Canadian Film Weekly (Dec 22, 1943)

COMING, APRIL, 1944 Fifty Years of the Motion Picture tin Canada HEN in 19389 Canada W vex Britain in the de fense of world freedom, there were many who regarded the act as an exercise of sentiment and ancient obligation. On learning that Canada enjoyed freedom of action they realized that our early entrance into the struggle was no more than an assertion of national character. For Canada has a_ distinct national character. Beside a burning desire to see justice done, some of its other ingredients are a tremendous sense of adventure, an ever-alive curiosity and a hailing of the new. Some of these characteristics caused Canadians two generations ago to recognize the future of the infant art which came to be known as the motion picture and to join the ranks of its prophets. No doubt it was the proximity of the United States, home of the first really successful experiment, which caused the art to conquer the imagination of Canadians. Canada, although it in no way contributed to the invention of the motion picture, was a pioneer ally in cultivating public taste for it. Next year Canada will share with the United States the 50th anniversary of the Edison Kinetoscope. On April 14, 1894, the first public peep show was opened in New York City. A short time Jater the first use of the Edison Kinetoscope in Canada took place. Since then Canada has shared proportionately in every new triumph of the motion picture. A nation of movie-goers, our land is studded with theatres. Canadian production of films, once lively but dormant for many years, has risen again in the distinctive field of the documentary and won acknowledged leadership. But mainly Canada has provided a stcady flow of gifted players, talented technicians and leading producers to the Hollywood heart of the cinema—a contribution far out of proportion to our population. There is no room here for even a short list. Canada’s share of North American film accomplishments has never been known broadly. Mainly because, though there are definite distinctions between us and our cousins across the line, we still have more in common with each other than any two nations on earth. The sense of difference on hoth our parts is indeed small. * * ““As the tide of Allied fighting now sweeps across the Axis lands, shoulder to shoulder with our fighters go films of Allied production. I am glad to pay tribute to what Canada is supplying on both fronts. * * “Some of the leading personalities of the screen, as we know, are Canadians. Some of the best technicians of the screen come from Canada and some of the best producing brains in the art are Canadian born. The roster of Dominionborn personalities in the screen’s Hall of Fame now looms almost like a ‘Who's Who of the industry.’ ” Charles Francis Coe, vice-President of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors Association of America. ERNEST OUIMET He sef out to put the motion picture on the Canadian map in the 1890s. He is still pioneering, according to reports. An avid experimentalist, Ouimet is still concerned with mechanical improvements. Wy ar is the history of the motion picture in Canada? Predecessor of the exhibitor was Alfred W. Cooper, who brought Clarke’s “Wheel of Life,” invented in 1845, from London, England to ‘Toronto. A tin cylinder, when revolved rapidly by hand its colored pictures showed people going through the motions of eating, drinking, clowning and s0 on. It was treated as a toy by the children of each new Cooper generation. When the motion picture industry had grown great enough to invite enquiry into its past by historians, Clarke's “Wheel of Life” became valuable in the eyes of its owner. Later a bid for it by the Ford Museum was refused. In 1888 Avguste Guay and Andre Verment ran a film exhibition as a side show on St. Lawrence street, Montreal. It didn't last long. A few years later the Countess D’Hauterive and her son, who acted as lecturer, came to Canada from France and showed fairy tale subjects before convent and college audiences. With the growth of public curiosity they were booked over the Proctor Theatre circuit in 1904. Their collection of 3,000 feet of film sufficed for three weeks of exhibition. Interest spread early and motion picture exhibition began cropping up in different places in the Dominion. In 1897 James McConnahee had opened up an exhibition in Victoria, British Columbia and was followed the next year by Miss Kate Rockwell, who was assisted by Maynard McDonald as rewinder. In Vancouver John A. Schulberg, later an associate of John Considine, opened the Edison Electric Theatre’ after a season of touring with films. It was John A. Muir who was first to create a circuit in British Columbia. In 1908 Muir became agent of the Kline Film Company, later of Fox. Originators of chain operation in a large way were Jay J. and Jule Allen, son of Bernard Allen, a Pennsylvania jeweler. Attracted by the possibilities of the motion picture entertainment, the Allens opened the Theatorjum in Brantford, Ontario. They progressed in a remarkable manner. In time they owned or controlled 50 theatres in 21 cities, representing a total investment of over $20,000,000. Early in their exhibition days the Allens formed the Famous Players Film Service, with Phil Kaufman as general manager. Their exchanges distributed the product of Famous Players, Lasky and Bosworth. In 1920, the franchise held by the Allens expired and Famous Players handled its own distribution after that. Even the activities of the Allens were dwarfed by those of N. L. Nathanson, who came later and rose to the undisputed leadership of the industry. Nathanson entered exhibition in 1916 with the opening of the Regent Theatre, Toronto. Some years later he became head of the fastrising Famous Players Canadian Corporation and through it eventually controlled hundreds of theatres. It was in Montreal in the 1890s that L. E. (Ernest) Ouimet set out to put the motion picture on the Canadian map. As the representative of Pathe of Paris, this hard-working and still popular veteran is credited with opening the first exchange in Canada. He bought films outright, stored them in a cellar and rented them to whomever he could convince of their value. In time he opened a film theatre in Montreal called the Ouimetoscope. Later he was responsible for the fine Capitol On your right is a reproduction of a letter from Thomas A. Edison offering congratulations at the first Canadian showing of his Kinetoscope in 1894, a short time after its debut in New York City. The original of this letter is in possession of the Canadian Motion Picture Disdributors Association. theatre and from the stage told those gathered there that it was the dream of his life come true. Ouimet even produced a film of his own in Hollywood, The first long film exhibited in Canada was offered in an improvised theatre on Yonge street, Toronto. That was in 1896 and during the same year two enterprising Americans showed the film of the Corbett-Fitzsimmons fight for 25 cents admission. They took turns acting as “barker” for their offering, which ran continuously between 10 a.m. and 11 p.m. HE first man in Canada to regard the motion picture as important enough to merit circuit presentation was John Griffin. In 1906 Griffin opened the (Continued on Page 31) » ee