Canadian Film Weekly (Sep 6, 1944)

Page 4 Indie Producers See Boom Ahead (Continued from Page 1) controlled by certain production companies as outlets for their pictures, Independents will be able to turn out more and better pictures. Lesser explains how necessary these outlets are to first-class production by pointing out that 70 per cent of domestic rentals comes from 2,000 USA houses controlled by chains and the remaining 30 per cent is derived from some 9,000 better class Independent houses. “Stage Door Canteen,” produced by Lesser, would have grossed another million dollars had it been made by a production-exhibition company. Good dates would have been assured. Another Independent organization is becoming active and it is expected that its members will eventually pool talent, technicians and equipment, putting each in a better position to compete with major studios. There are several Independent organizations now, the leading one being the Independent Motion Picture Producers, among whose members are Sam Goldwyn, David O. Selznick, Walt Disney, Sol Lesser and others. Goldwyn had the sympathy of this group when he played “Up in Arms” in a Reno dance hall instead of one of the city’s five chain-controlled houses. In Chicago he is playing “Up in Arms” at an Independent house and claims that his end has come to $175,000 so far, in comparison with the $30,000 he got in that city for his last film. Production costs for 1943 rose 40 per cent above 1942. The Indies must get better bookings to make films on par with the majors. WEB to Release 12 Short Subs in Sept. Of 12 short subjects to be released by Warners in September, nine are in Technicolor and three are two-reelers. Schlesinger Technicolor cartoons include ‘‘Goldilocks,” “Jivin’ Bears,” “Let It. Be Me,” “Plane Daffy,” “Lost and Foundling,” and “Booby Hatched.” Beauty Contest By Capitol, St. Thomas Manager Les Preston, with the co-operation of the Kiwanis Club, is running a beauty contest in St. Thomas, Ontario, in connection with the showing of MGM’s “Bathing Beauty’ at the Capitol Theatre. Preliminaries are being held on the stage of the theatre and finals will be conducted at Centre Park on Labor Day. Canadian FILM WEEKLY nThe Square with Hye Bossin ta ‘What Price Glory? Walter Pidgeon, while visiting in Cleveland, told friends about the time he, Mackenzie King and the Premier’s secretary had several hours between trains in New York, when King expressed a desire to see ‘Mrs. Miniver,” then showing at Radio City. Finding a long queue at the boxoffice, King took his place in line. Pidgeon thought it hardly fitting for so important a personage to wait, so he slipped off to the manager’s office to explain. The manager hot-footed it out to the street, but King was not’ in line, In the meantime, King’s secretary had persuaded him to go to the ticket-taker and identify himself. They caught up with him in time to overhear his conversation at the door: “IT am Mackenzie King.” “You are,” replied the usher in a “so what’ tone. “I am Prime Minister of Canada and I wondered if I could get in. You see, I have a train...” “Mister, you'll have to wait in line,” “But I’m a personal friend of Greer Garson,” Canada’s top man explained, “I have, in fact, a letter from her here in my pocket.” “Jeez, a friend of Greer Garson,” he gasped, “Why didn’t you say so?” FROM “COUNTERPOINTS” ye Lines and Outlines Elizabeth Trott is doing an article on the Canadian motion picture industry for Monetary Times. . . The radio column has come back to Toronto newspapers, Frank Chamberlain’s thriceweekly stint appearing on Simpson’s ad page. Everyone has been hungry for radio guidance since the dailies started their undeclared war on radio. Will make press agents happy. .. Good crack: “You look swell—who’s your embalmer?” Iry Hoffman recorded it. . . Art Arthur is in Mexico on a USArmy assignment, . . Izzy Allen has done more for British film in these parts than anyone in years. Instead of just selling them, he is building a public demand for them through exploitation and newspaper support. With the valuable aid of Esquire’s femme flack, Bea Shapiro, . . Charlie Stephenson’s son and daughter-in-law, Howard and Ann, are overseas on an