The Canadian Motion Picture Exhibitor (Dec 15, 1941)

December 15th, 1941 New Years Eve Charges Fixed (Continued from Page 1) plemented by other forms of entertainment, the total admission prices charged to these shows may be set at the same amount which was charged for a similar type of show last year. (3) The admission prices charged, if higher than the regular evening admission prices to the thheatre now prevailing, must include the Federal 20% tax and such admission prices, including all amusement taxes, must not be higher than the total admission price charged to the public last year. Merritt Helps Windsor Drive The Palace theatre, Windsor, was the scene on Friday, December 12th of a great benefit show in aid of the Overseas Smoke Fund. Stars and civic luminaries moved across the border from Detroit in considerable numbers to help the soldiers get their cigarettes. Among those who lent their} presence and talents to the event was the Mayor of Detroit, the Mayor of Windsor, Billy House, Eddie Garr and the Michigan Theatre Orchestra. There was a surplus of talent and ‘customers as compared to house capacity and time available. The directors of the smoke fund weren't satisfied with the way things were going and appealed to the Windsor Lodge of the B’nai B'rith for help. H. Cem Merritt, well-known theatrical man of that area and a member of the lodge, began whipping things up. The result was the best financial impetus the smoke fund has had so far. It needed $5,000 and got it. Best Wishes for the Coming Year PERIGINS COMPANY LIMITED 277 VICTORIA STREET 2027 BLEURY STREET TORONTO MONTREAL The Exhibitor On the Square By HYE BOSSIN A tale of two tickets. Abe Cass and Johnny Cohn owned them. They were subscriber’s pasteboards that give the holders two of the best seats on the rail:at the Maple Leaf Gardens. Abe and John couldn’t use them. So Abe turned them over to Columbia’s office underlings, Marvin Miller and Fred Fink, for disposal. They were worth six bucks. The junior financial wizards organized a raffle at two-bits per grab. Abe Fox made the draw. Guy Upjohn, RKO booker won them. Ben Finklestien, man-about-The Square, has a hockey-mad daughter who had been promised a look at the Leafs in action. Ben paid Upjohn three dollars for them. The Leafs lost. The child was unhappy. So was Ben. Pierpont Miller and Rockefeller Fink disclaimed any personal interest in the raffle. However, Fink’s newest feature was a set of red earmuffs, reaching across the head like wireless earphones. The truth came out when Miller denounced his partner for losing a two-dollar bill. Miller profited ninety cents and Fink $1.10. It was simple. They sold a few extra raffle tickets, that’s all. Anyway, the draw was honest. We were there. * * * * * Dave Sherman’s 19-year-old son, Murray, joined the RCAF. Dave, of Premier’s managerial staff, was in the last one... . Lanky Steve McManus paid us off for our sharp peepers. Steve shaved off his golden moustache but we were the only one to notice it. He was so flattered he awarded us a cigar ... Frances Shelley has departed from Famous to be Glenn Ireton’s Gal Friday at Warners. ... We asked Ray Allen about the rumor that his Mavety Theatre, in Toronto’s West end, would play vaudeville. “We hear that flesh is going in. Is it true?” was our query. “Sure,” snapped Ray. “I weigh 186 Ibs.—and I’m going in. The cashier weighs—” We had enough. a a ' Last issue we wrote about the film salesman who couldn’t sell the only exhibitor in a certain town and bluffed his way into a contract by pretending that his firm was going to locate another theatre there. The salesman offered, for his outfit, to drop the idea for a contract. And did. Joe Myers tells a somewhat similar story with an even better twist on it. This salesman, unable to get his product into the town’s only house, hired a stooge with surveyor’s equipment to put on an act on the lot next door. The exhibitor bit. But most of all he wanted to know how much was paid for the land. No matter what was said he always brought the conversation back to the purchase price of the real estate. “Why,” the salesman finally asked, “are you so interested in the price?” “Because,” laughed the exhibitor. “I own the land!” * * * * * Manager Morrie Sasloff of the Ace, Toronto, got a timely brainwave which helped him out of a recent tough spot. The Saturday matinee was clogged with kids who showed no inclination to go home. The Ace is a small house and you have to keep ’em moving on schedule. The bill was top juvenile fare and the boys and girls were rooted there. That was the afternoon of the largest military parade in Toronto since the war began. Morrie had a slide made up which read: “Moving down University avenue right now! ... The largest parade in Toronto history ... 7,000 soldiers ... 20 bands... Tanks... Anti-aircraft guns,” etc. In no time the theatre was almost empty. * * * * * That was quite a shindig the Firestones, Sam and Harry, tossed to initiate their lovely new offices in the Film Exchange Building. Haskell Masters, Nat Taylor, Paul Nathanson, Leo Devaney, Joe Plottel and sundry others dropped in for a kibitz, a sip and a munch. It was a heart-warming house-warming. The general good-and-badinage was ample evidence of the personal good-fellowship which exists in the game in spite of the definite business differences. The Firestones were toasted till their toes tingled. Harry, who used to be on of your favorite columnists in these pages, is too busy to write his humorous observations down but he still makes them. They’re good listening for news-hungry scribes. my Has Page 3 Record Output At the time when America finds itself at war and current Hollywood activities may be affected the cinema city finds itself with the greatest stock of manpower and product in its history. Pictures not yet released are estimated to value almost $135,000,000. Almost 600 players are attached to the studio weekly list. There are 134 productions on the outgoing shelves, over 50 of these having cost more than $500,000 each to produce. Over $15,000,000 worth of photoplays have just been released. The financial strain on the studios has been relieved by uncommonly large grosses of late. The demands of the Consent Decree for finished films before sale is largely responsible for the bumper crop. Study New Seating Plan At the recent 25th anniversary convention of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, which was held in New York, Dr. Alfred N. Goldsmith revealed the result of a survey made of the seating preferences of patrons. The most popular section of the theatre, it was noted, is that which is about four times the width of the screen from the front and eight times from the back. Last to be filled were the front seats, which got the business after the offside seats. The committee is preparing a report based on the survey. It is thought that theatres of different size and shape than the modern ones might solve the problem and make acceptable. entertainment more HEATING AND VENTILATING CONTRACTORS AND ENGINEERS AWA 4