Canadian Film Weekly (Apr 28, 1943)

Vol. 8, No. 18 HYE BOSSIN, Address all communications—The Managing Editor, Canadian Film Weekly, 21 Dundas Square, Toronto, Canada. Published by Film Publications of Canada, Ltd., Sth Floor, 21 Dundas Square, Toronto, Ont., Canada, Phone ADelaids 4310, Price 5 cents each or $2.00 per year. Entered as Second Class Matter Publicity Boomerang? Hollywood press agentry has been comparatively restrained since the USA got in the war. Obvious nonsense has been ruled out of the exploitation field. Head Office, field and local men have been beating the old drum, all right, but they’ve been producing martial rhythm. MGM just concluded a continental campaign to find a juvenile girl star to play opposite Mickey Rooney in “National Velevet.” Hopeful mammas everywhere trotted out daughter for studio scouts and newspaper observers. Then came the news that the daughter of Peter Arno, iamous cartoonist, had been chosen. The public thought that some unknown girl from one of Canada’s or the USA’s many cities and towns would get a chance at fame and fortune. The mothers who spent money and time on daughter feel hoodwinked. Their opinion is that the choice was in the bag all the time. But maybe MGM is innocent. Roly Young, screen critic of the Globe and Mail gave expression to some of the resentment. Columnists are asked to aid such stunts and usually do. Young wrote that he was completely fed up with what he called a cheap method of obtaining publicity. “The whole business of publicized talent hunts smells,” wrote Roly, “and in the long run I believe it causes more disappointment and hard feelings than it does good-will. Personally I suggest the industry should abolish them for the duration—of the movies.” Young is right—if Hollywood is wrong. They Don’t Like It Hollywood has been catching a right royal rousting in the public prints of late. The latest to toss a grenade at the Cinema City is the USA army newspaper, “Stars and Stripes.” That newspaper implies that American soldiers are sick of seeing themselves as heroes in so many pictures. It’s embarrassing to Uncle Sam’s nephews in Britain at the moment. They share the showing of some new features with people who took three years’ of the Blitz standing up and it makes them feel sheepish. That's why “Desert Victory.” story of the British victory. in Africa, is so novel. We see the boys in our uniforms BLY WOME VICTORY BONDS Z, Ch Chel? 0 April 28, 1948 7 Managing Editor SS ee SS SsSsSSSSSSS»j§sx Canadian FILM WEEKLY Theatre Folk April 28, 1943 “Back the Attack’! (Continued from Page 1) ed today than in the past campaigns. There is a backlog of tried-andtrue methods, there are new ones being offered and, of course, that manager is lacking in resourcefulness indeed who cannot think of ways of interesting the public in So popular a subject. Canadian Film Weekly hereby offers a breakdown of theatre, exchange, individual and committee ideas easily put into practice in your community. They can be changed to suit yourself. They will make the task easier and serve the great purpose they were designed for. If there is any doubt about anything your nearest theatre drive chairman will be glad to help you. It is important that each manager co-operate with his local Victory Loan Committee to the fullest extent. It is also important that he keep a record of the ideas he put into practice so that they might be of value to others. VICTORY LOAN TRAILERS Three trailers, ‘Journey for Margaret,” “Raymond Massey,” and ‘In Which We Serve,” will be distributed to theatres by all ex ehanges. The prints of these were | ing made by the Associated Screen News. A number of 16mm. prints of varied subjects will be distributed for showings in army camps and halls. ADVERTISING MEDIUMS Managers can do their usual exploitation but adding a Victory Loan character to it. In smaller towns the theatres are usually the centre of Loan activities. Because of this anyone will offer any cooperation asked by you. The following list can be modified, expanded or changed to suit your own needs. Display: 1. Regular theatre cards bearing Victory Loan matter, placed in store windows and delivered by scouts. 2. Special theatre front for three weeks, each change retaining the tieup with the Victory Loan. 8. Banners on local trucks.. 4. An objective chart in the lobby. 5. Heralds to carry boosts for Loan as well as program. Theatre: 1. Sunday ceremonial meeting to launch the Loan, with a radio pickup, if possible. 2. A lobby quiz each Monday evening, the prizes being bonds donated by local citizens, also for radio. 8. Big Victory Loan Show one night each week, with guest artists as an added attraction. A speaker should be invited. 4. Children’s Victory Loan Sat urday Matinee, if the local radio station is willing to broadcast it, and a bond-selling angle can be worked out. 5. A contest to pick Miss Victory, with the winner receiving a donated bond. 6. Running special trailers issued by committee. 4. Three-minute speeches at each performance during the Loan. Newspaper: 1. Weekly writeups of Victory Loan news originating in theatre and adequate coverage of each stunt. 2. Co-operative theatre ad carrying special advertising by merchants boosting the Loan. 8. Thorough use of mats and drop-in slugs issued by the Motion Picture Section of the Loan. We will be glad to hear about any successful idea as soon as possible, so that it may be passed on. In boosting the Victory Loan to the patrons, do not forget your personal duty, nor that of the people under you. Subscribe yourself as an example and try to get as many employees as possible to subscribe. Your firm will be only too happy to undertake this financ Start working right away and don’t let up all the way. Too Good to Be True An American trade paper reported that “Random MHarvest” “Pride of the Yankees’ did tremendous as a double bill in an Edmonton theatre. It started an argument, most readers around Toronto refusing to believe it. It wasn’t true, either. Anything In This Schedule Suggestion? An interesting suggestion about the order of the program turns up in a letter to the editor of the Vancouver News-Herald from 2a lady named Helen Drake. We quote: “I would like to make the suggestion to local picture shows that, at the morning showing of pictures, they would run off the feature picture first, instead of a series of shorts. “As a war worker who has to get on the job for the afternoon shift, I often have to leave the show before the feature film is finished, a fact that is most annoying. And even if I have time to remain until it is finished, I am constantly watching the time to be sure that I shall not be late. “Maybe it would be found convenient by the theatre-managers to run off the big story first, and later the shorts, which, although interesting, are much more easy to leave than a feature film.”