entertainment tour. . . Goofy stories are making the rounds again. One is about one man stopping another on the street. “Gosh, how you've changed,” he said. “You used to be fat, now you're skinny, You used to be tall, now you’re short. You used to have bushy hair, now you're bald. Gosh, you've changed, Mr. Jordan.” The man addressed said “My name isn’t Jordan.” To which the first man replied “Don’t tell me you've changed your name too!” .,. Then there’s the tale of the man who was dragging a horse up an escalator in Eaton’s. An attendant stopped him. “But I’ve got to!” protested the dragger, “Why?” the attendant asked. “Because,” was the answer, “the horse can’t stand elevators.” oh st % How They Stand It A long-time mystery is cleared up by H. Allen Smith, author of “Low Man on a Totem Pole” and “Life in a Putty Knife Factory,” in a letter to Tom O'Reilly, columnist of PM, New York newspaper. Smith’s 16-year-old son got a job as a movie usher. Writes Smith to O'Reilly: At first this appeared to be a mistake because he complained that if he had to look at “Cover Girl” one more time he’d shoot himself , Then he di vies the movie usher’s technique for avoiding ennui... During the first doz eee ings of the picture they deliberately turn away and ignore small senusnicea ilo Jeaving something to see next time it’s shown , . If there is a Giptestas mich newspaper they ignore the headline or item high-lighted for story pu es ri try te read all the other articles in view. . , These, he SAYS, are Seki ae After that they take each character one at a time and wilch she Sta exclusively, . . During « recent showing of “Gaslight” young Mr. Smith Sree know Charles Boyer as a blood brother, . . Finally the ushers ignore teers a altogether and look at inanimate objects such as dishes, belt buckles a Sasa designs, electric light plugs and so on, . . “That part Ss the best or 1 on, young Mr. Smith, whe is a keen critic of the arts, ’ Pegs oct September 6, 1944 | Plenty of Films For Allied PsW (Continued from Page 1) Total number of war prisoners of all nationalities is at present about six million, almost the exact number receiving help from the YMCA at the end of the 1914-18 conflict. This figure represents about 15 per cent of the world’s present armed forces. In their highly-prized motion picture screenings, prisoners find relief from. monotony, vicarious travel and romance. The music and comedy of the uncaged world are poignant reminders of their homes in a country which through democratic processes had achieved the pinnacle of personal freedom and good living until that civilization was shattered by war. Newsreels and war films, excluded by USA postal censors and by enemy regulations, are missing from prison screenings. Since January, 1944, a total of 101 Hollywood features have been received at Geneva. An indication of the variety of these pictures seen by British, Americans and Canadians in German prisons may be had from some of the titles supplied by the YMCA War Prisoners Aid Committee: “Lady of Burlesque,” “Bridge of San Luis Rey,” “Kitty Foyle,” “Cabin in the Sky,” “The Man Who Came to Dinner,’ “Shine On, Harvest Moon,” “The Great Waltz,” “Knickerbocker Holiday,” “The Uninvited’ and “Up in Mabel’s Room.” On reaching a prison camp each soldier receives from the ‘YMCA. a package valued at $10 containing toilet articles, medical supplies, underwear, diary and photograph album, note books, pocket Testament, sports clothes, tennis shoes, athletic equipment, pencils, colored crayons, checkers or chess and musical instruments. Movies are keeping pace with the Allied advance, according to Col. E. L. Munson, Chief of the Army Pictorial Service, recently returned from the European Theatre of Operations. In a report to the film industry’s War Activities Committee, under whose auspices more than 16,000 film programs have been given the armed forces in combat areas, Col. Munson said that the first film was shown on the Continent on June 16, ten days after D-Day. “A reserve of current motion pictures in 16 mm. which had been built up in England for just this purpose is being moved across the Channel continuously with the regular implements of Axis discomfort,” Col, Munson reports,