Canadian Film Weekly (Nov 21, 1945)

Page 6 David Bernstein Passes in NY (Continued from Page 1) He was a brother of Jules Bernstein, manager of Loew’s, Toronto, for many years. The late Loew’s vice-president, with Nicholas M. Schenck, was one of the chief associates of Marcus Loew when he bought Metro in 1920, made a deal with Louis B. Mayer, then running Selig, and Samuel Goldwyn. In 1903 Bernstein answered a want ad of Marcus Loew People’s Vaudeville Company and got a bookkeeping job. From that he eventually rose to one of the top posts in the industry and he is credited with many of the policies which kept the company financially sound through difficult times. His salary when he started with the company was $12. During the fiscal year that ended August 31st, 1943, he earned $333,434, one of the highest annual remunerations on this continent. A member of many clubs, he was chairman of a number of annual charity drives and a trustee of several humanitarian organizations. J. Wellard Manages Smith's Falls House Jack Wellard, recently discharged from the RCN, is now manager of the Capitol, Smith’s Falls, and supervisor of the Perth, Perth, Ontario. S: McNeil, formerly managerprojectionist, is now devoting his full time to projection. An Independent BOOKING and BUYING COMPANY for Canadian FILM WEEKLY N} 4 yy Aa SAD OG " ) a , GLAD & < ‘4 a tM AT” Sixteen Mm. On the March This country is sure coming alive with 16 mm. Quebec 35 mm. exhibitors have echoed the protests of Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta for more rigid.enforcement of clearance and zones, so great has been the gain in theatrical exhibition by the small-gaugers. Now comes the announcement that International Theatrical & Television of Canada will enter theatrical and educational distribution as competitors of Hanson 16 mm., Sovereign Films, General Films and Associated Screen News. But it is in the 16 mm. industrial field that the major activity is taking place. Through it, according to present indications, Canada will have considerable motion picture production besides that carried on by the National Film Board. There’s Frank O’Byrne’s ambitious organization, reported elsewhere in this issu2; return to production of Audio; the continued growth of such production groups as Associated Screen News, J. W. Pechet’s Canadian Screen Publicity, Leon Shelley’s Vancouver-Toronto setup, Crawley Film in Ottawa and General Films in Toronto. . It is said that one large Dominion industrial production group has a backlog of 150 films to be made when men and equipment are available. One prediction has it that there are a million dollars a year waiting for industrial films right now. Present and future needs are causing allied fields to be established, such as the 16 mm. projection manufacturing company at Leaside, the Canadian Motion Sound Company, headed by Allen Stark and Lawrence Allen. In the USA J. Walter Thompson, a leading ad agency, is averaging a picture per week for clients, compared with four or five annually up to 1939, according to Bob Gillham, who resigned recently as Paramount’s advertising and publicity chief to join that company. So promising has the field become that several major Hollywood companies are setting up industrial production divisions. J. Arthur Rank and Universal International Films, Inc. have jointly agreed to form a company for world promotion of 16 mm. in every field. Canadian manufacturers are showing much curiosity. Recently the Association of Canadian Advertisers, made up of the advertising representatives of leading enterprises, held an open forum in Torcnto on industrial films. This was attended by agency men as well and on hand were Frank O’Byrne, Bill and Leon Sh2lley, and Jack Chisholm, Ken Oakley and Ernie Roberts of Associated Screen News. Parts of films were screened to show specific ways in which that type of motion picture could be of value in increasing business and facilitating manufacture and sales. John Doherty acted as chairman and J. A. Blay, assistant director of promotion for the Ontario Hydro, presented the case for industrial films and answered questions. Not to be overlooked in Canadian production are the units of the provinces of Quebec and Nova Scotia. There have been several summer courses in methods of visual education fcr teachers and it is not unlikely that more serious efforts will be made to prepare educators for change. Incidentally, Cleveland College is offering a script course in industrial films. Something like that ought to be organized here as part of the extension courses at Canadian universities. Ontario Exhibitors Protest Owl Ban Motion Picture Theatres Association of Ontario during its recent annual meeting in Toronto Philpott Column On "Orders From Tokio’ The entire column of one of Canada’s leading journalists, El despatched a resolution to the Board of Police Commissioners asking it to amend the by-law which now bans midnight shows in Toronto except Christmas and New Year’s eves. Other resolutions objected to continuation of the 20 per cent amusement tax and prior: runs to service .camps, now that the war is over, Independents CO-OPERATIVE | THEATRES more Philpott, appearing on the editorial page of the Vancouver Sun, was recently devoted to Warner Brothers’ “Orders From Tokio” after Dave Borland, manager of the Dominion, Vancouver, screened the short for the writer. Philpott’s column ig published in a syndicate of Canadian newspapers. oa November 21, 1945 NFB Thanks to John Grierson : (Continued from Page 1) In recognition of Grierson’s services to Canada while he held the post of film commissioner, the National Film Board adopted the following resolution: “That the National Film Board place on record its appreciation of the outstanding services rendered to Canada and to the Board by Mr. John Grierson, who has recently resigned as government film commissioner. Owing to his successful efforts Canadian films have become more widely known and appreciated and have been an important factor in making our country better known to our own people and throughout the world.” Since leaving his post wth the Board Grierson has been organizing his own company, International Film Associates, for the production of commercial and educational films. Associated with the former film commissioner in the project are Robert Flaherty, Jean Benoit-Levy, John Fernhout, Stuart Legg, Raymonde Spotiswoode, Mary Losey and M. A. Adamson. Offices will be maintained in Ottawa, Washington, London and Prague. The Honorable Brooke Claxton, minister of national health and welfare, was recently appointed chairman of the National Film Board, succeeding the Honorable J.J. McCann, minister of national revenue, but no successor to Grierson as film commissioner has yet been appointed. Ross McLean, assistant film commissioner, is carrying on. Award Jolson Role Larry Parks will play the part of Al Jolson in Columbia’s picturization of the famous entertainer’s life. 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. P ELECTRIC COMPANY LIMITED 877 VICTORIA STREET 2027 BLEURY STREET ae MONTREAL