Canadian Film Weekly (Apr 22, 1942)

Vol. 8, No. 17 April 22nd, 1942 st bed ee eee ee HYE BOSSIN, Managing Editor Bites obit ee Bi eee Address all communications to—The Managing Editor, Canadian Film Weekly, 21 Dundas Square, Toronto, Canada. Published by Film Publications of Canada, Ltd., 5th Floor, 21 Dundas Square, Toronto, Ont, Canada. Phone ADelaide 4310. Price 5 cents each or $2.00 per year. The Double Bill Again The agitation over dual showings has died down somewhat of late. But not because the problem has. When we run out of words on the subject we like to hear or read what somebody else has to say. In “Saturday Night” Mary Lowrey Ross, the screen inspector, gets a few observations off her typewriter. Says Miss Ross: Thank Heaven for priorities which one of these days will do away with the double-bill. Up till now the double-bill has been one of the evils of our superabundance. It was a nuisance and we didn’t particularly enjoy it but we came to expect it and to feel deprived and fretful when a niggardly management tried to put us off with a two-hour feature, travel talk, newsreel, cartoon and musical short. Recently I took the children to our neighborhood theatre to see “Dumbo” (Added features, “Superman” and “I Wake Up Screaming”.) Since there was no room left in the theatre for adults I sat in the lobby—in floating comfort, surrounded by mirrors and chromium trim—and talked to the manager. He had a mournful story to tell. During New Year week. he said, he decided to experiment with a single feature bill. So he brought in “Penny Serenade,” a popular family film, and arranged a nice tasteful program to go with it. He sent out hand bills and put cards in the local barber shop and chain store grocery and waited to see what would happen. What happened was simple. Nobody came. “Don’t think we want double bills,” he said bitterly. “All they do is fill the theatre and cut the total attendance in half. It's the public that wants them and the public is just ia lot of spoiled children. All they want is twice as much as they can use.” * * * To be sure there has always been a suppressed minority who disliked double features quite as heartily as the manager. For these however the remedy was quite simple. They could just miss the part of the program they didn’t want and enjoy the rest. It didn’t matter that half the program was scrap-material that just went to waste; or that a thrifty French theatre manager could probably have lived comfortably on the entertainment that the American public simply threw away. The double bill in fact is one of the features of that prolonged American spree of wastefulness that is now, happily or unhappily, coming to an end. It belongs with all those winning nuisances that have trammelled us for years—the arbitrary stocking shades, the six attendants at every gas station, the high-powered radio, now happily irreplaceable, across the street, and cellophane, over everything. One of these days it will be possible to buy a package of cigarettes that isn’t protected from an undetectable loss of flavor by an impenetrable sheath of cellophane. And one of these days the second half of Hollywood's double-bills may be converted into high explosives, through the strange alchemy of chemistry, and dropped over Berlin or Tokyo, where it belongs. * * * In the meantime it must be admitted there is very little sign of any drastic rationing from the industry. Hollywood is still busy moving its accumulated stock and relief is a long way from sight. It will probably take considerable time and many further shocks to cut us down to a rational picture diet, and to a sensible realization that the lean years at last have eaten up the fat. Canadian FILM WEEKLY (Skouras Heads 20th-Fox (Continued from Page 1) enough to be bought up by Warner Bros., who then made the Skouras Brothers officers of that company. Resigning in 1930, the Skouras built another chain, and two years later, Spyros became head of the Fox West Coast Theatre circuit, comprising 500 theatres, now known as National Theatres. In assuming his new 20th Century-Fox office, Skouras divorces himself entirely from his other motion picture interests and positions. Also mentioned for the post was Darryl F. Zanuck, vice president in charge of production who threw his support to Skouras after refusing an offer by the Chase National Bank, largest single stockholder in 20th Century-Fox, that he take the presidency. Zanuck’s refusal was on the ground of his Hollywood production duties and his activity in the production of training films for the War Department, as a lieutenant colonel in the Signal Corps which, he urged, would not permit him to take on other duties. Willkie, who has already headed a public utility company, and is seriously considered for a similar position with the United States, fills the post left vacant by Joseph M. Schenck, who resigned last May. Willkie’s association with the motion picture industry dates back to last fall, when he was retained to defend the producers at the Senate subcommittee hearings into the charges of alleged “war-mongering” by the film makers. He not only cleared the industry of this charge, but his successful handling of the case paved the way for this new job. He will, however, perform no executive duties, the performance of which is vested solely in the hands of Mr. Skouras. Another change made at the meeting by the 20th Century-Fox directors at the company offices was the election of Tom Conners to vice president in charge of sales. Mr. Conners was formerly with M-G-M. William Goetz still continues as vice president in charge of studio operations as do Herman G. Place as chairman of the executive committee and William C. Michel as executive vice president. Roddy as ‘Oliver Twist’ Roddy McDowell, star of “How Green is My Valley” and the kid of the year, goes back to England in the fall to make “Oliver Twist” for Fox, April 22nd, 1942 (Films Spread Democracy Hollywood is playing a big part in the drive to spread Democratic ideas to the South American re publics. The film section of th Office of Coordinator of InterAmerican Affairs is behind the movement. John Hay Whitney, head of the film section, has sent letters to the heads of major production companies asking for permission to circulate about 12 titles, in a 16 mm. version through the U.S. embassies and ministries throughout Central and South America. These films, many of which were banned in Latin America at the instigation of pro-German agents, are to be reprinted at Government expense and screened for select audiences, The titles thus far requested and granted are: “Confessions of a Nazi Spy,” “Escape,” ‘‘The Mortal Storm,” (all three were banned at one time or another in several South American _ countries), “Young Tom Edison” and ‘‘Edison the Man,” “Young Mr. Lincoin” and “Abe Lincoln in Illinois,” “Man Hunt,” “Night Train,” “Lives of a Bengal Lamcer,’”’ ‘100 Men and a Girl,” ‘The Life of Emile Zola’ and “Sergeant York.” Additional requests are bein made. Not all of the films wil have an anti-Nazi message. Some will merely illustrate, but in an attractive way, the American way of life. For as Julien Bryan, globetrotter and film producer, recently returned from South America, says, “South Americans are fascinated by their North American neighbors. They want to know more about us, our sports, our pleasures, our problems, especially as portrayed in torrid love stories, technicolor romances, operettas. Projection equipment for screening these films with a ‘‘message”’ is already available in most of the United States embassies and ministries. Purchase last year by Inter-American affairs office for the exhibition of its non-theatrical 16 mm. cultural subject films, these machines will be used for the new films. As for the mon-theatrical films themselves, Kenneth MacGowen, head of the documentary unit, reports that two dozen titles are already in circulation throughout South America and are meeting with enthusiastic response. Complete Theatre Equipment and Supplies COLEMAN ELECTRIC CO. 258 VICTORIA ST., Toronto, Ont. 7