Canadian Film Weekly (Sep 23, 1942)

Vol. 8, No. 39 Canadian FILM WEEKLY Sept. 28rd, 1942 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 ADelaido 4310. Price 5 cents each or $2.00 per year. Hollywood’s War In direct contrast with some of the criticism levelled at Hollywood for the size, quality and sincerity of its war effort from pictures to enlistments, we have the written comment of Jack Lait, editor of the New York Sunday r. Hollywood has taken a razzing from many different angles. Ed Sullivan and Jimmy Fidler have had things to say about enlistments; Wolfe Kaufman of the Chicago Sun and Bosley Crowther of the New York Times have criticized the product from a war slant; and Roly Young of the Toronto Globe and Mail recently took a whack at the studios for their pleas that a certain amount of frozen moneys be released. At a meeting held several weeks ago by a group of writers, artists and radio folk interested in stimulating the Canadian war effort, one well-known writer criticized exhibitors for running double-bills that take up time that could be devoted to war footage. Editor Lait devoted the entire 20-page magazine section of the New York Sunday Mirror to Hollywood, heading his own article, “The Movies Go To War.” He writes: “Hollywood, in the spotlight of the world, is and always has been the object of blatant, ill-spirited criticism. The customers who lay down their chicken-feed at the box-office buy the right to knock the industry. The prissy purists scream for art without sex. Hick legislators want pictures made to reflect only the particular types of morality, political opinion and modus vivendi of their circumscribed electorates. ‘Innumerable irresponsible persons have made handsome livings doing nothing but haranguing against Hollywood. “Shirt? groups have used the movies as a target, standing on spurious statistics; narrow-minded bigots have beat their breasts over fictional projection of what we see every day in actuality; the entire business has been damned for the derelictions of isolated individuals; and every human frailty, such as any large body of humans would embrace, has been magnified a thousandfold. “The writer has spent many weeks in Hollywood, in perhaps three-score visits. He is in intimate acquaintance with the biggest and the simplest workers in the community. He has never been a paid defender of the industry or the colony. But it is his conviction that the people of Hollywood are far more patriotic, far more decent, and far more honorable than those who dwell in the average American center.” The war activities committee, Lait writes, includes the presidents of 33 organizations, with more than 15,000 members. Of Hollywood's 18,000 male workers, 2,000 are already in the armed forces. Right now Hollywood is gathering a billion dollars for the American Victory Bond campaign. Every part of the industry, regardless of geographical differences, has the right to take pride in the great contribution to the war effort of the United’ Nations. So put away your whips, boys. Or better still, use them on the Axis. Me Se ee ee HYE BOSSIN, Managing Editor Allen In Lieut. Gurston Allen, ex-Premier executive now attached to the Directorate of Special Services, Ottawa, was in town over the week end. No Pay Boost The Regional War Labor Board turned down the request of Winnipeg projectionists that an in_creased cost-of-living bonus be granted them, which would bring ,it to $3.65. September 23rd, 1942 20th Century Men Meet in Toronto (Contiriued from Page 1) and metals could be diverted into more important channels. Nat A. Taylor, president of 20th Century Theatres, presided over the second day’s session. He explained to the gathering that he had been in Ottawa the first day, together with other motion picture industry representatives, for discussions regarding the approaching Victory Loan drive. Taylor said that the government was anxious to divert the country’s increased income into vital channels, such as the Victory Loan, so that reckless and unnecessary spending would be decreased and therefore remove the danger of inflation. The government, he said, had decided that each committee in each city or town should carry one theatre manager. Most interesting to the delegates was his discussion of theatre operation in wartime. “I am often asked,” he said, “that if extra profits are made and the government gets them, why worry? Well, the government needs them and it’s our duty to earn them. Also we must keep in training, as it were, for proper and economical operation of theatres. What it took years to develop must be guarded. We mustn’t allow our fences to fall away. A soldier doesn’t fight all the time but he keeps in training.” The 20th Century chief also discussed personnel during and after the war, the effect of the pass abuse on the problem of maintenance, and the new product. “This season,” he told the crowd, “there will be more good pictures than at any time in history— amazing, since Hollywood has been working under war conditions. The quality is immeasurably greater.’”’ A good picture in the opposition house didn’t necessarily mean less business but more. “A good picture creates the desire to get the same enjoyment by seeing another one,’ he explained. Raoul Auerbach, general man ager of the organization, presided | over the first day’s session. He emphasized the need of harder selling to the public because of the anticipated return of single fentures and the lack of star names, a war condition. Managers, he advised, must impress projectionists, in particular, with the slogan, ‘‘Respect and protect the machine that gives you your daily bread.” Frank Meyers, in speaking, drove home the need of maintenance as a patriotic duty and a necessity. Patrons, he said, should be educated to be careful. Managers should make a checkup as frequently as possible, since replacements were almost out of the question. Hardware items Snowe o> be watched carefully or ‘“you’ll soon have a glass doorknob beside @ brass one.” “Treat the theatre own home,” he said. clean.” Lloyd Mills discussed exploitation matters and Barney Fox spoke on booking problems. Syd Roth explained the new power regulations, which are _ carried elsewhere in this issue. The convention sat down to a banquet in the hotel after the second day’s session, at which Mr. Taylor presided. Among the speakers were R. W. Bolstad, Morris Stein and H. Freedman. Ben Geldsaler, Sam Ulster and Abe Polakoff were also at the head table. Stein’s remarks were of special interest to the listeners. ‘I made a list one day,” he said, “of what a manager should do. But I never ‘finished the list because there is no end to it. A manager today has duties he never dreamed of before.” The delegates were entertained with several screenings, a party and a golf tournament. Celebrate Birthday Of Welland Theatre The combined staffs of the Park and Community theatres of Welland, Ont., were the guests of Manager and Mrs. J. J. Paul on a recent evening, at Bitner’s tea rooms, celebrating the first anniversary of the Park theatre. Mr. Trotter, assistant manager at the Capitol theatre, and M. Jolly, manager of the Community theatre, were among the guests like your “Keep it e present. iii > N HEATING AND VENTILATING CONTRACTORS AND ENGINEERS