Canadian Film Weekly (Oct 3, 1945)

\ October 3, 1945 Little Gain in Domn 44 Take (Continued from Page 1) cluding the receipts secured both by motion picture houses and exhibitors using portable equipment, per capita expenditure in this field of entertainment averaged $5.61 in 1944, figures for the various provinces standing at $8.15 for British Columbia, $6.84 for Ontario, $6.73 for Nova Scotia, $5.35 for Alberta, $4.93 for Manitoba, $4.51 for New Brunswick, $4.26 for Quebec, $3.54 for Saskatchewan, and $3.41 for Prince Edward Island. In addition to the above, there were 4 establishments operating in Canada in 1944 as legitimate theatres. These establishments offered 577 presentations of various kinds and had total paid admissions numbering 950,169, Revenue from the sale of tickets for such presentations was $998,942 with additional amusement taxes of $224,367. Minor gains in receipts in 1944 compared with 1943 were reported by all provinces except New Brunswick where boxoffice returns declined by 1 per cent. Number of paid admissions increased only slightly in most provinces and declined 1 per cent in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and British Columbia. Results for the larger urban centres were not uniform. Boxoffice receipts gained 9 per cent in Montreal, 6 per cent in Toronto, and 1 per cent in Regina, but declined by 2 per cent in Halifax, 7 per cent in Sain John, 2 per cent in Winnipeg and 2 per cent in Edmonton. Vancouver receipts remained on a par with 1943. Potential admissions to motion picture theatres in 1944 totalled 579,489,091, a figure which represents the maximum number of admissions possible if every performance of the program played to a full house in every theatre. The actual number of admissions reported in 1944 was 208,167,180, indicating that on the average only 35.9 per cent of the seating capacity was utilized at every performance. Corresponding ratios for earlier years were 35.7 per cent for 1943, 32.4 per cent for 1942, 31.0 per cent for 1941, and 30.0 per cent for 1940. Itinerant operators were more numerous in 1944 than in 1943 and their.receipts exceeded those of the previous year by $96, 445. There were 116 exhibitors who used 16 mm. equipment and these had receipts of $286,008, collected amusement taxes amounting to $56,556 and reported 1,189,223 paid admissions. The 15 operators using 35 mm. portable equipment reported $51,217 receipts, $11,211 collected in amusement taxes and 233,190 admissions, ontiineeaens ——————————e ad -/ Ly) South The Peephole’s Choice Jack Hunter, formerly Toronto branch manager of Paramount, gave auite a party at the Royal York recently on the occasion of the 25th wedding anniversary of he and the Mrs. About 8@ persons were present and among them, unknown, wandered Comedian Sammy Sales in the garb of a member of the hotel staff and doing his ‘‘Crazy Waiter” routine. This consists of waiting on certain guests who are driven to a frenzy by the inept and clumsy conduct of Sales. A request for peas or potatoes causes him to bring a handful out of a pocket. That’s the sort of thing he does. Naturally, there are a few who are in on the gag at the beginning and the rest learn about it later. It’s Sammy’s favorite routine, even if he has to duck occasionally. Hunter was telling the lads about the havoc caused by Sales and it’s even funny to hear about. Jack, incidentally, invited his former staff at Paramount to a cocktail party in his home, returning its kindness in presenting him with a gift when he left . John Grierson was in Toronto last week and his presence caused conjecture about his future. It is said that he, along with several of his key men, will found a cinema centre that will cater to the needs of Britain, Canada and the USA. It is known that the National Film Board will continue the Canada Carries On series and Grierson is anxious the government film agency maintain its progress. No successor to him has been named... Bea Pacaud, Rexy, Ottawa, one of Ontario’s few lady managers, will be honeymooning one of these days, now that her boy friend is back from overseas. Interesting Marriage An international marriage of considerable interest to the local film colony took place recently when Somer James and Jean Smith were married in Great Britain. Somer was with Premier Operating’s advertising department prior to joining the merchant marine several years ago. Jean, who served in the British CWACs, is the daughter of Sam Smith, head man of British Lion, and popular in this Dominion. I ran a “blind” item about it recently and it caused many enquiries. at od Babble, Babble, Black Sheep Some time in October The Lobster, that excellent and interesting eating place in the shadows of Famous Players, will begin a floor show policy at a la carte prices. Jackie Lewis, who has considerable local renown as producer and composer, will handle the show, an 1890 revue to begin with. Tne Lobster should provide some enjoyable hours . . . A statement which made theatre men perk up and wonder was contained in the judgment of Justice Urquhart, who turned down an application of the City of Toronto that restrictions at Yonge and Snowden be modified to permit the building of a theatre. Residents of Snowden opposed the City’s application. Stated the judgment: “Also there being another theatre close by, the community is well served and I see no necessity for a second so close.”. . . Izzy Goldstein, formerly booker in the Winnipeg’ RKO office. is now in the Toronto branch. He was overseas for five years, beginning in 1939. Succeeding him in Winnipeg is Hector Ross, also recently of the service... RKO really loosened its ad department purse strings for its Henreid-Maureen O’Hara-Slezak Technicolor prize, “The Spanish Main.” Magazines carrying “Main” ads have a total circulation cf 66,252,345, and the Canadian periodicals, seven leading ones, represent 1,922,733 of the total . .. HarJand Rankin, Tilbury exhib, is quite a yachtsman and was recently presented with a Lazy Susan—whatever that is—for doing so much to help the regatta of the Erieau Yacht Club... Pete Egan, Calgary’s pride and joy in the sporting and theatrical colony, recently attained his 61st birthday—which was at the same time the day of his 31st wedding anniversary. Keep punching, Pete. Page 7 Blumenstock in Einfeld's Spot (Continued from Page 1) Formerly director of advertising and publicity in the east, Blumenstock will continue to make his headquarters in New York under the new arrangement. Alex Evelove remains as MORT BLUMENSTOCK studio publicity director in Hol lywood with greatly enlarged duties. Warners’ new ad-pub chief started in the motion picture industry as an advertising copy writer for First National Pictures in 1922. He came to Warner Brothers in 1931 to take charge of advertising and publicity for the company’s circuit of 500 theatres. In 1936, when Hinfeld shifted his headquarters to the studio Blumenstock moved from the subsidiary to the parent company to take over all eastern publicity. Canada Joins in Gershwin Tribute Canada will join in a tribute to George Gershwin, for Warner Brothers “Rapsody in Blue,” with a concert over the coast-to-coast network of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. USA Building Ban Ends October 15 USA government restrictions on all commercial construction will be lifted on October 15th, which means that theatre expansion on that side of the border will get under way. Price controls over building materials will be tightened and attempts will be made to prevent hoarding. j