Canadian Film Weekly (Apr 14, 1943)

Pago 6 OF CANADA LTD. 277 Victoria St. Toronto Make way for Monogram the fastest growing company in the industry releasing one box-office hit after another. SILVER SKATES tops all ice revues, booked by all leading circuits and theatres DAWN ON THE GREAT DIVIDE made big—it is big, the screen’s thundering covered-wagon epic RHYTHM PARADE a musical cocktail with the most gorgeous girls in the world—it is box-office—music with the Mills Brothers, Ted Fio Rito and his orchestra, and the entire Earl Carroll Hollywood Revue Four East Side Kid Productions definitely box-office dynamite, a perfect week-end attraction * Coming Soon sensation of the year | ESCAPED FROM THE GESTAPO Mary Brian, Dean Jagger, John Carradine SARONG GIRL Ann Corio, Johnny (Scat) Davis and his band, Tim and Irene, radio favorites. MONOGRAM PICTURES Toronto, Montreal, St. John Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver Canadian FILM WEEKLY April 14, 1948 House of Commons {Trailer Fights Talks Movies The condition of the motion picture theatre business in Canada was the subject of some interesting discussion in the House of Commons recently. The give-and-take arose when John R. MacNicol (Davenport) revealed that he was under the impression that the increase of the amusement tax on the price of admission to “certain places of entertainment” applied also to motion picture theatres. The Hon. James L. Ilsley, Minister of Finance, assured Mr. MacNicol that movie houses would not be affected by the tax raise from 20 to 25 per cent. “I hope the minister pays no attention to the pleas of the motion picture people,’ said Thomas Reid (New Westminster). ‘‘Everyone of them is making money.” This drew a reply from George J. Tustin (Prince Edward-Lennox), formerly a theatre operator, who pointed out that quite a number of small theatres have gone out of business. “I did not particularly object to the tax in the larger centres where there is a great deal of war work and a great number of soldiers are stationed,” said Mr. Tustin, “but there are many small centres in Ontario where there is no war work, where no soldiers are stationed, and theatres in such places are under a great handicap.” Mr. Tustin suggested theatres in small places, where there is but one in a town, should be given some consideration. “It is the only place of recreation that a great many people have and, as he (Mr. Isley) said himself, the difficulty has increased now that cars cannot get gasoline. The theatre is, therefore, left to depend entirely upon the population of the small town.” Mr. MacNicol, in introducing the subject, paid tribute to the benefit of motion pictures. “What I have seen and heard,” he said, “convinces me that picture shows are doing splendid work, in the middle of a very serious war, to maintain the morale of the peo Another Blast at Sunday Show Idea Asserting the practice of theatre operation on Sunday is, in most cases, “racketeering under the name of patriotism,” Rev. A. Ross Skinner, field secretary of the Lord’s Day Alliance, warned against what he termed a “dangerous situation.” He said if theatres are allowed to open on Sundays now the way will be paved for an undesirable post-war practice. The statement was made before the meeting of the Toronto Presbytery last week. ple. I know no other agency effective for this purpose. On Saturday afternoons large numbers of children with thelr mothers go to see the shows, and seemingly it strengthens these women to carry on the work they are doing while their husbands are away in the army.” Mr. Isley, replying to a question from Mr. MacNicol, said the 20 per cent tax on picture houses has had no adverse effect, though he admitted that some had been affected by causes other than tax, such as gasoline rationing and population shrinkage. “Even in the province of Quebec,” stated the Finance Minister, “which unlike Ontario has a very large provincial tax, perhaps 15 per cent, making a total, if I am correct in that figure, of something like 35 per cent, admissions have gone up considerably since we put the tax on.” Split Decision In Dismissal Case W. H. Smith, suing Twinex Century Theatres and Famous Players for alleged wrongful dismissal from his post as manager of the Tivoli, Kingston, received a judgment against Famous Players from Mr. Justice Chevrier but failed in the case against Twinex. The judgment stated: “. .. The onus is on the plaintiff to establish a right of action against Taylor and against Twinex; in that he has hopelessly failed both as to facts and on the law... . The plaintiff's action against Taylor and Twinex is therefore dismissed, and with costs if exacted.... I find as a fact that the plaintiff was at all times during his employment well aware that the mode of employment was only on a weekly basis. ... The plaintiff is therefore entitled to judgment against Famous Players for four additional weeks’ salary at the rate of $40 per week, and further to the profits, if any, accrued during that period under the terms of the manager's profit-sharing plan. . .. The plaintiff will be paid his costs on a Division Court scale without set-off.” W. F. Nickle, K.C., and C. M. Smith acted for Smith; J. Singer, K.C., for N. A. Taylor and Twinex; and J. M. Bullen, K.C., for Famous Players, Show Vandalism (Continued from Page 1) like to make them see the error of their ways. One manager reports that the most effective method in his house is to have a policeman walk up and down the aisles several times during the performance. The Motion Picture Theatres Association of Ontario, through Secretary Syd Taube, has been checking on the individual efforts of theatre men and hopes to find some helpful practices. He has received the wording of two trailers, each presented against a background of Uncle Sam pointing at the audience, from a USA exhibitor. It might be adapted for Canadian uses. They are printed below. TRAILER COPY ‘A’ A NO PATRIOTIC CITIZEN would knowingly destroy property when conservation is so IMPORTANT to the WAR EFFORT... .Yet some one has been cutting the seats in this theatre. Surely that person has not realized that his action is grossly UNAMERICAN! Certainly he will stop now that we have pointed out how UNPATRIOTIC such destruction is. TRAILER COPY ‘B’ VANDALISM IS TREASON! Don’t destroy our irreplacable theatre equipment! Aside from every other reason. ... It is definitely Unpatriotic to... Deface Walls + Burn Carpets Tear Seats Be a good citizen and Patriot! Help us keep our theatre in good condition to conserve Vital Materials for WAR! Plenty of "Pimperel’ B & F has booked “The Scarlet Pimpernel,” reissued through PRC, in 12 situations. Sunday Show Fine Walter R. Golding, proprietor of the Community Theatre, West St. John, N.B., was fined $10 last week by Magistrate Palmer in city police court on the charge of carrying on the regular business of the theatre on a Sunday in violation of the Lord’s Day Act. Theatre Fine Raised After Bureau's Appeal A fine of $25 and costs, imposed for overcrowding upon T. McCoy, manager of the Capitol, Guelph, Ont.,.was raised to $75 in the local police court. The Ontarlo Theatre Inspection Department appealed, claimed that the magistrate who tried the case first had been too lenient. le © > = is @e ©eeee sececieees i al et el