Canadian Film Weekly (Mar 31, 1943)

Vol. 8, No, 14 VOICE of the CANADIAN MOTION PICTURE TORONTO, MARCH 3ist, 1943 INDUSTRY $2.00 Per Annum Alberta Trade Sees Big Year Sask. Exhibs Ask For Film Depot Saskatchewan exhibitors, at the meeting of their Motion Picture Exhibitors Association in Saskatoon, asked that the distributors establish a depot at some handy point in the province. Saskatchewan has something like 150 theatres, which are serviced from Winnipeg for the East and Calgary for (Continued on Page 2) Ottawa Studies Raw Stock Use At the request of the War Production Board of the USA, which body rules over the allocation of raw stock, the Wartime Prices and Trade Board, through Roy Geddes, has undertaken a study of the use of positive film base in the Dominion. It is estimated that Canada has been using 25 per cent (Continued on Page 4) W'peg Theatres Are Fireproof Ald. William Scraba reported to the safety committee of the Winnipeg City Council last week that the city’s theatres were more fireproof than at any time in the past. He said that children could attend theatres without fear of fire. Theatre Inspectors To Fire Meeting For the first time theatre inspectors of every provincial department have been asked to the annual meeting of the Dominion Fire Prevention Association, of which Col. John A. Cooper is the president. The Association will meet at the Seignory Club, Quebec City, on May 20, 21, and 22. Canadian’ fire marshals will attend the meeting. ‘iit Parade Alaskan Roadmen May Help to Boost Admissions by Million Motion picture attendance in Alberta exceeded all previous records during the fiscal year of the province which ended today, according to a report from the provincial treasurer’s department. Alberta exhibitors are looking forward to The Hatfields and The McCoys The prize draw at the Pioneers ball showed winners right across the Dominion. Nova Scotia, for instance, took four. You certainlly can’t call Toronto Hogtown on that one. Archie Laurie and Cecil Snyder, Deputy Attorney General of Ontario, were among those who were there to see that it was fair. It yielded a laugh, however, when Harrison Patte, Ontario booker for Famous Players, won as a prize, a two-people pass— to any Odeon theatre!! New Jersey Fights Blind Checking The New Jersey Allied Exhibitors are boosting a bill headed for the state legislature that would make blind checking oftheatres illegal. It will be aired some time next month. Redpath Is President Of New 16 Mm. Body William Redpath of General Films was elected president of the recently organized Canadian 16 Mm. Moticn Picture Distributors Association at their first meeting last week. Col. John A. Cooper is chairman of the board and Miss M. S. Doerr is secretary-treasurer, The directors are Oscar Hanson, Wiliam Redpath, Walter Kennedy and Col. Cooper. A committee was appointed to confer with the four service organizations about improving the booking of 16 mm.’s in army camps, of 1943° a disproportionately greater increase during the next annual period because of the presence of thousands of Americans working on the Alcan Highway. It is estimated that the new fiscal period will show 1,250,-~ 000 admissions more than this one. In 1940, according to the report of Dominion Bureau of Statistics issued in 1942, Alberta patronage totalled 8,301,586 — 526,095 more than in 1989. The 1941 figures left (Continued on Page 2) Theatre Men Win In Manitoba The Manitoba Legislature killed the much disputed bill intended to keep children under 14 out of theatres in that province unless accompanied by parents. A full story can be found inside. Film Red Cross May Jump 25% The Canadian motion picture industry’s drive in aid of the Red Cross is meeting with even greater success than last year’s effort, it is indicated by reports reaching the offices of the film committee's chairman, Col. John A. Cooper. “As far as I can see from the subscriptions coming in from all (Continued on Page 4) Nine Indicted In Film Fraud That the motion picture industry has been since 1932 the victim of vicious extortion and racketeering on a far larger scale than has been heretofore suspected was revealed last week when the USA Department of Justice indicted nine well-known racketeers and one IATSE business agent. The (Continued on Page §&) Canadian Pioneers In Spring Session The Canadian Picture Pioneers, meeting at the Royal York Hotel, Toronto, on March 28rd, listened to Hal Hode of Columbia Pictures, New York, review the origin of the organization. Hode’s address was sentimental and of particular (a appeal to 24 new members who were initiated at the meeting. These had reached the mark of 25 years in the industry, which is the requirement of membership to the international body of film veterans. Hode revealed that the Pioneers had originated in the mind of Jack Cohn of Columbia pictures at the funeral of an old-time film man, a close friend of those who had charted the course of the industry from store shows to cinema cathedrals. Cohn, impressed with the need of film veterans for protection against the uncertainties of life, had said: “Why don’t we give them flowers when they can smell them?” He then introduced the idea to many who had served the industry for much of their lives (Continued on Page 2) Laurie to NY Archie Laurie, Canadian sales manager of Republic, is in New York for a meeting of the company’s sales staff. Variety, bible of the business, says of REPUBLIC’S great musical, “A hit... — another Industry grosser . . . boff the boxoffice . . . will do a very hefty business.” Motion Picture Herald says, “All the things a musical ought to be this one is... a new high... right for all kinds of people.” BOOK THIS BOXOFFICE MUSICAL NOW! (advt.)