Canadian Moving Picture Digest (May 1, 1940)

Canadian Picture Pioneers Hague, who was known as The Boy Hypnotist and together they formed The Empire Hypnotic Vaudeville Company, which was later absorbed by Dr. Lee’s Medicine Shows, travelling through Ontario in 1906. In 1907 Clair Hague joined the Allen Amusement Company at Brantford and operated the Theatorium and Wonderland Theatres. In 1909, Mr. Hague joined the Kleine Optical Company at Toronto, later taken over by General Film Company. In 1912 Mr. Hague opened the Canadian Film Company at 32 Queen Street East, Toronto, and in 1913 this company was taken over by Universal Pictures. It is of interest to note that one of the companies which played Brantford was the Marks Bros. BRITISH FILM MARKET The British Film Market in Canada is of particular interest because its pioneering in Canada was the work of Canadians, the British producer and distributor being more interested in an endeavour to secure an American market. British pictures which were sold to American companies, and a few of them were sold, had their titles and place of origin eliminated, for the product thus released became a part of the program of the American companies which purchased these pictures. British producers, in selling American rights for British pictures, included Canadian rights. Sam W. Smith, who was associated with The Allen interests in Canada went to England and became the London representative for The Allen Interests purchasing for this company several of the biggest money-making British Films which were released in Canada. Lord Beaverbrook, who was then in England, and interested in a chain of moving picture theatres, made the deals for the British Government on the propaganda pictures which were made with the Government and under government subsidies during 1915. “The Battle of the Somme”, “Marne”, “Ypres” were among the pictures purchased by The Allens at that time for Canadian distribution. They proved very successful and the interest in Canada, for the establishment of a British Film Market developed. “THE BETTER ’OLE” Ray Lewis and J. J. Allen had several discussions concerning the possibilities of a British Film market in Canada; but it was difficult to persuade the British producer and distributor to sell British Pictures to Canada direct. The British Producer was interested in the Canadian Market, but made it impossible to purchase British pictures for Canada other than through the American market. The situation was paradoxical; and it was not until Ray Lewis as special European Representative of Messrs. Jule and J. J. Allen left for England at the close of the war that a campaign for direct buying as between Canada and England on British Pictures was put forth. The Kinematograph Weekly, one of England’s oldest trade magazines co-operated with Ray Lewis and published a series of articles written by Ray Lewis and which stressed the importance of a film trade relationship between Canadian distributors of film 1 and British producers., It is interesting to note that when “The Better ’Ole” was brought to Canada, only J. J. Allen and Ray Lewis thought it would be a moneymaker, the rest of the Allen family turned thumbs down on it, and so did everyone else in the Industry in'Canada. It was a poorly-made picture, but its comedy scenes were priceless and “’Ole Bill” became one of Canada’s screen favorites. The picture made so much money that Ray Lewis purchased about fifty British pictures for The Allens, some of which were good, many of which were bad, but we took the good with the bad; and on the whole it was a profitable adventure. Basil Horsfal established an exchange for the distribution of British Pictures, and brought “Alf’s Button”, another big British success to Canada. Thew there was a veritable deluge of British) Pictures, and sonic of them were the world’s worst. These killed the market for British Pictures in Canada and the exhibitors would not touch them. All you had to say was that the picture was British to drive the patrons away. The Betty Balfour pictures were successful; thé ‘“Squibs” series caught on, until the producers wore out their theme, then Betty Balfour ceased to draw. GERMAN INVASION I saw a picture with Pola Negri, as Madame Du Barry and Emil Janning as the French King. It! was made in Germany and was a big picture in those days. It showed in Paris following the War. I advocated its purchase by The Allens for Canada, but when it was screened at the Allen Theatre, now The Tivoli, and the Daughters of the Empire were invited to the private screening, they called it German propaganda, and Ray Lewis a German spy for introducing it. Ben Cronk who was then manager of the Allen was worried; and the picture’s opening was postponed. We called the picture “Passion”. The agitation in respect to this picture was such that the Censor Board banned German pictures for Canadian distribution for over a year. ‘The picture was finally purchased by First National for American distribution, Canadian rights included, and /was in the million dollar class for earning power. Pola Negri and Emil Jannings received American picture contracts ‘and became leading stars on the American screen. At this time the German-made picture began to find its way into the American market and to Canada, and it is to the German-made film that we must give credit for the introduction of new fields in screen technique and) photography. Ray Lewis advocated an affiliation between German-producers and British producers, for the British picture lacked what the German picture had, the art and technique of the screen. There was a sentiment in England to keep foreigners out of British production; and the Americans who bought at a good price anybody and everything that could and would develop a greater American Motion Picture Industry went after German affiliations, artists and producers’; and some of the biggest successes which American pictures had were the direct result of such foreign assimilation and affiliation. Canada played all of these pictures. Here’s To The Pioneers... Compliments of JAYDEE WILLIAMS It was not until J. D. Williams (Jaydee) went to England to organize the British International Film productions at Elstree, that British pictures again came into their own in Canada. (Jaydee) opened an exchange in Canada, World-Wide with which Syd. Taube was associated. “Jaydee” persuaded Mr. Adolph Zukor to help finance some British productions, because finance for British films in England was as scarce as the proverbial “hen’s teeth’. The British looked on the production of Motion Pictures as a highly speculative venture. Theatres received better support and British financiers became _ interested in acquiring theatres in the U.S. and in Canada. It was about 1920 when Lord Beaverbrook said, “I have five million dollars to put into theatres in Canada.” J. J. Allen was then in England and a deal for British capital was being made by Ray Lewis with one of the most conservative British financial houses in Canada. American film interests were interested in promoting theatres in Great Britain, but there was exhibitor — and public opposition to the idea. A deal was almost made, whereby, The Allens were to sell a fifty percent interest in their Canadian chain of theatres to this British Financial house. I dare say it can now be told, the House of Raphael, in the classification of the House of Rothschild. LORD BEAVERBROOK The Beaverbrook deal was also being considered and the acquisition of the Alhambra site in London, was to be the beginning of an Allen British chain of theatres. Mr. Harry Brouse, who was an original franchise holder of First National, had a substantial investment in the Allen Circuit, Mr. Chisholm of the Bank of Commerce had an interest, through his banking affiliation; and the Beaverbrook deal was turned down, although it was a fifty-fifty deal with everything left in the hands of The Allens. J. J. Allen received a cable, not to go through with the deal, by this time the Raphael deal which Ray Lewis promoted and which would have given The Allens five million dollars, also, had been eliminated in favour of the Beaverbrook deal. Ray Lewis went to Paris and interested a leading French banker on a fifty-fifty deal with The Allens for theatres in France. Had The Allens not turned down the Beaverbrook deal the motion picture industry in Canada would have been written differently. N. L. NATHANSON In 1920, Ray Lewis, in an interview with Mr. N. L. Nathanson, repeated to him that Lord Beaverbrook had said when The Allens turned down his offer, that someone would get his five million dollars for theatres in Canada. You know the rest of the story, Famous-Players Canadian was formed, it was underwritten by the Beaverbrook interests in Canada for four million dollars. Adolph Zukor invested one hundred thousand dollars and gave the company the Paramount Pictures Franchise for eighteen years. The Allens formerly owned this franchise. Eventually, The Allen chain of theatres, with the exception of some of the theatres which were controlled by independent in B & F THEATRES