Canadian Film Weekly (Mar 15, 1944)

Page 2 Vol. 9, No. 11 Address all communications—The Managing Editor, Canadian Film Weekly, 25 Dundas Square, Toronto, Canada, Sopns ped Film Publications of Canada, Ltd., 25 Dundas Square, Toronto, Ont., n ada. Phone ADelaide 4317. 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 About The Poll Five of the films to win approving nods from exhibitors as 1948 aces were musicals. The critics chose but three musicals, “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” “Stage Door Canteen” and ‘This Is the Army,” all super-productions with much general publicity. Two of those, “Stage Door Canteen” and “This Is the Army,” were rated by exhibitors as lesser attractions than two Fox musicals, “Coney Island” and “Hello, Frisco, Hello.” The exhibitors’ preference for musicals shows the power of entertainment as such at the boxoffice. Proof of the turning away from war pictures is the fact that “In Which We Serve” was rated at the bottom of the list by exhibitors, who were concerned with boxoffice pictures. The critics, who judge according to artistry and intellectual quality, rated “In Which We Serve” first. One critic wrote this note on her ballot: “Less of Lamour, Hayworth, Grable, Ginger Rogers—over-publicized stars become bores to us.’’ Grable, one of those who bored this critic, was the second choice of theatre men but wasn’t even rated by the critics. ® : 6 e Though “Yankee Doodle Dandy” won the boxoffice poll its star, James Cagney, was fifth as an attraction. Greer Garson came first but her picture, “Random Harvest,” was second. Miss Garson was the unanimous first choice of exhibitors and critics alike. Originally from Britain, she is tops in Canada, having won the BO poll last year. One manager makes an interesting point. He says that voters should name the best BO attractions in their towns and not their own theatres. Claims the poll would be more accurate that way. ® ® . One distributor’s representative whose big picture was rated lower than he expected in the BO poll claims that exhibitors are voting for the pictures which make them the most money, not the ones which attract the most people. Thus, according to him, do terms enter into the voting. The accuracy of any poll is presumed to depend on common sense methods of voting. There are those who question the Gallup and other such polls but those who run them can but reach the results in the fairest way possible and abide by them. A fine example of the diversity of opinion can be seen in the comparison of one poll with another. “Casablanca”? won the Academy Award as the best picture of 1948 but American critics, through Film Daily, rated it sixth and Canadian critics didn’t rate it at all! Even those who do not go by public taste can’t agree on what motion picture all-round excellence is. Canadian exhibitors rated it as their fourth best attraction in the year under survey. ‘ ® @ ® It surves no purpose to compare Canadian choices with American ones because of the later dating here. But the Canadian end of the Motion Picture Herald’s Ten Best Moneymakers is interesting alongside of Film Weekly voting. Greer Garson headed both BO polls. Gary Cooper, second in the Herald poll, wasn’t even rated in ours. Grable, second in ours, was third in theirs. Rooney found a place In our poll but not in the Herald’s. There were other differences. However, the Herald results were published on December 24, 1943. It’s possible that they were based on different pictures, since voting must have stopped a while before the year ended. ® 9 ®@ Quite a number of ballots arrived just too late to be entered, although a study of them revealed no changes. Canadian Film Weekly would like to have your ideas about the poll and any suggestions that might improve it. Canadians have distinct ideas about many things, a fact that motion picture companies are just beginning to realize, as witness newsreels for Dominion consumption only. Canadian FILM WEEKLY March 15, 1944 HYE BOSSIN, Managing Editor Academy Award To Casablanca (Continued from Page 1) the majority of the 10,000 Hollywood voters, was Jennifer Jones for her work in “Song of Bernadette,” 20th Century-Fox film not yet released in Canada. Paul Lukas won the male honors for his stirring performance in “Watch on the Rhine.” Other awards of interest were: Supporting actor: Charles Coburn in “The More the Merrier.” (Columb!a). Supporting actress: Katina Paxinou in “For Whom the Bell Tolls.’’ (Paramsunt). This film has not been shown in Canada. Best origins! motion picture stcry: Willlam Saroyan for ‘The Human Com:dy.” (MGM). Best written screenplay: J. G. Epstein, P. G. Epstein and Howard Koch for “Casablanca.”” (Warners). Best original screenplay: Norma Krasna for ‘Princess O’Rourke.” (Warners). Best song: ‘Ycu’ll Never Know” from “Hello, Frisco, Hello.” Music by Harry Warren; lyrics by Mack Gordon. (20th Century-Fox). Best scoring for a musical: Ray Heindorf for “This Is the Army.” (Warners). Best scoring of a dramatic p‘cture: Alfred Newman for “‘The Song of Bernadette.” (20th Century-Fox). Black and white art direction: James Basevi and Willlam Darling for ‘Tho Song of Bernadette.” (20th Century-Fox). Color art direction: Alexander Golitzen for ‘“‘Phantom of the Opera.” (Universal Pictures). Film editing: George Amy for “Air Force.” (Warners). Sound recording: Nathan Levinson for “This Is the Army.’ (Warners). Black and white cinematography: Arthur Miller for “The Song of Bernadette.” (20th Century-Fox). Color cinematography: Hal Mohr and W. Howard Greene for “Phantom of the Opera.” (Universal Pictures). Special photographic effects: Fred Sersen for ‘“‘Crash Dive.” (20th Cenutry-Fox). Special sound effects: Roger Herman for “Crash Dive.” (20th Century-Fox). Cartoon: “Yankee Doodle Mouse,” Fred Quimby, producer. (MGM). One-reel: “‘Amphibious Fighters,” Grantland Rice, producer, (Paramount). Two-reel: ‘Heavenly Music,” Jerry Bresicr and Sam Coslow, co-producers. (MGM). Irving Thalberg Memorial Award: Hal B. Wallis, for the most consistent production achilevement of the yezr. Special award to George Pal for his novel technique in producing the Puppetoon shorts. The 16th Annual Awards were made from the stage of Grau man’s Chinese Theatre. ‘Dandy Wins Poll (Continued from Page 1) star, was picked by exhibitors as 1943’s most potent boxoffice attraction among the stars. Her victory was a double one, as Canada’s critics, repeating their choice of 1942, named her the finest actress. There is no doubt that her performance in “Random harvest” won her favor, for the film took second place in both the exhibitors’ and critics’ polls. Roy Rogers, Republic’s Western star, was chosen as the best ticket seller in that type of production. He replaced Gene Autry, who was named last year. Every phase of the balloting is presented in this issue, March 15, 1944 Many Theatres Being Spruced Up (Continued from Page 1) many important exterior and interior requirements are being met. Uptown Theatre, Toronto de luxe first-run house operated by Yonge-Bloor Theatres Limited, will get a $10,000 going-over. Plumbing, washrooms, fixtures, etc., will be renovated or replaced. Kaplan and Sprachman, Toronto architects, are in charge. At Hamilton, Ontario, the Century will have $1,850 spent on it for ceiling insulation and’ work on the steam lines and heating ducts. France Film Company will undertake general repairs to the Cinema de Paris Theatre, Quebec City, at a cost of $8,000. G. F. Caron is the architect and F. X. Lamontagne is the contractor. New walls will be built in the property and steel beams will replace wooden ones. Famous Players will spend $3,035 to replace the carpeting at the Metropolitan, Winnipeg. That company just reopened the Palace, London, Ontario, which was completely refurbished. Many small theatres are looking over things to provide protection for parts of their buildings that will cost much more later if not attended to now. Fix Music Fees At Same Rate (Continued from Page 1) factories was also approved. ~ Application from the American Performing Right Society to enter the Canadian field and collect on its repertoire is still not ruled on. The board has appointed R. C. Macpherson to investigate the claims of the APRS to a substantial list of numbers. If the new Society is successful it will levy royalties as of the beginning of the year. Theatre representatives at the hearing in January did not oppose a license to the APRS but maintained that the yearly overall total should be the same as in 1943. The Canadian Performing Right Society apparently estab Jished with the board that it con trols up to 90 per cent of the music played in theatres and was entitled to maintain the present rates, Hespeler Asks Books Exhib Jack Melzer, Queen’s, Hespeler, Ontario, has organized & contest among the kids to spur the collection of books for the HMCS Hespeler, a Corvette named after the town.