Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Feb 28, 1948)

|; ie |. February 28th, 1948 CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST Montreal News By ROY LESTER | FAST action film, with a comparatively good story, has proven top-notch entertainment here this past week. The picture in question is “Body and Soul”, which is now in its third week at the Capitol . . . “Blossom Time” is due here the week of March 29th .. . Sam Glasier of 20th Century-Fox, Toronto, was in Montreal this past week in connection with the publicity campaigns for “Captain from Castile” and “Nightmare Alley”, both of which opened here on February Bee. Lddie*-schider, has «leit Monogram Films, and we will hear, in the very near future, with what film company he has become associated with ... Led Atkinson, formerly of R-K-O has joined the staff of Cardinal Films in Montreal . . . The new Canadian general manager of 20th Century-Fox, Arthur Silverstone, paid his business confreres in Montreal a short visit .. . Alliance Films presented ‘Musica Proibita” at His Majesty’s Theatre this week for one week, while the ever-popular Ballet Russe will be brought to the same theatre by Canadian Concerts and Artists for 6 performances commencing March 16th. * * * Montreal movie-goers will undoubtedly be pleased to learn of the first class films that are coming their way in the near future. In fact, some of the biggest box office hits of the year are to be exhibited shortly. © Lhe “Secret. Lape of. Walter Mitty’ which is now playing at Loew's is to be followed by “Captain from Castile’. Next month, the picture voted the best of the year by the New York critics, “Gentleman's Agreement’, will be shown, while “Cass Timberlane’”’, “Good News’, and “The Unconquered” are also to be exhibited shortly. x ok Ok Two members of the Montreal film industry were awarded decorations for their outstanding work on behalf of Greek War Relief activities. George Ganetakos, chairman of the Greek War Relief Fund, and president of United Amusements, and B. C. Salamis, a Montreal exhibitor, who was national secretary of the Greek War Relief Fund, have been made Officers of the Order of .Phoenix, the highest award bestowed by the Greek government. * * * Montrealers became carnival conscious this past week as McGill University put on its first Winter Carmival in many a year. It was a spectacle to behold, with university skung and skating teams from all over the country competing as well as the crowning of the carnwal queen by His Worship, the Mayor. Thousands of students took part in the various events and giant snowmen, with various. scenes depicted, were in abundance in the downtown area. A new record for film making in Canada was made at St. Hvacinthe, Quebec, recently, when Canadian Motion Picture Productions beat their own shooting schedule of 12 days for “Sins of the Fathers’. The 75 minute picture was completed in 10% days and is now in the cutting stage, despite the fact that Hollywood director, Phil Rosen, was_ hospitalized for a week after a sudden collapse. Work continued, nevertheless, under assistant director, Dick Jarvis. eae 3k The celebrated monologuist, Ruth Draper, who has been delighting audiences the world over these last two decades with her character sketches, will appear at His Majesty’s Theatre on March 3rd and 4th. The first lady of the monodrama has recently appeared on the British stage, and on Broadway. . For 6 weeks during 1947 and 1948 she presented her solo sketches before capacity audiences at the Empire Theatre. She was absent from Broadway during the war years, when she toured Canada, England, South America, and the Caribbean region giving war benefit performances. He OR The newsreel showing our Canadian Olympic hockey team winning the Olympic title by beating the Swiss was flown here this past week and was shown immediately on the screen . Cyril Black was recently appointed Quebec representative for Production Francaises Deluxe Ltd., which deals solely in native French pictures .. . Next month His Majesty’s Theatre, here, will be host to the Ballet Russe De Monte Carlo, which opens here on March 15th. * « «& There is the possibility here that a questionnaire, consisting of pertinent questions, will be distributed in the downtown theatres for all the patrons to fill out. The questions, 23 in all, are designed to find out what actually brings the movie-goer into the theatre. <> ee Montrealers are looking forward to seeing Shakespeare’s ‘“‘Macbeth” performed by Michael Redgrave, the celebrated English stage and screen star, and his complete London Company. The cast of the play is to arrive here by plane next month, and the tour, which is scheduled to commence on March 8th, will include London, Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa. The Company will then proceed to New York for an 8 week engagement. Mr. Redgrave, who is soon to be seen here co-starred with Rosalind Russell in “Mourning Becomes Electra’, will portray Macbeth, while Flora Robson will play the part of Lady Macbeth. Page 9 Quebec Writers Visit Renaissance Studios A group of newspaper writers representing Quebec City’s dailies arrived in Montreal for a week-end inspection of Renaissance Films’ new studios on Cote des Neiges Road. The junket was under the supervision of Mr. Sam Gagné, President and Managing-Director of Ciné Québec, a distribution subsidiary of Renaissance. The party included Mr. Alfred Renaud, of Le Soleil; Mr. Antoine Desroches of l’Evenement Journal; Miss Ena Robinson of the The Chronicle Telegraph : and Mr. Robert Morin of L‘Action Catholique. A special luncheon was served at the Cercle Universitaire which was attended by Messrs. Glenn Ireton, Edgar Tessier and Francois LaRoche of Renaissance, and a welcoming committee of Montreal newspaper confreres including Messrs. Jacques LaRoche, of LaPresse; André Lecompte, of Le Petit Journal; Jean Vincent of Le Devoir; and Maurice Huot of La Patrie. Elizabeth Trott, feature writer for the Monetary Times (Toronto) also visited Renaissance Films, collecting information for a forthcoming piece on this Company for the nationally-circulated business paper. ; TWO HOUSES DROPPED BY ODEON IN CALGARY The Odeon circuit lost two suburban theatres in Calgary. The Plaza and Crescent, were both taken over by Harry Cohen (former W-B Calgary manager) now president of Rosedale Theatres Ltd. This leaves the Rank circuit with only one theatre in the city of Calgary, the downtown Grand, which is on a partnership basis with Jack Barron. F-P chain have five theatres in the cowtown, the Capitol, Palace, Variety, Strand, and the small seater Empress. Odeon, however, have sites for new theatres in Calgary. F-P SPENDS $60,000 TO IMPROVE THEATRE Completion of a $60,000 improvement program is in its final stages at the Capitol, Prince Rupert, by the F-P circuit. A new $10,000 marquee extending the full frontage of the building with neon lighting, 750 new seats and a new ventilation system, are included. The Capitol is the only theatre in the northern B.C. town. Harry Black is the local manager. OSTRANDER KILLED A victim of a recent storm in Western Ontario was R. Ostrander, manager of the Rex Theatre at Lucknow, who died of a broken back and other injuries when his car skidded on the highway close to Wingham. He passed away as an ambulance was rushing him to the hospital in Wingham.