Canadian Film Weekly (Jun 11, 1947)

Page 10 Food For Britain From Para-FPCC (Continued from Page 1) the blessings and support of Gordon Lightstone of Paramount and J. J. Fitzgibbons and R. W. Bolstad of Famous Players, are packing and sending food parcels abroad every month. The Toronto employes of the companies mentioned have “adopted” a group of Paramount employes in Great Britain. The first shipment was assembled and packed at Famous Play’ ers office. Boxes were made up and filled on an “assembly line” and employes of both companies not only packed the parcels but wrapped and tied them and helped deliver them to the post office. Employes of Paramount and Famous Players had expressed a desire to help bring some cheer to their British cousins and it was decided to write J. E. Perkins, chairman and managing director of Paramount in Britain, for a list of his employes. Each package was addressed to a member of the British staff and the personal touch was added by the inclusion of a gift card signed by a member of either the Paramount or Famous Players’ organization. Arrangements for the purchasing of articles and the packing were in the hands of Marion Ballard, Bert Brown and Jimmy Cameron of ‘Famous Players and the group of packers for the first shipment of parcels included Charlie Murphy, Colin Belle and Bill McGill of Paramount and R. W. Bolstad, Bea Hetherington, Marion Ballard, Bea MacPherson, Ann Carroll, Dorothy Ryan, Maxine Watson, Harrison Patte, Ferg Martin, Bob Fuller, Tom Chatfield, Norman Barker, Bert Brown and Jimmy Cameron of Famous Players. Each parcel weighing 20 pounds, contained 26 items including: dried peaches and apricots, dates, fruit cake, grapefruit juice, concentrated soups, canned weiners, sausage, steak and mushrooms, chicken, condensed milk, Nescafe, tea, chocolate bars, nuts, shortening, tomato sauce and cheese. THEATRE SEATING Several thousand used upholstered opera chairs on hand. We are headquarters for the cream of the used chair crop. We pick the lots that we think you will like. We furnish proper slope and sections desired to fit your theatre. Our many years experience in the seating business is your guarantee, Write for exact photo and price. We have parts for all makes of chairs. Also, leatherette, 25x25 in. all colors, 55c ea. Good quality. CHICAGO USED CHAIR MART, 829 So. State St., Chicago 5, Iillnols, USA. —————_— es, Canadian FILM WEEKLY HEART OF SHOW BUSINESS (Continued from Page 1) Additionally, Variety members always stand ready to give help to a community in its various public functions. During the war the clubs sponsored 5,000 shows for members of the armed services as well as contributing weekly entertainment in clubrooms and canteens. Yet what stands out in the Variety record is the splendid accomplishment in the field of child welfare. It has been said that as our civilization grows and develops we will find the values and needs of childhood playing an increasingly important part in all public policy. This is because the welfare and development of the child is of the very essence and spirit of democracy. The child is the living reality of human growth and social development. The child is our proof that the driving force in all human life is freedom, and that freedom means the opportunity to grow in all directions. ¢ The National Variety Clubs are helping America to grow in every way by helping underprivileged children to do their own growing. They are seeing to it that thousands of children are not hampered and restricted by economic adversity, in this basic life-drive to grow. Can anyone point to a more hopeful job any group Is doing? Certainly, in every sense of the word, this is Chris tian charity. The National Variety Clubs deserve America’s thanks and plaudits. , a Triple Day-And-Date Para Sets Stars For Policy In Toronto First triple day-and-date policy in Toronto has been inaugurated by the 20th Century Theatres in Toronto. The Ace, Kenwood and Esquire, situated in different parts of the city, are running the same features from 2 p.m. daily. : Most features will be first-run of lesser category pictures, although Roy Rogers’ first color _ picture is one of those booked. Syd Roth is supervisor. Three Toronto houses are now following dual day-and-date policy with considerable success. "My Own True Love’ Melvyn Douglas has been signed by Paramount to star with Phyllis Calvert, British favorite now under contract to the studio, in “My Own True Love.” The film will be made from the forthcoming novel, “Make You a Fine Wife,” by Yolanda Foldes, author of the best-selling “Golden Harrings” which Paramount has picturized with Ray Milland and Marlene Dietrich. Jimmy Durante Pic Jimmy Durante heads the cast of MGM’s “You're Beautiful.” SS SS SS SS EE ESS ee IVAN ACKERY HONORED (Continued from On the Square) for the distributors. They, naturally, have an appreciative interest in all such gross-goosing activities. Fitz, in presenting Ackery with a cheque on the Royal Bank from Famous Players, said that such activity helped retain the confidence of the distributors in the company as the best and most fruitful custodian of their product. They gave preference to Famous Players as the best agency for their best films and this created an obligation in return which only the Ackerys could discharge. It was protection for the company, the individual and the distributor. Today, with business down and indicating days ahead with some degree of depression, the Ackerys were invaluable. In Greek mythology the Orpheum would likely be the home of Orpheus. This Orpheus was the son of Calliope, patron of eloquence, and Apollo, a bringer of light. Orpheus’ music gave him power over all living things. Well now, this Ackery character, tenant of our Orpheum, has his own kind of music and his own way of exercising power over living things that walk upright, catching them by eye and ear and inducing them to line up and lay it on the line. _ He has it all over the ancient Greeks, for they were myths and a myth is as good as a mile. There is no phantasy about Ackery. Ask Messrs. Bearg, Fitzgibbons or Quigley. Or ask the Royal Bank, June 11, 1947 Expect ‘Ab Report ToShowBizDown (Continued from Page 1) of the industry in the USA by Standard and Poor found that motion picture companies reached the peak in profits during 1946 but the boxoffice figures were somewhat lower than in 1945, The explanations advanced by the survey for this seeming phenomenon are the removal of the excess profits tax, the reopening and expanding of foreign markets after the war and the raising of admission prices. During 1945 an average of 4,145,600 people bought tickets for motion pictures each week in Canada, out of an estimated population of close to 13,000,000. In the USA some 110,000,000 each week queued up for the right to enter the movies out of an estimated population of over 140,000,000 and in Great Britain 33,000,000 of an estimated total of 47,000,000 attended the cinemas every seven days. While all surveys tend to show there is a direct connection between the rise in salaries and wages in a country and the rise in boxoffice receipts, Great Britain is causing real surprise by going against that tendency. Post-war troubles, strikes, unemployment, floods, harsh winters and money scarcity have not caused a drop in attendance. Most observers %velieve that the British go more often to theatres to forget their woes and enjoy one bright spot in so much gloom. Standard. and Poor’s survey lead them to believe that attendance will dip further if business recedes in the remainder of 1947 as it has in the first four months. This may prompt downward price adjustments in the industry. Another belief is that due to the higher cost of living, theatregoers were becoming more discriminatory in expenditures, especially where inferior motion pictures were concerned. Reminders VARIETY CLUB Night Baseball Game June 16th. PIONEERS PICNIC Circle M Ranch June 20th. —ALL PROCEEDS FOR CHARITY— DANIEL BOONE—Held Over At The Strand, Montreal