Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Dec 18, 1954)

PAGE TWO Ou the Seam (Continued from Page 1) -----~-~-~-~-~-~---~- pointed out The Digest’s role in the co-ordination of collections for the recent Huricane Relief Fund. In conclusion I advised that it was The Digest’s theory that the Trade Press should be a service medium, as well as a news dispenser, but that we did not feel that the Trade Press was the proper place for the washing of the Industry’s “dirty linen”. Intra-Industry squabbles, while admittedly news, will find little coverage in the news columns of The Digest, for we believe it can only do our Industry a disservice, to air such conflicts as arise within the Industry in the Trade Press, where certainly it will be picked up and magnified by the daily press. 1 hope our decision is the right one. On Sunday evening, I attended a private screening of M-G-M’s new musical in color, “Deep in My Heart”, starring Jose Ferrer as the famed composer, Sigmund Romberg. What a delightful picture this is; it was easy to see why Radio City Hall in New York chose it for their Christmas attraction. A goodly crowd attended the screening at the International Cinema, and broke out into applause several times during the picture. I cannot say too much for the performance of Jose Ferrer. The man is a genius, and his portrayal of Sigmund Romberg is superior even to his previous high spot as Toulouse -Lautrec in “Moulin Rouge”. One particular sequence, in which he does a one-man resume of an new show “Jazza-doo”, which he has written, is absolutely sensational and is certain to bring down the house at every showing. As one person was heard to remark, “He works harder than Jackie Gleason.” Special mention should also be made of the fine performance by Helen Traubel, formerly of the Metropolitan Opera. Miss Traubel may be no glamour girl, but I would not be surprised if her fanmail rivals that of some of our screen’s most highly-publicized beauties soon after this picture has been put into release. She is terrific, as an actress, as a warm, new screen personality, while her magnificent voice alone is worth the price of admission. Congratulations to Jim Hardiman, Odeon Director of Advertising, and his crew for the very attractive and clever facsimile of TIME, which they put out in commemoration of Odeon’s Showmanship cuncheon a few weeks back. Front page is given to Nicky Lang @ ston, winner of the Big Top Contest, and the twelve pages of the magazine, are brilliantly conceived, and expertly put together. We particularly liked the back cover, which using the sign cuts of the various magazines’ mastheads, reads as follows: “There comes a TIME in every Odeon managers LIFE when he must LOOK around, end his HOLIDAY (with pay!), DIGEST company bulletins and use his LIBERTY to put on that showmanship FLASH if he wants to wear the champion showman’s CORONET and win prizes in the Odeon better management PAGEANT. In naval terms stand to your POST and HERALD your attractions to pay off at the BOXOFFICE.” MAN. PIONEERS (Continued from Page 1) stein; D. Rothstein. Out of Town Members: J. D. McKenzie, Estevan, Sask; G. R. Miller, Wynyard, Sask.; A. MacLean, Rainey River, Ont.; J. Todd, Morris, Man. Cocktails were served followed by a dinner and dance. Mr. R. D. Guy, Jr., was guest speaker, introduced by the new president J. Big gerstaff. C. Krupp inducted the new members. VARIETY VILLAGE (Continued from Page 1) Dec. 15-16, marking the theatrical debut of Variety Villagers. Both J. Arthur Robertson, the school’s principal, and Norman Seath, Variety Village housemaster, feel this latest move is of much importance, and predict acting will give the boys confidence in themselves. Playing the role of Tiny Tim from a wheelchair, paraplegic Archie Parise, 17, summed up the feeling of the boys: “It’s an awful lot of fun and I hope, we keep it up.” FRENCH PAPER (Continued from Page 1) edited by Jacques Dussault. Advertising manager is Gaston Rousseau. The publisher hopes it will become the official organ of 12 French organizations that exist in Toronto. There is no line rate as yet. A page costs $100, half-page $60, Address is L’alliance de Toronto, 21 King E., Toronto. “pierexy—— One Million People See White Christmas Approximately one million persons saw Irving Berlin’s ‘White Christmas” during its highly successful eight-week run, at the Radio City Music Hall, New York. The picture, first in Paramount’s spectacular new production and presentation process, VistaVision, stars Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen, with Dean Jagger heading the supporting cast. “White Christmas” also topped the eight-week Music Hall boxoffice count for all Paramount films that have played the worldfamed showplace. The “White Christmas” gross for this period exceeded that of “The Greatest Show on Earth,” which ranks among the ten biggest money making pictures ever to be shown at the Music Hall. Jack Warner Signs Kazan For Long Term Jack L. Warner has announced the consumation of a deal with Elia Kazan to produce and direct a series of important pictures over a long-term period for Warner Bros. presentation. The pact was negotiated following completion of “East of Eden,” which Kazan directed and produced for Warner Bros. Picture, based on the John Steinback bestselling novel, presents a cast headed by Julie Harris, James Dean, Raymond Massey, Burl Ives, Richard Davalos, Jo Van Fleet and Lois Smith. The Kazan signing is recognized as another step in Mr. Warner’s continuing policy of bringing to his company the outstanding creative talent of show business. er DECEMBER 18, 1954 TV STATIONS (Continued from Page 1) $7,364,000 in the fiscal year ended last March 31, the Canadias Broadcasting Corporation reported Nearly twenty-five percent, $l; 800000, went for general talent expenditures. Total television revenue. W4 just over $13,000,000 leaving 1 net operating surplus, after allowance for depreciation and obsolescence, of $5,283,000. This surplus will be applied to the financing of | capital projects already under way. The period covered by the report, April 1, 1953 to March 31, 1954, saw expansion of the tetevision network to include Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, London and Kitchener, with the provision of programs by television recordings to CBUT, Vancouver, and affiliated private stations at Sudbury and Saint John, N.B. Since the end of the 1953-54 fiscal year, the CBC has added Winnipeg as its sixth television station and is nearing completion of its Hailfax station. A total of 22 private stations have been recommended for approval by the Board of Governors and 12 of these are in operation, at Sydney, N.S., Saint John, N.B., Quebec City, Hamilton, Kitchener, London, Windsor, Sudbury and Port Arthur, Ont., Regina, Calgary and Edmonton. By the end of 1954, it is expected further stations will be added in Moncton, N.B., Rimouski and Sherbrooke, Que., Kingston, Ont., and Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. At present, network facilities have been extended to include Quebec City, Hamilton and Windsor, with other points carrying a basic Canadian service by kinescope recordings provided by the Corporation pending extension of network facilities. Trade Press Panel Above are the members of the motion picture and television trade press who took port in ao ponel discussion Wednesday afternoon on the topic of: “‘The Importance of the Trade Press in Canada’s film industry at the ASN workshop. Left to right they are: Jay L. Smith of Canadian Moving Picture Digest; Andrew McLellan of Canadian Television and Motion Picture Review; Jack J, Chisholm of Associated Screen Studios, choir man of the Workshop sessions.