Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Feb 28, 1948)

Page 6 CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST Vancouver News By JACK DROY RANK GOW, B.C. district man ager, announced that F-P will build a second theatre in Kelowna. The theatre will cost approximately $200,000 and will seat 900 people. ‘The new theatre will be built a few hundred feet west of the present F-P Empress Theatre. Both movie houses will be operated by F-P. The new house will be called the Capitol and only class “A” pictures will be shown. The Empress Theatre will cater to “action” pictures more suitable to the younger generation. Population of Kelowna is around 6500. The F-P will also reopen the Strand Theatre, at Kamloops, which has been dark for the past 11 years. This theatre seats 425 and is on the main street of the town; F-P also operates the Capitol in Kamloops, a 700-seater, which is the only theatre in the town at present. Frank Gow and Jack McCausland, construction superintendent, have left for a trip to survey the two theatres to be added to the Famous Players chain in BC * *« * Howard Boothe, Odeon’s B.C. district manager, is back at his desk after a month’s holiday spent in Hollywood and points south of the border. He is now busy getting the two new Odeon houses at Victoria and West Vancouver ready for their openings which will both be open by the latter part of February» x» »* Vancouver lost one of its veteran projectionists with the passing of Sam Haigh who has been in the Capitol Theatre booth for the past 28 years. His passing breaks up a partnership of two projectionists who have been at the Capitol since it opened 28 years ago. Bert Pollock was the other half of the team. Both men belong to the F-P 25Year Club. Haigh was 60, and was an ardent lawn bowler. A very active and prominent Mason, he was given a masonic funeral. » x Jack Jackson, M-G-M booker, has completed 27 years im film business and 1s the dean of bookers on Vancouver's film row. x * * The Famous Players Theatre Managers Association of B.C. elected the following officers for 1948. President is Jack Rondall, Strand Theatre ; vicepresident, Jack Burdick, Stanley Theatre; secretary, Tunny Morrison, Victoria Theatre; treasurer, Les Stratton, Regent Theatre. The Association’s activities for the past year were reviewed and the financial statement was read by the retiring treasurer, Jack Burdick. A vote of thanks was extened to Eddie Zetterman of New Westminster who was president for the 1947 term. Similar thanks were also tendered other retiring executive officers at the meeting. Another Vancouver downtown theatre will be built along theatre row between the F-P Dominion and the Odeon Plaga, by the Reifel interests, who built the Vogue now under lease to the Odeon circuit. It’s reported that Eastern interests will operate the new theatre. a a Vancouver may take steps to grab off the rich 20 per cent amusement tax if and when the federal government relaxs its grip on this wartime source of revenue. Mayor Jones was quick to spot the chance for some easy money, and suggested the city may ask the provincial government to adopt the tax and levy it on behalf of the city for some specific purpose. i. ee Jack M. Warner, son of the vice-president of Warner Bros., was here from Hollywood to study distribution methods in Canada for his company. Warner, Jr., will enter the production end of the business on his return to the U.S. He also visited the Warner exchange in Calgary. x Ta Al Moss, former manager of the Odeon theatre at Haney, B.C., who has been in a local military hospital for treatments due to a war injury, is back with Odeon as assistant manager of the downtown Paradise. Paul Lambert, formerly with the Beacon Theatre in Winnipeg, has been appointed assistant manager of the Odeon-Hastings, succeeding Frank Brown, who was promoted to manager of the Odeon theatre in Abbotsford, B.C. x * x Arthur Martin of the Broadway Theatre has been appointed assistant manager of the International Cinema. Eva Bressett, who was at the Odeon Marble Arch Theatre, London, England, and with the Red Cross and ARP. throughout the blite over there, 1s the new head usher at the International Cinema. * *k * The Log Cabin Theatre, at Lillooet, B.C., one of the oldest landmarks in British Columbia and a former stable for gold miners who rode through that district in the 1860’s, was damaged by fire, recently. The theatre is now operated by the Canadian Legion. Overheated pipes were believed responsible for the fire and damage to the main floor of the theatre was estimated at $1,500. The State Theatre, Vancouver, also had a fire during a performance and a panic was averted by an alert doorman, Arnold Morrow, who cleared the house of 200 patrons. Only slight damage resulted as there was more smoke than flames. The theatre was closed for a few hours. February 28th, 1948 Don Beisel of the Strand Theatre was recently promoted to head-doorman of this F-P downtown house. Don, who is an upand-coming young fellow, is taking a keen interest in show business and has aspirations for bigger and better things. tee oe Slightly over 65 per cent of British Columbia film patrons prefer double bills, according to a survey recently completed. The poll covered 1947. Duel bills were given a big preference in the smaller situations. Most of the deluxe theatres in the urban centres, however, are on a single bill policy in the province of B.C. ie PT: Herb Campbell, manager of the Oak Bay Theatre at Victoria, is a pretty sick man and has had two major operations in a Victoria hospital. Russ McTavish, former owner of the Cambie Theatre, Vancouver, has taken charge of the Oak Bay, which is an Odeon house. x «x Ox Hymie Singer of the State Theatre, who is making a success of playing foreign films here and at Victoria, is away on a trip to New York, and said he may have some news of interest about bringing outstanding foreign films tor bc, im the mearfurure: * * x The new IATSE F-71 union covering front office employees of Vancouver exchanges elected Bill Grant of R-K-O, president and business agent, and Max Sheine of Eagle-Lion, vice-president. Seek sk Fast approaching epidemic propor tions is the outbreak of “flu’in British © Columbia. Striking in a variety of ways, the ‘flu is affecting young and old alike, with most startling effects so far on theatre and school attendance. Theatres and exchanges are working with skeleton staffs. x ok OO Eagle-Lion exchange is in the midst of a sales and billings drive from now until May 29th. Max Sheine and Harry Page expect to take the prize money home. ko & British Columbia’s “unusual weather was the answer to the chill being put on B.C. box offices. Even the best offerings had an uphill climb in the face of a combination of real cold (for B.C.) snow and heavy rains which ruined theatre grosses completely. The only films to overcome the elements were “My Wild Irish Rose” at the Capitol and “I Walk Alone” at the Orpheum. ‘The rest of the town was below average. ‘Two stage shows “San Carlo Opera Co.” at the Strand, and Donald Wolfit’s Shakespeare company at the International Cinema did capacity business with the silk stocking class of theatre patrons.