Canadian Film Weekly (Feb 16, 1944)

Page 2 Booth Men Beef At Film Condn (Continued from Page 1) serve certain sections of the regulations. Discussions are being held to determine future responsibility. The Theatre Inspection branch sent letters pointing out those sections of the act which require booth men to check the machines, electrical connections and to repair all film while at the theatre. They were asked to sign and return these as proof that they were aware of the importance of these subsections but the union advised them to make no move until head office said so. President David Seigel of Local 173, IATSE, issued the following statement: “Inasmuch as film coming out of the film exchanges is in such a deplorable state of unrepair lately and because bookings made by the exchanges in which film goes from theatre to theatre without being revised properly by the exchanges, we will have to insist on two-man operation to safeguard the public. However, this matter is still being taken up with the Inspection Department to see what can be done to get the film exchanges to assume full responsibility for the condition of film sent out by them.” Projectionists claim that many featuves arrive a few minutes before the program is scheduled to start, although the contract provides that they must be on hand two hours before the usual opening time. Features often circulate several theatres before being returned to the exchange. Projectionists who find film damaged on inspection notify the owner, who wires the exchange about that condition. It is also claimed that because of the lack of parts or the owner's failure to service the machines regularly, film is sometimes damaged and sent to the next situation without being repaired first. Government inspectors are supposed to check the condition of the machines. Mills, Century, K'chr, Gets Legion Award Lloyd Mills, manager of the Century, Kitchener, Ontario, has been presented with the first Canadian Legion Certificate of Merit to be awarded in that part of the province. He ran 31 Sunday evening concerts and raised over $3,000 for the Overseas Parcels Fund in the district. There are nearly 5,000 from that area in the services. Concerts have been discontinued because of the coal shortage. Canadian FILM WEEKLY Trade Pow-Wow At Toronto (Continued from Page 1) the all-around pow-wow. The Independents expect to talk about clearances, groupings, prices, conciliation and such nettlesome matters. To what extent the distributors are willing to go along with them is the subject of much guessing. It is expected that any distributor approval of the re-establishment of conciliation committees may stipulate that these are to begin after the war. Their function is now exercised by the Theatre and Film Section of the WPTB. Two conciliation bodies were active in Canada during 1938, one in Halifax and the other in Toronto, and faded out after the WPTB was created. The Toronto committee was part of the Motion Picture Branch of the Board of Trade and general principles set forth that “The authority of the Committee shall extend to a consideration of such matters as premiums, games, contests, children’s matinees, length of program, and all other matters pertaining to the industry, including the principles and ethics of clearances.” The reference to clearances was added later. Agitation for the establishment ef clearance committees was begun in 19385 by the AntiProtection League. A code in keeping with the motion picture directive of the NRA was agreed on and it was planned to create a National Clearance Committee in each of the six distribution territories, with a National Board of Appeal as the final authority. The outbreak of war caused interest to be diverted and later the creation of the WPTB was presumed to replace such machinery. The AmntiProtection League and the Independent Theatres Association, its founder, became inactive, the latter organization subsequently disband More B.C. Theatres To Odeon Circuit Two more houses have been purchased outright by Odeon Theatres of Canada. These houses, according to Haskell Masters, General Manager of the company, are the Abbottsford in Abbottsford and the Gem in Haney. These two additions give Odeon 27 houses in the province of British Columbia. ME yea A A< ax == /% AA (a ing in favor of the Motion Picture Theatres Association of Ontario. Subsequently a National Advisory Council was formed. This body had no authority and its requests were subject to the approval of the director of the industry for the WPTB. The Independents under the National Council banner consistently appealed to the director and to Ottawa for correction of certain matters. The Council lapsed and no meeting has been held for a2 long time. May Be Recheck On Music Fees (Continued from Page 1) adjustment may be necessary from the latter. Representatives of the Musical Protective Society did not object to the same overall annual total of fees or a granting of a licence to the new body. Their position was that if the American Performing Right Society entered the field, the repertoire of the CPRS would be reduced and fees should be adjusted accordingly. Since music fees are payable quarterly and in advance, the question arose as to how such payments for the first two quarters of 1944 should be treated. Such return of fees is being continued on the understanding that, if a licence is granted to APRS and lower fees stipulated for the CPRS, an adjustment will be made in the following quarters. The present fees are based on the operation of one society in Canada and there is no doubt that fees will be changed if a second one is licensed. All-Industry Council Proposed in Britain A national council of the British film industry, on which every section of the trade will be represented, has been proposed by J. Arthur Rank. The CEA, exhibitors’ association, and the KRS, distributors’ association, recently authorized a joint body on trade grievances. Vol. 9, No. 7 Feb, 16, 1944 HYE BOSSIN, Managing Editor Address all communications—The Managing Editor, Canadian Film Weekly, 25 Dundas Square, Toronto, Canada. Published by Film Publications of Canada, Ltd., 25 Dundas Square, Teronto, Ont., Canada. Phone gs pa 4317. Price 5 cents each or $2.00 per year. ntered as Second Class Matter Printed by Eveready Printers Limited, 78 Wellington Street West, Toronto, Ontario February 16, 1944 May Challenge PQ Juve Law Continued from Page 1) gether last year to ask for some revision of the present restriction but nothing came of it. A typical protest is the following from a recent issue of the Montreal Star: Sir,—It seems right that children under sixteen should not be allowed to see all movies, or to go unattended by an adult, but there are from time to time really good pictures that it should be possible for these children to see. One point that Seems particularly important to me is that, with the best initial will in the world, a parent may in the end begin to feel that she will—if she can—break the law and attempt to let her children see a really good film. This is not good for the children; most parents want to bring them up to be law-abiding and to respect law. But, when a law seems unreasonable and foolish, the most hidebound parent will slip and decide that in some cases he will descend to an attempt to break the law. Surely the law could be amended to allow children to attend selected movies, Starred perhaps as in*England, and only such movies. It could also with benefit be made to insist that children of under fourteen should be accompanied by an adult. There are a great many movies that children are missing in Quebec which are really good, many others that would give them great entertainment and would certainly do them less harm, imaginatively, than many of the radio programs they listen to. I add my protest to that of the previous writer, and urge that other parents, who feel that some movies should be open to children, to join together to bring pressure to bear to have the Jaw as it at present stands changed. ict Be HS OY Ue Collins to NFB In McLean Spot C. E. Collins has succeeded A. G. McLean to the post of .controller and secretary to the National Film Board. McLean, on loan from the war services department, quit recently. Collins was on the staff of the auditor general’s branch of the revenue department. NOW AVAILABLE Stage Curtains, Drapes and Standee Rope in Crimson or Tangerine Velour Send in measurements for quotations and samples CANADIAN THEATRE CHAIR CO. 277 Victoria St., Toronto, Ont.