Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Jan 1, 1954)

JANUARY 2, 1954 CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST 7S 2 ae a PAGE THREE Ray Presents T is said, that it is well to be off with the old love, before you are on with the new. I can see where the old love, running parallel with the new love, might precipitate complications, conservatively speaking. This is apropos of The Journcy Through The Year with The Digest, which finished off its Resume at the end of the last week of November, in The Digest Christmas Special Issue, and I must finish off December for you. Despite everything, it is with reluctance, that I see the departure of the old year, a year of great enterprise, of discovery, and of courage in our business. It was, also, a year of certain fulfillment in the world, as well as of frustration. However, I believe, that the disappointments, or in a way, the retrogression, was, on closer analysis, a backward step to go forward, like the people of Cancer, whose planet symbol is the Crab. HE present, which makes the Future, by forming the foundation upon which we build the Future, has in truth a silvery lining to the dark clouds of wars and rumours of wars, the conception of a Frankenstein monster, the child of an atomic age. But there are warriors prepared to destroy this monster, for | do not remember, during my lifetime, so many public men intent on bringing the Spirit of Brotherhood into their respective Big Business operation, and preaching this message in their company’s advertising, as we see in evidence today. Let the sceptics, the cynics, those of little faith quote fo me, “The Devil can quote scripture,” 1 am deaf to their so-called logic. What do they offer which is as good? I say, humbly, and with thanks, that greater than air-bases, greater than planes, even greater than atomic energy, is the power of the spirit, propelled by Faith, and our Time reveals, many Generals of Faith, building up the morale of millions of peoples, all over the world, a powerful army, through a reawakening of their con science, and an affinity with their Godhead. HROUGHOUT the history of mankind, there has been born, into the world, a line of teachers, who have come to teach the Brotherhood of Man, and the Divinity of Service. In the Time of a world-crisis, these teachers have revealed themselves. They have been the Saviours of mankind, at a Time when mankind was intent on spiritual suicide. The last great message of the spirit came two thousand years ago, during the decadence of Rome, and brought the unfoldment of Christianity. The Fatherhood of God and The Brotherhood of Man was the spirit of the great message, but what nation, among the world of nations, has lived by The Message? OT one nation, although nations have built churches and cathedrals, synagogues and mosques, as temples of worship. We have not lived by The Sign of The Cross, but by the Sign of The Sword, and we have all been worshippers of the Golden Calf, off or on the gold standard. A man has been judged by what he possesses, not by what he is. A man has been appraised by the color of his skin, and as his skin showed a darker shade, the sign of segregation, and the depreciation of the man appeared, HOULD the armies of Christianity arm themselves in the Faith of the spirit of Righteousness, not only would the walls of Jericho fall down before the shouts of the Lovers of the Lord, but the sun and the moon, would stand still, the winds would hold their breath, for the victory of peace on Earth, to men of good-will. It is an omen, for good, when our so-called hardboiled financiers and industrialists are not afraid of the uplifted eyebrow, as they sign their names to messages from the scripture. Are you an Observer, or do you only read the sensational headlines of your daily newspapers? F you are an Observer, you will have noticed the several distinguished writers, scientists, medical men, and the clergy who have given us messages of Faith through the Daily Press, and the Press has given these messages space, because there is a public desire for them. For every feature-story of hate, greed, murder, lust and accident, there have been beautifully written stories and messages of man’s humanity to man. Stories of a GI’s adoption of a Korean war-orphan, of the saving of a mongrel puppy, which was wedged for days in a well, of the saving of the lives of many people, the victims of an accident, of the gifts of Christmas cheer to families, of the search for days for lost ones. There have been many stories, tender stories, full of compassion, all of which sweeten the mouth against the bitterness of the gall of destruction! Does this sound soft, sentimental? Does it reveal a lack of the fibre which makes a master-race of Supermen? HERE are the supermen cf the master-races of the world? Where are the world-cunquerors? “Imperious Caesar, dead and turned to clay, Might stop a hole to keep the wind away.” For what conquerors, today, do we make holidays? Only to Prophets and Saints do we kneel and pray. At this time, of the year, there is much kneeling and praying, by those who follow the Birth of The Babe of Bethlehem. Each year, Christmas is brought closer to little children, and there is a supreme effort to make each child happy on Christmas Day, with gifts in imitation of the Three Wise Men, who came to see the Babe cradled in the manger. N December 31st, New Year's Eve, at midnight, we will greet the birth of a new-born year, January the first, 1954. This is the time of resolutions, but have you observed, that the New Year's custom of making resolutions has lost its popularity? ; Therefore, let us silently be resolved to try and do our best, the result may surprise us. A Happy New Year, from January 1st, 1954, to December 31st, 1954, after which, please God, we'll ask for more. Ne let us see, what was recorded in the Digest, weer ending December Sth. The front cover, you have had in the Christmas Digest. with the Pioneer of The Year, John J. Fitzgibbons, C. B. E. being congratulated by the president, Nat Taylor, Canadian Picture Pioneers, and the three Pionzers, who were, also, honored, B. E, Norrish, Col. John Cooper and Ray Lewis, holding their plaques of distinction, as the news-cameras record this Event. During the full week of Canadian Film Events, Morris Stein proposed a resolution, for the formation of a special technical advisory committee to assist exhibitors at this period of changing and new techniques. A new company, MPTV has been formed with Alex Metcalfe, General Manager of Sovereign Films, at ity head. (Continued on Page 6)