Canadian Film Weekly (Apr 1, 1942)

Vol. 8, No. 14. VOICE of the CANADIAN MOTION PICTURE TORONTO, APRIL Ist, 1942 AVA INDUSTRY $2.00 Per Annum Taylor Clarifies ITA Position Fewer Westerns Being Planned The day of the low-budget western is drawing to a close, Hollywood reports reveal. After thirty years of plentiful horse opera drama the small-scale ones face a sharp cut in numbers. Not that public affection for them has waned. They can’t be made as cheaply as in the past. This trend has been observed by the film producers during the past six months. And now with priori (Continued on Page 2) Movie Exceptions . Under New Act? The entertainment field, and ~ consequently the moving picture industry, has been named among the “restricted occupations” under the mew Selective Service program. This means that physically fit men between 17 and 45 inclusive may not take jobs in it without permission. A high government official, however, expressed the opinion that there may be excegtions made under certain conditions, since motion pictures are included in the cost of living index while other forms of entertainment are not. That’s why the motion picture industry was subjected to price freezing regulations, while sports, drama and concerts were excepted. Motion pictures may be essential in certain cases, RKO Short Sub Total RKO will offer 147 short subjects in 1942-43. This represents nothing unusual, 104 being the Pathe Newsreel. Hayworth Champ Rita Hayworth has been named -<D by 25,000 American beauty ex perts as being the USA’s champ redhead. "PARALLEL' PRESSES STUDIO'S RECORD Says Time Will Decide Whether Indie Councillors Best Choice “The ITA will not endanger industry unity in wartime by insisting on what it considers to be a more equitable state of affairs.” This statement was made by N. A. Taylor, president of ee. SY Aussies Yoo-Hoo Yank Brethren When John W. Hicks, Jr., Paramount vice-prexy in charge of foreign sales, was in Toronto, he told much about Australia, where he had spent eleven years. You can’t panic the Aussies. Hicks just got a wire from Eric Solomon, publisher of The Film Weekly and former parliamentarian. It reads: “Let all sections of the motion picture industry in the United States know all your Australian cobbers thrilled with the appointment of General MacArthur as supreme commander of Anzac area. Industry here extending hand of welcome to members of your fighting forces who with Anzacs will defend our common heritage in the Pacific.” Cobber, incidentally, is Australian for pal or buddy. Folks who remember their friends at such an ominous hour don’t frighten easily. Congrats Due Fisher Frank Fisher of Empire-Universal became a pappa last week. It was the second time and second son. Mono's "Alaska Road’ Continuing its up-to-the-minute story production, Monogram will soon put into production “Alaska Road,” story that deals with the building of the new United StatesCanadian super highway to the arctic outpost. the Independent Theatres Association, as part of his reply to a question about how his organization had received the answer of R. C. McMullen to its protest. The ITA had forwarded a resolution to Mr. Stewart protesting that the present Indie delegates on the Advisory Council were not truly representative. “Certain delegates with limited (Continued on Page 2) No USA Price Top The Wall Street Journal reports from Washington that movies are among those items exempted from the Prices Administration Law. In other words, no price ceiling. Third Trip For ‘Gone W. t. Wind The behemoth of all Hollywood productions, David O. Selznick’s “Gone With the Wind,” is returning for the third time. Again Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, distributors of the production, is sending the picture out for national release in the same form that it was first shown when it had its world premiere in Atlanta, Ga., in December, 1939. It opened at the Astor (Continued on Page 3) Vaudeville in London Douglas Keyes, manager of the Grand, London, heeded the call of the flesh recently and put in week-end stage shows. He has a seven-girl lineup and he builds a show with imported principals around it. Last’ week he featured the famed English star, Ella Shields. The Grand is doing business too. Cheek Titters and Guffaws; Terms: Per Hundred Howls? To take the guesswork out of measuring audience laugh reactions to motion pictures Paramount has placed its “laughometer” in operation. The graph-fader device provides the first complete graphic picture of audience response to comic situations in pictures, and may prove to be one of the most useful inventions of the industry. It ties in with the footage of the film and shows exactly where the laughs come, how loud they are and how long they last. Previously sound recordings have been made of audience reactions and played back in the sound department. This system has been discarded as impractical because it gives no real measurement of laughs apart from the ability of the ear to determine their volume and extent. The purpose of a preview so far as the sound department has (Continued on Page 3) Quebec Exhibs Protest A delegation of Quebec exhibitors took a trip to Quebec city and presented a strong case to Hon. J. A. Mathewson, Provintial treasurer, against the surtax on cinema operation. The official promised them consideration of their appeal. In the group were Eugene Beaulac, secretary of the Quebec Allied Theatrical Industries; Charles Magnan of Malartic; J. O’Connor of Huntington, M. Gauthier, Sorel; Leo Choquette, Farnham; and Oliva Cote of Cartier. Reports have it that Columbia’s drama of Canada, “49th Parallel,” which is being shown in the USA as ‘The Invaders,” has already become the Second largest box-office draw in the studio’s history and still going strong. “Lost Horizon” holds the record.