Canadian Film Weekly (Dec 25, 1946)

Page 24 CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY December 25, 1946 studio had been established, was now “the centre of the motion picture industry of Canada.” Captain Bruce Bairnsfather, creator of ‘Old Bill,” was supervising director of its picture, ‘Carry On, Sergeant,” made in 1928, and among those on the provisional board of the company was Henry S. Gooderham. The film, a newspaper said, “will assist the trade of the country by showing Canada in its true light, rather than in the popular conception of a land of ice and snow.” There have been studios at one time or another in various cities, but no accurate history exists of their activities. In 1927 the National Cinema Studios was organized in Vancouver by Nils Olaf Chrisandon, ex-UFA director, with British financing. Toronto film men say that a company was organized in the Queen City which shot a film on the banks of the Humber and then faded out of existence unfavorably. Halifax and Calgary, others say, had studios which didn’t last long. In those days films were silent and had a better chance in foreign markets; also comparatively little technical equipment was required for production. Following is a list of some of the early films made in Canada: “The Battle of Long Salt,” made by the British American Film Company, Montreal, in 1914. “The Dollar Mark,’ made in Cobalt, Ontario in 1914 by World Films. Ernest Shipman, a well-known director, produced a number of films in Canada. Several were from Ralph Connor’s novels, am ENE UZPAREIELEAEEIENEE IE LEE LEIA E tata A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to All and Thanks a Million to All the Boys and Girls Who Helped the Entertainment Committee Make the 1946 Pioneers’ Ball a Success JACK ARTHUR? a Ai AMAAAAAAAAMAAMMMAAMMAMAN wa SSS Add a aictia atta deta ne ta mate et neha ot eae eee et etd et et at We DUDUDUDUDUD UDA DUD DUD DDI DDD DDI IST DAA EAI Ie RR NEPE RE MERE NEUE ENR UE ERE PERE ME LENE USUI NSPE LEI UIE US UCN RERUN ULE NEEL LZR VE HELE VEE VENER VERE VENEER VEE. Canadian Films (Continued from Page 22) ong them “The Sky Pilot,” made in Calgary; “The Man From Glengarry,” and “The Foreigner,” produced in Winnipeg. Others were “Back to God’s Country,” made in 1919; “Blue Waters,”’ shot in the Maritimes, and “The Rapids,” the story of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. “Power” and one other picture was ‘made by: Canadian Photoplay Production Company, formed in 1921 in Toronto. x “Destiny” was made by Exclusive Canadian Film Company in Toronto in 1927. “Policing the Plains” was made by A. D. Keen, Vancouver, in 1927. “His Destiny,” starring Neil Hart and Barbara Kent, was made in Calgary in 1928 by British Canadian Pictures Limited. “The Devil Bear” in 1928 and “The Spirit of the Wilderness” in 1929 were products of Thun-— der Bay Film Limited, Fort William, Ontario. There was apparently great interest in the possibilities of British Columbia as a film production headquarters because of the favorable climate, for quite a few companies were organized which never became active, among them Lion’s’ Gate Cinema Studios, Canadian National Cinema Studios and Pacific Pictures Limited. Although Hollywood companies are. doing considerable location work in Canada these days, much more feature shooting was done in other years. Famous Lasky made “The Snow Bride,” with Alice Brady, in Northern Quebec inx1923; ‘The Alaskan’ in British Columbia in 1925, and ‘The Canadian,” with Thomas Meighan in the Canadian West in 1927. SUR IRUE NERS LEVEE PEELE IE EMRE ERIC RRR NE NSPE HENRI E REESE REN The Stronghold * PAUL LUKAS %* HELMUT DANTINE * MARY ANDERSON NS Merry Christmas Joyeux Noel from ox PAU DUPUIS. 2 * PAUL L’ANGLAIS Quebec Productions Corporation Di BD BD (DDD MD DAD MDMAA AAA MAMI La Forteresse * JACQUES AUGER * NICOLE GERMAINE Dei DiDe Dy Baie i tbs e Ie Dea aaa t aT Ut ANDAs aa Ate First National produced “The Knockout,” with Milton Sills in the Ottawa Valley. in 1924; “The Winds of Chance” in British Columbia in 1925; and “Enticement” in Banff in 1926. Others made stories of Canadian life in their own studios in the USA. : Most of the above information was gathered by Colonel John A. Cooper, chairman of the board of directors of the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association for many years until his recent retirement. Perhaps it has been Canada’s distinguished contribution to the personnel of American production which has motivated the continued interest in the possibilities of Canadian production, for such directors of the silent and sound screen-as the late Henry McCrae, Charles Christie, Mack Sennett, Wallace McDonald and Alan Dwan come from this side of the border. So did the late Marie Dressler, the late Milton Sills, the Pickfords, Mary Prevost, the late Slim Summerville, Norma Shearer, Walter Huston, Deanna Durbin, Raymond Massey, Jack Carson, Alexis Smith and many others. There are many who have watched the Canadian production scene for many years who believe that its day has finally arrived. Let us hope they are right. Wallis Signs Actor Hal Wallis has signed Wendell Corey, stage actor, to a longterm contract. 4 SURES IRE IRIEL EIA EIIIEIR IE To Our Friends in the Industry The Season’s Best * ALBERTA THEATRES ASSOCIATION RE PENELE RENE UE PEEPS UE ELE EE UEP UE REL UE VENER UE ELE EE EVE LENE DERE UE LEVER LENE HERE LEE, ARDMAMDM ADMD MMAR BD Dt aM aa tt St LT tt add ST atta SE Ett SS AANA MARA M MMMM MMM