Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Mar 6, 1954)

MARCH 6, 1954 CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST Children’s Film Library Committee Luncheon Meeting Held In Toronto Mrs. Marjorie Dawson, whose brain-child is the Children’s Film Library, is an ardent and most enthusiastic supporter of the Children’s Film Library, to which purpose Mrs. Dawson has converted thousands of exhibitors, and, also, producers and distributors. Mrs. Dawson came to Toronto, last Thursday, Feb. 25th, to speak at the luncheon meeting of the Toronto Children’s Film Library Committee, at the Royal York Hotel. Among those present, from the Film Trade, was Mr. John J. Fitzgibbons, C.B.E., President of Famous Players Canadian “Corp., Mr. Frank Fisher, Pres. of M.P.D.A., Mr. Clare Appel, Executive Secretary of M.P.D.A., Mr. Nat Taylor, Pres. Twinex Theatres and I.F.E. and Mr. Harvey Harnick, Executive Assistant to the President of Columbia Pictures of Canada. Representatives of the daily and trade press were also present, among many other guests at the luncheon. The Children’s Film Library has trayelled a long road, since its inception. At first, as The Digest remembers, it was an uphill road, but Mrs. Dawson soon broke down any opposition to the idea, by her enthusiasm, and her clear-cut sensible grasp of the Childrens Film Library question. Soon exhibitors realized that children’s matinees, with pictures which had been specially selected, as entertainment for children, and in which the children themselves played an important part in the selection of the pictures, made movie patrons of the children, and established good public relations. Motion pictures gained many valuable friends, as an example, the member sponsors of the Children’s Film Library Committee of Canada are: Legion of Decency, Girl Guides of Canada, Canadian Film Institute, National Chapter, 1.0.D.E., National Council of Women, Canadian Council of Churches, Canadian Teachers’ Federation, Catholic Women’s League of Canada, National Council of Jewish Women, The Canadian Motion Picture Council, Federated Women’s Institutes of Canada, Canadian Federation of University Women, Assoc. of the Junior Leagues of America Inc., Canadian Home and School Parent-Teacher Federation. Mrs. Dawson, during her talk, brought out the point, that Television had not decreased the attendance of children at the children’s matinees. An interesting report was, that what was found suitable and entertaining in a film, to a child ten years ago, was not enjoyed by the children today. Children will enjoy a family group picture with their families, much better than seeing such a picture with only other children present. Children enjoy pictures which have a clearly defined hero and heroine, no nearly good was good enough for them, and particularly, they liked pictures with a happy ending, much like the adults of the U.S. and Canada, “Who,” said Mrs. Dawson, “are basically of na tions who believed in happy endings, which is refreshing in the world, today.” Children like slapstick, and dignity suddenly upset, said Mrs. Dawson, and they have a distaste for passionate love scenes, A story, told to Mrs. Dawson, by Mrs. Nat Taylor, was repeated, and since it is so typically true of little boys of a certain age, we repeat it here. Two little boys were watching a picture, where the hero was making love to the heroine. They were not enjoying the scene at all, until one little fellow said to the other, ‘aw, let’s just pretend he’s choking her.” Mrs. Dawson thanked Mr. Fitzgibbons for the great cooperation she has received from him, and she acknowledged, with thanks, the cooperation which the Film Library has received from the distributors, which includes prints in fine condition for exhibition. There will be a convention of the Committees of the Children’s Film Library in New York, March 22-23-24, PAGE NINE to which Mrs. Dawson urged the Toronto Committee to send delegates. Following Mrs. Dawson's talk, there was an open Forum for questions. Mrs. Dawson was born in Canada, she is a naturalized American. A graduate of McGill University, and did postgraduate work at Columbia and New York City Universities. 1,700 WEEKS THE ROBE In 605 first play-dates in the U.S. and Canada, 20th Century-Fox's The Robe, played 1,700 weeks, an average of three weeks per engagement. The Robe is playing a return engagement in The Globe, New York, and is reported to have grossed over $20,000,000 during the first seventeen weeks of its release. Even the most sceptical must admit, that a very large portion of these millions is attributed to CinemaScope and Stereophonic Sound with the picture. 17 IN PRODUCTION CURRENTLY IN HOLLYWOOD Seventeen new pictures are before the cameras in Hollywood, Paramount, The Country Girl; Paramount-Wallis, The Big Top; Allied Artists, Two Guns and a Badge; Columbia, Those Reported Missing; Paramount, Bridge at TokoRi and from Warners, Lucky Me, the latter two which are complete. Peter Myers, 20th-Fox Canad’n Gen.-Mgr. Writes To Canadian Exhibitors “I am very disturbed to hear that some of the smaller-theatre operators for some reason or other have the impression that 20th Century-Fox is not interested in their welfare, whereas if anyone has read the statements from our top executives he would know it is quite the contrary. “True, this Company has embarked on the production of pictures in CinemaScope and this was done to give our industry the stimulation it sorely needed—cer tainly not to hurt anybody. “The public response to CinemaScope has been greater than our fondest expectations. THE ROBE will be the big~ gest grosser in the history of this business, and from the first engagements of HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE it seems certain this picture will be the second largest grosser. BENEATH THE 12-MILE REEF and KING OF THE KHYBER RIFLES are doing equally as well. “This Company is not alone in launching CinemaScope. MGM will make about twelve pictures; most of Warners important pictures will be in this medium; Columbia, United Artists, EmpireUniversal, Disney, Allied Artists, etc., will all make important pictures in CinemaScope. “Stereophonic Sound is quoted at approximately $4,000. Lenses already are down to $1,700 and the Miracle Mirror Screen delivered in Canada is $2.75 per square foot—so you can see that it will not be long before we are in your league. “In the meantime this Company is making a number of 2-D pictures especially designed for small-town audiences. Most of these are in Technicolor and are Action Stories with the best stars and directors that are on contract to this Company. “These 2-D pictures will tide you over until you are ready to make your CinemaScope installation — then you will have a wealth (and I use this word advisely) of product in this great new medium for your theatre. “Please be assured that a company as large as Twentieth Century-Fox, serving some 20,000 theatres in the United States and Canada, is not interested in curtailing CinemaScope business to a handful of the larger theatres. We do have your interests at heart and I am sure, before another year has gone by, that you too will be indebted to our President, Mr. Sypros Skouras, for his leadership and foresight and CinemaScope, Kindest personal regards, Sincerely, Peter S. Myers, Canadian Gen. Mgr. 20th Century-Fox,”