Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Mar 20, 1948)

Page 10 CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST Vancouver News By JACK DROY RS. L. WARREN, on behalf of Warren ‘Theatres, Limited, of Port Alberni, has purchased a piece of property across from the Bank of Commerce at Qualicum Beach, B.C. Spot is on Vancouver Island, midway between Nanaimo and Port Alberni. A 350-seat moving picture house will be built on the property shortly. Construction will get under way by May Ist. Harold Warren will handle the organization of the venture. Mrs: Warren’s plans for the erection of a theatre at Parksville, 7 miles away, have been deferred until the completion of the Qualicum house. Eventually it is planned to establish in Parksville as well as Qualicum. Warren is a F-P partner in 3 Alberni theatres. * * * General Films Ltd. and the National Filin Board, now housed in a downtown block, will have to find new quarters. The building will be converted into a medical clinic by a syndicate of Vancouver doctors. * * 4 At a time when theatre attendance is off an estimated 25 per cent, Vancouver is enjoying perhaps its greatest boom in sports. More people are spending money to see hockey, wrestling, prize-fights, and — basketball events than ever before. Some sports are drawing 50 per cent greater attendance than a year ago. The situation is said to be about the same in New Westminster and Victoria. Meanwhile, theatre operators find their crowds constantly getting slimmer. This appears to be especially true out of town. Exhibitors blame it on the high cost of living, reduced employment, and the 20 per cent federal tax, but both these factors enter into sports attendances, too, * * * Ruth Holm, formerly at the Orpheum, is now head usherette at the Odeon-Plaza, and Elsie Krakonchuk, who was at the Plaza, is now head usherette at the F-P Strand. Esther Keen, Rex Theatre cashier, will marry John Batchelor, in June. * * * Busy cameraman, Ross Beesley, veteran movie lensman for Associated Screen News on the West Coast, recently completed 4,000 miles of assignments. He flew from Vancouver to the Yukon Territory to cover the Canadian Army’s Arctic exercises; then he left for Banff for the Dominion Ski Championships; from there he rushed to Calgary for the Macdonald Brier Curling Bonspiel; the next leg of his trip took him to film the Australian rugby games at Victoria. ‘The edited film will last 514 minutes on the screen. The Cascades Drive-in Theatre, run by the Steel-Johnson interests, near Vancouver, reopened its third season this week. An added service this year is babies bottles heated and refreshments served in your car, x * x A conscience-stricken youth gave and threw away a total of $670, stolen money. After seeing the film ‘Hach Dawn I Die’, which shows crime does not pay, and alarmed at carrying the stolen money in his pockets, he dropped $590 on the floor in the Paradise Theatre. On leaving the theatre, he gave ¥80 to doorman, Johnny Jones, telling him he had found it in the theatre. The janitor, Reggie Trish, subsequently discovered the $590 on the floor. The youth was arrested by police. The two QOdeon-Paradise employees who turned in the money have received no reward to date from the owner of the stolen money. Papers played the story up big on their front page. WANTED Aggressive publicist and exploiteer desires position with Independent or Cir cuit in Ontario, Have supervised and have _ several B.O. attractions copyrighted. Can produce results. For complete background, write BOX 50 —DIGEST managed, March 20th, 1948 AVAILABLE Young man, 28, desires job in theatre, willing to do any kind of work. Has had 2% years experience on Simplex E7 machine, overseas. Also on BellHowell machine. Write JACK PASCOE 22. Gore Street Toronto, Ontario a EE ETN, No less than six Vancouver theatres are holding over their pictures the current week. “Captain from Castile” at the Orpheum is the leader; “Quiet Weekend” at the International Cinema, and “Jassy’ at the Vogue are both on their third week and still doing well, * * * On arrival in Vancouver, Leo M. Devaney, Canadian General Manager of R-K-O, addressed the Ad and Sales Bureau of the Vancouver Board of Trade at a luncheon. Frank Gow and Maynard Joiner of F-P, Howard Boothe of Odeon, and Lloyd Muir, R-K-O exploiteer, were also at the head table. Leo introduced _ the speaker, Susan Fletcher, radio and film commentator to the capacity audience. Also present were Jimmy Davie and Bill Jones, from R-K-O; Jimmy Patterson, from Fox; and Earl Dalgleish, of Warner Bros. Devaney flew to Victoria to see the new Odeon “A” house and also visited the new Odeon at West Vancouver during his visit to the coast, and reported that business was tops across the Dominion on R-K-O pictures. Trans-Canada Showing Use This Information As Your Guide On Release Dates TORONTO CAPITOL-VICTORIA “The Challenge” (Fox), with Tom Conway and June Vincent. Also “Dangerous Years” (Fox), with William Halop and Ann Todd. EGLINTON-TIVOLI 3rd week. ‘Gentleman’s Agreement” (Fox), with Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire and John Garfield. FAIRLAWN 2nd week. ‘Nicholas Nickleby” (E-L), with Cedric Hardwicke andn Stanley Holloway. IMPERIAL “Out of the Past’ (R-K-O), with Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer. LOEW’S 2nd week. “Cass Timberlane’”’ (M-G-M), with Spencer Tracy and Lana Turner. SHEA’S “Night Song” (R-K-O), with Dana Andrews and Merle Oberon. UPTOWN 2nd week. “A Double Life” Ronald Colman and Signe Hasso. WINNIPEG CAPITOL “Road To Rio” (Para.), with Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour. GARRICK “Ride The Pink Horse” Montgomery. METROPOLITAN “T Walk Alone” (Para.), with Burt Lancaster and Lizabeth Scott. ODEON 2nd week. “Jassy” (E-L), Technicolor, with Margaret Lockwood and Patricia Roc. RIALTO “The Man They Could Not Hang” (Alliance), with Boris Karloff. Also “Revolt of the Zombies” (Alliance), with Dean Jagger. (U-I), with (U-I), with Robert SAINT JOHN CAPITOL “Crossfire’’ (R-K-O), with Robert Robert Mitchum and Robert Ryan. MAYFAIR “Cry Wolf” (W-B), with Errol Flynn and Barbara Stanwyck. Also “Smart Politics’ (Mono.), with Freddie Stewart and June Preisser. STRAND “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” (Alliance), with Tommy Kelly. VANCOUVER CAPITOL “Magic Town” (R-K-O), with James Stewart and Jane Wyman. HASTINGS “Pirates of Monterey’’ (U-I). Technicolor, with Maria Montez and Rod Cameron. Also “So Well Remembered” (E-L), with John Mills and Patricia Roc. INTERNATIONAL CINEMA 3rd week. “Quiet Weekend” (Int’l), with Derek Farr and Marjorie Fielding. ORPHEUM “Captain From Castile’’ (Fox), Technicolor, with Tyrone Power and Jean Peters. PARADISE 2nd week. “Each Dawn I Die” (W-B reissue), with James Cagney and George Young, Raft. Also “Wild Bill Hickok” (W-B reissue), with Constance Bennett and Bruce Cabot. . PARK-PLAZA “Secret Beyond The Door” (U-I), with Joan Bennett and Michael Redgrave. VOGUE 2nd week. “Jassy” (E-L), Technicolor, with Margaret Lockwood.