Canadian Film Weekly (Feb 18, 1942)

February 18th, 1942 Stewardess Gets ‘Clouds’ Trophy The first “Captains of the Clouds” Trophy, to be awarded annually to the woman who has best served the cause of aviation in the United States and Canada, was presented to Hazel Brooks, chief stewardess of American Airlines. The presentation was made by Captain Gil Rob Wilson, Director of Civilian Air Patrol, at the Airlines Terminal, New York City. Miss Brooks, senior stewardess of American Airlines, recently completed a 6,000-mile aerial tour embracing Boston, New York, Washington, Cincinnati and other selected applicants for the Americities, where she interviewed and can Airlines Training School under her tutelage. The trophy winner is a Cincinnati girl. She was graduated as a registered nurse from Christ Hospital, Cincinnati, in 1934, and has been an airline stewardess since 1935, when she made the inaugural Flagship flight between Chicago and Washington. Cinema Theatre Flash Bow The Cinema Theatre, north Yonge street, Toronto, was the scene of a flashy grand opening on February 12th that won much attention throughout that end of the city and was noted by local screen scribes. Formerly the Oriole, the house had a thorough going-over from cellar to roof and the result is one of the finest district houses in the city. Bob Martin is manager of the Cinema, which is a 20th Century house. United Artists to Release 8 Features Hight major productions will be released by United Artists during the period from February 6 to May 15, it was announced today by Carl Leserman, General Sales Manager of United Artists. In making the announcement, Mr. Leserman states that these eight films represent one of the largest production investments in the history of the company. The pictures cover a variety of subjects ranging from melodrama and adventure to comedy and farce. Among them is one film produced entirely in Technicolor. The stars who will be seen in these United Artists releases include Charlie Chaplin, Carole Lombard, Jack Benny, Leslie Howard, Sabu, Gene Tierney, Brian Donlevy, Miriam Hopkins, Joan Bennett and George Brent. Canadian FILM WEEKLY SR ot AZ {onthe Square Horse Sense, Nothing! Skippy, mascot of the Casino chorines and male crew, is no decadent democrat. Whine, women and song haven’t ruined his will to fight. No ordinary pooch, he. Skippy, 2 dog, belongs to Ida Rose, who produces the Casino’s stage shows. “What,” asks Ida of Skippy, “would you do to Hitler?” At that Skippy springs into action. He sits on his sitter, waves his paws threateningly, makes mean with his eyes, bares his fangs and gives out a series of growls that would send the Hound of Baskerville scramming for cover. Then, like the good little showman he is, Skippy steps out of character and cocks his ears as if to say: “And, pal, I ain’t kiddin’! ~. Skippy growls for all Dogdom against the Nazi cur. Dogs are doing their bit. Many a brave bow-wow bowed off sharing the acclaim of his khaki’d comrades after the last war. Many a pooch is following the boys into battle now. Dogs of war are nothing new. The ancient Egyptians and the Romans used them for sentry duty. They outfitted them with armour. During the Middle Ages, dogs, with flares attached to their backs, were sent into enemy camps to start fires. The first dogs in America arrived. with the Spanish soldiers who came after Columbus. They were used to track the natives. Never a more loyal trooper than the canine comrade-at-arms. His not to reason why—. Skippy, we salute you! She Got What She Wanted The fifth columnist of flesh shows is the alcoholic heckler. It’s hard to handle the rum-soggy roisterers. Tossing them out leads to damnage and chaos. Managers and actors have to bear with them. The Toronto magician, Billy Arnott, drew a stew while working a theatre date. A woman. Billy frisked a goldfish bowl out of a handkerchief. ‘J wanna goldfish!” she bawled. She kept up the cry. Lost was Billy's chatter and missed were many tricks. Audience, actor and manager were furious. What to do? Billy bowed off and whispered into a stagehand’s ear. The scenery-shifter slipped out. The magician ignored the cries for a goldfish. When he returned to the stage for his encore, the first cry that greeted him was: “I wanna goldfish!” Billy walked into the audience and up to the pest, bowed and flipped his handkerchief. Into her lap dropped the grandaddy of all the goldfish—a large Winnipeg Goldeye salmon! The pest screamed and filed. Observanda New-old faces On The Square: Harvey Harnick, here from Calgary to Columbia’s head office and Victor Rackow, formerly of United Artists in Winnipeg and now working out of the Queen City. . .. Joey Simon, Regal booker, has one wrist in a cast. Let him tell you how it happened. . . . Shim Glazer, Fox publicity man, is a two-gun guy. Used to be a projectionist. . . . There’s an East Lynne in Toronto. ... Beth McEwen, secretary to Jim Cameron and Bert Brown of Famous Players’ publicity dep’t, will marry Pilot Officer A. T. Lowe of Vancouver. . . . Theatre parking lot men are working out various types of warnings against tire thieves. Out On His Pass A tradition in the business are the guys who get by the gate with passes. They holler louder than any that the picture stinks and the service is worse. They’ve been known to demand their passes back. Syd Roth had one such. Next time the fellow asked for a ducat Syd said: “Do me a favor. Here’s a dollar. Go to the Imperial!” Page 3 Melvyn Douglas Appt Attacked The appointment of Melvyn Douglas, film star, to the Office of Civilian Defence came under fire in Congress when Representative Leland Ford, Republican, California and others attacked it as a “glamor appointment.” Douglas had been named a director of OCD's art council at an annual salary of $8,000. Replying from his desk in Washington, Douglas recalled his work with the Fight for Freedom Committee. In answer to a charge that he was a Communist fellow-traveller Douglas referred to the two films he had made lampooning Communism — “Ninotchka” and “He Stayed for Breakfast.’ The two films, he said, “Do not strike me as the kind of activity that could be described as Communist. “Tf this is any glory or fun to be met by this blast of Mr. Ford’s and others, I cannot see it.” Douglas said his two principal accusers are Republicans and that he is a Democrat. Douglas related that he ran away from home to fight in the last war and that he would registered for the draft with the new class of registrants on February 16. The 40-year-old actor said he had offered his services to the Government in any capacity and that the OCD job was offered him. Douglas went back to Hollywood to make a picture on February 14th and will return to his Washington task when it is finished. English Novel for RKO “The Crime of Laura Sarelle,” English novel by Joseph Shearing, has been purchased by RKO-Radio and is tentatively scheduled as a starring vehicle for Maureen O’Hara. Reeves Espy will produce “The Crime of Laura Sarelle,” a romantic murder story with a London locale replete with novel situations. The Shearing story is expected to afford Miss O’Hara one of the finest roles of her film career. Battling Goofy Seven distinct types of music within the limits of a one-reel comedy are presented in “The Art of Self Defence,” Walt Disney’s newest RKO Radio short subject release which stars Goofy. The film traces the burlesque history of two-man combat from the prehistoric age right up to the present, All of the various periods are accompanied by appropriate music and rhythms, with “Frankie and Johnny" utilized as the final theme.