Canadian Film Weekly (Jan 13, 1943)

¢ Reweasing co mited = =~A Qe Releases SECRETS OF A CO-ED Otto Kruger, Tina Thayer A NIGHT FOR CRIME Glenda Farrell, Lyle Talbot TOMORROW WE LIVE Jean Parker, Ricardo Cortez BABY FACE MORGAN Robert Armstrong, Richard Cromwell, Mary Carlisle, Chick Chandler Please refer to the reviews of these pictures in your own favorite trade paper. Better yet, please screen the pictures. A PICTURE EVERY WEEK * —COMING— Alexander Korda Production ‘The Scariet Pimperne’ with Leslie Howard, Merle Oberon and Raymond Massey An * Producers Releasing Corporation LIMITED Executive Offices: 277 Victoria St., Toronto, 2, Ont. ® Canadian FILM WEEKLY “Hollywood Faces Trouble’--Editor One of the most startling and pessimistic predictions about the future of Hollywood during the war was given wide circulation in an article by Kyle Crichton, screen editor of Collier’s magazine, which appears in the January 9th issue of that publication. Crichton cried out for some action to protect Hollywood from indiscriminatory drafting of actors and technicians, predicting that if the present rate of departure continues the situation, which is serious now, will become desperate. America, he said, faces the loss of its most valuable morale weapon—the movies. Every person interested in the motion picture industry should obtain a copy of the article and read it thoroughly. Crichton pointed out the great value Russia and England placed upon its movie makers and quoted foreign opinions about the heedless manner in which Hollywood’s production possibilities are being allowed to dissipate. Part of the article, ‘Hollywood Gets Its Teeth Kicked In,” reads: “Every sin Hollywood ever committed is coming home to roost. The result is that the movies are taking a terrific shellacking, and nobody dares lift a voice in protest. “What Hollywood is saying secretly and can’t say publicly is: The Armed Forces are taking away all our actors, all our technical men. Things are serious now; in six months they will ke desperate. But if anybody in Hollywood got up and said that unless a great change in public policy is made the movies might be out of business in six months, an exultant chorus would sweep across the country: ‘So what?’ “This doesn’t mean that people hate the movies; it means that they have a mental image of Hollywood parties, Hollywood swimming pools, Hollywood castles, Hollywood income-tax returns, Hollywood scandals. The idea that all this might be lost makes America laugh right out loud. Hollywood knows it can’t say a word. One peep from that sector, and the _ repercussions would be tumultuous. ““Go on, you dirty slackers!’ the cry would come, followed by hoots, threats and vegetables. “Well, somebody had better start speaking up soon. The movies are threatened, and there is no use kidding about it or hiding it any longer. 4 “J’m speaking on my own because I don’t want to get anybody in Hollywood involved and I don’t want anyone taking the blame for my views. “Do I care if Hollywood is seri ously crippled? Yes. “Do you care if the movies go out of business? Yes. “Do either of us care if every big shot in Hollywood goes broke? No! “But I care and you care and America cares if anything keeps Hollywood from making the best pictures of its life in these war days. “There’s a thing called morale. The word has been overworked and perhaps I shouldn’t use it here. Let’s just put it like this: We don’t have movies any more, or the ones we have are inferior. Then what? “There are two ways of looking at that: (a) It would be a relief. (b) You’re exaggerating. “It wouldn’t be a relief because, Zenerally and nationally speaking, we’d go nuts without the movies. When President Roosevelt wants to relax, he has a movie run at the White House. Stalin bombarded Willkie about Hollywood. Churchill laughs himself back to health with Hollywood films. When we want to relax, we have a picture run for us down at the corner theatre— 90,000,000 of us a week planking our dough down on the ledge and getting relief from work and war and worry. “Well, that’s horse; everybody admits we can’t get along without the movies. And I say flatly that if the present trend keeps up, we’ll either have movies so horrible that their morale value will be gone or we'll have no movies at all. “Don’t be too sure that’s wild talk. Hollywood itself wouldn’t agree with it, but Hollywood never knows anything until it’s beating an old Over.” New Exhibition Ideas At New York Houses New York’s latest novelty in movie houses is the Laffmovie, on Broadway. It is an attempt to put the Laff Show on a permanent basis. The Laffmovie presents comedy shorts and tries to sell the bill to the entire family. The 5th Avenue Playhouse is advertising “The Great Music Film Festival,” a two-hour concert made up of concert stars and sequences from operas. At the Little Carnegie the “Original Uncut Version’ of “Fantasia” is being offered. The World has double-billed “The Art of Love” and “Bedroom Diplomat’ and the dual offering at the Belmont, when billed together, reads ‘“‘The Foolish Virgin” and “The Playboy.” with questions: January 18th, 1943 al digy , + = OR “Balalaika,” the Nelson Eddy starrer, John Kurk, Royal, North Bay, took advantage of the current wave of Russ popularity. The Russian story, background and music gave him much material and John saw that the folks heard about it. He got so wrapped up in his work that he caught himself walking down the street with a Cossack-style fur hat heading for the Aid to Russia Fund. John says his ears were cold just the same. That’s North Bay for you. ok * * | Pact MILLS, your old pal, got up a good one for ‘My Sister Eileen.” Bundles were left in street cars, shops and so on, with copy inside reading: “Bring this bundle back, it belongs to My Sister Eileen at the Century Theatre. Reward—free pass.” It would be just like somebody to ring ina f2w phoney bundles and make off with the passes. * * (pRee Al Perly, he’s a card! Perly, at the Midtown, Toronto, was playing “Talk of the Town.” He put out window cards in good locations featuring the heads of the three leading characters with a finger over each mouth and the copy reading: “Hush! Don’t let Canada’s War secrets become the Talk of the Town!” * * * Grtern SMART, Capitol, Port Hope, was quick to share the spotlight on municipal elections in his town. He placed a card in all polling booths advising the electors that the results would be announced from the stage, then arranged for the mayor to be present to conduct a Dimes for Victory draw. This brought front page publicity and a large crowd. That’s keeping an eye on the first chance. MGM Stars Shine Gary Cass Gleams Biggest smile On the Square belongs to Gary Cass of Regal— ever since the news arrived that four MGM stars had been picked in the list of the year’s 10' best actor folk. Mickey Rooney, Clark Gable, Greer Garson and Spencer Tracy are the ones who put the sunshine on the Cass pan. Abbott & Costello made Rio Rita for MGM and got listed likewise. It’s something, since no other company got more than one. Walter Pigeon, Wallace Beery, Red Skelton, Lana Turner and Judy Garland of MGM were among the runners-up,