Canadian Film Weekly (Dec 8, 1943)

Page 2 Pioneer Session Elects New Board (Continued from Page 1) board will convene later to elect officers. Seven members of last year’s board retain their positions and four new names were added. The board is made up of Clair Hague, Syd Taube, Ray Lewis, Archie Laurie, Charles Mavety, Walter Kennedy and Alf Perry, who were on last year’s list, and Tom Daley, Leo Devaney, Jack Arthur and Morris Stein, who were elected at this meeting. Hal Hode, of the American Picture Pioneers, came up from New York to address the meeting and spoke to the film men, many of whom had also come from far away places to be present. The meeting was followed by a dinner at which members were joined by out-of-town guests for several hours of amusement and sentimental reminiscences. The Canadian Picture Pioneers is part of an international body of film veterans, the requirement for membership being 25 years of continuous service in the industry. The organization was founded by a number of industry veterans who felt that old-timers needed the protection of a benevolent organization. The rapid growth of the Pioneers in every city, to its present stature, attests to the worthiness of the original idea. NOW BOOKING E. PHILLIPS OPPENHEIW’S Novel THE AMAZING ADVENTURE featuring Cary Grant * Astor Pictures Canada Lid. TORONTO 21 Dundas Square AD, 2523 MONTREAL 5791 Monkland Ave. EL. 9710 Irving Sourkes, Mgr. ST. JOHN WINNIPEG VANCOUVER la Canadian FILM WEEKLY Paper Cut Kills Heralds, Cards (Continued from Page 1) take place or on a 24 sheet poster panel, or in or on a public passenger conveyance.” The effect of Section 11 is to limit ordinary types of theatre ad material to 25 pounds per month, with the exception of those used for display on the premises or on public passenger conveyances. Some claim that, according to the order, an exhibitor is prevented from displaying ads other than in the manner mentioned in Section 10—but there is nothing to stop general distribution by delivery, handouts at the theatre or the use of the mails. This is small comfort, since not many more than 2,000 heralds can be taken out of 25 pounds of stock and many theatres change twice and thrice weekly. Rural theatres, which advertise in an area of 20 miles or more, are thus limited in their chief means of advising the public of their attraction. “Public conveyance” means little in the country. Such areas are circulated by weekly papers, which are insufficient, and radio advertising is too expensive, Small city neighborhood houses are also hurt. The newspapers have reduced printed readers and on occasion omitted the show directory, so this new curtailment makes theatres almost mute beyond their own confines. Theatres in the hinterlands, already affected by population shifts towards larger centres and gasoline rationing, will be hurt further. Those houses in the prairie provinces where patronage has been cut into by 16mm. and taxfree shows, have had their only available means of competing for public interest removed. Theatre men, along with printers, feel that the new regulations were poorly arranged. Some expressed the opinion that the necesSary paper might have been saved by restricting the newspapers to one edition a day, considering the role that radio plays in _ disseminating news today. Neither printers nor customers were consulted before the order was framed. Those affected agree that effective means to meet the pulp shortage must be taken but point out that a similar order, about to be issued in the USA, will not be effective for several weeks after this one. Most of the USA’s paper comes from Canada and the position is that Canadian needs should be given first consideration. Meanwhile the few printers who work on theatre show and window cards are each stuck with a couple of tons of box board. Film Men on Stand At Naiman Inquest (Continued from Page 1) William ‘lravers, Regal shipper, explained to Dr. Smirle Lawson, chief coroner, that naked film had been stored on racks and in barrels because the limited number of containers had to be used for new prints. Brown said that there were nearly 1,800 pounds of naked film in one of the three Regal vaults in the basement and that three barrels and two boxes of scrap film ready for shipment stood close to the vaults. Travers told |! C. K. Hope, K.C., appearing for the Crown, that 600 reels, amounting to 2,400 pounds, of naked film were on racks in another basement vault on the night of the fire. This was old film waiting to be scrapped. Film in the barrels and that mentioned by Travers as being on racks had not been damaged during the fire. The witnesses had seen nothing that might cause a fire. Travers stated that he believed the vault vents to be working, having checked the usual indication, the breeze which came from outlets on the roof. “It is pretty dangerous to have a film exchange in a building of six or eight stories,” said Dr. Smirle Lawson. Questioned on this point, Winslow Brown, supported Dr. Lawson's opinion that twostorey buildings were better from a safety standpoint. Thirty-three witnesses have been subpoenaed by J. B. Houston, Fire Marshall, among them O. J. Silverthorne, chairman of the Motion Picture Censorship and Theatre Inspection branch of Ontario, and H. L. Nathanson, head of Regal. Dr. Jocelyn Rogers, Provincial government analyst, expressed his doubts that film gas had caused the fire, which may have been started by defective wiring. Vol. 8, No. 50 Dec. 8, 19438 HYE BOSSIN, Address all communications—The Managing Editor, Canadian Film Weekly, 25 Dundas Square, Toronto 1, Canada. Published by Film Publications of Canada, Ltd., 25 Dundas Square, Toronto, Ont., Canada. Phone ADelaide 4317. Price 5 cents each or $2.00 per year, Entered as Second Class Matter Managing Editor December 8, 19438 Will Oppose New Music Royalties (Centinued from Page 1) Protective Society is the representative in sucit matters, that should the newcomers be granted the right to collect one-half to two cents per seat per annum—or any part of it—the sum should be deducted from the fees paid to the Canadian Performing Right Society. There is no objection to the present fees of that organization but strong opposition is being offered to any total increase of fees, no matter from how many sources the final amount is collected. Admission prices to theatres are frozen in Canada and WPTB restrictions should extend to royalties as well. This is a logical posltion, in view of the recent explanation of a WPTB spokesman that the main idea is to keep prices to the basic period, even if it is necessary to freeze or control everything which bears on them. Entry of the American Performing Right Society into the Canadian field will alter the pre‘mise upon which the present ‘royalty arrangement is based. His ‘Honor Judge Parker, after he was ‘appointed to investigate the operations of the Canadian Performing Right Society and similar societies, returned certain recommendations. In his report, dated 1935, he wrote: “The recommendations that have been made are based upon the fact that the Canadian Performing Right Society is the only Society operating in Canada. If another Society having a _ substantial repertoire were to enter into competition with the Canadian Performing Right Society there would necessity have to be some revision of its tariffs.” The American Performing Right Society claims to have rights to over 85 per cent of Latin music. Many films today feature that type of entertainment and Canada’s 700,000 theatre seats would cause a substantial sum to be paid if permission to apply a levy is granted. Film men are prominent in the Musical Protective Society, which held its annual meeting at the offices of the distributor’s association on November 26th. At this meeting T. J. Bragg, of Odeon Theatres was chosen chairman of the board, Col. John A. Cooper, of the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association, was reappointed treasurer, and Syd B. Taube of the Motion Picture Theatres Association of Ontario, was made secretary. President for the coming year is J. W. Connell, and Glen Bannerman will act as vice-president, e