Canadian Film Weekly (Aug 23, 1944)

Page 16 Hollywood Sets Many Remakes Scarcity of contemporary nonwar fiction in the book and magazine field is causing Hollywood studios to comb their vaults for additional story material suitable for refilming. There has never been a previous period in movie history when the practice of remaking old screen successes has been so popular. Warner Brothers lead the remake parade with four features, “Between Two Worlds,” formerly “Outward Bound”; “Strangers in Our Midst” from “The Petrified Forest,” which starred Leslie Howard and Bette Davis in 1936; Somerset Maugham’s “Of Human Bondage”; and Philip Barry’s “The Animal Kingdom.” MGM is set for a remake of “Libeled Lady,” which starred Spencer Tracy, William Powell, Jean Harlow and Myrna Loy in 1937; the 1922 Broadway hit, “Turn to the Right,” which MGM filmed in 1927; and a musical version of “Cimarron,” which starred Richard Dix and Irene Dunne in 1930. Twentieth Century-Fox will do a musical version of ‘State Fair,” the 1933 Will Rogers hit; the famous mystery, “The Spider”; a musical version of twice-filmed “Three Blind Mice’’ and the film which brought fame to Clara Bow in 1924, “Down to the Sea in Ships.” Owen Wister’s three-time hit, “The Virginian,” is being prepared by Paramount as a Technicolor special starring Brian Donlevy, Sonny Tufts and Joel McCrea. Paramount is also preparing “Olympia,” which John Gilbert made for MGM in 1927 as “His Glorious Night.” RKO last week started rolling on “The Enchanted Cottage,” which starred Richard Barthelmess and May McAvoy in 1924. In the Westerns field, RKO will remake all the Zane Grey stories previously filmed by Paramount. Warner Brothers lists Ann Sheridan as the star of a proposed new “Calamity Jane.” "San Demetrio’ Preem Liberty Magazine gaye a good spread to “San Demetrio, London,” Esquire’s Ealing release which fancy-preems for the Navy League at the Eglinton, Toronto, on August 31. FPCC Will Reopen Empire, Edmonton Empire Theatre, Edmonton, will be reopened by Famous Players when renovations are completed. It had been leased by a USA contracting firm for the entertainment of its workers. FPCC will also erect “Edmonton's finest theatre” after the war. August 28, 1944 By Our Maritimes Correspondent OW 80, Norman W. Mason, N of New Glasgow, N.S., has been affiliated actively with theatres since he was 15. His start was as a callboy at a Boston stage show house during a run by Lily Langtry and her troupe. He had quite a thrill several years ago when he saw the Jersey Lily depicted on the screen in “The Westerner.” Mason became an actor with trouping dramatic repertoire groups through New England and eastern Canada. He was also with single show productions. For instance that hardy annual, “The Old Homestead,” with Denman Thompson starring. It was then the Uncle Josh Whitcomb germ infected him and he has never recovered. Although for several years at a time he may not be affected. Now he is making another of his stage comebacks in the old Thompson role. Outside of being the star player, the producer and director and supplying the theatre, his connection with the production is nil. His production, after opening at New Glasgow, and playing about a week there, will be taken on tour of Nova Scotia, and possibly New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. The proceeds will be entirely for war charities and many of the performances will be given for the armed forces and -without charge to them. Off and on this dean of film exhibitors has been playing the part of Uncle Josh in the pastoral play for about a half century. He naively points out that his projected tour may be his stage farewell—a real one. ey & * Ween N.W., as he is familiarly known in and about New Glasgow, first became connected with New Glasgow theatres, it was strictly on the legit side. Travelling troupes were played. When silent films made their debut, Mason was one of the first to introduce them between stage show bookings. Then, gradually, he focussed all his attention on the pictures. For some years, he was in partnership with Henry MacNeil, who died recently, and then organized and headed his own company. For the past 20 years he has directed the Roseland and Academy. The latter, originally known as the Academy of Music, was used for stage entertainment. The Roseland was built for Mason. Besides being the majority stockholder in the company, N.W. has been managing director. In 1943, he arranged an affiliation with the B& L Theatres of St. John, and whereby that firm, operating a circuit in the maritime provinces was to take over, but he has continued at the helm of the two houses. It Is hard to visualize New Glasgow without this veteran -actively directing the two local theatres. He has completed a new home, which is one of the residential Showplaces of New GlasgowWestville Stellarton Trenton. He is planning an English rock garden for the lawn. % % * W. believes a theatre owner should interest himself in the community in which he is located. Practicing what he preaches, he is a past alderman and mayor of New Glasgow, and has been active in local charitable projects, including the raising of money not only by his revivals of the “Old Homestead,” but by other means. He has offered the use of his theatres for numerous and varied community undertakings. About two years ago, he took his “Old Homestead” troupe on tour of camps of the Army, Navy and Air Force through Nova Scotia, providing entertainment for the men and women in the war uniforms. Mason has dedicated his latest revival of the “Old Homestead” to the memory of men and women who acted and worked with him in previous productions of the same play. One of the regulars in the cause, Roe Murray, died a few months ago. He had been in every production and performance of the play produced by N.W., the two having been co-actors in many hundreds of performances, and always each in the same role. They had started together over 40 years ago, for their stage acting alliance. And always for charity. RKO Returns to Western Field REO, which hasn’t made a western in two years, will turn out two for this season. They are “Nevada” and “West of the Pecos.” The company has bought the rights to the Zane Grey stories. All Fox Musicals to Get Technicolor In the future all 20thFox musicals will be in ‘Technicolor. Of four waiting to be released one, “Sweet and Lowdown,” is in black and white. It’s in answer to the demand of exhibitors and the sales force. Fox has 21 musicals planned, most for this season's release, Rex Williams UA Exploitn Head © Louis Pollock, advertising and publicity head of United Artists, last week announced the appointment of Rex Williams, manager of Loew’s Theatre in St. Louis, as director of exploitation for the company. Williams has been in show business for some 20 years, work~ ing up from usher through the various positions to theatre head. In 1927 he managed the Grand Theatre in Terre Haute, Indiana, handling publicity for the city’s five leading theatres at the same time. He joined the Butterfield circuit in Michigan as assistant to EH. C. Beatty, president and Special field representative, in 1932. From 1936 until he joined Loew’s Theatre four years ago, he was district manager for the Indiana-Mlinois theatres circuit. Williams’ ability and capacity for work have been honored repeatedly. He won the MGM $10,000 exploitation contest a few years ago and a dozen other showmanship prizes divided between Quigley awards and MGM exploitation honor rolls. The St. Louis chamber of commerce honored him, last May, with a special award for topping 500 leading industrialists and business men in city war drives. United Artists recently appointed Roy Castleman to succeed Ben Cronk as the company’s Canadian promotion representative. Glace Bay House A. new theatre will be erected after the war in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. A site has been purchased from the town. Famous Acquires More Theatres Commencing September ist, Famous Players will be represented in the city of Medicine Hat through the acquisition of three theatres there—the Monarch, Empress and Roxy, it was announced by J. J. Fitzgibbons. Famous Players have entered into an agreement with Eldridge Guthro, Frederick M. Gregor and G. G, Walker for the joint operation of the Majestic theatre in New Waterford, N.S., and the new Capitol theatre to be built in New Waterford. A new deluxe theatre and modern office building will be erected on the property held by Famous Players for many years at Yonge and Edward Streets, Toronto, which has been used in recent years as the Imperial theatre’s parking lot. The new Paramount theatre in St. John’s, Newfoundland, is scheduled to open on Sept, ist.