Canadian Film Weekly (Apr 28, 1943)

ail April 28, 1948 FPC Shows Net Rise in 1942 Net profit equal to $2.97 a share on 430,524 no-par-value shares is reported for the year ended Jan. 2, 1943, by Famous Players Canadian Corp., Ltd., as compared with $2.70 a share in 1941. The earnings for 1942 include $140,000, refundable portion of income and excess profits taxes paid, which is equal to 32 cents a share. Total of these taxes paid at $1.6 millions, aside from the refundable portion, is up $600,000 for the year, and is equal to $3.60 a share. Company’s liquid position has been strengthened, with net working capital of $2,319,691 at Jan. 3, 1943, comparing with $1,666,374 at Dec. 31, 1941. Current assets of $2,956,477 compare with $2,957,753, “and current liabilities of $636,786 with $1,291,379. Reduction in current Habilities is accounted for by prepayments on account of 1942 taxes of $1,521,500, leaving reserve for taxes at $269,062, against $916,563 at end of previous year. First mortgage and collateral trust bonds outsanding have been reduced from $5,754,500 to $5,698,000. Total assets of $16,623,319 compare with $16,966,139. No 12.05s For Alcan Workers The village commission of Dawson Creek, boomtown southern terminus of the Alcan highway, has clamped down on midnight shows, cabarets and dance halls by an edict which permits only essential services to remain open after midnight. Toronto Girl Gets Screen Credit Rohama Lee, Toronto scenario writer now in Hollywood, nabbed a nice screen credit, together with L. Willinger, for 20th-Fox's ‘“Tonight We Raid Calais.” The picture stars John Sutton and Anna-~bella, and features Lee J. Cobb, Beulah Bondi and Blanche Yurka. Audas, Projectionist, Quits After 20 Years The veteran projectionist of the Capitol Theatre, Amherst, Nova Scotia, Frank Audas, has resigned after more than twenty years on the job. Local folk regretted his leaving, as did F. G. Spencer, his employer. Audas has not been in the best of health. Stephens Lectures Mel Stephens, manager of the (Granada, Dunnville, Ontario, was tthe speaker at a recent meeting of tthe Kinsmen Club of that town. Hie spoke on the moving picture thusiness. Canadian FILM WEEKLY Sunday Soldier Shows Attacked (Continued from Page 1) Col. Ralston present recreation facilities, such as the Art Gallery, were ‘good enough, the Presbytery claimed. Z The Toronto local of the IATSH, however, disagrees with the stand of the Vancouver one. Support was voted unanimously for the shows at a meeting last Sunday. “We consider it our patriotic duty,” stated W. P. Covert, business manager, “to do everything we can to bring enjoyment to our boys in uniform. We are 100 per cent for the idea. But we stand four-square against any other kind of Sunday show whatever.” Canadian operators and circuits have consistently turned down all requests for Sunday soldier shows from private bodies. Famous Players yielded at the request of Col. Ralston and Brigadier Mess, representing the government, and introduced the shows in five cities, Toronto, Halifax, Edmonton, Victoria.and Prince Rupert. The protest of the Vancouver projectionists was issued when it became known that such shows are being considered in that city. * The protest, signed by Pearson and W. H. Blake, secretary of the Vancouver lecal, points out that theatres in the downtown area of Vancouver are open from 11 a.m. until midnight on all week days, “a period in which, no matter what kind of a shift a person works, ellows time to satisfy the entertainment desires of picture patrons,” In addition, the letter says, some theatres reopen at midnight Sunday, allowing only a 24-hour shutdown. Nor do they enjoy any Saturday holidays, being open every day in the year except Sundays and Saturday holidays invariably extend the hours of opening and closing. It is also pointed out that the opening of theatres at midnight Sundays until 3 and 4 a.m., Mondays entails for the staffs a working day of more than 12 hours. “furthermore,” the protest reads, “many Vancouver theatres are rented Sundays for symphony concerts, lectures, meetings and, due to war work, many charitable appeals, which constitute a further drain on employees’ leisure time and rest. Studios Hunt For Screen Writers There is a scarcity of men and women who have the necessary experience needed to fashion the plentiful crop of plays, books and original stories into workable screen scripts. Film studios are on the lookout for scenario writers to replace former employees now in the service. “In four blocks on Granville Street are nine theatres with an approximate seating capacity of 15,000, opening at 11 am. or earlier. With the exception of Saturdays, many of these theatres could at any one time until 6 p.m. very easily seat the total patronage of all these nine theatres.” It is contended that “the excuse of war workers coming off shift at midnight also could apply to theatre staffs; thus we recognize this as a penalty on the nature of the industry. “Furthermore more than 50 per cent of theatre staffs are females.” On these grounds, the letter states, the organization is opposed to “any proposed amendments to civic or provincial laws to secure Sunday theatre opening.” The protest of the Victoria Ministerial Association, unanimously endorsed by all members, reads: “This association, having heard of the action of the Department of National Defence in authorizing the opening of moving picture houses in this city on the Lord’s Day, begs to remind the department of | the interest shown in the welfare of the troops by the Christian churches from the very beginning of the war, and to record its deep regret that the expressed opinion of the representatives of . the churches on this subject has been ignored. The opinion is strongly held amongst those who are in close touch with the men and women of the forces that if the weekday entertainment provided by the department were up-todate and interesting and of high quality, the demand for Sunday entertainment would be practically negligible.” It is unlikely that the protests will cause any change in the government’s plans. Farr's Bond Parodies Boosts Sydney Sales J. W. Farr, well-known Nova Scotia exhibitor, who is publicity chairman of the War Finance Committee of North Sydney, has written a Victory Loan song book, “Songs for Victory,” which contains pertinent parodies on popular songs. To to the tune of “Pack Up Your Troubles,” he has written these apt lyrics: “Take all your dollars from the old gray sock and buy, buy, buy Till Victory’s dawning, we can do without the trimmings if we try Put your dollars in the light—-let freedom never die. So Instead of bondage we'll have Victory Bonds Let’s buy, buy, buy.” Page 5 Presumed Dead SGT. J. M. ATKINSON Previously reported missing and now officially presumed dead, Sergeant Atkinson is the first casualty reported from the ranks of former employees of Associated Screen News, Montreal. Atkinson was a popular member of the motion picture company’s art department. He enlisted in 1940 and went overseas in December, 1941. His wife and infant daughter reside at Lachine, Que., his parents, Mr. and Mrs. F. A. Atkinson, at Vancouver, B.C. Studios Increase Escapist Films Leading studios, in anticipation of a change in public taste, are prepering films that will play down the war angle in favor of light, escapist entertainment. Through the recent glut of war films the public has been kept well informed of United Nations’ war aims and the change in entertainment preference is clearly presaged by the popularity of romantic books now heading the best-seller lists. New products will ignore the present conflict and will mainly consist of musicals, costume drames and horror films. Far more than the usual number of horror films are scheduled for early release. A great demand for frothy entertainment is expected when the war is over and Hollywood will not be caught napping. Present plans to lessen the emphasis on war themes, indicate that within the next eight months to a year, major studios will work on flms that submerge the war angle for release early in 1944, Bill Bounsall Joins Up Bill Bounsall, popular member of Odeon Theatres’ art department has joined the army. He's with the engineers.