Canadian Film Weekly (Mar 4, 1942)

Page 6 Canadian FILM WEEKLY March 4th, 1942 So You Can’ Clear the Theatre ? Getting the Two-Timers, Juveniles, Dawdlers and Other Gross-Killers Out of Those Nice, Warm Seats Commandos Work Shown by NFB The skill and daring of raids by British Commando troops on German-occupied territories are described in the latest National Film Board production. This picture, entitled “Forward Commandos” was given its initial theatrical release on February 25. It is part of the monthly series “Canada Carries On,” made in co-operation with the Office of Public Information. One of the unchanging problems of the business Is that of the seat-blocker. Patrons change their minds while in line or look at the waiting crowd and look further. Those who remain are often irked. Yet much of the incon venience is unnecessary and can be avoided by the wise manager. The boys Way Back When were able to work out ways of dealing with the situation. We were browsing through one of the first film magazines and certainly the first aimed at fans, Reel Life, issue of August, 1914. In it is an article about getting the truants out on the street again. It might have been written today. It will be found below. The problem of handling an audience is one which is of the prim The film opens with maps and lest importance to every exhibitor. diagrams giving a clear exposition|To do it successfully requires inof the methods whereby both or-/fnite tact and infinite patience, ganized and guerrilla resistance is|and both these qualities must be being put forth in Axis-occupied |constantly on tap, if the exhibitor territories. Libya, Yugoslavia, the is to get the best results out of occupied portions of Russia, Nor-' way, the East Indies are shown. Because of the toughness of training demanded by modern war his opportunities. Not only does lthe question ‘How to get the pub lic in’ occupy a large portion of the theater manager’s thought, but fare of this type, Canada during | ‘“How to get them out,” is a per the winter months becomes ideal centre for the preparation of troops. Winter manoeuvres in the, Dominion are explained. Shown are our ski troops on patrol; men of the Commonwealth Air Training Plan practising flying through January blizzards on the western plains; our corvettes at sea covered with ice. From such training spring the men who will help swell the commando ranks of the future. These Commandos are special detachments which have been picked for their initiative and endurance in the general harassing of the enemy. What they can do is amply described in this film. There are Several long sequences depicting every detail of the operation of their raids. Each items is replete with daring action. Old Time Tunes Thirty-two period tunes of the past twenty-five years form the musical background of ‘Syncopation,” the second William Dieterle production for RKO Radio. Each tune is played precisely as the musicians of that time would have played it. Some of the tunes are old-time favorites—spirituals, like “Blow Your Trumpet, Gabriel,” one of the numbers sung by the Hall Johnson Choir, or famous old jazz pieces like “Sugar Foot Stomp,” “Jazz Me _ Blues,” “Wolverine Blues.” Some, like “Goodbye Broadway, Hello France,” “Deep River,” and “My Gal Sal,” were hits of their day. an plexing problem, over which he is apt to waste much good gray matter. At times, indeed, it is a veritable bugbear. To do this effectively, especially if a house is running a continuous show, which is usually thecase, and to do it without offending anyone’s susceptibilities, requires diplomatic qualities of the highest character. To offend the sensibilities of the theater’s regular patrons would be suicidal, but at the same time means must be taken to make them realize that, having once viewed the entire program, they should make room for others who would also enjoy it. Thus it happens that the successful exhibitor becomes an adept in diplomatic art and continually seeks new methods to eliminate “campersout” from his theatre. Recently an exhibitor, who has had rather more experience of this kind than most, was discussing this phase of the motion picture business. Said he: “Inside your house you may have an audience largely composed of regular patrons, all of them bent on getting their money’s worth and all of them quite content to kill an hour’s time by watching a repetition of part of the program. Outside on the sidewalk and in the lobby is a line of people waiting to get in. They are getting restive and are apt to blame the management, if compelled to wait too long. And this means that next time they will hesitate before patronizing that theatre, unless assured that they will speedily be provided with a seat. “Here then is the problem. How can the people inside be persuaded to leave when the program is through? “They have seen the big feature, that takes up the greater part of the program and they have seen the shorter films—the comedies, and the dramas, the educationals and travel films, the topicals that take up the balance—and still they want to stick around, while the people outside are momentarily getting more peevish. “The first thing I do when I find that I have an audience which is settling down to see the show all over again, is to lengthen out the intervals between the reels. That will always shift a few. Then, sometimes, I have my operator throw a clock dial on the screen indicating the time. That will shift a few more. “If these stunts don’t work well enough, I have a slide shown, that reads something like this: ““Bive minutes interval. The next picture is No. 1 on the program. Those who have seen it have seen the whole performance and are respectfully requested to pass out to make room for others waiting for seats.’ “Usually that is sufficient to make the crowd thin out. But if it isn’t, I spring one or two more slides on them, inviting them to come to the show tomorrow and pointing out that there are others, who would like to see the program today. “Tf this also fails of the desired effect, once in a great while I resort to throwing in the last film again. That invariably clears the house. But I only resort to it in extreme cases.” B.C. Projectionists James Gerard of the Projectionists Union of Vancouver claimed before the Trades and Labor Council of that city that an attempt would be made shortly to change the law dealing with projectionists at work. The present law requires that two be on duty while a film is being screened. Adjourn Trial To See Movie An all-star cast from _ the “Frankie and Johnny” trial saw an encore of Republic Pictures Corporation’s 6-year-old version of the famed bar-room ballad, a film which an elderly colored Portland, Ore., shoe shine entrepreneur charges defamed her character to the amount of $200,000. Court was adjourned and Circuit Judge William H. Killoren, the jury, 66-year-old Frankie Baker, attorneys and witnesses moved to a box-like little screening room two miles away to see the movie. Frankie Baker is the woman who claims to be the “Frankie” of the song, and the girl ‘done wrong” not cnly in the _ song, which she says has haunted her for more than 40 years, but also in the picture. The jurors carefully isolated in two rows of six men, saw the late Helen Morgan, piano-sitting torch singer, as Frankie; Chester Morris, as the gambler Johnny, and the late Lilyan Tashman as Nellie Bly, two-timing entertainer who stole Johnny’s love. More than that may not be revealed about the film, first released in 1936, because Judge Killoren forbade press comment on its showing before the undemonstrative audience. The suit was dismissed. Coleman Stars in Selznick Film David O. Selznick has engaged Ronald Colman to star in “Jane Eyre’ in the role of Edward Rochester, considered one of the most romantic characters in fiction and for generations beloved by millions of readers all over the world. The assignment of Mr. Colman to the role, coveted by most of the romantic male leads in motion pictures, concludes negotiations instituted some months ago and brings the star to the third Selznick picture of his career. The other two were “A Tale of Two Cities” and “The Prisoner of Zenda,’ each of which was a box office champion award winner by a vote of exhib tors throughout the country, an both were on every ten best list i their respective years. Robert Stevenson, brought to America by Selznick and under eontract to his studio for one picture a year, will direct ‘Jane Eyre.” Production is planned for early summer. meena»