Canadian Film Weekly (Jun 12, 1946)

ee Lt COL. WM. McCRAW Co-ordinator of the Variety Club organization, who was the guest speaker at the inaugural meeting of Canada’s first’ Variety Club, Tent No. 28, at the King Edward Hotel on June 6. MGM Will Release Bikini Atoll Picture MGM will release the Carey Wilson Special Miniature, ‘‘Bikini—the Atom Island,’ a onereeler showing the evacuation of the 167 natives for the atomic bomb tests, a couple of weeks before the experiments take place in July. Twice the usual number of prints assures the Fred Quimby production widest: possible showing. Monogram To Film Maggie And Jiggs Monogram has received the okay from George McManus, creator of the cartoon strip, “Bringing Up Father,” for the first picture of a series dealing with the ever-popular cartoon characters, Maggie and Jiggs. Barney Gerard will produce and Eddie Cline will direct the comedy that is the first in the contract which calls for two films a year. Consolidated Sells Photo-Stills Plant Consolidated Film Industries has sold its Photo-Stilis division to Film Fotos, Incorporated, a newly organized company which will continue the operation of the plant, one of the largest in the UBA. Harold Berla, for the past several years in charge of this dlwion is president of Film Fotos. He will continue to service the Republic Pictures Corporation ac count. Canadian FILM WEEKLY Jack La Rue Added To ‘Bush Pilot’ Fifteen Canadian business men are the owners of Dominion Productions Limited, domestic features film company whose activities have attracted much attention, and Geoffrey H. Wood, its president, is the majority stockholder, it was learned last week. The company, which maintains offices in Toronto, was incorporated in December, 1945, for the purpose of distributing as well as producting motion pictures. It is understood that none of the stock is owned outside the country, in spite of the company’s important Hollywood connections. Shooting which began on “Bush Pilot,” the company’s first production, at Lake MRosseau, Muskoka, Ontario, 150 miles from Toronto, on June 4 will be finished in from 12 to 14 days. Tentative release date is set about the middle of July, allowing three weeks for the completion of the film through the technical facilities of Associated Screen News. The film is the first of eight budgeted at $100,000 but this program may not complete the company’s activities. Production of a $500,000 feature in the first year is a possibility depending on how well the company’s product is received. Color for later productions is also being considered. No releasing deal has been completed as yet but negotiations are being carried on with four distributing organizations, all of which operate on an international scale. Latest addition to the cast, which stars Rochelle Hudson, is Jack La Rue, famed Hollywood heavy. Male lead goes to Austin Willis, CBC radio star, and the cast, with the exception of Miss Hudson and La Rue, will be Canadians, IATSE members will be used wherever possible, as will Canadians, although the company found it necessary to import a head cameraman and sound engineer for its first production. Hollywood men connected with the technical end are Arthur Hammond, production manager and assistant director; Jack Ogilvie, editor, and Steve Clenso, makeup expert. Canadians are Larry Cromien, producer and Sterling Campbell, director. Cromien is originally from Kingston, Ontario, and Campbell from Brantford. Both served in the RCAF. Geoffrey H. Wood, president of Dominion Productions, holds that post with G. H. Wood & Company and Spraylets Limited, both in Toronto. Born in England, he came to Canada in 1912 and went cverseas with the 187th from Calgary during the first world war. His companies manufacture and market sanitary supplies and they do considerable business with theatres. Wood, who enjoys some warm friendships among theatre folk, is highly regarded in the industry. News of the company’s plans and personnel was made public at a press conference in the Royal York Hotel last week. Newspaper representatives were invited to visit the scene of the shooting, transportation via air to be provided daily from Toronto to Muskoka and back. Alan Ladd's Next Alan Ladd is scheduled to star in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s sensational novel, ‘“‘The Great Gatsby,” which will be an entirely new type of role for him. Richard Maibaum will produce the picture for Paramount. New Powell Starrer Is ‘Johnny O'Clock’ Dick Powell who scored as a tough guy in ‘Murder My Sweet,” has signed with Columbia to star in “Johnny O'Clock,” an original story by Milton Holmes, who authored ‘Mr. Lucky” and “Salty O’Rourke.” The feminine lead is not yet set. DISTRIBUTORS “ROYAL SOUND MASTER” SOUND SYSTEM (Western Electric Co. Licensed) THE BEST MONEY CAN BUY! 1. New Plastic Suprex or a beaded sound screen, your cost delivered G4c. per square foot. 2. New coated surface projection lenses 11 (large size). Per pair $117.30, 3. New Simplex, Powers or Motiograph projector parts, USA lst plus 5%. Special prices om overhaul quantity. 4. Radio mat slides—$1.80 box of 56. 5. Eight-inckh Bausch & Lomb low intensity reflectors $14.16 each. 6. Tumgar bulbs 15 amp, — $11.00 each delivered. dist \JE 207 OR MORE ‘OF VOUR MONEY Codi Be lett TE _ SECIAUS GS FOR LEVEES (Ine Mk ° “A. DOMINION THEATRE EQUIPMENT €O 897 DAVE 3T VANCOUVER EC June 12, 1946 “e FRANK O’BYRNE Head of the Queensway Studios, Islington, Ontario, who is president of the organization which will likely be known as the Film Preducers Association of Canada. Selznick Invention Cuts Editing Time One third the time required in cutting and editing a motion picture has been eliminated through the recent invention and perfection of a reversible projection machine by Robert Hansard, chief projectionist, and James Stewart, chief engineer, at the Selznick studio. This new method synchronizes the sound, dialogue, and action tracks and permits a film to be edited while being shown on a full-sized theatre screen instead of when it is being run through the present small conventional machine with its tiny screen and separate sound projector. Using the new device, which can hold a frame of nitrate film for at least 15 seconds and acetate film indefinitely, an editor has only to push a button to halt, reverse or rerun any sequence and the three sound tracks synchronized with it. Republic Declares Regular Dividend Regular quarterly dividend of 25 cents per share on preferred stock, payable July 1, 1946, to stockholders of record June 10, 1946, was declared by the board of directors of Republic Pictures Corporation at a meeting held at the company’s Offices in New York. WB Buys New Novel Warner Brothers has bought “Return of a Soldier,’”’ the Rebecca West novel of a World War I soldier who becomes an amnesia victim,