Canadian Film Weekly (Sep 18, 1946)

HAROLD KAY Who resigned recently from the Monogram sales staff to join Eagle Lion Films as an Ontario representative. He has been in thse industry for many years. Odeon Managers Shifted In BC. (Continued from Page’ 1) > sonnel by F.. H. Fisher, manager of the J. Arthur Rank chain’s western division. Succeeded by Al Jenkins, formerly of the Plaza, Vancouver, Goldin had managed the house since his return from the RCAF in 1942. He had served previously as assistant manager of the Metropolitan, Winnipeg, and other houses and was for a while connected with the Pantages circuit in the USA. Other changes now in effect are: Al Mitchell from the Paradise to the Plaza, Vancouver; Jack Armstrong from the Lux to the Paradise, Vancouver; John Bernard from the Odeon, North Vancouver, to the Circle, Vancouver; Bob Hardy from the Rio to the Fraser, Vancouver; Tom Backus from the Oak, Burnaby, to the Kingsway, Vancouver; E. Sauer from the Circle to the Lux, Vancouver; Don McLean, from assistant manager of the Plaza to the Rio, Vancouver; Norman Reay, from assistant manager of the Paradise-to the Varsity, Vancouver; Carman Gentile from the Lonsdale, North Vancouver, to the Oak, Burnaby; Al Goodwin from the Varsity to the Odeon, North Vancouver; and Al Narvey from the Fraser to the Lonsdale, North Vancouver. In addition to the managers mentioned above, there will he several changes affecting the post of assistant manager. First is the promotion of Bill Wallace as assistant at the Paradise. . Canadian FILM WEEKLY 16 Mm. Rentals Over Million Mark (Continued from Pago 1): that the 35 mm. Itinerant section showed a sharp drop in 1945. At first glance there is a paradox: How can rentals be more than twice as great as receipts? When the Bureau reported 16 mm. rentals last year for the first time, enquiries directed to A. C. Steedman, chief of the merchandising and services branch, drew an explanation. The rental figure, stated Steedman, did not include revenue from army camps, nor that from the many 16 mm. situations op field, for some companies made 16 mm. versions for military use only. While these companies are still making small-gauge versions for showing in Europe and Latin America, most of them have stated publicly that their 16 mm. program applies only to the overseas market. So there may be a shortage of product. 4. It is not unlikely that more important 35 mm. exhibitors and circuits may enter the 16 mm. field, both to guard their present outposts and to break ground for 16 MM. OPERATIONS SINCE 1940 No. of Days Year Operators Operated 85 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 Admissions 680,054 558,595 617,027 820,329 1,189,228 1,531,345 Rentals $——— Receipts $159,346 131,267 164,109 230,404 342,564* 483,963* 967,179 1,198,016 *In all annual reports prior to 1944 amusement taxes were included in the total receipts. In 1944 and 1945 amusement taxes and receipts were reported separately. They are here totalled for purposes of comparison with receipts of years prior to 1944. The individual amounts were presented earlier in this report. erated as non-profit enterprises by local service clubs in western Canada. These _ situations, to which 35 mm. exhibitors in theatres object, are carried on to keep the citizens from travelling to a nearby community 'to see a show — and do their shopping. The desire of local merchants to keep local shoppers in their stores is behind 16 mm. operation of this type, which does not charge the 20 per cent amusement tax because the government accepts it as non-profit. Because of this, such places of exhibition have a smaller admission fee than 35 mm. theatres — an inducement to patronage. Several thoughts are by the sources of rentals: 1. Itinerants are no _ longer that in many cases, since they operate in permanent places of exhibition, often identified as theatres in advertising. Operators of standard houses are asking that the same building and other regulations be applied to them, 2. Army camps have lost much of their value as producers of rentals since hostilities ended in 1945 and the Army, Navy and Air Force Films Committee has disbanded. Those camps still in operation will run their own shows, for the government withdrew appropriations on July 1st. This should cause a sharp drop in rentals this year. 3. Reduction of the army program may affect the general raised standard theatres. The Alcan circuit, for instance is operated by Premier Operating Corporation, a large 35 mm. circuit. Dozens of new theatres planned or going up are in places which know or have known only 16 mm. films. The 16 mm. field in Canada is important enough to attract the attention of the IATSE, which intends to organize such projectionists. Pre-fab houses may replace present places of exhibition, mainly community halls, where such places operate on schedule. In Ontario there are more than 50 such situations. In the light of these facts there will be interesting developments in the small-gauge field during the next year. McHugh Quits Regal To Suceed Carey Don McHugh, who joined Regal Films’ accounting department six months ago after his return from the RCN, has resigned to succeed Ted Carey as head office accountant at RKO. Carey was recently promoted to the post of assistant to Leo M. Devaney, general manager. McHugh was with the Bank of Nova Scotia for eight years before enlisting in the Royal Canadian Navy. Part of his schooling was obtained at Canada College, where he was prominent in the boxing section of athletic activities. (Continued from Page 1) branch, where the acquisition of _ 26 French pictures for distribu. tion in Quebec made necessary realignment of duties. In Montreal Herb Mathers is now office manager in charge of branch operations and Owen Lightstone has been named sales manager. Larry Druxerman js now sales manager of the French department, which will offer product from Andre Paulve Productions. The market for French-made and French-dubbed films has increased tremendously in the past few years and the amount of playing time on Quebec screens occupied by them has been estimated as between 50 and 75 per cent, although the latter figure is probably exaggerated. Every company has been competing in the Quebec market since “All This and Heaven Too” proved in 1943 that dubbed films had a fine future there. After that films prepared in Hollywood for showing in France were brought into Quebec, as well as films produced in France. During 1945 Quebec contained 228 of Canada’s 1,323 theatres, The province’s theatre receipts amounted to $11,490,406, that total being the second largest for Canada, although its per capita expenditure for motion picture entertainment, $4.36, was sixth. Fred Tabah Passes At The Age Of 71 Fred Tabah, one of 'the founders of Confederation Amusements, passed away recently in the Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, at the age of 71. . Born in Lebanon, Syria, Tabah came to Montreal in 1892 and started into business for himself. At the time of his death he headed an important dry goods wholesale and was interested in real estate in addition to his theatre interests. Surviving are his wife, the former Adele Gorra, and four sons, Fred Jr., Joseph, Dr. Edward and William. Irene Dunne Starrer Irene Dunne will next star in Columbia’s dramatic “No Sad Songs For Me,” New Mono Director Edward Morey, Monogram vice-president and assistant to Steve Broidy, has been elected to the board of directors of that company, filling the vacancy created by the death of Trem Carr. b we a :