Canadian Film Weekly (May 10, 1944)

Page 8 go cosing rt, cok l " FLON PREG DELIVERS 1943-44 24 Features 16 Westerns AVAILABLE NOW Submarine Base Isle of Forgotten Sins Danger! Women at Work Tiger Fangs Girl From Monterey Harvest Melody Jive Junction Career Girl Nabonga Men on Her Mind The with | BENNY FIELDS Producers Releasing Corporation LIMITED Executive Offices: i 277 Victoria St., Toronto, 2, Ont. Black Raven And Soon Minstrel Man Canadian FILM WEEKLY “On The Sauave with Ave Bo OSSIP He Came Thisaway Anyone who brushes up against Republic’s Roy Rogers can see right off that he specializes in beef, not ham. No more likeable a fellow has hit these parts in a long time than the BO’s best friend. Toronto film folk gathered round Rogers for lunch one afternoon last week. On being introduced he told them that ‘We have the easiest job in the motion picture business. We only have to make the pictures. You fellows have to tell all the lies about them.” He told a couple of very funny stories, got photo’d with different groups and hit the trail for Christie Street Hospital, where he sang himself hoarse for the wounded. Roy’s fellow-citizen of the Western world, our own Charlie Mavety, beamed with pride at his pal’s obvious popularity. Sighting Charlie nearby, between mouthfuls of the Royal York’s roast beef Roy tossed the battlecry of the boots-and-saddles boys at him: “Which way did they go?” To which Charlie responded with the correct password: “Thataway!” Rogers, who must wear cowboy costume for 24 hours a day if he stays up that long, doesn’t kid anybody—not even himself. He'll kid his own routine, which shows that he doesn’t take himSelf too seriously. In fact, he is too honest for our good, having told some movie scribe he has three horses named “Trigger.” During the week Rogers, appearing with a rodeo, drew more than 100,000 people into the Maple Leaf Gardens. That is, he seemed to be the main reason for their coming. They liked the show too. Rogers, incidentally, is a dead shot with a sling shot. Archie Laurie, with uncommon faith, let him shoot the light off his cigar at 20 paces. What surprised local film folk was Rogers’ female following. Girls even haunted the door of the luncheon room waiting to get his autograph. Come to think of it, Republic ought to make a picture of him called “‘Cover Boy.” He’s captured more magazine covers than bad hombres in the last year—and that’s plenty. He’s one fellow that can come this way in person as well as in pictures at any time. * * * Jocularly, I Hope Ernie Rawley’s Royal Alexandra Theatre played Guy Kibbee in “The Old Soak” last week. Rawley called Oswald Purkis, the silk screen man, about some paper. “I want some advertising for “The Old Soak,” Ernie told Oswald. “You don’t need any,” said Oswald. Why?” asked Ernie. “Just stand out in front,” answered Oswald. There isn’t anything to read between the lines. Just an exchange between a Sounle of yoy teat aa Payehe: Roaivtic Review This rounder had occasion to take in the Toronto concert of Oscar Levant, the sharp-witted ivory pounder of “Information Please” arid infrequent movies, the latest of the latter being Warners forthcoming “Rhapsody in Blue.” Hector Charlesworth’s press review of the event made interesting reading. Wrote he: “In preliminary persifiage he said he was not sufficiently gifted as a speaker to give a lecture; or a good enough pianist to give a piano recital, So his manager had conceived the happy idea of his giving two inferior entertainments for the price of one. But nobody was fooled about his artistry after he had played the Bach Partita in B flat. His touch was so beautiful, and his execution so clean and finished that the rendering flowed like a crystal clear stream, The manner in which he etched the melodic line was brilliant, and the whole rendering was flawless. Perhaps what is sometimes whispered of him is true: that he suffers from an inferiority complex. He knows he is a good pianist, but his playing Is never quite good enough to suit himself. So he takes refuge in jibes at himself and others.” Levant, whose performance was a kind of wisecrackpotpourri, seemed pretty scared for a fellow with so much scornful wit. But he proved to be a very friendly guy. May 10, 1944 Agreement Grows On Conciliation (Continued from Page 1) dations. A meeting of the Quebec Allied Theatrical Industries went on record recently in favor of the principle of conciliation and referred the draft to its executive board for study. Archie Mason, chairman of the National Council of Independents and one of those responsible for the draft, was present at the meeting. Ontario associations, such as the Motion Picture Theatre Association of Ontario and the Independent Theatre Owners’ Association, are providing general support for the plan. The Maritimes has operated under a conciliation setup in the past and is ready to try it again. A. slight snag has developed in the West. The Saskatchewan Motion Picture Exhibitors Association has expressed the opinion that a conciliation board for the province, which is divided between the Winnipeg and Alberta distribution territories, should be located in Saskatchewan for transportation reasons. The plan calls for conciliation boards in each distribution territory. There is some confusion among exhibitors about the plan, which a number think covers arbitration as well as conciliation. The plan means conciliation only, since that and arbitration are different matters. Those who hold this misconception would he well advised to read page 19 of the Canadian Film Weekly of Mar. 15, 1944, in which Ed Kuykendall explains the difference. 21st in Brampton Capitol Theatre, Brampton, Ontario, is celebrating its 21st anniversary. Berkley, Rossen Quit Busby Berkley and Robert Rossen, directors, asked and got their releases from Warners. Injunction Lost On Hamilton Deal (Continued from Page 1) Barlow on application by Famous Players following the sale of the assets of Hamilton United Theatres, Limited, to Theatre Properties (Hamilton) Limited, of which Paul Nathanson is president. It was the contention of Famous Players that certain of the provisions of the Ontario Companies’ Act were not complied with at a meeting of the shareholders of Hamilton United at which the sale was approved, thus rendering it void. The theatres involved are the Palace and the Capitol, Hamilton, Ontario, operated by Odeon Theatres of Canada.