Canadian Film Weekly (Jul 17, 1946)

July 17, 1946 Canadian FILM WEEKLY Newl6Mm.Poliy Enterprise, UW Men At Emp-U Gabfest (Continued from Page 1) For Army Camps (Continued from Page 1) continuing provision of entertainment films will be the individual concern of each military command and district, according to statement by Lieut.-Col. C. A. J. Miller, officer in command of the Canadian army film bureau. Formerly representatives of various organizations, among them the Knights of Columbus, the Salvation Army, the YMCA and the Canadian Legion, supervised the distribution of 16 mm. films, which were paid for by the government and exhibited free. Now soldiers will be required to pay to see a film, as do the men who patronize 35 mm. exhibition in army camps. : The organization representatives who arranged for films ceased to perform that function at the end of June and the distributors feel that some central authority ought to be created which would assume responsibility for the safe return of prints in good condition. In the meantime the distributors have been asked to provide information about offices nearest to the various commands, their managers and any additional information that may be valuable to those authorized to book films. Change in the 16 mm. military situation may affect the policies of some of the exchanges. In most cases 16 mm. versions have been booked by operators in that field, such as Sovereign Films, General Films and Hanson 16 Mm., under license from _ the companies which produce the films. Either 16 mm. will be sold broadly enough to be worth while financially or be dropped altogether by some companies. Harrison In ‘Ghost’ Rex Harrison, who scored in “Anna and the King of Siam,” will star next in 20th-Fox’s ‘‘The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.” Odeon Movie Club's "Food for Britain’ Odeon Movie Clubs in British Columbia have instituted a campaign to supply tinned goods in a drive to obtain more ‘Food for Britain.” All 12 of the clubs, whose members are school-age youngsters, are co-operating and at a recent collection made at ‘the Capitol Theatre in Duncan, Vancouver Island the prize-winning youngster collected 53 tins of food. The manageress of the. theatre, Mrs. C. M. Smithe, reported that the cases of tinned goods were turned over to the representative of the Red Cross by the club. World product in Canada, made it clear that a separate sales force being organized now would sell it, emphasizing that the Empire-Universal sales force would have no connection with its distribution. William Heineman, sales manager of United World Pictures, was present, as was E. T. Gomersall, sales manager of Enterprise Productions, the David Loew-Charles Einfeld top production organization. The latter organization will be represented by Empire-Universal in the sales field, since it is linked with Universal. William Scully, general sales manager, Universal, and F. J. A. McCarthy, Southern and Canadian district manager, Universal, took an active part in the proceedings. On hand to lead in the discussion of Republic product for the 1946-47 season was James R., Grainger, vice-president of Republic Pictures, and his assistant, E. L. Walton. Republic’s program, enhanced greatly in value since the acquisition of top directors, is the most powerful since the founding of the company. A special screening of the Frank Borzage top Technicolor production, “I’ve Always Loved You,” was held at the Empire Theatre. The convention closed with a cocktail party in honor of the American and Quebec guests, most of the second group being exhibitors, and the entire party left on the steamship Tadoussac for a trip up the Saguenay. Those in attendance from Empire-Universal Films were: Frank L. Vaughan, Toronto branch manager; G. Perry Wright, Toronto office manager; William Smith, salesman, Toronto; Harold Gould, booker, Toronto; Herbert Mathers, Montreal branch manager; Larry Druxerman, special representative, Montreal; Owen Lightstone, salesman, Montreal; George Koppelman, booker, Montreal; Gerry M. Hoyt, St. John branch manager; Lew McKenzie, special representative; I. W. Blankstein, Winnipeg branch manager; George Farrow, salesman, Winnipeg; W. DuPerrier, booker, Winnipeg; J. Palansky, Calgary branch man ager; J. Garfin, salesman, Calgary; L. Plottel, Vancouver branch manager. Those in attendance from Sovereign Films Distributors, Limited: W. Kennedy, general manager, Toronto; W. Mitchell, branch manager, Toronto; F. Stone, branch manager, Vancouver; J. DeVries, branch manager, Winnipeg; A. Metcalfe, branch manager, Montreal. Those in attendance from head office: Gordon Wilson, in charge of contract department; Cecil Black, in charge of circuit bookings; Ben Cronk, advertising director; George Beeston, secretary; Michael J. Isman, assistant general sales manager; John Dickson, accountant. Small Reduction In 1945 Gross (Continued from Page 1) amounted to $13,555,730. Film rentals, however, increased in 1945. The 1945 return for the right to exhibit films was $16,293,000 but this figure includes $346,636 from ad sales departments and $95,765 from other sources. When deducted from the total the film rentals figure is fixed at $15,850,599—$301,705 higher than ‘that of 1944, which was $15,548,894. The gain may be decreased or wiped out if the grand gross figure is altered between now and the time the complete report is issued in about a month. Return of the Canadian dollar to par means a substantial gain to the distributors, that portion of rentals returnable to the USA now being worth 11 per cent more. One effect of the move is that distributors will pay the government more money than in the past, the extra funds being naturally subject to the excess profits tax. Para Buys Novel Paramount has purchased the Geoffrey Household story, “'Technique,” for a Technicolor Musical Parade featurette. Address all communications—The Managing Editor, Canadian Film Weekly, 25 Dundas Square, Toronto, Canada, Published by Film Publications of Canada, Ltd., 25 Dundas Square, Toronto, Oatario, Canoda. Phone ADelaide 4317. Price § cents each or $2.00 per year. Entered as Second Class Matter, Page 3 No Unfreezing Of Trade Controls (Continued from Page 1) Distributors, required to submit their groupings for approval in the same manner as in former years, will do so from this date until July 25th or between August 19th and the middle of September. J. R. Croft, administrator of services for the WPTE will be away between July 26th and August 17th. Theatre and film controls have operated smoothly for several years, with the exception of occasional protests to Ottawa by the National Council of Independents through delegations led by Archie Mason, the organization's president, who is the Mayor of Springhill, Nova Scotia. Position of the Independents with regard to controls is unusual. While protesting that controls are not effective enough, they object even more strongly to their removal. Theatre and film controls have remained almost the same since their inception in 1941, although policies have been flexible. Raised admission prices have been permitted in special cases, among them that of “Mom and Dad,’ which was made an exception because of its educational contribution to the vital problem of social hygienc. Croft, on loan from the Traders Finance Corporation, is devoting more time to his tasks there these days. Kent, Lindsay, Sold Twentieth Century Theatres has acquired the Kent, Lindsay, from the Misses Edmunds, whose family operated it for 35 years. First Film Finished Dominion Announces Shooting on Dominion Production’s first film, the featureIength “Bush Pilot,” has been completed and is now being scored and edited at Associated Screen News studios in Montreal, according to Geoffrey H. Wood, president. The picture will be ready for screening about the middle of August and if the releasing deals, which are being negotiated now, are set by then, it will be distributed about the end of the month. Wood stated that the company’s second picture will be budgeted at between $400,000 to $500,000 and probably be begun the first week in September with the Laurentians or the Rockies being the locale of the shooting. Although total costs of the first picture are not complete the original budget of $100,000 was exceeded by a large margin. 1 weg es + ST