Canadian Film Weekly (Oct 28, 1942)

Page 4 Industry in Bond Blitz (Continued from Page 1) Players. Loew’s, Toronto, came through at the same time with a $100,000 boost. Though reports are necessarily lacking because the campaign is still young, groups of theatres throughout the country went ‘way over their quotas on the first and second day of the drive, this being the case with exchange employees also. Honored by the government with a special place in the Victory Loan drive, the industry showed its gratitude with a display of buying, selling and boosting the like of which has never been seen before. Under the sparking of the Motion Picture Section of the National War Finance Committee, exhibitors have been buying in the name of their firm and personally, and employees from the ceiling to the cellar have been pitching in as though it was their private war. The greatest service being rendered, however, is the missionary ‘zealand the ingenuity being shown by exhibitors, managers and theatre employees of every kind in directing public interest toward the buying of bonds. From this early view of the campaign it seems that the industry, if the intensity of its drive continues, ‘will hang up unheard-of records. Those exchange purchases reported up to the time of going to press are $100,000 each for Paramount, Regal, Vitagraph and 20th Century-Fox; Columbia, $75,000; and $50,000 each for Empire _ Universal and RKO. Several hundred film workers, employees and executives gathered at the Victoria Theatre, Toronto, on the morning of October 20th to hear speakers from their own -ranks and several guests explain the vital need of putting over ~their share of the third Victory Loan. Tom Bragg acted as chairman. Not the main speaker, who was C. W. Wright, head of the Speakers’ Panel of the Victory Loan Committee, who is home for a-month’s leave, drew the greatest interest and the most applause. Sergeant-Major Murphy was introduced by Colonel John A. Cooper. C. W. Wright, the chief speaker, pointed out that while Canadians were feeling the pinch on their personal liberty, the amount of restriction in here was exceeded considerably in our fellow-Dominfons. People, he said, often turned away Victory Loan canvassers with the explanation that they could not afford it. Wealth, however, was many things besides money and these, if they are to return, must be fought for. but Sergeant-Major James Murphy, MM., Dieppe hero It Almost Backtfired Canadian ily WEEKLY 3 70n The Square 74 with Hye Bo Arnoti Is Prisoner ’~ Bob Arnott, who used to be assistant-manager of the Vanity, Windsor, under Bob Brown, is officially listed as a prisoner of war. Bob, who enlisted in the early days of the war, comes from a family of fighting Scots and joined the Essex Scottish of Windsor. He was captured in the Dieppe raid. The news came as a relief, as Mrs. Brown and Bob’s friends had been scanning the casualty lists anxiously. Bob’s wife was also on the staff of the Vanity and it was at a farewell party given him by the staff that they decided to make it mister and missus. Bob’s friends in the forces have heard about his capture, says Bob Brown, and they’ll see to it that Bob gets back in as short a time as possible. * * * * Some Inspiration Cc. W. Wright of the Speakers Panel of the Victory Loan Committee, who addressed the rally of filmites at the Victoria Theatre, was pretty humorous. He was discussing the application of restrictions to every day affairs. “If you think it’s tough here,” he said, “you don’t know what it’s like in our fellow-Dominions. For insatnce, in one of them no chorus girl can operate as such if she’s under 45 years of age. I know that every man in this audience will subscribe to prevent that happening here!” * * * * In My Dash-and-Dotage I’ve got red, white and blue spots before my eyes—and I’m not sick. It happens I’m wearing a tie given me by Harland Rankin. That’s Harland’s favorite stunt. He hands out ties right and left. Harland forgot the price tag) on mine. It read: ‘29 cents.” That’s all right, I appreciate it just the same. ... Max Chic, Esquire publicity man, was married to Shirley Burke of Montreal in that city last week. . .. During the United Artists convention in New York recently Teddy Carr, UA’s English head, told the audience about Flight-Lieutenant Al Glazer winning the DFC. Carr and F. L. ag were Mada: a lot in England. mm * Old Toronto Theatres From the Questions and Answers column in the Toronto Daily Star: Local History: (1) The old Princess Theatre was erected in 1890. The new Princess Theatre was opened on October 1, 1917 and closed on November 22, 1930. The Grand Opera House was opened September 23, 1874, destroyed by fire on November 29, 1879, and rebuilt and opened February 9, 1880. It was demolished in 1928. We do not have information in our files as to the opening and closing dates of the Gayety and Star Theatres. The Gayety was razed in August, 1928. (2) The first long film shown in Toronto was in a store situated on Yonge near Richmond Street. In 1896 two American showmen opened this store as a place to exhibit the Corbett-Fitzsimmons fight film. The first motion picture theatre in Toronto and in Canada was established March 15, 1906, on the east side of Yonge Street, opposite Eaton’s. a a Charlie Stephenson, formerly of the Century, Kitchener, and now attached to 20th Century Theatres home office, tells about a stunt that almost backfired. Charlie was running an October Harvest Festival of hits at his house and handed out passes for the largest vegetable of each kind offered. He got quite a collection of over-sized produce, topped it with a big turkey and surrounded it with wheat. Prize item was a 63-pound pumpkin. Some wiseys cracked about the place being the house of turkeys. That wasn’t all. The farm folks, in town to see the show, who are regular customers, looked at the outside and kept going. Charlie found out why in a hurry. Such a scene was no novelty to ape They figured some church or other private outfit had bought the house for the harvest celebration, a common thing in the country! eee eee October 28th, 1942 (NFB Shorts Booked Solid (Continued from Page 1) regular showings. In Canada, with no compulsion whatever, exhibitors. include ivational Film Board shorts on their programs, as well as a special clip on every newsreel. In the near future each feature distributed in the Dominion will carry a 12-foot leader boosting the war effort. According to David H. Coplan, head of United Artists in Canada and liaison man between the motion picture industry in the government, 905 out of 1200 Canadian theatres now show the Canada Carries On series. This means almost 100 per cent co-operation, considering that some situations are competitive. The power of these figures become apparent when it is realized that only 36 per cent of USA houses are unreeling the fine shorts being made in Hollywood and offered gratis. USA exhibitors aren’t anxious to show them unless they’re sure that the other fellow is devoting the same amount of running time for the same purpose. The Canadian figures are remarkable in light of the fact that NFB shorts are distributed on a purely commercial basis by Columbia in Canada. The Canada Carries On series has its own public and has proved ticket-selling qualities. John Grierson laid down the principle that the shorts must ell themselves so well that United Artists now feeds them to the American market as the major part of its World in Action series. They are shown also in Australia and other English-speaking countries, as well as in foreign lands, native-language versions being offered in the latter. Canada maintains an exchange system for morale shorts with Great Britain. The British have made over 400 shorts since the war began. NOW, MORE THAN EVER — It’s vital to keep your chairs in shape Let Us Quote You on a Re-upholstering Job CANADIAN THEATRE CHAIR CO. 277 Victoria St., Toronto, Ont.