Canadian Film Weekly (Oct 23, 1946)

ART LARENTE Appointed Montreal repre sentative for Peerless Films. Shelly Talks On Non-Theatricals Membership in the Film Producers Association of Canada has doubled since the preliminary announcement of its formation, Leon Shelly, vice-president told the Toronto Advertising and Sales Club at a luncheon address recently. re Shelly was introduced to the members by club president, N. Roy Perry, who told members that a great future was in store for the industry in the use of non-theatrical productions. Perry said that the formation of the Film Producers Association marked the beginning of serious use of such films in Canada. Shelly told an enthusiastic audience that the techniques of nontheatrical film productions were such that industry must seriously consider them in any future promotion programs. He said that although the association at present consisted of only nontheatrical producers they had been assured of the support of Canada’s growing theatrical film industry. The Film Producers ssociation of Canada, Shelly said, would be host to delegates one evening at the Association of Canadian Advertisers Convention. The new techniques and production efforts of non-theatrical film producers would be demonstrated then. Representatives of various producers were at the head table and were introduced to club members. Motion picture lighting equipment was on display. Buys ‘Plain Girl’ . Frank Borzage has bought “Plain Girl,” an original by Catherine McLeod. Canadian FILM WEEKLY Kiwanis Get ‘House’ RKO Fi Rentals {Continued from Page 1) i a4 Ea) + yom | ho mm ie et ‘Oe $s et Q y’ if fu» m 4 0 re t work among boys Ae y f bn Hi .-? (re Ag i 'd th ar ty e wv tp mt » MH re 1 | i f | : 4 t t t sa ig f 4 “ iD J ma 4 i ) 1 fs o } rh , b (2, 0q cheque on the president, expressed his oTganization’s deep appreciation. “We thank you, Mr. Devaney, Racio Pictures and the Canadian motion picture industry or this splendid gift. We were to sponsor such a fine and we can assure you ng th ub, or ) ua As | “4 3] rh fs d " rt oO fj f 0 5 fh 08] | S Qa q best advantege for the welfare of Toronto’s less fortunate chilaren.”’ The RKO organization flew a special 16 mm. print of “The House I Live In” to Toronto and, orior to Devaney’s talk, the picture was shown to the Kiwanians. The operator was Kiwanian Bill Redpath of General Films, Toronto. Kiwanian Norman Robertson, KC, a director of Famous Players, in a graceful speech, introduced Leo Devaney to the gathermg. He paid tribute to his charitable and war service activities as president of the Motion Picture Distributors Association. Leo Devaney eloquently told the stery of how “The House I Live In” came to be made and distributed. Frank Ross and Mervyn LeRoy produced it with Frank Sinatra as its star. They Sincerely believed that such pictures were needed to fight religious and racial intolerance. This trio of top-flight movie men gave their services without charge to produce ‘The House I Live In,” he declared. “I happened to be in New York at our home office with John J. Fitzgibbons, president of Famous Players Canadian Corporation, when the short subject arrived from Hollywood,” said Devaney. “We were most enthusiastic about the picture and felt that it would do much good and should reach the largest audience possible. After some discussion, Mr. Fitzgibbons suggested that the Kiwanis Club of Toronto should be the beneficiary of the profits from the showing of the picture because of the great work your club is doing for underprivileged children. We approached your executive and are pleased to say that, after screening the picture, they immediately agreed to sponsor it. We're very happy with the job of advance publicity your club was able to do and with the enthusiastic support given it by Tom Daley, a member of your club and manager of the Imperial Theatre where the picture had its premiere. “Mr. Fitzgibbons expressed the opinion, and I agreed with him most heartily, that pictures sucn as “The House I Live In’ will, because of their visual impact, do more to promote racial and religious tolerance than ‘many thousands of written words and speeches.” Devaney expressed the regrets of Fitzgibbons, who was out of the city and unable to attend the luncheon, and paid tribute to the work of James R. Nairn for the Canadian publicity and advertising campaign given to the picture. In tendering RKO’s cheque to the president of the club Devaney commented upon the fact that Kiwanis Club of Toronto annually expends more than $100,000 on its work among Toronto children. He expressed the hope that other cheques representing further returns from the picture’s Canadian engagement would soon be added to the club’s fund. Among the head table guests associated with the motion picture industry were Kiwanian Norman S. Robertson, KC; Kiwanian Thomas S. Daley, a veteran member of the Toronto club and manager of the Imperial Theatre, Toronto; Leo M. Devaney; and James R. Nairn of Famous Players who represented J. J. Fitzgibbons. Active also in the motion picture industry’s presentation were Kiwanian William Redpath of General Films, Toronto, and George Degnon, RKO’s Canadian public relations representative. "Rich Full Life’ Robert Leonard will direct MGM’s “Rich Full Life.” "Brief Encounter’ Best Film Of Year Noel Coward’s motion picture, “Brief Encounter,” was recently adjudged “best of the year” at the International Film Festival at Cannes, France, according to a cable received by the Toronto offices of Eagle-Lion Films Limited. Previously named the best British film, the picture was given the award by the International Federation of Critics. For the first time British directors received votes in the annual poll conducted by the New York Film Daily, several being very close to the top ten. October 28, ‘Voice Of Canada’ [ts Radio Story The first over-all review of the vast Canadian redio industry will reach the public late in October when the Wational Film Board production, “Voice of Canada” is released in the Canada Carries On series. Through commentator John Fisher, “Voice of Canada” goes backstage in Canadian radio, shoving operators at the controls of the great networks, men at transmitter points, music arrangers, traffic controllers, operations of the private stations. It watches the top-notch programs as they broadcast their familiar shows: music, variety, drama, special events, farm and wyomen’s commentators, clergymen in pulpits, famous men on podiums, school broadcasts, hockey games, the news. “Voice of Canada’ comprehensively reviews Canada’s powerful link with the rest of the world, the short-wave station at Sackville, NB, reaching out with the Dominion’s message and entertainment to all corners of the earth. Canadians have been listening to these people, these programs, some for years, others only for months. Now they can watch the programs in action and see how the broadcasts get from studio, stage and location to the loudspeakers in your front parlor. Among the programs shown in “Voice of Canada” are Mart Kenney and His Western Gentlemen, The Happy Gang, Don Messer and His Islanders, Prairie Schooner, Stage 46, Oscar Peterson, the Toronto Symphony, Vancouver chamber music, Ici 1'On Chante, Un Homme et son Péché, Trio Lyrique, and various farm, women and news commentators nationally famous. Hamilton Managers Elect New Officers Jim McDonough, manager of the Tivoli Theatre in Hamilton, was elected president of the Hamilton Theatre Managers Association at the annual election held recently. Voted in with him were Oscar Lang of the Delta as vice-president; Jean Ford of the Windsor as secretary-treasurer; and Lloyd Gurr of the Century, C. T. Spencer of the Capitol, Kent Craig of the United Amusement Company and Lou Rosefield of the Westdale Theatre as members of the board of directors. Gay Nelson Debut Gay Nelson, the high school girl signed by Columbia, will make her film debut as the star in the Donald Henderson Clarie novel, “Millie’s Daughter.”