Canadian Film Weekly (Sep 25, 1946)

Page 14 Arnhem Feature Being Shown Ottawa's Centre Theatre was recently the scene of a premiere of a unique feature-length film without credits of any kind. The picture, “Theirs Is the Glory,” is the story of the famed attack by 10,000 members of the British First Airborne Division at Arnhem, Holland, and is made as a tribute to the paratroopers who engaged in the battle and the Royal Canadian Engineers who were instrumental in extricating the 2,000 survivors after some of the bloodiest fighting of the war. Actors in the picture are actual survivors of both units, with the only women appearing being former members of the Dutch underground re-enacting the part they played in the battle. Produced by Carleton Knight, who was responsible for the recent two-reel Technicolor treatment of London’s Victory Parade, and distributed by EagleLion, the picture is being premiered in London and Arnhem at the same time. In Ottawa members of the government and high-ranking military authorities, as well as officials of the Dutch Embassy attended. Those viewing the film in London will include His Majesty the King, while Dutch government personages will be on hand for the Arnhem showing. Stanley Maxted, former CBC singer and executive who was responsible for a portion of the narration in “Victory Parade,” and who won considerable fame because of his broadcasts after dropping at Arnhem with the paratroopers, again acts as narrator and goes through the scripts which he wrote and delivered from a slit trench in the Arnhem perimeter. A CBC broadcast in connection with the Ottawa opening carried the voice of Maxted speaking from London, while a portion of the program included an actuality broadcast which originated in the lobby of the Centre Theatre. Edmond Lapointe Ottawa, Passes Edmond Lapointe, assistant manager of the Victoria Theatre, Ottawa, in failing health for a long time, passed away recently at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Donta Pacquin, in Hull, Quebec, at the age of 86. A native of Pendleton, Ontario, he came to Ottawa at an early age, marrying the former Annie Walder, who died in 1926. He held his position at the Victoria since 1936. Canadian FILM WEEKLY Calgary Trade Holds Picnic More than 400 film and theatre folk attended the recent industry picnic arranged by the pioneers and paid for by the various trade organizations. Identification of all in the photo is not at hand but from left to right in the back row there is Ken Leach, FPCC; Reg Dodderidge, RKO; (unidentified); Jack Reid, United Artists; Vernon Dixon, PRC; and Joe Palansky, Empire-Universal, chairmaan of the committee. The last three figures are unidentified. Third figure in the first row is Vern Skorey, 20th-Fox. "Bill's Gay Nineties’ “Bill’s Gay Nineties,” the Louis Sobol story of a nightclub of that name, will be filmed at Warners with Charles Hoffman producing. London Premiere The Carlton Theatre, London, England, was the scene recently of the world premiere of Paramount’s “Blue Skies.” Ladd In "Saigon' Alan Ladd will have the lead role in Paramount’s “Saigon.” Crystal Beach Show Crystal Beach, Ontario, has approved a theatre building permit applied for by Montie Levis of Fort Erie. House, to be built on Ridge Road, will seat 500. SERVICE. ~ LOST BOX OFFICE RECEIPTS By keeping your equipment in good running order you are keeping up your Box Office Receipts. Safeguard them with DOMINION SOUND Dominion Sound Equipments LIMITECO Head Office: 1620 Notre Dame Street West, Montreal Saamcutear HALIFAX TORONTO A Nalional Theatre Service, such as maintained by Dominion Sound Equipments Limited, means — an organization with a specially Irained personnel to provide regular and emergency, technical service, equipment and supplies for theatres. REGINA CALGARY VANCOUVER | . oped Hitchcock Wins Film Daily Poll Alfred Hitcheock, by a very narrow markin, took first place in a poll to determine the screen year’s ten best directors, conducted annually by the Film Daily, New York, according to a release by Chester B. Bahn, editor of that publication. Hitchcock’s skilful and incisive direction of the David O. Selznick production of “Spellbound” was declared to be the outstanding directorial achievement of the 12-month period by press and radio film critics and commentators. In the previous year’s poll he was third with the film “Lifeboat.” Second to Hitchcock was Billy Wilder, for his admirable megaphoning of Paramount's unusual feature, “The Lost Weekend.” So close was 'the count that not until practically the last ballot was checked could the winner be determined. Last year’s winner, Leo McCarey, was this time accorded third place for his sympathetic handling of “The Bells of St. Mary’s,” produced by Rainbow and distributed by RKO Radio. “Going My Way,” was the film that earned him the accolade in 1945. Fourth place was again a very hotly contested battle. Sam Wood, for his guidance of Warners “Saratoga Trunk,” and Michael Curtiz, with his intelligent direction of “Mildred Pierce” also a Warners picture, fought it out with the former getting the decision by a comparatively few votes and the latter dropping into fifth. No. six and seven spots develinto an exact tie. John Cromwell’s smooth and effective direction of 20th-Fox’ “Anna and the King of Siam” and Victor Saville’s sensitive handling of ‘The Green Years” for MGM could not -be separated by the voters. Cromwell was also among the top men the year before having placed fourth with "Since You Went Away.” Eighth, ninth and tenth places went to John M. Stahl for 20thFox’ “Leave Her to Heaven,” to Ernest Lubitsch for the same studio’s “Cluny Brown,” and to Robert Siodmak for RKO Radio's “The Spiral Staircase.” The ten niches were picked by the number of votes for the one picture. Many of the top ten received votes for other pictures that they directed but these were not counted. Similarly, many of those who ranked close up but did not quite make the first ten might have been in if all the votes cast for them on the different films they directed could have been lumped,