Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Jan 31, 1948)

Pago 8 a « Capital Story » By WILL McLAUGHLIN ONSPICUOUS in and about the Chateau Iaurier and on Parliament Hill during the past week was J. J. Fitzgibbons, president of Famous Players Canadian Corporation, — As head of the large delegation of Canadian theatre owners, operators and exhibitors to Ottawa, Mr. Fitzgibbons probably spent some of the most active days of his life in conferences with Cabinet Ministers and Government Department chiefs on matters. pertaining to Federal Amusement Taxes. Mr. Fitzgibbons also conferred at length With Reconstruction Minister Howe, and proposed measures by which the motion picture industry of Canada would assist materially in the Government’s campaign to halt the flow of dollars to the United States. aa aes: First real cold spell of the Winler saw Ottawans shivering for several consecutive days while temperatures lingered around 18 below sero. The sudden subsero weather was felt at the theatre box office, although several first-run houses maintained better than-average figures to warrant hold-overs on current bills. Sek Hold-overs during the current week included “Slave Girl’, at the Centre; “Sleep, My Love”, at the Dual Elgin, “Crossfire”, at the Regent and “Green Dolphin Street”, the latter's showings at the Capitol Theatre being interrupted on two evenings of its second week by the Dublin Gate Theatre Company for one performance of “John Bull’s Other Island”, and the Detroit Sym phony Orchestra recital. x =z & Received an interesting letter from Steve MacManus, formerly of the Elgin here and now manager of the Odeon Theatre, Kingston, Ont. Steve sent his best regards to the fraternity and said a visit to Ottawa may be expected from him, Corle, and Trigger the Third, at, or around, Eastertide. x * @ Four documentary films produced by the National Film Board under the supervision of Commissioner Ross McLean were shown to a large and appreciative audience in the National Research Council auditorium. On the program were “Children Learning by Experience”, a study of British children, scenes taken at Chalk River, Ont., showing Canada’s $20,000,000 atomic project, “Feeling of Rejection”, which deals with the subject of mental health, and “Song of the Ski’, a color film based on the poem by Wilson Mac-’ Donald. x ow Speaking of short subjects, this corner has been advised by manager Ernie Warren that the new Warner Brothers-Pathe Newsweekly (special Canadian edition) | will be shown regularly at the Flgin Theatre. CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST January 3ist, 1948 Vancouver News By JACK DROY WeeEee HOPP has been appointed assistant manager of the Capitol Theatre under Charlie Doctor. New members of the Capitol staff are ‘Frank Peterson and Barbara Shearer. Don Beisel is an addition to the Strand staff. Frank McKenzie, assistant man ager of the Orpheum, returned to work after a spell in the hospital. Marion Morton, who was at the Strand for 12 years, is now assistant to manager Norman Duncan at the International Cinema, which was_ re cently taken over by the F-P circuit. ge ete Ok frank Kerr, veteran of B.C. show business and owner of the Edison Theatre at New Westminster, died suddenly this week after suffering a stroke. Frank, aged 67, was a charter member of the Mancouver branch of the Canadian Picture Pioneers. x Ok Ok Buck ‘Taylor, veteran stage manager of the Strand Theatre, was given a two column spread in the Vancouver Province. He has been a full time stage hand for 44 years. Most of the headline theatre acts, including Sara Bernhardt, England’s Marie Lloyd, Jack Benny, I*red Allen, and other notables, played theatres, at which ‘Taylor was in charge of the back stage. He is now 65 and has been in show biz since he was 11 years old. x OK Om The Canadian edition of the H-B-Pathe newsreel is being released in Vancouver in two downtown F-P theatres, the Inter national Cinema and the Dominion. The first issue partly in color was given feature treatment by the theatres. ok * % Dave Griesdorf, president and gen eral manager of International Film Distributors, was. a welcome local visitor, [le said he was delighted with the way exhibitors are booking his various releases across the Dominion. Dave is well-known here and was formerly B.C. district manager for Odeon Theatres. Other film row visitors were Harold Warren of Port Alberni and Myron McLeod of Powell River, x ok Ok Candy stores along theatre row and in the outside districts are having a tough time and business is off in their candy-popcorn lines. One merchant said it’s about time the stores got even with theatres by showing movies. It’s an idea. oe ae An amendment to the Motion Picture Act of B.C., that provides for classifying films for different age groups will be brought up at the coming session in the British Columbia Legislature. ‘The amendment was defeated by the members last year, New members of the Canadian Picture Pioneers are Art Crute of the Plaza Theatre, Charlie Doctor, manager of the Capitol, and Dave Borland of the Dominion Theatre, The CPP are expecting a capacity crowd at their frst movie ball-to be held at Hotel Vancouver, Feb, 3rd. They are getting plenty of publicity in newspapers and are using a trailer in all downtown theatres advertising the affair. ae Jack Aceman, manager of the State Theatre, was in Los Angeles over the holidays with his wife. They atlended the Rose Bowl Football game; and visited various studios. * ok * lirst run theatre business was very good the past week after the fogs left town. “Road ‘To Rio” moved out of the Capitol after a three week booking ; the first week was an all time high at Capitol’s present admission © prices. Also nice was the International’s “Red Stallion” at the Orpheum, and a revival of “The Great Waltz” at the Strand. A pair of revivals, “The Mark Of Zorro” and “Drums Along The Mohawk", gave the International Cinema an excellent week’s business. “Upturned Glass” now on its second week at the Vogue was very good. x OK Ok Mr. and Mrs. Bob Benton, wellknown int local show circles; are the proud parents of a new baby girl; their first child> Bob Benton is an employee of Dominton Sound and Betty, his wife, is the daughter of Dave Borland, iman ager of the Dominion Theatre. : x x * Maud Smith, manager of the Odeon Theatre at Duncan B.C., is noted for her pioneering in a man-dominated business, theatre management. She was. for 15 years, cashier at the then Capitol at Duncan, and is doing a first class job as manager of the Odeon. She is very successful with her Odeon Moyie Club, and has many. Indian children from the near-by reservation as club members. x ok “The Best Years Of Our Lives” has started playing the suburban theatres of F-P in Vancouver. Pic, playing at road show prices, is doing satisfactory business. x ok The Odeon Theatre at Ladysmith is the only theatre on Vancouver Island to have a popeorn machine according to manager Norman Rae. ‘The machines are banned in the city of Vancouver by fire department regulations. "heatre Confections Ltd., however, are servicing the F-P theatres with popcorn which is prepared at. their warehouse, and the popcorn machines are now not necessary. Candy-popcorn business is very good, Y