Canadian Film Weekly (Aug 2, 1944)

August 2, 1944 3 Maes week “On the Square” means Dominion Square, Montreal, instead of Dundas Square, Toronto. That’s where I spent the better part of the week, clocking the Emp-U goings-on. RANE J. McCarthy, Univers al’s Canadian division chief, a hard-boiled, soft-coated fellow, is known as a lover of choice viands. He had been introduced to French apple pie and this led him to tell about his visit to an Arkansas eating place which specialized in frog’s legs. The legs were delivered right on the frog, served up in the fashion of a whole chicken. Like any of us would, Frank lost his appetite. “What is this, a gag?” he asked his guide. He was assured that it wasn’t. “Take it away,” barked Frank, “and bring me some scrambled eggs.” OE DE VRIES, who handles 16 mm. in the prairie provinces for Sovereign, is a veteran smallgauge man. He started with the small reels in Regina in 1928. NE bunch of conventionites were enabled to whoop it up beyond all others—those who divided $3,000 among them as bonuses. RCHIE LAURIE, who loves a party, did a top job of seeing that everyone was comfortable and happy. Archie also oversaw the disposition of the spirits that are good for the spirit and the disposition, as well as approving the menus. And amid all the verbal splendor of the dinner, Ear! Lawson found time to pay a tribute to Archie’s ability as a social director, thus expressing the feeling of everyone. HE Montreal water caused internal combustion for Joe Palansky, Bill Smith and some others, who thereafter shunned the acqua pura but didn’t go thirsty because of this self-denial. The Montreal water, the boys say, had its effect on their own instead of the company’s thme. IEUTENANT Cecil Black, formerly of Emp-U in Winnipeg, was on hand helloing his ex-associates and introducing Major Bill Durdin, who handles training films. FEES the doings was Basil C. Salamis, Quebec exhib, a member of the National Advisory Council, who has some interesting ideas to bring better relations between exhibs and distribs. An interesting fellow who was originally an engineer from McGill, he is certainly worth listen ing to. ft ARRY PAINTER, the frus“trated fiddler who became a film salesman, didn’t get a chance to render his usual impromptu concert, no fiddle being handy. wre showed up at the proceedings but Ernest Oimet, who opened the first movie house in . Montreal and ran the first ex change. Ernest, away up there in age, has a memory as keen as a razor and his is a story that would make an enthralling book. Though he has been out of the movie game for some years, he is still privately interested and may return one of these days. He started a number of today’s top men in the business. At some future time I'll do a “Flashback” on him and if I hold up my end, it should be a pip. |» Neca cen visitor was George ~~ “Rapid Fire” Rotsky of Consolidated, whose machine gun humor makes him a favorite in anybody's book. He is ordinarily imperturbable but Walter Kennedy put one over on him at the Quebec Pioneers’ dinner by claiming that George had a dialect when he operated a theatre in Petrollia years ago. This is a downright lie, since George was born in England and occasionally slips into the barest English accent—as when he and John Davis, British Odeon chief, were talking about the places where George spent his youth. Rotsky tells many a tale of the old days and remembers when he ran 28 shows a day. A visit to George's office at Consolidated is an adventure. Filled with autographed photos from the great stars of yesterday and today. ICKEY ISMAN, Montreal Emp-U manager, was so busy as host that he lived in the hotel instead of going home when the convention was on. Mickey, I learned from Montreal exhibs and exchange men, is regarded as one of the rightest guys in the business. The Montreal contingent, Herb Mathers, Alf Metcalfe, Johnny Ganetakos and others, had their hands full showing the visiting clover-kickers the sights, I had my first real look at Montreal from Ike Sourkes. Some place. yy aes Kennedy, chief of Sovereign Films, 16 mm. unit, was bragging all over the place about his boy Jack having won his RCAF wings. Walter, an inveterate gagster, presented Mickey Isman and Archie Laurie with some pills designed to induce artificial respiration. But Laurie, Walter sneers, didn’t have