Canadian Film Weekly (Jan 26, 1944)

Canadian FILM WEEKLY , January 26, 16 Vol. 9, No. 4 Jan. 26, 1944 rally Address all communications—The Managing Editor, Canadian Film Weekly, 25 Dundas Square, Toronto, Canada. Published hy Film Publications of Canada, Canada. Phone ADdelaide 4371. Price 5 cents each or $2.00 per year. Entered as Second Class Matter Printed by Eveready Printers Limited, 78 Wellington Street West, Toronto, Ontario Shorten Them! It's time those National Film Board workers who make subjects for the commercial theatre borrowed an idea or two from the soul of wit, Brevity. This idea is provoked into print by the news that the NFB is erecting a $500,000 building in Hull, Quebec. It seems that the organization intends to stick around on a big scale, continuing its mission of bringing information to the people. So they won't go whistling down a rain barrel, where only they can hear themselves, we'll tell them something that their best friends won't. They are becoming the victims of an old gag that isn’t so funny when it costs the country money and interferes with a fine purpose. Everyone has been tricked into posing for an unloaded camera at one time or another. There are plenty of exhibitors who buy NFB short subjects in both series but don’t play them because their patrons object. Not entertainment, they say. Escapism, that’s what people want. The length of NFB shorts kills off entertainment time. Unless left off on week-ends they cause the exhibitor to run one show less. This problem, as well as that of lost popularity, caused considerable discussion at a meeting of one of the leading exhibitor organizations recently, NFB shorts are too important to be wasted. They cost too much money and manpower to make. They provide a fine service. They should be protected against public indifference. Shorten them so that each one can reach as many people as possible. Coplan’s New Job Nobody could ever say about United Artists’ Dave Coplan that he doesn’t know the score. Always ready with a What For? and a Why Not? That’s what the other picture pedilars say. Now Coplan checks out of the native scene and heads for Britain to take over UA there. UA, after a slow period, is back with the.-big ones. Britain will probably be an American base of operations for the post-war drive on European film markets. United Artists, loaded with product deals, needs those outlets. Coplan’s appointment is a tribute to the general sagacity of Canadian film executives. You've got to be good now or get out of the league. A number of Canadians are territorial chiefs in the USA and a number of Americans hold Canadian posts. Canadian executives have grown in importance since the war began because of their early experience with wartime distribution. Coplan’s appointment is a tribute to his energy and HYE BOSSIN, Managing Editor Lid., 25 Dundas Square, Toronto, Ont., Coplan Gets UA Exhibs Contest : British Post (Continued from Page 1) ward C. Raftery, United Artists’ president, to assume full charge. Canadian film men feel honored at Coplan’s appointment, since it is recognized that the British post will be one of the most important in the post-war film world. Britain will likely be the headquarters of the intense competitive drive for European postwar markets which is shaping up between British and American distributors. Coplan’s duties in Canada will be assumed temporarily by Albert E. Jeffery, Ontario branch manager. The new head of British UA came to United Artists in January, 1942, succeeding Sam Glazer, who joined Columbia after 18 years with the former company. Shortly afterwards Coplan was promoted to the vice-presidency and division chief when United Artists created a separate region of the Canadian territory, taking it out of the Western Division. A. dollar-a-year man serving Ottawa in an advisory capacity, Coplan was responsible for the deal with United Artists which brought them the “World in Action” series of shorts for international distribution. Coplan got going in the film industry in 1917 as a salesman with Metro Film Service, Ltd., in St. John. He joined Columbia in Detroit in 1927 and in 1929 came back to the Canadian field as manager of the Montreal branch. In 1929 he became Canadian sales manager and remained in that position until he joined United Artists. It can be said of Coplan that he was born into the business. His father, the late Sol Coplan, operated the Princess and the Imperial, Ottawa. Daley, Imperial, Host to O'Rourkes Tom Daley, manager of the Imperial Theatre here, played host to some 60-odd O’Rourke’s, representing this city’s 31 families bearing the name. Tom, whose tag might have been O’Rourke, if it hadn’t been Daley, got the idea from the Warner Bros. film, ‘Princess O’Rourke,” currently playing his theatre. Patricia, daughter of ' Mrs. Edith and the late Timothy O'Rourke, national champion of Canada in field and track events of 20 years, was selected Toronto’s “Princess O’Rourke”, For Next Loan (Continued from Page 1) : book will be prepared and ship| ped to theatre men. When filled it will be returned to the provincial chairman and be among — those judged for provincial honors. If it is awarded a prize it © will be entered in the federal contest, Mr. Ilsley will auto-— graph the winning scrap book. ~ Another development was the appointment of Wolfe Cohen, Vitagraph chief, by the subcommittee, which met a week ~ later, to act together with the — Hollywood representative of the National Finance Committee, — particularly in the matter of a two reel, all-star short to be made by Warners for use during the Loan drive. The War Activities Committeé of the entire industry approved of its produc© tion and Cohen may have to make a trip to Hollywood as_ part of his task. = The motion picture industry, during the 5th Victory Loan, had ~ purchased directly $6,500,000 in bonds, the chairman revealed. It _ was also stated that all future _ trailers in Canadian theatres © would carry a credit for the War Fa asad Committee in the main es. Don Henshaw, representing D. B. Mansur of the National War ~ Finance Committee at the luncheon, admitted that his body was __ concerned with weak effect of propaganda films, the reports of committees having indicated that © films of entertainment value were far superior in bringing crowds. He asked questions about how effective trailers — were; whether theatre participation in the actual sale of bonds was advisable; and to what e tent 16 mm. coverage could improved. ete Much time was given to dis_ cussing improved means of in= spiring the public and methods of breaking down the resistance encountered by salesmen. waged D. B. Mansur was present at the meeting of the sub-comn tee. Together with H. RichardSon of his office, Mansur joined Scat in a general discussion of the campaign. The latter admit that the industry had not ceived the credit it deserved the past but that this would be made up in the next campaign. Another Showman Elected Mayor A. W. Shackleford, managing director of the Capitol Theatre, Lethbridge, Alberta, has been elected mayor of that city. He's been active in local political and communal matters. z Mayor Shackleford has bee! an exhibitor for 25 of his years,