Canadian Film Weekly (Mar 8, 1944)

Page 10 CF QGANADA LTD. 277% Victoria Street, Toronto. MONOGRAM Goes Over The Top with Two Smash Hits WHERE ARE YOUR CHILDREN? Jackie Cooper, Gale Storm, Patricia Collinge and an allstar cast Breaking records in every theatre shown to date and will do the same for you > Giles, GEA”, Geb WOMEN IN BONDAGE Gail Patrick, Nancy Kelly, Bull Henry, Gertrude Michael, H. B. Warner Here is a picture every woman in Canada 1s waiting to see * For Future z. Money-Makers > LOOK TO MONOGRAM PICTURES Toronto, Montreal, St. John, Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver. I TD Canadian FILM WEEKLY Toronto Knew Selwyn Well The passing of Edgar Selwyn in Hollywood caused as much regret in Toronto as in any other place that had known him for, though born in the USA, he spent his youth in the Queen City of Canada, where many relatives and life-long friends survive him. As a _ youngster named Simon living in the downtown section of the city, he gave the earliest indications of the career he was to follow by staging theatricals for other youthful fans. Selwyn, in the early days of what was to roll up one of the theatre’s greatest personal records, thought of Toronto as his home. After he had dramatized Sir Gilbert Parker’s ‘Pierre of the Plains” and cast himself in the leading role, he chose Toronto for the opening. During that week Toronto friends gave a dinner in his honor as a local boy who had made good. The place was McConkey’s, in those days the city’s leading restaurant. The youngster named Simon became Selwyn when he played with William Gillette in “Secret Service.” His immense love for the craft caused him to develop into a writer, producer and director and he quit acting in 1912 to concentrate on different sides of the theatre. With his brother Archie, still in Hollywood, he produced a total of 175 plays, among them “Smilin’ Through,” “Fair and Warmer,” “Charlot’s Revue,”’ “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” “Within the Law,” “Fair and Warmer,” “The Circle’ and “Strike Up the Band.” Edgar produced “Bitter Sweet” with Zeigfeld and his latest production was “The Wookey” in 1941. In their heyday, the boys operated four theatres, two in New York and the same number in Chicago. One theatre in each city was known as the Selwyn. At the time of his death Edgar Selwyn had been at MGM for seventeen years as a writer, producer, director and executive under another American who had spent his youth in Canada, Louis B. Mayer. Always alive to new developments in entertainment, Selwyn produced his first film in 1912. In 1915 he hooked up with an ambitious glove salesman named Sam Goldfish and they started the All-Star Feature Films Co. In 1917 he put the “wyn” in Goldwyn when each gave part of his name for the title of their new enterprise, the Goldwyn Picture Corporation. Marcus Loew and his associates had acquired the Metro company and in 1924 bought out the Goldwyn unit, founding Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. So Selwyn played an important part in the rise of the movies to their present position. Selwyn worked on many films, among them “The Sin of Madelon Claudet,” which won Helen Hayes an Academy Award. There are many anecdotes of his busy life and his intense love of the theatre. Augustus Bridle in the Toronto Star told of the time when, in Chicago, he despaired of success and tried to commit suicide. He jumped off a bridge but, being winter, the ice was frozen and he was merely bruised. He laughed. As he arose another tough-luck fellow was waiting for him with a gun. The fellow wanted money. Selwyn, with his dramatic knack, told of his plight in such fashion that the would-be gunman pawned his pistol and gave Edgar half the money, who used it to go to New York. In his early days around Times Square he sold neckties, was a theatre usher, became 2 walk-on actor and finally a ticket broker. But he had found the trail and helped create and share the great days of the living theatre. At the time of his death he was writing his memoirs, te have been called ‘““My Brother, Arch.’ It would be a shame if they do not see print for there would be much in them of great interest to Canadians. Red Cross Asks Ten Millions Members of the Red Cross committee of the Motion Picture War Services are busy collecting theatre contributions and exhibitors are in turn canvassing their staffs for prisoner of war food parcels. The aim is to get one parcel from each employee wherever possible and many exhibitors are making up the difference needed to meet the objective. Each such parcel, of which 8,000,000 were shipped last year, contains 16 oz. milk powder, 16 oz. butter, 4 oz. cheese, 12 oz. corned beef, 10% oz. pork luncheon meat, 8 oz. salmon, 3% oz. sardines or kippers, 7 oz. raisins, 6 oz. dried prunes, 8 oZ. sugar, 16 oz. jam or marmalade, 16 oz. pilot biscuits, 5 oz. eating chocolate, 1 oz. salt and pepper, 4 oz. tea and 3 oz. soap. It can be seen that the contents are especially selected to provide the most in nutrition. Such a parcel is a feast to & prisoner of war. March 8, 1944 Commons Versus Radio Comics (Continued from Page 1) sure of government control and other aspects of operation. Radio comedians of international renown came in for com-~ ment during the speech made by BE. G. Hansell, Macleod, Vulcan, Alberta. Mr. Hansell said that the vast sums paid out for commercial advertising on the radio was put on the price of goods ~ and paid for by the public in that way. He suggested an investigation. “J understand that the advertising costs of a corporation are written into its cost sheets,” he said, “and therefore are not subject to taxation. They are hidden.” When he informed the House that the talent cost alone of the Jack Benny program was $20,000 per show, the following discussion ensued: Mr. Martin: Jack Benny gets $25,000 a week. Mr. Hansell: I do not know what his salary may be. Mr. Mitchell: Is that the Canadian cost or the international cost? Mr. Hansell: No, he is paid by the sponsor of the product, General Foods. Mr. Knowles: We all pay for it. Mr. Hansell: Well, you may. That is my argument. The talent costs for the Bob Hope program are $11,000. Mr. Martin: He is worth it. Mr. Hansell: I am sorry; I do not agree with my hon. friend. I do not believe any man is worth $10,000 to read — I am going to say this in spite of the risk of unpopularity — a lot of silly gags which some other men behind the scenes have written up for him. , Mr. Martin: What about Charlie McCarthy? Mr. Hansell: Well, Charlie McCarthy, the wooden-head, gets $10,000 every time he broadcasts. The Lux Theatre gets $10,000 2 program; Bing Crosby, $10,000; Abbott and Costello, $10,000, and so forth and so on. Mr. Martin: What does Mortimer Snerd get? Mr, Hansell: I would not mind being a comedian myself if I were able to get such a salary... Geo. F. Perley Passes George F. Perley, prominent Ottawa business man, passed away there last week. In 1923 he formed Ottawa Film Productions, Ltd., in co-operation with R. H. Pringle. They produced two motion pictures, “The Man From Glengarry” and “Glengarry School Days.”