Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Apr 3, 1954)

APRIL 3, 1954 CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST PAGE NINE Ray Presents (Continued from Page 3) Two-Reel Short Subject — “Bear Country,” Walt Disney, (Walt Dis ney Productions, R.K.O.). Film Editing — William Lyon, “From Here to Eternity,’”’ (Columbia). Studio Sound Department— “From Here to Eternity” (Columbia). Cartoon Short Subject “Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom,” Walt Disney, (Walt Disney Productions, Buena Vista Film Distribution Company). Documentary Short Subject—"‘The Alaskan Eskimo,” (Walt Disney Productions, R.K.O.) Documentary Feature—‘The_ Living Desert,” (Walt Disney Productions, Buena Vista Film Distribution Company). OLUMBIA will have the premiere of the National Film Board’s, The Stratford Adventure, a 40-minute documentary, produced by Morten and Parker, in Stratford, Ont. The Stratford Adventure, which tells the story of the birth of the Canadian Stratford Shakespearean Festival, is in color, and features Alec Guinness, who was the star of the Stratford Shakespearean presentation, last season. The Stratford Adventure will play across Canada, before it has its premiere in the United States, and will then be released in the U.K, HE meeting of the RKO Pictures Corp.’s stockholders, at Dover, Del. passed off with another victory, in the history of Mr. Howard Hughes. The stockholders voted to accept the offer of Mr. Hughes, and agreed, that $6.00 a share was a fair price for their common shares. This gives Mr. Hughes, the assets of the company, for $23,489,478. Less than 73,227 shares, issued and outstanding, eligible to vote, exclusive of the shares owned by Mr. Hughes, voted against accepting the offer of the Board Chairman, RESIDENT James R. Grainger, following the meeting, disclosed, that 2,095,996 shares, owned by shareholders, excluding Mr. Hughes, were represented at the meeting, either in person, or by proxy. The total number of holders of these shares, aS represented, were about 8,000, and of the 8,000, only 8 attended in person. With the decks cleared, and the company’s assets wholly owned by Mr. Hughes, the next move is of interest, what will it be? Mr. Hughes’ victories always appeal to my sense of humor. If Mr. Hughes had no other business, but motion pictures, what a power in our Industry he would be. NE of the shareholders, at the meet ing, who objected to the sale to Mr. Hughes, mentioned, that the shares may be worth much more than Mr. Hughes has offered, “It is not beyond the realms of possibility,” said this opposing shareholder, “that the RKO studios may be located on oil lands.” He must have been reading about 20th Century-Fox and M.G.M. I have been following the career of Mr. Howard Hughes for several years, and I have learned, that Mr. Hughes is not in the habit of feeding millions of dollars to the birds. When he offered to pay $23,489,478 for the assets of RKO Pictures Corp. there is $23,489,478 in assets there, and not knowing how much more is there, | would not be surprised, if there are enough millions, in excess of these figures, to budget a substantial program of pictures for the next two years. R. LILLIAN GILBRETH, author of, Cheaper By The Dozen, is the first woman, who has been chosen for one of America’s highest Science Awards. Dr. Gilbreth, who made nations laugh at her book, and the screen adaptation of it, was a recent visitor at the home of her son, Robert, one of her twelve children, after returning from a seven months’ trip, which took her to the Orient, and on to Brazil, where she attended the 10th Scientific Management Conference. It is of interest to record, that the author-scientist-humanitarian of Montclair, N.J. is seventy-five years old; and that she will journey to Chicago, April 7th and will receive the George Washington Award, for “outstanding contribution to engineering and management, and for unselfish devotion to problems of the handicapped.” In June, she will go to California, to visit her third grandchild, and she will then have celebrated her 76th Birthday. Less than 20 men, and only men, have received the much coveted award, from the Western Society of Engineers and the American Societies of Electrical, Mining, Civil and Mechancial Engineers. S this not a miracle-age, in which we are living? However, despite Grandma Moses, and the noted Dr. Lillian M. Gilbreth, I still think these surgical Operations, which men are having to make them into women, provokes a great big question. I have been a woman ever since I was born, and without being disloyal to my sex. I would never have an operation to become a woman. I hope, that no producer gets a brain-wave, to star one of these cowere taken, I hear, before, during One of the daily press, had a photo of one of these co-operative women, and had it captioned, “Pretty -----” Pretty! The only thing I can compare the face with, is a plough-horse. Motion Pictures were taken, I hear, before, during and after. ET us think of Spring, and remember, the poem about the robin. Here it is: LITTLE ROBIN Little robin, Who made you, Wings and feathers To renew? With breast The color of a flame, Who christened you, Red-breast, by name? Little robin, On my tree, ’Tis Spring again, You visit me, Survey the world From your height, Free to Stay, Or winged for flight. Little robin, Who fed you? You're so fat, And chirpy too, Miracle of form And grace, Welcome home, To your own place. THE LIVING DESERT Walt Disney's “The Living Desert” grossed $1,300 in its opening day at the Town Cinema, Toronto, for a record all-time high for the 693-seat theatre. It was by far the biggest gross taken in by the theatre in a single day in its entire history. Lines started forming in front of the theatre before the first showing, and continued right into the last performance. The picture was greeted with enthusiasm and applause by the audience Canadian release of “The Living Desert,” feature-length film in Techni. color, is being handled by RKO Radio.