Canadian Film Weekly (Jul 15, 1942)

Vol 8, No. 29 Address all communications—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 New Movie When is Hollywood going to declare war on the Axis? Now, wait a minute. That question is our expression but not our idea. It seems the neatest way of explaining the substance of many a printed and aired essay on the screen and the war. Cinema sages of both ether and ink ilks, as well as self-appointed judges of other people's patriotism, give out regularly about what Hollywood should and shouldn't do. We have the unofficial watchdogs of movie morals whacking away at us now, most of whom think that pointing a finger of scorn is akin to waving the flag, and much happier at finding a new approach with the old line. Then there are the screen scribes who, with no reviews to prepare for several days of the week, call for escape films one doy and realism the next. Mind you, we're not criticising them. Most of them are honest and the rest think they are. They mean well. Out of the maze of comment emerge any number of good ideas. Besides, sizing up Hollywood has always been the international pastime of young and old, poor and rich. There’s much to be said for it. It’s the evidence of an intense interest. Ask most people why they don’t weigh the product and personnel of the steel or garment or any other industry and they'll tell you it’s none of their business. It never occurs to them that the motion picture business is also a private enterprise. What motivates this excessive preoccupation with films and film makers? An authority on mass psychology could probably provide the best answer. Our opinion is that, . whether they know it or not, these critics consider the motion picture industry, in peace and war, a public trust. They certainly have a right to their opinions—the opinions that represent the highest compliment any industry can receive. Behind the Screen Getting back to the screen and the war, the innocent bystander amongst the disputants is the screen writer, the forgotten fellow who puts down on paper what must be translated to sight and sound. Ask patrons to tell what credits they remember and the cinema word-jugglers will run last. The least publicized of Hollywood craftsmen, they have long been the leading foes there of things being fought physically now. Though they write on order, they have their ideas too—ideas that many are now able to express in their work for the first time. As the Hollywood Writers Mobilization they publish a lively little magazine called Communique. Since polls, opinions and policy outside the industry and in. if they are to be followed. must eventually end with them. what they have to say is important. A letter from Guy Endore in the current issue of Communique is a tipoff on their state of mind. There are problems to propaganda; excitement and inspiration are often things apart. Writes Endore: Remember how selfish we thought the automobile interests were because they wanted to go on making pretty passenger cars instead of ugly tanks and planes? How about Hollywood? Tobruk has fallen—Sevastopol is shaking—the Japs have bases off Alaska, and we here in Hollywood are still making pretty pictures. Are we forgetting that film is potentially the (Continued on Page 5) Canadian FILM WEEKLY arly Run Feast— [Goodman, Brown & July 15th, 1942 F HYE BOSSIN, Managing Editor | Sub Run Famine (Continued from Page 1) of the contracted pictures within a 12-month period. Another exhibitor got a feature released in September, 1941 on April 30th, 1942. Then there’s the exhibitor who contracted to play four features per month and to date has played but four, when, if the schedule had worked smoothly, 24 would have been used up. The exchanges, of course, are under no compuision to deliver on exact dates. Under the contract they can provide films “if an when available.’’ They have no desire to skip houses with larger seating capacities, since the revenue from one of these exceeds by many times the return from the small subsequent runs. Pictures have been held up for months in order to get a first run—often over six months even in the case of small pictures. The exhibitor affected must turn to old pictures but there’s a limited mumber of them that will do business. The situation isn’t helped | any by the fact that the exchanges won’t spot book or sell their old features away from contract holders. The exhibitor, in order to keep feeding the machines, must contract the product of an additional company—and soon finds himself overloaded. It’s tough. USA Order to Kill Sunday Ban? (Continued from Page 1) are considered a foremost moralebuilder. In most instances public opinion supports Sunday movies, but deep rooted religious sentiment, coupled with political opportunism, has made many local legislators wary of courting pressure group opposition. Nevertheless some theatre owners flaunt the Sunday ban and pay the fines. In other communities motion picture houses are wide open even though the surrounding area is observing the blue laws. Florida’s big cities illustrate the above. Sunday movies run in Miami and other populated centers, but in the backwoods there is no respite from the law. Kansas has blue laws on its statute books, but they are not observed except for six small religious communities. What Congress seeks is uniform regulation. Six States have no blue laws at all, in others they are observed in varying degrees. All in all they are confusing. i July 15th, 1942 In Para Moves (Continued from Page 1) chief under Henry Nathanson for many years. At the same time as the Goodman announcement came word from Neil Agnew, vice-president in charge of sales, that Hugh Braly, whom Goodman succeeds, takes over the Rocky Mountain district from Manny Brown, who becomes Buffalo branch manager. The shift affecting Brown is of particular interest to Canadians, since Brown hails from Toronto. Brown is a veteran of the business who left Canada about two years ago, where he was Montreal branch manager for a number of years, and took the post just vacated by him. The new Buffalo manager of Paramount is well-known in the Dominion. He has worked on this side of the border for 20th Century-Fox, United Artists and was atone time Toronto branch manager for Empire under Oscar Hanson. He is a brother of Benjamin Brown, the architect, and will be seen oftener over here now because of his proximity to the old ' home town. Canadians were particularly pleased to hear of Del Goodman’s new responsibility, which involves some of the most valuable theatre territory in the world. He was popular here and was given a farewell party and parting gifts just prior to checking out. Beattie into RCAF Vic Beattie, popular young Vitagraph booker, has put aside his pencil for the duration and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. AKIN am HEATING AND VENTILATING CONTRACTORS AND ENGINEERS ALLA ;