Canadian Film Weekly (Feb 4, 1942)

Page 6 Legionaires Film Planned Producer Samuel Bronston is going to unusual lengths to obtain authentic materia! for a picture. He has sent news correspondent Burnet Hershey to London and Cairo to obtain information about the soldiers of many races now fighting with the British Government. The picture wil! be called “British Foreign Legicn” and will be based upon experiences of soldiers of the several ‘governments in exile’ who have escaped from occupied countries and formed new fighting units in Great Britain and Canada. Hershey’s departure for Europe has been delayed by irregular AtJantic Clipper schedules, but he has applied for passage as soon as it is available. The producer will submit the completed scripts to governments concerned before placing the story on film. Hershey has a large fund for information regarding the “foreign legion” soldiers as result of his work as a foreign correspondent and historian, but the new trip was decided upon in order to construct a story which would have a good chance of standing up under rapidly changing international situations. Bronston said it was his intention that the film would include accounts of fighting on all the major fronts in Europe and Africa. The current British campaign in Libya will receive particular attention, he said, with emphasis upon the part played by “legion” soldiers in the desert fightin. Cant Kid The Kids Makers of serials for the younger trade do little worrying about censorship. The kids already have laid down their rules and the producers rarely violate them. Weapons of the youngsters are not boycotts or polite printed denunciations, but the old-fashioned razzberry and Bronx cheer, delivered at first hand in the theatre. Ford Beebe, producing the “Gang Busters” serials 2{ Universal, said he found out years ago just what could and what could not be ineluded in pictures of that type. “Youngsters,” he said, “are only part of the serial audience, but they dictate a hard and fast pattern for this type of entertainment.” el’ ae af @ — 4 . for f be | IN BARRON, Canadian exploitation man, showed the trade a trick or two about timely promotion. Working in the Windsor area for “Pacific Blackout,” he dove-tailed his efforts with ARP activities. City merchants joined a special campaign to acquaint the public with what precautions should be taken if raiders come. Cc. H. Smith Company Ltd., a department store, put on a special blackout display of necessary articles, which Mayor Arthur J. Reaume opened officially. A number of other stores did the same and quite a few Windsor organizations joined the campaign. The Windsor papers weren’t shy at all about using the name of the picture in their news stories of the campaign, recognizing its value as a direct demonstration of everything being taught along those lines today. Win, incidentally, thinks he has worked out the answer to chief problem of theatres during blackouts, the visible front not apparent from distance or air angles. He’s waiting for a chance to see it tried. * * * HAPPENED to visit in Sarnia and while there noticed a stunt pulled by Lorne Moore of Odeon Theatre. One of Lorne’s stunts was a card about three by four inches plugging ‘Hellzapoppin’.” In one corner a midget firecracker was attached with this copy: “If this cracker gives off a blue flame you will be admitted free.” There was a terrific. interest created. Patrons exploded the firecrackers in front of the doorman, as the instructions called ‘for the patron to prove the blue flash. = * * Bezem BROWN, Vanity, Wind sor, sends in a few stunts on “Sundown,” UA’s extra _ special fine film. Here are a few. He issued a card reading: “Hear Ye! Hear Ye! All Windsor people. Contrary to the popular belief, ‘Sundown,’ will start daily at two p.m, instead of its usual evening time.” More copy of the same kind, with theatre info. It carried an illustration the sun setting. He had a barrel on the street with “Beware of Snakes” on it and with copy inside for all who looked. Also a Santa Claus arriving at the station with the “Sundown” film box, with copy explaining that he couldn't wait. Be * m } ARLAND RANKIN, Centre, Chatham, got public thanks for screening ‘Nazi Tyranny,” a film supplied by the IODE in connection with war work. Over 1,000 persons attended the morming show. Paramount’s Canadian FILM WEEKLY “¥ se = St pa “4 so OUG PATTERSON, Opera House, Orillia, covered the town with a circus herald on “Look Who’s Laughing.’’ He had several good window displays on Fibber McGee and Molly, who are in the picture. The Johnson Floor Wax people, who sponsor McGee and Molly’s radio show, supplied hardware stores with lithos of the stars and are very co-operative. So look them up if you’re playing this picture. Doug did some good work on a comedy week. For a week in advance the cashier handed out cards reading: “Special offer. One week only! Upon the presentation of one admission ticket you will be enrolled in a special ‘Laugh Appreciation Course’ being offered to all patrons during Comedy Week at the Opera Hause.” These, which had a bond appearance, were also passed out in certain downtown stores. * + HERE is an old but great stunt for all which is being worked by Steve McManus of the Bayview, Toronto. Once a night, during intermission, Steve mounts the stage and gives his patrons a two-minute talk, always a good thing to create a friendly atmosphere. He tells them that he appreciates their trade and that he is glad to know each one personally. On the way out he stops to talk with them, plugging his coming shows in a modest manner. Every week he finds a new approach and the folks like it. Everybody in Leaside knows and likes Steve and it makes them glad to know that he appreciates their patronage... . It-is one good way to lick a situation where everything seems to fall flat at times. Steve is making a good job of it. Try it in your house, It is bound to help. * * a L STEPHENS, Granada, Dunnville, handed out what seemed to be candy kisses for “You'll Never Get Rich.’ They were rolled-up heralds saying: “This will hold you till we meet.” Then came a head of Rita Hayworth, followed by: “And what a meeting it will be!” In some ‘mysterious” way his ushers got several hundreds of them into the air force station. On “Blossoms in the Dust” Mel ran newspaper copy, illustrated with children, in which the atchline was: “This child is not illegitimate—but its parents may be.” Did turnaway business, he says. 2 Have February 4th, 1942 Ace-in-the-Hole A good many of Hollywood stars won't take a chance that their current popularity is a passin fancy. The number of players wh sink their surplus cash into commercial propositions of a non-film nature is growing. A few who have something going for them on the side are: Susan Hayward, red-haired young actress, organized an ice cream business in Hollywood and is reported doing well enough with it to make a living if she leaves pictures. Jim (Fibber McGee) Jordan of the radio owns a bottling works in Kansas City. Penny (Blondie) Singleton has a yarn and antique shop on Ventura boulevard. Preston Sturges, film writer and director, has a restaurant known as The Players. Richard Lane of the movies has fingers in a variety of enterprises including a venetian blind works and a new idea in milk bottle ‘caps. Al Hall, director of Columbia, raises not only his own holiday turkeys but enough more to make a profit from them. Artie Auerbach of Al Pearce’s radio gang is also in the poultry business. Pearce operates the Inn, a cafe at Palm Springs. Sidney Toler operates a golf driving range not for from 20th Century-Fox. Highest Award To Two Child Stars Ten-year-old Darryl Hickman and Baby Sandy today held “junior Oscars” as the result of a mationwide poll of youngsters who selected them as the outstanding boy and girl actors for 1941. They received their awards at a luncheon celebration which in past years has paralleled the annual dinner of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to award “Oscars” to outstanding players and studio leaders. Cast Additions To ‘This Above All’ Arthur Shields and Rhys Williams, both recently seen in Darryl F. Zanuck’s Twentieth Century-Fox production of “How Green Was My Valley,” have been cast in supporting roles in Zanuck’s production of “This Abov@' All,” which co-stars Tyrone Power’ *>~’ and Joan Fontaine. Shields will be seen in the role of a priest, while Williams will portray a Cockney sergeant in the film, which is based on the novel by Eric Knight. Anatole Litvak is directing. Swedish 2,