Canadian Film Weekly (Jun 3, 1942)

® June 8rd, 1942 Midnight Shows Left Untouched (Continued from Page 1) red in a request by Price Board officials that the ban be put on all Sunday midnight shows. Many exhibitors were worried that an order would arrive that would affect the Sunday midnight show before May 24th and weren’t sure that they should go ahead with them. It was anticipated that such an order would arrive sometime before June ist. However, no decision came from Ottawa and exhibitors are confident that any ban, if it came at all, would be delayed for a long time yet. Mr. McMullen, director of the theatre and film section of the Board, favors the discontinuance of midnight shows at all times except pre-holiday occasions. He said that no order has arrived as yet and he is not in any way anticipating its content. Originally it was understood that power saving was behind such a step but this reason seems to have faded out in the face of obvious lack of general action in this direction from Ottawa. To what extent reformist elements, quite active of late in a number of places and in a number of ways, are having an effect on patronage restrictions is not known—as far as the midnight show is concerned. The opposition to midnight shows has grown in proportion tuo a demand for them as a wartime need. Many towns now have midnight shows which did not have them before the war. In other places local councils have yielded to pressure and restricted them to six per year. The midnight show question has always been settled heretofore by the legislators of the area in dispute. WARNING! Lest You Be Shut Out We Have Several Thousand Used and Reconditioned Types THEATRE CHAIRS FOR SALE — AT BARGAIN PRICES — Our reconditioned chairs look as new and fine enough for any theatre anywhere. —SPECIAL— 1,820 Very Fine fully padded velourcovered backs, spring cushioned seats NOW just being removed from Metropolitan Theatre, Winnipeg, Manitoba. YOU’LL HAVE TO HURRY ! THESE CHAIRS COMING OUT JUNE 138th Have large stocks of Used Chairs in Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary and Vancouver. 5,000 yds. new British theatre carpet just arrived. WRITE FOR FULL PARTICULARS LA SALLE RECREATIONS LIMITED (Theatre Seating Division) 945 GRANVILLE ST. VANCOUVER Canadian FILM WEEKLY foal oe nlhe quare with Hye Bossin New Problem Fidgity patrons, waiting in different parts of large theatres in order to see the program from the beginning, are causing minor damage to the furniture. War nerves, perhaps. Folks are so used to being busy all the time at their daily work and their evening war effort several times a week that waiting wears on them. They sit down and get up innumerable times, sit on the arms of chairs, chain-smoke and knock over ash-stands. There’s nothing alarming in this impatience. The desire to be doing something all the time is an indication of the quicked national tempo and the will to finish the job. Bicyclone Another one who whips his wheel to work these days is Len Bishop, the Tivoli’s affable manager. Len may wind up with a bicycle face, which is what they called that set look the boys got from bucking the breeze. At least, that’s what they used to call it in the ’90’s. Some of the boys were going to take advantage of Len’s patriotism but thought better of it. They were going to have a sign made advertising the current Tivoli attraction and have it fitted below the crossbars, the way you See it on the bikes of drugstore delivery boys. Say, it’s not a bad idea at that. Observanda Vernon Burns, who used to manage the Regent, Sudbury, before joining the RCAF, was around on leave saying hello. Vern had an auspicious induction into the air force—a 39-day confinement for scarlet fever!...A lucky lad was Jay Frank of the Hal Horne agency, which handles Fox exploitation. Jay came up here to create some excitement for ‘To the Shores of Tripoli’”—a tough asSignment because that picture is strictly American fare and it was tough to find an angle or a hookup with any of the Canadian services. When things looked dreariest the American Marines recruiting mission hit Toronto, exciting interest and commanding newspaper space, and Jay worked them into his exploitation weave ... Gil Sterling of the Pylon is the daddy of a new baby girl—but we haven’t received our cigar yet. Kick in, Gil, there’s no rationing on the smudges yet ... On the Square last week was Irenee Baird, NFB publicity gal, who escorted ‘‘Geopolitik,” the latest ‘(Canada Carries On” release, into town. Surprise Those who think French Canada’s interest in the war runs second to the rest of Canada will be surprised at what happened when “The Girl From Leningrad,” Esquire’s Russian film, played His Majesty’s Theatre, Montreal. The theatre people didn’t take things as seriously as they should have, apparently. There wasn’t even a doorman on hand anc but three girl usherettes were provided. Inside of two hours 2,000 persons tried to get in to see the film, which got an expert buildup in Montreal from Max Chic, its press agent. The manager had his hands full until supervisors, etc., of the Consolidated chain came a-running and acted in every necessary capacity to smoothen things out. An Old Hand—or Foot Another Reserve Army gag brought back by marching filmites deals with the recruit chided about his poor parading. “Don’t worry about me,” he told the officer, “I’ve had lots of experience marching.” “When?” he was asked. “Every May Day!” was the answer, Page 3 USA Awaits New Sales Plan (Continued from Page 1) Monogram, and Repubiic became party to the plan. The small companies didn’t, and the plan automatically lapsed June 1. Both the producers and theatre owners agree that the blind selling and block-booking of the old regime was harmful. Too many fifth-rate films were palmed off on the theatre owners and the general public. And although the idea was good, blocks-of-five selling was impractical. So a happy compromise was worked out, blocksof-12 selling. This plan, submitted to the Department of Justice for final approval, provides for trade previews of five films and identifies the other seven to be sold as quarterly packages. The theatre owner also has cancellation rights, and in case of a producer-owner dispute, both parties agree to conciliate. The details of the conciliatory machinery are being worked out, an:] will probably be presented to the federal judge who signed the consent decree, June 1. No Air Raid Rules From Ontario Yet The preparation of a general guide for Ontario theatres as to conduct during air raids seems to have been forgotten. Months ago a committee was set up and several tryouts held at a Toronto theatre. The results were noted and recommendations were to have been brought back by Mr. W. J. Scott, Ontario Fire Marshal. So far nothing has been done— and the matter seems to be dead. Famous Players issued rules for its own theatres and other circuits have been making their own plans in case of emergency. But there’s no set of overall rules up to now. FOR ALL THEATRE EQUIPMENT and SUPPLIES —Call on— COMPANY LIMITED W7 VICTORIA STREET TORONTO 2027 BAEURY STREET