Canadian Film Weekly (Dec 9, 1942)

2 December 9, 1942 Double Bills i Win Support (Continued from Page 1) when he called for the elimination ‘of duals, an action that was considered the official beginning of the end. Now Hollywood, exhibitors and patrons have come out flatly against the elimination of the two-feature program. The major studios feel that the public wants double bills. In the past many regional polls have shown that. Anti-dualers have been loud in their protests while the rest have kept quiet and this gave the impression that the double bill was unpopular. Faced with action, the proponents of doubles are making themselves heard and it is evident that they represent the more popular sentiment. It has been agreed in production circles that the death of duals would also be fatal to the smaller companies, leaving Hollywood in the hands of the majors. Such a condition would be a detriment to the growth and development of picture-making and the majors are determined to protect the smaller studios as much as possible. Several exhibitor organizations, however, still stand against the duals. Ed Kuykendall of the ' MOPTA not only wants doubles killed but also asks that the number of present performances be frozen.. Defenders of the double Dill point out that wherever a theatre was losing money playing single features, duals usually rectified things. Patrons, it is claimed, will get out of the theatres. earlier and instead of going to bed, will seek further amusement, thus causing | additional spending, which the governments of Canada and the USA don’t favor. The usual late amusements are not the type to help strengthen the national character or-keep the folks in shape for the next day’s work. The argument that time is important to the people is being answered by showing that baseball double-headers, the long racing afternoon and other things have been left out of consideration. There is_no complete or general move in the direction of cutting the time devoted to~-sports and amusements and there is ‘no reason why the movies should suffer oe “= Grapes of Roth Syd Roth of 20th Century Theatres ribbed Frank Meyers, EBA manager, into a _ bowling game for a buck, then trimmed him. Pop: paid up amidst much joshing but he’s been holding secret practice ever since, The Fighting Drohans Canadian FILM WEEKLY Ue j0nThe Sq “are > g Something like a tornado out of the picture-vaudeville past blew back into Canada—Montreal and Toronto that is—last week. Toronto’s Harry Peterson and Montreal’s Marty Collins, for many years big-time names on vaudeville marquees, finally yielded to years of wooing and took a season’s booking on what’s left of the lighter side of the road—burlesque. Years ago Harry was the highest paid straightman in burlesque and Marty, then not long from Earl Carroll’s Vanities, one of the top comics of the business. They moved over to vaudeville, where they became shining lights. When vaudeville died the boys opened a night club in New York. It lasted a while and they went back to clubs, etc. It’s a long time since I’ve heard such laughs in a theatre as Collins and Peterson draw. Now they’ve exposed themselves again to the everyday routine, and what with the Hollywood craze for comedians, I’d almost bet a diamond to a dime that cinema scouts will put a snafile on them and lead them coastward. That’s what happened to such burlesque comics as Rags Ragland, Phil Silvers, the late Eddie Collins, Joe Yule, Joe De Rita, Abbott & Costello and others. Collins and Peterson rated over all of them at one time or another but their refusal to return to burlesque until now caused them to be overlooked. The Montreal and Toronto houses in which the team played were always crowded with old and new friends. The boys have been 11 weeks on the road and it’s been the same everywhere. In Toronto they were guests of honor at two banquets It will be nice to see them making faces at us via the screen. Their giddy yapping and equine escapades—horseplay to you— is surefire stuff. = = =e He Shoulda Been Told Something of the misconception which exists about the motion picture industry in even the best-informed circles was revealed to me the other day. I was part of a three-way conversation, the other two gabbers being a screen writer and a famous newspaper correspondent. “You know,” the correspondent told us, ‘“‘we never get to see the big pictures until months after the USA. The reason is that we have a price ceiling over here and rather than give in to it the companies won’t show the pictures until they’re finished everywhere else.” I didn’t bother to correct him. a = % Another theatre family that doesn’t go for Hitler’s nonsense and believes in doing something about it in direct fashion is the Drohans of Chatham, Ontario. Three sons of Mrs. and A. P. (Pat) Drohan, manager of the Capitol, Chatham, are serving. Sergeant Wireless Air Gunner Art Drohan is gracing the family table for a short while, having just returned from Western Canada. Art had many fine things to say about the fine way he ‘was made welcome by prairie folk. Cc. Q. S. Pat Drohan, oldest of the boys, joined the First Kent Regiment before it was mobilized for duty, and is now in British Columbia: The youngest brother, Jack, recently won a scholarship which ‘gives him ‘four’ years free tuition and ‘right now he’s at St. Michael’s in Toronto. He’s taking the officer’s training course. Pat and the missus can be proud of their boys—-and so can we. : * * ae Whodunit At the Pioneers’ dinner Rube Bolstad told the story of the two English ladies who just missed being hit by a Nazi bomb. “Just think,” said one as she brushed herself off, “we were almost blown into maternity!” “Yes,” said the other, ‘and we would have never known who done it!” ‘ Page 3 Warners First Canadian Drive (Continued from Page 1) ‘and continues for nineteen weeks. Norman H. Moray, short subject “sales manager, has been drafted to head the drive. All branch managers of Vitagraph, Ltd., will meet at the King Edward Hotel, Toronto, on Decem and receive the assistance of top executives of the company in planning their local campaigns. Valuable prizes will be awarded to three of the six Canadian branches at the termination of the contest. Branch managers, salesmen and bookers will participate in separate classifications.. Last year, five of the six Canadian branches finished among the first ten on the Continent, with Toronto receiving first prize. This year, with the Dominion offices pitted against each other, competition will probably be even keener. As special ammunition for the | drive the following product will be available: ‘Now, Voyager,” “Flying Fortress,” “George Wash ington Slept Here,” ‘Yankee Doodle Dandy,” “Casablanca,” “Air Force,” “Watch on _ the | Rhine,” “Mission to Moscow.” Besides Mr. Moray, Roy H. Haines, eastern sales manager, will be present from the Home. Office. Wolfe Cohen has instruct|ed the following branch managers | to attend: Joe Plottel, Toronto; I. “Babe” Coval, Montreal; Greydon A. Matthews, Winnipeg; Earl H. Dalgleish, Vancouver; Harry Kohn, Calgary; Lew McKenzie, St. John. Wolfe Cohen announces that the heavy ‘‘volume selling’” of Warner Bros. product for the coming season has been completed. The Vitagraph, Ltd., vice-president states that deals have’ been consummated with all the leading circuits including Famous Players, Odeon, United Amusements, Premier Operating, Exhibitors’ Booking, Bernstein and Lieberman, Franklin and Spencer circuits. It is thought that this selling effort may even top last year’s record, when 925 Canadian ac i counts, representing 97.3 ‘per cent .of the possibilities, purchased Warner product. ~ The following current standing | of the short subject sales drive which ends Jan. 3 is: (1) Montreal; (2) St. John; (3) Winnipeg; (4) Calgary; (5) Toronto; (6) Vancouver. Pioneer Joe Plottel Joe Plottel, Toronto branch manager of Vitagraph, Ltd., announces that he has become a member of the Film Pioneers’ Club, Canadian Division, on the basis of his twenty-five years» acy tivity in film distribution. ber 11 and 12 to hear the details. { ee