Canadian Film Weekly (Jan 7, 1942)

Page 2 Neil FORMERLY THE VI BRITO HYE BOSSIN Managing Editor VOL. 8, NO. 2 JAN. 7th, 1942 Subscription Rates: Canada and U.S.: $5.00 per annum <<S> 28 Address all communications to The Managing Editor CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY 21 Dundas Square AD. 4318 Toronto, Canada ‘Kane Wins Review Honors (Continued from Page 1) 1941, according to the Board’s choice were “Citizen Kane,” ‘How Green Was My Valley,” ‘‘The Little Foxes,” “The Stars Look Down,” “Dumbo,” “High Sierra,’ ‘Here Comes Mr. Jordan,’ ‘Tom, Dick and Harry,” ‘The Road to ZETA bar” and “The Lady Eve.’ These were picked on artistic merit and importance. The Committee on Excptional Photoplays, a section of the Board, picked the following performances for praise: Sara Allgood in “How Green Was My Valley,” Mary Astor in “The Great Lie” and ‘‘The Maltese Falcon,” Ingrid Bergman in ‘Rage in-Heaven,” Humphrey Bogart in “High Sierra” and “The Maltese Falcon,” Gary Cooper in “Sergeant York,” Donald Crisp in ‘How Green Was My Valley,” Bing Crosby in “The Road to Zanzibar” and “The Birth of the Blues,” George Coulouris in “Citizen Kane,” Patricia Collinge in “The Little Foxes,”’ Bette Davis in ‘‘The Little Foxes,” Isabel Elsom in ‘Ladies in Retirement,” Joan Fontaine in ‘Suspicion,’ Greta Garbo in “'TwoFaced Woman,” James Gleason in “Meet John Doe” and “Here Comes Mr. Jordan,” Walter Huston in “All That Money Can Buy,” Ida Lupino in “High Sierra” and “Ladies in Retirement,” Roddy MacDowall in “How Green Was My Valley,'’ Robert Montgomery in “Rage in Heaven” and “Here Comes Mr. Jordan,” Ginger Rogers in “Kitty Foyle” and “Tom, Dick and Harry,” James Stephenson in “The Letter” and “Shining Victory,’ and Orson Welles in “Citizen Kane.” Canadian FILM WEEKLY Wzekly,| Vhanks. USA Americans are realizing that Canada’s place in the motion picture world is more than just that of a large and luscious strip of exhibitor territory. The war provided a powerful counter-current of Canadian motion picture intelligence. The current sensation in the field of shorts is the National Film Board’s on-the-nose war subject, “War Clouds in the Pacific,” which had the sudden Jap jump figured out photographically. MGM smartly tied it up for American distribution. The National Film Board, under John Grierson, has attracted the attention of movie men everywhere. Through it Canada has moved to the forefront of motion picture expression of national and military aims. In a recent issue of Film News, a fine magazine devoted to educational and documentary films, Donald Slesinger wrote: “By the time the full fury of war burst over London the motion picture in England, in Canada and in Australia was doing its bit. The peoples of the British Empire began to understand each othen” The American public ,before the USA entry, plagued by isolationism, viewed Allied war pictures with some distrust. As John Grierson explained to an American audience just before the Jap attack, “We were afraid that you would think that we were trying to do something to you.” So Canada was reticent about attempting American distribution of its war shorts. Now, when time proved our premise in the matter of the Axis military intentions, Slesinger says for the USA what Canada has felt since the Nazis attacked Poland: “The motion picture, in aiding friendship and understanding, has its greatest opportunity. It has long amused and diverted us all. It now has a clear responsibility—to use its technical skill to help keep alive a love of freedoms of mankind, that will make every farmer, worker, manager, soldier, sailor, a defender to the death of our ideals.” Tom Baird of the British Film Centre told Slesinger in the spring of 1939 that the film should be used to raise human standards. And John Grierson repeated to him what he had told Hollywood film makers during a visit to the studios—that the public must be informed and warned. Hollywood tried hard but often enough its efforts lacked directness and the Isolationists, through the Senate inquisition and other methods, lessened the benefits of the lesson. “The American film makers,” wrote Slesinger, “join the British, Canadian and Australian film groups in dedicating themselves to that task.” Canada, with a population of something like 12,000,000, has been proportionately devoting more footage to government films than any other country. If there is any satisfaction in having taught the teacher, it is ours. B’nai Brith War Reel (Continued from Page 1) brought in $12,000. This is being distributed amongst lodges near military centres for direct benefit. The Jewish service organization has adopted many varied forms of war help. One hundred and fifty of its members belong. to a blood donors club. It has its own bomb victims fund. To date 36 variety shows have been presented to the troops in training at Camp Bor lection is in constant action and very few ideas for increased work have escaped the membership. B’Nai Brith lodges everywhere are matching the Toronto activity. In Windsor recently a special show netted $750 for the local Overseas Smokes Fund. The film planned by the Toronto Lodge will be used as a membership impetus locally and also shown across the country to inspire other lodges and organiza den. A channel for magazine col|tions with similar enthusiasm. January 7th, 1942. NFB Short in One-Day Lawsuit (Continued from Page 1) Film Board of Canada tional scenes from the March of Time, films for use in Canadian Govern ment defence pictures. However, it has always been with the distinct understanding’ that such pictures were for exclusive Canadian distribution or for governmental war archives.” An understanding was reached quickly. Credit will be given to the March of Time and no further use outside of Canada will be made commercially of any contributed footage. “The Canadian Government, which produced and edited the MGM film,” said De Rochemont’s formal statement of the settlement, “has advised us through John Grierson, its Film Commissioner, that the sole purpose of the film, ‘War Clouds in the Pacific’ is to present Canada’s official viewpoint as to its participation in the war with Japan.” Glazer, Coplan Switch Jobs (Continucd from Page 1) their future services. Glazer said that any talk of illfeeling was nonsense and that his personal and business relations with Coplan were of the best. “I extend to him my best wishes for his new position,” he said. ‘Then added smilingly, “I started with the Allens in 1912 and I’ll be more than happy to finish with them.” A number of shifts have been anticipated but the only news along those lines has Harvey Harnick, Columbia’s Calgary branch manager, coming to the Toronto office and being replaced, it is said, by Harry Cohen. No further changes in personnel or policy have been announced as yet. Coward in Film Noel Coward, actor and author, will appear in an English naval picture, “In Which We Serve.” It is the story of a ship and the lives of three of its officers. Coward will be one of the officers. Also at Denham Studios and nearing completion is “Spitfire,” starring Leslie Howard and David Niven. In shooting now is Herbert Wilcox’s ‘Women of the Air,” in which Anna Neagle plays Amy Mollison. 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