Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Jan 21, 1956)

PAGE SIX MANITOBA (Continued from Page 1) usement Tax Rates in this Province. Our Association, on behalf of all the Theatre Owners of this Province, has been working on this problem since 1953 and a lot of groundwork has been done by our Amusement Tax Committee towards bringing Provincial Treasurer, Ron Turner, to understand our problem. “It is hoped that some action will be taken by our Government at the next sitting, around Feb. lst—but in the meantime we cannot afford to leave any stone unturned in our efforts to make the Manitoba Government realize just how important it is to the over-all economy of the Province to reduce the Amusement Tax Rates now. “You, being an Exhibitor, know how important your Movie House is to their business? Does your Chamber of Commerce know that in many cases where theatres have closed, that the businessmen of the area had to get together to reopen the theatre, to operate it themselves? Let me put it to you plain —do the Boys on Main Street know what would happen to their business if you closed your doors tomorrow? Do they realize that your problem at present is also their problem? “They don’t know any of this! —Why?—Your Chamber of Commerce cannot be expected to have full realiaztion of the importance of the Movie House in the Community unless you tell them. “It's important to you—as well as every Exhibitor in Manitoba— that during the next two weeks you make a definite point of speaking with the Business Leaders in your Community who are the important members of the Chamber of Commerce. Put it on the line to them in plain language. Explain to them how important your theatre is to them, Explain the problem our industry is up against with the present high Amusement Tax Rates. “A Resolution from your Chamber of Commerce, directed to your own M.L.A., pleading for his support and action towards lowering Amusement Tax Rates in this Province should not be too hard to get. For the welfare of our business it is imperative that you make every effort to obtain such a resolution so that it reaches your M.L.A. before January 20, 1956. Also please drop us a line about it. “Our Industry has a sound case for Amusement Tax Reductions, and if every Exhibitor does his part by acting now, positive results most surely will be obtained , & “The Motion Picture Industry offers a challenge to every Exhibitor today such as never before in its history. I plead with you to accept this challenge and get into the battle by acting now on this important Amusement Tax problem. I know I can count on you not to let us down, so join your fellow exhibitors throughout the Province and do your equal share —talk to the businessmen, convince them it is just as important to them as to you that your Movie House stay open—get them to send that resolution to your M.L.A.—you’ll be glad you did it.” Bomb Hoax Scare Saint John: A Bomb scare on Thursday, January Sth, emptied the Strand Theatre, Saint John (Odeon-Garson) just as the afternoon matinee was to commence. About 100 patrons were hustled out of this theatre after a theatre employee received an anonymous telephone call. The caller said a time bomb was fixed to go off in the theatre at 2 o’clock. Theatre Manager Douglas King immediately notified police, and the patrons, mostly children — (among them the young son of the Chief of Police) were hustled out of the building before show time. Police and fireman blocked off the building and began a painstaking search. Nothing was revealed and indications were that the call was a hoax. Much publicity was given to the article in next day’s newspaper when Chief of Police Oakes impressed that this was a most serious offence. Warner Bros. & Jaguar Sign Deal For 4 Years Burbank: Jack L. Warner, executive producer, announced that Alan Ladd’s Jaguar Productions and Warner Bros. have signed a new contract which will continue the association of the independent production unit with the studio for another four years. The first film under the new contract will be “Buffalo Grass,” a western story written by Frank Gruber, which will get under way after Ladd completes “Santiago” in which he co-stars with Rossana (“Helen of Troy’) Podesta. Wagner Signs For 6 With RKO Radio Hollywood: RKO Radio Pictures and Walter Wanger Pictures, Inc., concluded negotiations for Walter Wanger to produce six motion pictures for RKO in the next three years. caasen Wout FETARE BIE€EST CENSORSHIP (Continued from Page 1) J. Silverthorne, when informed of the call for one censor board for all of Canada referred to a story published in a Canadian magazine in 1946 quoting him as saying, “eventually I think it will be the only logical solution (Dominion censorship-Ed.) of the Canadian censorship problem. It seems to me we could get along very nicely with fewer boards, one for Quebec and one for the rest of Canada.” Mr. Silverthorne concluded by stating, “I’m still of the same opinion.” The Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Assoc. office when queried on the above issued the following statement. “The CMPDA will study with interest any proposal to establish a Board of Censors to approve films for theatrical showing in the four Western provinces.” Censorship fees exacted from distributors’ theatrical motion pictures amount to nearly one-half million dollars a year in Canada. The amount charged is considered unjust for the following reasons: (a) If censorship is a function of government to protect the morals of its citizens, then government should pay the costs of administering censorship. (b) The total of fees collected is far in excess of the amount required for administration. (c) The total paid by the Canadian Film Distributors is for a repetition of services in eight provinces causing a severe financial burden made additionally onerous by the diversified opinion of those censoring films in the various provinces. As guest speaker at a recent meeting of women’s groups who are members and publishers of “Joint Estimates of Canadian Entertainment Films”, Clare Appel, executive director of the CMPDA said that, “unanimity of opinion 2s to what was moral or immoral was impossible to obtain.” He stated that “much diversity of opinion existed between the various censor boards,” and gave as an example, the “Adult” classification given 36 pictures released by one distributor. The variations ranged from 2 to. 22. No censorship prevails for films shown on television. In many instances motion pictures that have been subjected to censorship have later been shown on TV in their original uncensored form and, of course, without paying a fee, A motion picture film can be banned by censorship, yet the same film may be shown in its entirely by television. Newsreels appear on JANUARY 21, 1956 TV unregulated but if shown in a theatre, are subjected to censorship. The Winnipeg Tribune reported Shuttleworth’s statement and headed its story with West Censor Board May Replace ‘Hodge-Podge.’ “A national film censorship board to replace the present hodgepodge of provincial censorship is needed, especially in the face of growing use of films by television, Manitoba provincial officials believe. “But they see little hope that Quebec would agree to national film censorship. If national censorship comes, it will probably have to be set up for the other nine provinces. “Before the advent of television all films shown in Manitoba had to be passed by the provincial censorship board. But television has created a dual system. “Films shown on TV are subject to CBC censorship only since television is under federal jurisdiction. The provincial censorship board cannot censor TV films. But films shown in theatres must still pass the board. “To get uniformity again, all film censorship would have to be put in the hands of a single federal authority to which the provinces would yield their powers. “Manitoba’s Amusement Act already contains powers for this province to join with others in an interprovincial film censorship set up. Utilities Minister C. L, Shuttleworth, minister in charge of the censor board, thinks a first step might be creation of a single board for Western Canada. He is considering approaching other western provinces about it. “Manitoba’s board already censors films for northwest Ontario, and its viewing facilities are used by the Saskatchewan board, whose territory now includes part of eastern Alberta. “National film censorship would do away with the system under which Ontario residents may see “La Ronde” — a prize-winning French film—but Manitobans may not. “Saskatchewan residents are barred from seeing certain scenes in a Disney nature film — unless they come to Manitoba to see it. It’s a similar story all across Canada. “Manitoba officials say that to transfer censorship to the nationai level would be a natural development. Censorship of films began as a municipal affair in cities, then was taken on by the provincial governments when it became a province-wide problem. It is now a natinal problem, provincial officials say.” 4