Canadian Film Weekly (Nov 1, 1944)

ews & November 1, 1944 when Specialty Films bowed out, and 1925, the year he became the Van Buren representative in Canada, there occurred Ernest Ouimet's one real venture into production. The Laval Photoplay Company, . Bers 1922, which was organized by him, produced “Why Get Married,” a _ fulllength feature, in Hollywood. The star was Andree Lafayette, seen previously as the star of a French version of “Trilby.” Until “Why Get Married” Ouimet’s production work had been confined to the shooting of Canadian newsreels, of which he was the pioneer. In 1908 he had established a darkroom in the cellar of the Ouimetoscope. The first Canadian newsreel, as distinct from Bradford’s CPR scenics, was about the visit of the then Prince of Wales to the city of Quebec in connection with the Tercentary celebration of that city. This reel, 200 feet long, has since disappeared. The purpose of the Ouimet newsreel was to spur patronage for his theatre. He kept filming special events until 1910, using slides to carry the subtitles. The first American newsreel was issued by Pathe in 1909 and Ouimet inserted his clips to get a Canadian flavor. Before the Pathe newsreel photo bearing slides were used. He dropped into semi retirement for several years in 1910 because of illness and took it easy until his Pathe deal in 1914. One of his camera jobs was to film the construction of a cantilever bridge that started in Quebec and reached over the St. Lawrence, a two-year assignment. During a rest period the bridge crashed and sank like a stone. Ouimet saw the unfinished span go but he was on a tug two miles away at the time—and out of camera range. The ruins of the Halifax disaster were photographed by him in 1917, He was the first cameraman to get there, the area being out of bounds under military law. His cameraman was barred so Ouimet rushed to the scene, used his influence and got permission to go to work. American newsreel cameramen arrived the next day and took pictures in 30 below zero. Their films were useless and Pathe used the Ouimet film. He still leves to tinker with photography. He is working on third dimension and can show surprising progress, although war restrictions have hindered him. One of these days, he is sure, Ernest .Ouimet will prove that third-dimension photography for the screen is possible. ‘TILL a resident of Montreal, his best friends are members of the industry to which he contributed so much. He has a great Ls Part Four — Conclusion Canadian FILM WEEKLY L. ERNEST OUIMET Pioneer By HYE BOSSIN L. ERNEST OUIMET love for those who worked for him in livelier days. Some of these say that Ouimet, on several occasions in the past, was the victim of ingratitude and even perfidy but he, a _ sentimental and kindly person, has no bitter words on that score. He isn't as hale as he used to be but his manner is just as hearty. He has the same French capacity for enjoyment of life that was his in those early days when barroom, barbershop, parlor and salon buzzed with conversations about the doings of that man Ouimet. Years ago he shared an apartment in Toronto with Archie Laurie. Tom Daley, a lover of choice stuffing, was a frequent visitor. On week-ends Ernest did the cooking and the kitchen became his sanctum, He would bear no trespassers and accept no assistance, not even to the point of having an onion peeled by alien and unappreciative hands. The results were magnificent and Laurie and Daley would stagger from the table to collapse in happy heaps ecstatically murmuring praise of Ernest. Even now when they talk about those happy days they are in danger of drowning in their own drool. Ernest's fine sense of humor is most often directed at himself. One of his favorite tales is about the time a Montreal girl came to him for advice about a screen career, She had had a walk-on part in a previous film. Ouimet considered that she would not photograph well and tried to -talk her into dropping the idea and making marriage the most important thing in her life. What he didn't know was that a certain facial handicap of hers, noted by him, didn’t show on the screen and she had a rare beauty when filmed. The next day a scout saw her walk-on part and searched for her. Her name is Norma Shearer He still has definite personal opinions about things. Central operation of a complete nature is making robots of managers, he says. And it is his opinion that the decline of the legitimate Stage is due much to the lack of patience of the last generation, which couldn’t sit through several hours of live entertainment. He doesn’t like masters of ceremonies because they ask applause for actors before they deserve it. “They should deliver the goods first,” says Ouimet. History inevitably becomes personalized in its presentation Great accomplishments are usually identified with one man. In the case of Canadian motion picture history, that one man is Leo Ernest Ouimet, whose faith in the future of films did much to establish and bring them to the envied position they occupy in Canadian life today. Page 4% Aco sing _ c= \ ¥ lenited 7 i PRC DELIVERS Benny Fields in MINSTREL MAN DELINQUENT DAUGHTERS June Carison Fifi D’orsay LADY IN THE DEATH HOUSE Lionel Atwill Jean Parker WATER FRONT John Carradine J. Carrol Naish SEVEN DOORS TO DEATH Chick Chandler June Clyde CONTENDER Buster Crabbe Arline Judge MACHINE GUN MAMA Armida Fl Brendell You Can Rely On PRC Producers Releasing Corporation LIMITED Executive Offices: 277 Victoria St., Toronto, 2, Ont.