. Street advertising value is terrific and the best spots in town are available. Every shoe store will go for it because it lines up with their business. Thirdly, Eddie had a spin wheel placed next to the box-office. Anyone buying a ticket could spin it free and win a ticket, if lucky, to some coming attraction. The future bookings shared the advertising Space with the current bill. The stunt costs nothing, the wheel being promoted. It’s certainly worth listening to the praiseful comments of patrons trying the wheel. Our farmer friend in Trenton, good young Ted Fraser of the Century Theatre, comes forth with a brilliant idea for ‘“Boy Scouts to the Rescue.” He advised that a big affair would take place on a certain bridge over the river there at a certain time and day. A fairly large crowd turned out just to see what was what. Under the bridge where no one could see same, he had a young boy, who, by the way, was a good swimmer, sit on an old raft. This floated out into the current, and since the river is quite wide, the view was good. Then the boys seemed to get a little panicky, and the public felt that something was wrong. Out from the shore rushed four boy scouts, jumped into a rowboat tied up there, and rowed off to | rescue the lad, who pulled down a window shade which was fastened on a pole to the raft, with copy telling the public to go and see the picture, which I understand is a serial. Anyway, needless to say the stunt gathered a great deal of publicity, including a picture in the paper, and a long story written about the rescue of a young lad off a raft in the river. They did rescue the lad because for appearances sake the raft was none too safe, although Fraser at no time left the boy in any danger. The serial before this one, was the ‘Green Archer’ for which Fraser joined about 500 kids to his club, gave them badges after five weeks, and held a weekly Saturday morning archery contest for prizes free of charge. You had to be a member of the club to have the fun free, and don’t think the kids didn’t hurry up to join, since the ‘contest was held downtown in a very conspicuous spot. To join they just had to come each week to the theatre and get their card punched. co * oS . Mel Jolley, of the Columbia, St. Thomas, is starting a city-wide campaign to collect silver paper and tin foil for the Boy Scouts’ war effort. When Mel really gets started all the good spots in town will have barrels waiting for the stuff. The barrels will carry the news that the Columbia is doing this work. Good work, Mel, for a start. Only a week ago Mel moved into the Columbia, having been assistant to Bill Trudell at the !Capitol, London, August 15th, 194] O! For the Life of an Extra Those merry rogues known as “the boys” will be startled when, if they see “Blossoms in the Dust” or “Father Takes a Wife,” Wilf Freeman, one of the clan, comes onscreen sudden as a sneeze. Handsome Wilf used to sell stocks around Toronto and punctuated it with occasional spear-carrying activities when the odd company came through. Once he hooked on to the Grace George troupe of “Kind Lady” during its Royal Alexandra stay and went along on the road. Of course, years ago Wilf was an extra for a day and hasn’t been the same since. He vowed he’d get back under the lights. And it seems he did. However, he’s still to speak a line—though he sure gets out in front of the other fill-ins. From Sid Luxemberg, the icamival supply man, who is Wilf’s pal, we learn of the celluloid tragedy that recently befell our local nominee for screen fame. Wilf appeared in every episode of the popular serial known as “The Green Hornet.” He had to. He was the Green Hornet himself. This went on for fourteen episodes. In the fifteenth they had to unmask The Green Hornet. So they unmasked somebody else! Warner's Ballet The first screen performance of any major ballet organization will take place in the Fall under the terms of a contract concluded by J. L. Warner, Vice President of Warner Bros., in charge of -production, and S. Hurok, representing the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo will reproduce all its ballets on the screen exclusively for Warner Bros. Each ballet will be a separate three reel film in Technicolor with full symphony orchestra accompaniment. THE SUCCESS of your THEATRE depends upon GOOD EQUIPMENT consult 104 BOND STREET TORONTO