Canadian Film Weekly (Jan 17, 1945)

January 17, 1945 Film Daily Polls Find USA Bests (Continued from Page 1) the best performance by a feminine star; while “Going My Way” was hailed as the No. 1 picture of 1944, “Song of Bernadette,” “originally a roadshow attraction in the USA, will not be released in this country until February of this year. The polls, conducted annually by the Film Daily, showed these results (winners listed in the order in which they placed): According to the critics, the “Ten Best Pictures” of 1944 were: Going My Way (Paramount), Song of Bernadette (20th-Fox), Since You Went Away (United Artists), Madame Curie (MGM), Dragon Seed (MGM), White Cliffs of Dover (MGM), Gaslight (MGM), A Guy Named Joe (MGM), Story of Dr. Wassell (Paramount), Lifeboat (20thFox). Best performances by male stars: Bing Crosby in ‘Going My Way”; Spencer Tracy in “A Guy Named Joe’; Gary Cooper in “The Story of Dr. Wassell’; Fredric March in ‘'The Adventures of Mark Twain’; Claude Rains in “Mr. Skeffington.” Best performances by feminine stars: Jennifer Jones in “The Song of Bernadette’; Ingrid Bergman in ‘Gaslight’; Greer Garson in “Madame Curie’; Bette Davis in “Mr. Skeffington”; Irene Dunne in “The White Cliffs of Dover.” Honors for Fitzgerald Best performances by supporting actors: Barry Fitzgerald in “Going My Way”; Walter Pidgeon in “Madame Curie” tied with Van Johnson in “A Guy Named Joe”; Monty Woolley in “Since You Went Away”; Keenan Wynn in “See Here, Private Hargrove” tied with Walter Huston in “Dragon Seed.” Best performances by supporting actresses: Aline MacMahon in “Dragon Seed”; Ethel Barrymore in “None But the Lonely Heart”; Miriam Hopkins in “Old Acquaintance” tied with Diana Lynn in “The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek”; Angela Lansbury in “Gaslight.” Best performances by juvenile actors: Roddy McDowell in ‘“‘Lassie Come Home”; Ted Donaldson in “Once Upon a Time”; Roddy McDowall in “The White Cliffs of Dover’; Lon McCallister in “Home in Indiana’; Donald O’Connor in “The Merry Monahans.” Best performances by juvenile actresses: Margaret O’Brien in “Lost Angel”; Joyce Reynolds in “Janie”; Shirley Temple in “Since Peebles Sell Out To Western Group (Continued from Page 1) Noel Forest are interested in an, important way. The theatres involved are two in Dauphin, the Dauphin and the Gay, which the Peebles’ have operated for 23 years; the Rex, Flin Flon; Roxy, Sherridon; and the Russell, Russell. Seating capacity of each house is: Dauphin, 600; Gay, 260; Rex, 300; Roxy, 300; Russell, 189. They are all six-day houses. The syndicate is supposed to have commenced operations with the purchase of the Northland, Dawson Creek, then erected a restaurant in that town. The next move was the acquisition of the Gem, Edmonton, which was followed by the purchase of a bus depot and restaurant in Calgary. Deal for the Peebles’ holdings is said to involve several hundred thousand dollars. The syndicate is reported to be setting up booking and operation offices in Winnipeg. IA, Exhibs Join Rehab Program (Continued from Page 1) tion branch of the Province of Ontario, which licences projectionists, has waived apprenticeship and journeyman license fees. Local 173, IATSE, which controls Toronto projectionists, has three journeymen and three apprentices in its ranks and every local in Canada is endeavoring to make room for veterans. The major problem of most of them is to leave room for members who are now in the armed forces. There are some 25 members of the Toronto Local in uniform. Each Canadian local of the IATSE has home autonomy in the matter of assisting the program. In the case of non-union situations the exhibitor has endeavored to co-operate. Under the program veterans receive $20 per week for a year from the Rehabilitation Commission while studying for their “B” licenses. Canadian FILM WEEKLY Ont. Labor Bodies Against Tax (Continued from Page 1) and their co-operation is being invited. The labor men contend that an amusement tax is, in effect, a raise in the cost of living. ' The resolution was placed in the hands of a representative of the Ontario