Canadian Film Weekly (Feb 2, 1944)

@ Vol. 9, No. 5 Film Men Talk Soviet Amity Means of furthering the friendship between Soviet Russia and the Dominion of Canada was the purpose of a meeting of the Film Committee of the National Council for Canadian-Soviet Friendship held last week in the board room of Famous Players Corporation. Three members of the {Continued on Page 3) Indies to Stage Peace Gabfest The Independent Theatres Owners Association of Ontario and the General Managers’ Association, after several years of marked differences that led to everything but name-calling, will break bread together at the King Ddward Hotel, Toronto, on February 1. ? President Ben Freedman of the (Continued on Page 3) Maynard to UA Paul Maynard, until recently with PRC, has joined the sales staff of United Artists. Quints See ‘Lassie’ Rename Own Pet The Dionne quintuplets saw their first movie last week at the Capitol, North Bay, Ontario. The film was MGM’s “Lassie Come Home.” Taken with Lassie’s acting, the Quints renamed their Wewfoundland canine ‘Lassie,’ the dog being formerly known as Dore. Soldiers’ Smokes At Centre, Chatham Harold King, manager of the Centre, Chatham, Ontario, .is staging public auctions in his theatre to raise funds that will buy smokes for some of Chatham’s 1,104 soldiers overseas. Ray Malone and Patsy o°Connor VOICE of the A CANADIAN MOTION PICTURE TORONTO, FEBRUARY 2, 1944 Music Fees Verdict Postponed | Industry Opposed to Future Raising of Royalties Basis Decision of the Copyright Appeal Board on the application of the American Performing Right Society to enter the Canadian music copyright field may be postponed until a special enquiry is held to determine just how large the Where Are Your Kids? Everywhere There is something to the crack that there are no delinquent children—only delinquent parents, Last week a manager heard an uproar in the house. On the stage, standing and looking at the sereen, were two youngSters. The manager chased them—back to their father. He had been sitting there all the time and it didn’t seem unusual to him. Another manager came upon a lost three-year-old girl. Her mother had allowed her to look for the washroom alone, being unwilling to disturb herself. Lightstone, Barron To New York Gordon Lightstone, Paramount Canadian general manager, and Win Barron, in charge of sales promotion, will attend the company gathering in New York on n February 3, 4 and 5. More Trailers, Etc. Used Last Year Use of trailers and newsclips was greater in Dominion theatres in 1948 than in any previous year. According: to the Motion Picture War Services Committee there were nine trailers of varying length. These, relating to drives, had 4,000 distinct bookings. There were 41 newsclips used during the year, which means that there were 11 weeks during which none was shown. Five thousand copies of the newsclips were distributed during the year. repertoire of the applicant is. The board, meeting in Ottawa last week under the chairmanship of the Hon. Mr. Thorson, heard an American and a Canadian attorney present the case of the American organization. The American Performing Right Society, controlling considerable Latin music, is asking the (Continued on Page 2) Blood Donors Film Available to All A film relating to the Red Cross Blood Bank and its work is available at any 20th-Fox exchange in the Dominion without charge to exhibitors. Those who would like to spur that valuable work in their communities can have it for the asking. a” he. INDUSTRY $2.00 Per Annum War Prisoners To See Movies Canadian and other Allied prisoners of war in Germany are about to see their first Hollywood and British films since capture. Late this month the first shipment of 26 films, contributed by the major companies, will arrive at prison camps under the sponsorship and distribution of the (Continued on Page 6) ‘Battle of Russia Does Well Here Twentieth Century-Fox’s “Battle of Russia,” a feature made for the USA Office of War Information by Frank Capra and Anatole Litvak, got off to surprising business in its early Canadian engagements. In its first Toronto run at the Tivoli there was a long morning lineup on (Continued on Page 4) Indies to Ottawa For Price Confab Groupings, prices and trade practices as they are carried on now in the motion picture industry under the supervision of the Wartime Prices and Trade Board will be reviewed at a meeting in Ottawa on February 8 between represen Vaudeville Dropped Vaudeville has heen dropped by the Capitol, Hamilton, after an experimental run of several weeks. A. G. McLean Leaves National Film Board For two years controller and secretary of the National Film Board, A. G. McLean has retired. He will be succeeded by E. C. Collins, formerly of the Auditor General’s office. tatives of the National Council of Independents and those of the government. The meeting, which has been sought by the National Council executive for a long time, shapes up as the most important of its kind since freezing legislation came into effect in 1941. Since that time Independents have maintained a constant barrage of criticism,. claiming that the work of the Theatre and Film section of the WPTB, which until recently was in full-time (Continued on Page 2) are a new team appearing with Gloria Jean in UNIVERSAL’S “Moonlight in Vermont,” another of the extremely popular musical series from this studio. The public reaction to Malone and O'Connor has caused Universal to spot them in important roles in future films. UNIVERSAL’S minor musicals are considered boxoffice gems by those who play them,