Canadian Film Weekly (Sep 2, 1942)

Page 4 USA Film Biz { First Frozen (Continued from Page 1) the 11 recognized distributing agencies now. These companies are MGM, 20th Century-Fox, RKO, Paramount, United Artists, Universal, Columbia, Warner Bros., Republic, Monogram and PRC. From now on, under the order which freezes raw stock, no prints will be made of foreign films unless they further the war effort of the United Nations. Foreign studios and distributors will have to send over enough prints to take care of their American needs. What does this mean to Canada? Very little at the moment. There are no such regulations over here and Canadians are free to make as many prints as they wish and use as much raw stock as is necessary in the making of commercial and advertising films, now out in the USA. Canada makes almost all of its own positive raw stock, importing only negative film. Nothing has been said on the other side about the export of negative stock and it is presumed that the situation in that regard will remain the same. It’s possible, unless import costs are prohibitive, that prints of English and Russian films, those mainly affected, will be made here and shipped to the USA. Harold Hopper, head of the War Production Board Film Division, said that the USA government thought highly of the movies for their support in the recent crisis there and that it was in the best interest of the country to keep the movies going. Stars’ Mementoes For War Fund Draw Forty articles of various sorts, all Hollywood souvenirs, will be raffied off in aid of the The Toronto Evening Telegram’s British War Victims’ Fund. The draws will take place from August 31st to September 12th, during the playdate of the ‘Fair for Britain” at Riverdale Park, Toronto. The mementoes were gathered by the North Toronto Theatre Managers’ Association, which turned them over to the Toronto and District Business Men’s Council, by whom the fair is being sponsored. Each article is the personal gift of some star. Sonja Henie, fof instance, gave a pair of her skates, worth $40 to buy. There are four original Disney drawing from “Pinocchio” and “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” And so on. Canadian FILM WEEKLY head iA On The “ ’ Square with Hye Bossin Is My Kisser Cerise! Stuart Smart, manager of the Capitol Theatre, Port Hope, puts me over a barrel via mail: “I have always enjoyed reading “On the Square’’—that is, until today, when I saw myself referred to as assistant manager of the Capitol Theatre, Cobourg. Not that I mind on my account, as on another page I am ‘of the Capitol, Port Hope.’ “But to say that I am doing anything in connection with with the Cobourg Theatre is to do less than justice to Mrs. Harrison, who—in Pete’s absence through illness — apparently does not need any assistance. Unlike the wife of the checker player in your story, she knows the game. “Incidentally, I am sure Pete’s friends will be glad to hear that his health is showing considerable improvement.” Thanks, Stu. That’s right gallant of you—and what’s right is right. Obviously, that ain’t the way I heard it. Insult to Injury At camp with the Queen’s Own Rifle and other units were quite a number of film men, among them Joe Plottel, Herb Allen, Dave Axler, Martin Bloom and Jack Melzer. Joe Plottel told us about what happened to a well-known filmite who doesn’t want his name in print. The squad was going through one of the routines, which calls for old-fashioned leap frog. This filmite was frogging while a husky young fellow was leaping. The leaper did it badly, came down on the frogger’s fingers with his heavy army boots. As the filmite ouched and held his fingers, the leaper came back belligerently and barked at him: “Say, did you trip me deliberately ?”’ A Sideline Nat Taylor, according to a steady stream of returning holidayers, is on the wrong end of the business. Nat, they tell, was the laff of the party during the semi-impromptu entertainment at Muskoka Lodge. He acted as emcee and his famed flair for louholtzian dialect stories was at its seam-busting best —especially since he told them while clad in plaid from arch to scalp ... A look-alike who gets plenty of second-looks from his patrons is Al Perly, Midtown manager. Al is the image of Bob Hope, dipsy-doodle schnozz and all... The cancellation of the CNE removes that time-honored excuse of managers for bad business, “The Ex has got them all.” He Certainly Did Movie managers usually pass the doormen of other theatres easily. Carnival folk, when they wish to pass one of their own gates, say: “With it..” WVaudevillians salute the ticket-taker with: “Do you recognize the profession?” Al Daniels of the Royal, Toronto, was a master of ceremonies before he became an exhibitor. In one town he wanted to see the other actors at work in a nearby house. He approached the man on the door with: “Do you recognize the profession?” “Sure,” he answered, blocking the door. ‘Hello.” And he wouldn’t let Al in. Their Brother's Keeper? Dewey Bloom, Glenn Ireton and Win Barron can blush for their craft, that of movie exploitation. Do you remember those press photos of markers discovered in the fields by USAirman? They were supposed to have been put there by fifth columnists as guides for enemy aircraft. They weren’t. The photos and story was buried until Major Lynn Farnol, now of army public relations and formerly a Hollywood press agent, dug them out and gave an untrue story to the press. Habit is strong ... Photo Engravers, who handle most of the local movie business, kicked in 200 free fan photos of Arthur Lake during his Toronto visit. They were sold for the bomb victims’ fund . . . Charlie Cashman of that company was missing from his beat On the Square for a few days because of illness. September 2, 1942 Wartime Effect On Attendance (Continued from Page 1) now attending more often than at this time last year, (b) the other composed of those who now attend less often than they did last year. There is a basic third group, (c) made up of movie-goers whose attendance frequency has not changed. According to Dr. Handel 22 per. cent of the movie-goers now attend more often, 19 per cent less often and 59 per cent at about the same rate as last year. Only persons going to the movies at least once a month were under query, those attending less often than once a month being the subject of a separate study. The changes experienced by the two variable components of the movie audience can be classified into two groups: General and Structural Changes. General Changes are often of a compensating nature: Children now become movie-goers and old people are lost as an audience. Or the case of the young housewife whose attendance declines. while she has to take care of children and whose movie visits increase again when her children become older and her responsibilities fewer; therefore practically the same percentage of housewives shows on the upward as on the downward side of the attendance chart. Structural Changes are caused by economic and political developments—just now by the war. War developments result in (1) increased attendance because people have better jobs and more money to spend, workers on night shifts have afternoons off, women want to fill their time because their boyfriends or husbands work late or are in the army; also there is a special audience for war pictures. On the other hand (2) people attend less often because they forego movies to participate in various war activities, they work longer and at night, they have new jobs and therefore less free time and they go to night school; higher admissions make some attend less often. Some girls go less frequently because the men who used to take them are in the army. It will be noted that the same motives may lead to either increased or decreased attendance. A typical case is when persons who were unemployed get jobs. Some attend more often because they can now afford it, others less often because they have less free time. Forecasts on movie revenues based on increased employment should take this fact into consideration. OO