government at a conference between officials and trade union spokesmen to dis cuss labor matters generally. May Be Ultra Vires Return of the Ontario amusement tax — due, according to rumor, in April—may cause a tangle involving Ottawa and Queen’s Park unless the right to apply it is granted federally. The tax, if applied, will be the first imposed since the establishment of the Wartime Prices and Trade Board and the price freezing regulations. As seen by some, it means raised admissions — and raised admissions mean a violation of the WPTB regulations. Theatre men feel that no body, private or provincial, has a legal right to create legislation that will run counter to the spirit and letter of WPTB practices. Such legislations is ultra vires—beyond the power of the body which passes it. There is every likelihood of the tax—if imposed—being passed on to the public. If so, it will cause great resentment. It was public opposition to this tax, known as a “nuisance tax,’ which caused Premier Mitchell Hepburn to cancel it in 1937. Purpose of the tax was to bring money into the fund for educational subsidies. Ontario and Saskatchewan are the only provinces without a provincial amusement tax. Several Saskatchewan municipalities have such a tax. They were all in effect before the WPTB came along. It is not known whether the WPTB will make the exhibitor absorb the tax — or whether it has the power to do that. But no matter who will pay it if imposed, exhibitors are going to put up a battle against it. You Went Away”; Peggy Ann Garner in ‘Jane Eyre”; Margaret O’Brien in “Jane Eyre.” Top Directors Best direction: Leo McCarey for ‘Going My Way”; Henry King for “The Song of Bernadette”; Alfred Hitchcock for ‘Lifeboat’; John Cromwell for “Since You Went Away”; George Cukor for “Gaslight.” Outstanding screen plays: “Going My Way,” “Double Indemnity,” “The Song of Bernadette,” “Since You Went Away,” “Lifeboat.” Outstanding photography: “Lady in the Dark,” “An American Romance,’ Lassie Come Home,” “The Song of Bernadette,” “Jane Eyre.” : “Finds” of the year: Jennifer Jones, June Allyson, Danny Kaye, Van Johson, Barry Fitzgerald, Page 9 Garson, St. John, Odeon Partner (Continued from Page 1) under lease to Famous Players. Building sites purchased by Garson for the partnership are located in Charlottetown, Sydney, Glace Bay, Amherst, Campbellton, New Waterford and St. John. Odeon previously purchased a property on Spring Garden Road, Halifax, where it is the intention to erect a modern theatre when restrictions are removed. Those assets that come to Garson and Odeon from Winter and Sumner are the Capitol and Empress theatres in Moncton, and two additional sites acquired from Winter, one on St. George and the other on Lutz street. This puts Odeon firmly in Maritime operation. The announcement was made jointly by Mr. Garson and Mr. Nathanson and follows the recent announcement that Famous Players had concluded a i16-theatre partnership with the F. G. Spencer circuit. Coval Honored In Montreal (Continued from Page 1) Trinidad territory for Wolfe Cohen in the WB Foreign department, was succeeded by Grattan Kiely. On the call of Charlie Chaplin, United Artists Montreal branch manager, who acted as toastmaster, Bill Lester of United Amusements expressed the sentiments of the gathering before presenting Coval with a watch for those on hand and others who couldn’t be there. At the head table were Charlie Chaplin, Alf Perry of EmpireUniversal, Alec Adelman of Consolidated, Barney Rubin, Izzy Allen, Bill Lester, George Ganetakos and Harvey Harnick. Those who served on the committee where Chaplin, Tommy Dowbiggen of Paramount, Hatton Taylor of RKO and Johnny Ganetakos of United Amusements. The entertainment of six acts was provided by Paul Cardinel of the Starland. Congratulatory wires were received from many points in the United States and Canada. Broadway, Toronto Is Sandler House The Broadway, Toronto, handled for years by Ben Ulster, is operated by S. H. Sandler, who leased it from the younger Ulster in 1942. Ben Ulster, with whom it was incorrectly connected in a recent issue, still owns the building.