Canadian Film Weekly (Apr 7, 1943)

Pago 8 NFB Shows Bring Novel Reactions One thing National Film Board projectionists have learned while touring the theatreless byways Canadian FILM WEEKLY April 7, 1943 East Coasters Like /He Just Rented Mal. EK. Walker Exhibitor ARLY this month the folks around Sackville, New Brunswick, went out of their way to tell Malcolm BE. Walker, Maritimes with their wagon shows Is that) .-ninitor, how much they thought there is another viewpoint to everything. From the earliest movie times city and town children have thrilled to the sight of white men chasing Indians. Lo, the poor Indian, never got much sympathy from blood-thirsty juveniles. But Bill Ritchie, NFB projectionist, learned something while doing some unreeling at & country school in Appleton, Ontario. The children were asked to write essays about the films. And the Indian kids from the Spanish Reservation wrote that, while they liked the films very much, they would like to see more films with Indians chasing white men! At night, Ritchie and all the projectionists of the National Film Board Rural Circuit show the films to grownups. The audience comes from miles around, eager, interested, with a thirst for knowledge of the war that produces surprising results. The rural circuit, originated in January, 1942, has shown films to more than 300,000 people in isolated communities. SUPERIOR FILMS 277 VICTORIA ST. TORONTO Now Releasing In Old Santa Fe Ken Maynard, Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette x City of Missing Girls * I'll Sell My Life * Lady in the Morgue * Black Doll of him. The excuse for the approving nods and handshakes was the tenth year of Walker’s ownership of the Imperial Theatre of that town. Away from the big cities theatre people are very real folk to the public. Thoughts of their enjoyment lead naturally to those who presented it for them. Walker acquired the Imperial in 1933 and has spared no efforts to make it a first-class house ever since. This year he installed the newest in sound equipment. At the time he took over the Imperial he was the youngest exhibitor in the Dominion. This Walker is mot only active in theatre matters but a very enterprising fellow. In 1934 he brought the old Scotia Theatre, Halifax, in tow, moving to that city. The name was changed to the Gaiety. Fire destroyed it in 1937 and Walker replaced it with the New Gaiety on a bigger and better scale. In 1938 he opened New Germany's first theatre, the York. When Walker moved to Halifax to establish his headquarters there he appointed Sydney Brownell to manage the Imperial. When Brownell joined the Armed Services his wife replaced him. The Sackville Tribune joined with the populace in lauding Walker and his accomplishments. Guelph Staffs Go to School Guelph, Ontario, theatre employees will get basic training in how to look after patrons under wartime emergency conditions. Professor W. C. Blackwood will give a series of lectures designed especially for theatre employees in connection with the civilian defence program. Fats Drive Coming Right Along Three Chatham, Ontario, houses —Park, Capitol and Centre— yielded 1,765 pounds of fats to the drive. The Capitol outdrew the others with 825 pounds. London, Ontario, theatres collected 2,100 pounds, The Capitol, North Bay, Ont., collected almost two tons from the youngsters, In Calgary, the Palace, Grand, Capitol, Variety and Strand ran shows, as did the Lacombe Theatre, Lacombe, Alberta, which is operated by H. B. Stevenson. Malcolm E. Walker, wellknown Maritimes exhibitor, whose tenth year as owner of the Imperial, Sackville, N.B., was celebrated by the patrons of that town. Manager Mrs. Sydney Brownell, manager of the Imperial, Sackville, N.B. She took over when her husband, manager of the house for eight years, joined the Armed Services. Bendix Visits Toronto William Bendix, popular Paramount star, who will be seen shortly in “China,” will visit Canada next week. Win Barron, Para Canadian p.a. will accompany him on visits to Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal. Out the Show! Probably the toughest-luck manager in the business is Wyman Packard of the Colonial Theatre, Portland, Maine. He rented out the theatre to a committee from a local shipyard for a midnight show, receiving $100. More than 750 brawny workers attended, paying $1.50 for the privilege. They soon decided it was a gyp and wanted their money back. Apparently they weren't offered any satisfaction. The shipyard workers wrecked the seats, broke the windows and ruined the stage, leaving the place looking like a slice of the Stalingrad front. The cops came. The manager found himself in police court facing a variety of charges: (1) Operating a projection machine without a license from the State Insurance Committee, (2) Permitting the aisles to be blocked, (3) Permitting sand to block an exit door. He was fined for these offences. But he was acquitted of the charge of having the main door of the theatre locked during the show. His janitor was fined $50 for that. Plenty of trouble, you say? But that isn’t all. Together with a member of the shipyard committee, he was held for the Grand Jury for allowing an indecent performance, All he did, said Manager Packard, was rent out the place and the regular program. Jen CONTRACT SALES OFFICE PHOWE TR.1257 G™* FLOOR ~ he Great