Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Jan 21, 1956)

PAGE TEN PUBLIC RELATIONS (Continued from Page 1) is the first step, in what is hoped to be a continuing program of activity, to give life to the re-activized Public Relations Committee and its aim, “to stimulate our business throughout the country.” A complete manual of the plan, it is expected, will be mailed out to all provincial theatre associations as quickly as possible for transmission to their members. It was pointed out during discussion of the plan, that the key to any successful program that the Public Relations Committee could develop would depend on its base being centered in the local theatre manager and that this was responsible for the tremendous success of the COMPO Audience Awards plan in the United States. The plan, in essance is a simple one, with no necessary fund raising from individual theatres across the country needed, before launching it. There are costs, of course, but small ones to all theatres participating. Wide-awake exhibitors, theatre managers associations and theatre owners should get their bids in early to their provincial associations for the completed manual, which will carry complete instructions and suggestions for the successful follow through of this first industry wide project, and take advantage of the normal Academy Award Fever which is engendered every year. The following is a brief outline of the proposed plan. To provide ballots listing the six top categories in the Academy Awards with voting by the public to start on March 1 and continuing up to the night previous to the Academy Awards, March 20th, with prizes for those whose voting is the same as the Academy Award winners in the six categories. The six categories suggested are for Best Picture, Best Male Star, Best Female Star, Best Female Supporting Player, Best Male Supporting Player, Best Director and Best British or Foreign Picture. The Academy Award nominations, five of which are made for each category, is made public early in February and the ballots will list the five nominees in each of the categories listed above. The successful promotion of this plan will naturally depend completely on the work of the managers and staffs of the theatres in each community, as the promotion will be a complete entity in each city. To institute it, in Guelph for example, all that is necessary is for the managers of the three theatres to meet, decide on one person to contact local merchants for prizes (a sketch of a lobby display giving proper credits to the merchants participating will be included in the manual), one person to handle the mechanics, such as the printing of the ballots (with mats or electros being available from Toronto) the ordering of the lobby displays and the trailer from Associated Screen News, who are being asked to produce them; and one person or even better all three to contact their local newspapers, radio stations and TV station if there is one, for support. The manual will contain suggested stories, radio spots, etc. The cost of the project to each theatre as Mr, Chaplin put it, would consist of (1) The amount ot hard work put forth by the Manager and his staff to put the plan over. (2) Cost of special trailer and printing of ballots. (3) Special display signs for lobby. The meeting assigned many of those present to specific jobs to provide assistance to the successful follow through on the local scene, with national press, radio and TV coverage. Those present in addition to Mr. Chaplin, Mr. Bolstad and Mr. Fisher were Walter Kennedy, Empire-Universal; Mort Margolius, Famous; Arch Jolley, MPTA of Ontario; Clare Appel, CMPDA; Archie Laurie, United Artists; Ralph Dale, National Theatres; Chet Friedman, MGM; Jimmy Nairn and Bert Brown, Famous; Irving Herman, Warner Bros.; Hye Bossin, Film Weekly and Max Chic, Digest. Gardner Appointed Fisher’s Assistant Toronto: Mr, Frank H. Fisher, Vice President of The Odeon Theatres (Canada) Limited, announced the appointment of Mr. Robert Gardner as his Assistant. Mr. Gardner entered the film industry in 1940 joining Odeon in 1942. He served in the RCAF from 1943-1946 and was dischar ged with the rank of Flying Of ficer, having been stationed in England attached to a Transport Com mand Squadron. He has served in various capacities since returning to Odeon and will continue to be in charge of the special Children’s Movie Clubs, Odeon Gift Book Sales and Screen Advertising Departments. “piererT JANUARY 21, 1956 KNOW YOUR INDUSTRY Hollywood is a vast goldfish bowl wherein every move, action, whim and folly of its more celebrated inhabitants are constantly observed and charted. The doings and the undoings of no professional group, including those in the highest echelons of government, are under closer scrutiny than the 150 people of the American screen whose names are regarded as news in the global press. Visitors to Hollywood are amazed to learn that 70 per cent of the 24,000 people who work in the American film studios are married; that over 70 per cent of them have never been divorced; that has attended the religious discussion groups which were started six years ago by two young actresses. One of the most untiring workers in this movement is a girl whose screen roles give little indication of her real-life spiritual and religious zeal — Jane Russell. Evidence of Hollywood’s heart is the time, talent and effort it gives in behalf of humanitarian, charitable and _ public welfare causes. The stars, each year, help solicit countless millions of dollars for national and international fundraising campaigns such as those conducted by the Red Cross, Boy Scouts and the many organizations set up to combat disease. “KNOW YOUR INDUSTRY” IS ONE OF A SERIES OF ARTICLES CONTAINING GENERAL INFORMATION THE DIGEST INTENDS TO PUBLISH FROM TIME TO TIME PROVIDING INFORMATION THAT CAN BE USED AS SPEAKER NOTES OR TURNED OVER TO YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER FOR PUBLICATION. 70 per cent have children; that 61 per cent are regular members of Hollywood churches; and that Hollywood is one of the poorest nightclub communities in America. While a number of stars betake themselves on Sunday to the golf course, the swimming pool or the mountain retreat, many others will be found at worship. Drop in at the Community Presbyterian Church and it’s a good bet you'll find James Stewart singing hymns while his two sons pass out the collection plates. At the same Church, Glenn Ford and his son will be attending services while his wife, Eleanor Powell, conducts a weekly Bible program on a local television station. At the Church of the Good Shepherd, you’re likely to spot Bing Crosby, Maureen O’Sullivan, Irene Dunne, Loretta Young, George Murphy and Ann Blyth — all of whom are Catholics in more than name only. The largest Presbyterian congregation in America is found in Hollywood. Its youth classes are led by people like Colleen Townsend, Virginia Mayo and her husband Michael O’Shea. Among the film colony’s Christian Scientists are Joan Crawford, Ginger Rogers, Doris Day, Elizabeth Taylor, Alan Ladd, Ray Milland and Mary Pickford. Jews have always had a particular affinity for show business and they too are well represented in the congregations of the local temples and synagogues. Among their devout are Kirk Douglas, Edward G. Robinson, Eddie Cantor, Danny Kaye and Jack Benny. Just about every big name in Hollywood, at one time or another, The Hollywood Co-ordinating Committee, a film industry unit which acts on hundreds of requests received by the studios each year for free personal appearances of movie stars, recently issued a report stating that in 1954 alone screen actors and actresses performed a total of 3,800 missions for philanthropic causes. As impressive as these figures are, they don’t take into account scores of other projects undertaken by film people in behalf of their fellow-man. Mrs. Spencer Tracy, for example, is director ot the John Tracy Clinic, an infirmary for the deaf. Dennis Morgan heads a group that concerns itself with building character in youth. William Holden devotes considerable time to his post as a Commissioner of Parks in Los Angeles, concentrating on play areas for youngsters. Bob Hope is national chairman of the cerbral palsy fund campaign and is one of Hollywood’s most resolute workers in a wide variety of other charitable endeavors. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello for many years provided health and recreation facilities for the underpriviliged through the Lou Costello, Jr. Youth Foundation. Esther Williams gives swimming instruction and is an arduous fund-raiser for visually handicapped children. A balanced look at Hollywood reveals there’s much — very much — that’s good and wholesome and inspiring in the off-screen lives of those whose professional talents bring moments of pleasure to so many millions. It remains the unhearalded side of the fabulous movie town.