Canadian Film Weekly (Mar 21, 1945)

March 21, 19415 Alberta Exhibs Beef at 16s (Continued from Page 1) operated in the province during that year. That type of exhibition has shown a marked gain in the past few years and 1944 will be no exception. The financial nature of these increases is indicated by the gain of 1943 over the previous year in Alberta, $10,960. The Dominion increase over 1942 was $66,295. Alberta exhibitors have several more problems, one of which is being arranged now—that of pretheatre showings of National Film Board shorts. John Grier‘son, during his recent visit, was made aware of that condition and immediately ordered protection. Another irksome situation is the operation of theatres which pay no federal tax and are thus enabled to charge lower admission fees. Such theatres are operated by local service bodies as a means of keeping the citizens in the village for week-end shopping, instead of going to the larger nearby town where they can see a movie during the buying period. This unfair competition makes it hard on the standard operator, who is used to drawing his patrons from a wide radius. Objections to 16 Mm. Some of the objections presented by the Alberta Theatres Association are: Operation of 16 mm. is at present contrary to building and safety regulations. Licenced 35 mm. theatres must meet stiff building and equipment requirements and pay provincial and federal taxes, whereas 16 mm. operators, in some cases, do not collect taxes. Although 16 mm. is non-inflammable or slow-burning, fire might cause a panic that would turn into a tragedy because of the lack of suitability of the places of exhibition. Licences for all halls and other places where 16 mm. films are exhibited should be issued by the theatre department after meet-ing safety regulations and not through local bodies, as is the case now. Projection booths should be required. Present theatre regulations dealing with lighting, aisle space, etc. should be enforced. Upstairs movies should be prohibited unless proper exits are provided for. Some provisions should be made for the censorship, control and regulation of movies shown jn juke box style. Britain’s leading comic, George Formby, recently entertained a group of Canadian servicemen at the studio. He is shown with them Canadian FILM WEEKLY Formby and Canucks on the set of Columbia’s British comedy, “I Didn’t Do It.’ Will Paramount Make the Shorts? The possibility of a series of shorts made in Canada by Paramount is receiving important consideration in Canadian motion picture circles. The presence of J. J. Fitzgibbons in Hollywood at the moment is related importantly by many to the making of the shorts, although the president of Famous Players Canadian Corporation has other and less private reasons for being in the Cinema City. As national chairman of the Canadian Motion Picture War Service Committee Mr. Fitzgibbons will, in behalf of the minister of finance and the National War Finance Committee, make presentations to Spencer Tracy and other members of the cast who made the excellent Seventh Victory Loan short for the Canadian industry. He will also. have a look at the short made by 20th Century-Fox for the coming loan. : With regard to the shorts, it is likely that they will be filmed by Paramount crews for Famous Players, although no official announcement has been made. Adolph Zukor, chairman of the board of directors of Paramount and a living legend in the industry, announced Paramount’s interest in Canadian-made shorts at the recent Toronto meeting of the Canadian circuit’s 25 Year Club and it was seized on by the movie-conscious press. Paramount, parent company of Famous Players, has shown a marked interest in Canadian needs in the past, as witness the company’s ~ Canadian newsreel, ABE MONTAGUE Honored by Staffmen VOCALITE SCREENS Five times more sound permeability. One-third more light. Vocalite Sound Screen is the result of a series of intensive and costly experiments which have resulted in the production of the finest sound screen made. Flexible plastic coated, flameproof. COMPANY LIMITED VICTORIA STREET 2oay pisuay sTasay ONTO MONTREAL Page 9 Columbia Honors Abe Montague (Continued from Page 1) on March 3rd and runs to May 25th, is called the Montague 20th Anniversary Campaign. The motion picture mindedness of Montague had its inception in Boston. Born in that city, in 1892, his early training was for concert piano work, but while he was studying, he became an usher. Was soon imbued with enthusiasm for the future and possibilities of the motion pictures, In the summer of his sixteenth year, he opened his first combination theatre and dance-hall in the Weirs, New Hampshire, and from this grew a small chain of one-night shows. He was electrician as well as theatre and dance-hall manager, running the picture himself, and, at its close, attracting dance-hall patrons with a megaphone in front of the hall. The crowd collected, Montague took over the duties of pianist in the dance-hall orchestra. In addition to doubling in brass in these capacities, Montague did concert work until he was eighteen years old. In 1914, he opened the Dey Square Theatre in Boston, and shortly thereafter, became connected with theatres in Somerville, Cambridge, and Arlington, Mass. He sold out his theatre interests in 1923, and started in the distribution field, organizing and managing Certified Screen Attractions. A year later, he joined Joseph A. McConville’s Independent Films as_ partner, operating both that organization and Certified Screen Attractions. At about this time, the partners acquired Columbia Pictures franchise for New England. They have continued their Columbia association to the present day. When Columbia became a national organization in 1929, they served as district managers Eastern section. In 1933 he became general sales manager of the company, a post he has held since. Rank's USA Publicity Setup in Action Publicity offices of the USA branch of the J. Arthur Rank world organization have been opened temporarily at 729 Seyenth Avenue, New York. Jock Lawrence, now in London, is in charge and it is known as the Lawrence Associates. H. Edward Scofield and Malcolm Kipp are with the setup. It is said that Rank will have a similar office in Canada,