enough pep to open the envelope, Canadian FILM WEEKLY /0n The Square with Ave Bo SSin an interesting sight was to see “™ little (comparitively) Clair Hague renewing acquaintance after seven years with Hercules McIntyre, an Australian giant who made even. the towering Frank Fisher look your size. Hague and McIntyre are Laemmile veterans. One look at McIntyre and you know why Australjans snapped their fingers at the Japs, who outnumber them ten to one. McIntyre is as big as any ten Japs—or looks like that. convention concluded with dinner at the El Morocco, a plush night club, where one who shall be nameless here was framed to join the master of ceremonies in a juggling act. Almost stole the show too, and Albert Bey, Thetford Mines exhib, led the cheering. Clair Hague ribbed Walter Kennedy, who hasn’t sung since illustrated song days, into doing a Sinatra. But Walter never got a chance at the mike. 7 walls of the dining room foyer were decorated with blowup cutouts and comment. One asked “Have you heard the No. 1 song hit of last week, written by Lane & Garson, ‘WPTB, I Love You.’?" Another sign said “In Florida Arthur Hirsch smilingly agrees to 40 per cent terms but in Montreal all he does is sing ‘I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, Baby.” 1 HAD my first look at the As sociated Screen News studios and it was really an experience. With a couple of extra sound stages the company could shoot a major production. Through Ernie Roberts I met Ray Hartnett, Harold Peberdy, Harvey Bassett, Jack Alexander, Jimmy Campbell, Mel Turner and others, Make no mistake about it-——they are conscientious and expert craftsmen working with tech nical facilities that are as good as you find anywhere. With no disrespect for the ability of National Film Board workers, these men are providing the basis of a future commercial film industry in Canada. They are masters of their craft, eager to learn and to teach. During my tour I was one step ahead all the way of John Davis, head of Odeon Theatres of Great Britain, who was surprised at what he saw, and the Hon. Earl Lawson. They waited around while Harvey “mugged” me and were photog’d themselves. Page 5 OHN J. FITZGIBBONS, FPCC chief, paid a nice tribute to Alf Perry when he said goodhumoredly, “Any time you get ready to leave. Alf, come over.” | A epiees semana’ photos of the con~ vention were taken by C. A. Barbier, Lachine, Quebec, some of which are reproduced in this issue. What They Said yn motion pictures speak a universal language, said Paul Nathanson, “our industry has a role in years to come and should strive to bring about an understand of each other by the peoples of the world.” It was up to each to help the industry play its part. *T TNIVERSAL,” said Bill Scully, “is not a lucky company but a sensible one.” He praised those who served Universal. “They are people who know show business. Boxoffice pictures make successful exhibitors—and distributors.” Universal wasn’t interested in Academy awards “but in making money for the exhibitors and ourselves,” although some considered that Deanna Durbin rated an Oscar for her work in “Christmas Holiday.” Added to the boxoffice power of Durbin, Maria Montez and Abbott & Costello were such rising stars as Donald O'Connor, Turhan Bey and Louise Albritton. Stars are made by publicity and the exploitation of exhibitors. He thanked the Canadian trade press and exhibitors for their work in calling attention to rising stars. | | Greqwpeans Masters voiced the friendly personal relations which exist between the executives of Canada’s leading circuits, keen business rivals. Speaking of pictures, he said that “Good pictures make for good salesmanship.” lI EONARD W. Brockington, in 4 the course of his remarks, said that one of his chief movie memories was of a film called “Grandmother of the Movies.” It was about a French film that told the story of a mother whose son had been killed at Verdun, She had seen a flash of him on the screen and thereafter haunted every theatre she could for the chance to see him again. A convention, said Mr. Brockington, was a noun signifying “many” but not much, OHN DAVIS, saying that he was no orator, pointed out that he was talking to salesmen. “Never talk to a salesman unless you are one yourself,” he commented. “I am not one, I have nothing to sell.” And conclided his remarks. '