Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Jun 2, 1956)

JAY L. SMITH EDITOR AND PUBLISHER VOL. 48, NO. 23 CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE FIRST WITH THE FILM NEWS IN CANADA Published by CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST COMPANY LIMITED RAY LEWIS FOUNDER 1915-1954 JUNE 2, 1956 Para. Lineup Greatest In History Weltner Boosts New Product At Canadian Sales Meeting Toronto: Paramount Pictures have just concluded their 1956-57 Canadian Sales Meeting, with general enthusiasm for the company’s line-up striking an optimistic note. Chaired by Gordon Lightstone, By JAY L. SMITH beam With the major and minor producing-distributing companies disposing of their old pictures to Television, and concentrating on the production and distribution of fewer and fewer pictures, although more expensive ones, the plight of the subsequent run theatres, and the small independent exhibitors who depend on a flow of a minimum of 204 and in many cases at least 312 features per year, gets more serious day by day. Already, dozens of small theatres have closed up in Canada, with a number of additional closings almost certain to occur this summer. In the U.S. the situation is just the same, only multiplied many times, with hundreds of theatres closed, and unlikely ever to open again. In addition, most of the major companies, as well as the smaller ones, have been taking a second look at their branch operations in the U.S., and rising distribution costs are sounding the death-knell for a number of the unprofitable branches. The same may be true in Canada, too, although no decision has been reached in that respect so far. The manpower situation in the distribution end of our business in Canada is getting desperate, with trained personnel quitting from one end of the country to the other, and getting into other businesses that offer more of a future. And who can blame them, for our outlook is bleak, to put it mildly. The same is true with theatre personnel, and the circuits have been hard hit recently by a wave of resignations, with fewer and fewer replacements available. The independent exhibitors in the U.S., who turned to the Government for help a few years back, (Continued on Page 10) Jolley To Simcoe For Kinsmen Speech Simcoe: For the second week in a row Arch H. Jolley of the MPTAO made a trip out-of-town to offer effective propaganda for the theatre business in an address before the Kinsmen Club of Sim(See JOLLEY Page 10) Paramount’s Canadian General Manager, the Sales Convention brought together the entire Canadian sales force. In attendance from New York was a delegation headed by George Weltner, Paramount’s International sales chief, and including Charles Boasberg, supervisor of word-wide sales for both Cecil B. DeMille’s “The Ten (See PARAMOUNT Page 8) Consistently Fine Films Pledge Of J. Arthur Rank Organization Toronto: Frank L. Vaughan, General Manager of J. Arthur Rank Film Distribution (Canada) Limited, in a statement to The Digest this week, emphasized again that the Rank Organization is concentrating on quality in production, and universal appeal, in order that the company’s pictures can enjoy worldwide box-office success. “As with every industry,” said Vaughan, “the product we have to sell to the public is our lifeblood. With us, the need is for consistently good films—films that not only bring in the paying customers this week, but the other fifty-one as well. (See JARO Page 10) Chesler-MGM TV Deal Close, N.Y. Reports New York: Latest reports here are that Board members in favor of Canadian Lou Chesler’s $50,000,000 offer for outright purchase of the MGM backlog up to 1948, have won over those members opposed to the sale, and that favorable action on the Chesler bid may be forthcoming by the Loew’s Board of Directors at any time. Involved are 770 features (See CHESLER Page 10) Drive-In Section In New Fox Press Books Toronto: Beginning with the exhibitors’ campaign manual on “DDay, The Sixth of June,” 20th Century-Fox press books will carry a special section designed to aid drive-ins merchandise and _ plan (See DRIVE-INS Page 10) eS ° ao § SS oath Jack Chisholm Forms Indie TV Prod’n Unit Toronto: J. J. Chisholm, for the past 20 years with Associated Screen News in various capacities, most recently as manager of the Toronto office, has resigned his position to form his own company for the production of TY commercials, shorts and possibly features. His replacement at ASN’s Toronto Branch will be announced shortly by Murray Briskin. Jack Chisholm came to Canada from Hollywood, after 18 years’ experience shooting films on the (See CHISHOLM Page 3) Labow Reveals RKO To Start 11 Major Films In Next 5 Months Toronto: Jack Labow, Canadian District Manager of RKO, in a statement to The Digest some weeks ago, predicted that under the new management team of President Daniel T. O’Shea and Vice-President in Charge of Production William Dozier, RKO would soon go into high gear, production-wise. This prediction was borne out by the announcement made last week, that a second group of 11 major productions would be put before the cameras at RKO between June 7 and Oct. 15. (See RKO Page 3) U.A. Week July 1—7 Toronto: United Artists Week, an intensive booking drive aimed at placing a U.A. release in every possible theatre in the country, has been set for July 1-7, it was announced last week by Charles S. (See U.A. WEEK Page 4)