Canadian Film Weekly (Jan 14, 1948)

Page 6 HARRY KAUFMAN He returns to the film trade as eastern division manager of Cardinal Films, Limited, with headquarters in Montreal. Tax Delegation In Ottawa Soon Representatives of the recently formed National Committee of Motion Picture Exhibitors Associations of Canada will call on the Hon. Douglas C. Abbott, the Dominion’s finance minister, in Ottawa some time this month to explain the effect of the 20 per cent federal tax on theatres and to seek points of agreement with him which they hope may lead to its removal. Mr. Abbott stated previously that he found interesting the willingness of exhibitors not to raise prices if and when the tax is dropped. To remove any doubts in his mind that the entire benefit of the tax would be passed on to the public, exhibitors’ associations sought pledges from the individual exhibitor after the organizations went on record. Pledge cards were distributed _ in the various provinces to each theatre and 90 per cent of these have come back signed. They are still coming in and complete unanimity is expected. Statistics prove that generally the number of admissions to theatres is decreasing and that every time admission prices are raised they will decrease further. Conversely, when admission prices are lowered admissions increase. Therefore the removal of the tax is of vital importance to every theatre owner. The Halifax District Trades & Labor Council (AFL) through a resolution called on the government to remove the tax. Joan Crawford Pic Warners has acquired ‘The Story of a School Teacher” as a starring vehicle for Joan Crawford. New Star Renamed Alf Kjellin, Swedish star of the motion picture “Torment,” has changed his name to Christian Kelleen and will make his American debut in David O. Selznick’s forthcoming production of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘Tender Is the Night.” June Vincent Signed June Vincent has been signed for one of the leads in Colum bia’s “Trapped by Boston Blackie,” which also features Chester Morris and Patricia White. ~ NFB Non-Th. Had Busy Year In 46 Report of the activities of the National Film Board, whose year ends March 31st, indicates that attendance at the gratis showings of its educational and documentary exhibits was greater than ever. In 1946-47 the National Film Board operated 67 rural circuits, each of which covered a minimum of 20 points per month. Of this number, 12 circuits in Quebec, two in Ontario, and one each in New Brunswick, Manitoba and Alberta, carried films in the French language. The Board also assisted provincial and local agencies in operating 90 supplementary circuits across Canada. The total rural audience reached during the year was 2,760,443. At showings held for students in the Schools the average monthly audience was 109,957. At March 31, 1947, there were 156 film libraries provinces. These were operated by public libraries or community organizations for the storage and distribution of 16 mm. films. The audience reached through this means totalled 2,481,000 for the year. There were also 195 centres in which local organizations formed film councils or committees to sponsor film distribution and projection service in the community. The National Film Board completed and released 164 films, including newsreels and trailers, during 1946-47. Of this number 22 English and 19 French language subjects were included as regular items on entertainment programs in more than 300 of Canada’s commercial theatres. These reached an estimated audience of over 2,000,000 theatregoers monthly. Included also in regular theatre programs were 48 newsreels, clips, and trailers produced by the National Film Board. In addition some subjects were produced in Dutch, Spanish, and Portuguese, and these together with a large number of the English and French productions, were distributed overseas. Canadian FILM WEEKLY in the nine Republic Purchase Republic has purchased “The Thrill Man,” an original story ‘py Franklin Andreon and Sol Shor of the -exploits of movie stunt men.. Robinson To Script Casey Robinson will script Warners’ “Bright Leaf.” Haydn To Direct Richard Haydn has been signed by Paramount to direct “Tatlock Millions’ as his first directorial attempt. Critics Name Fox Film 47's Best Twentieth Century-Fox’s “Gentleman’s Agreement’ was voted the best film of 1947 by the New York film critics at their 13th annual meeting. : The selection was made by a vote of nine to seven. The seven cast their ballots for “Great Expectations.” Sixteen of the 17 critics representing all the metropolitan newspapers participated in the voting. Other selections were: Best director, Elia Kazan for “Gentleman’s Agreement” and “Boomerang.” Kazan received 11 votes, two-were cast for John Ford for “The Fugitive’ and three for Canadian-born Edward Dmytryk for ‘“Crossfire.’’ The 39year-old Dmytryk was born in Grand Forks, BC. Best actor, William Powell for his work in “Life With Father” and “The Senator Was Indiscreet.” In this selection Powell received ten votes to six for John Garfield in “Body and Soul.” Best actress, Deborah Kerr for her work in “The Adventuress” and “Black Narcissus.” She received 12 votes. Best foreign film, the Italian picture, “To Live in Peace,” won with 12 votes. Esther Forbes Wins MGM Novel Award. A novel by Esther Forbes, American authoress of some eight books, tentatively entitled “The Running of the Tide,” has won the semi-annual Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Novel Award, it was announced recently. The award carries with it a minimum of $150,000 to the author with a Possibility of $250,000 contingent upon sales, plus an additional $25,000 should the book win the Pulitzer Prize. Motion picture and allied rights belong to MGM. “The Running of the Tide” is a story of Salem, Mass., in the Sane nineteenth century. It will € published by the Hou htonMufflin Company, : January 14, 1948 Intern | Offers 7 From Hwd. E-Lion (Continued from Page 1) on hand were Jack Bellamy, Saint John; Gerald Chernoff, Montreal; and Irving Cohen, Toronto. Griesdorf, International’s president and general manager, convened the meeting following his return from the New York gathering of the Hollywood HagleLion organization, presided over by <A. W. Schwalberg, vicepresident and general sales manager, with whom he discussed the Canadian situation. After the Toronto meeting Griesdorf left for a tour of International’s western. branches for talks with the managers about the product, -which includes Pathe (British) features. He listed the new block as being: comprised of “The Return of Rin Tin Tin,” filmed in Cinecolor and starring Rin-Tin-Tin III, grandson of the first “Wonder Dog” with that name; ‘'T-Men,” starring Dennis O’Keefe and based on actual case histories from the files of the USA Treasury Department; “Out of the Blue,” from the novel by Vera Caspary, authoress of ‘Laura,’ and starring George Brent, Virginia Mayo, Turhan Bey, Carole Landis and Ann Dvorak; “Love From a Stranger,” written by Agatha Christie, directed by Richard Whorf (on loan from MGM) and starring Sylvia Sidney, John Hodiak, John Howard and Ann Richards. Also “Bury Me Dead,” an unusual whodunit starring June Lockhart, Cathy O’Donnell, Greg McClure and Mark Daniels; “Linda Be Good,” a musical starring John Hubbard, Marie Wilson and Elyse Knox; and “Headin’ for Heaven,” a comedy starring Stuart Erwin and Glenda Farrell. The Edward Small reissues are “The Corsican Brothers,” starring Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Akim Tamiroff and Ruin Warrick, and “South of Pago Pago,” Starring Victor McLaglen, Jon Hall and Frances Farmer. The company will deliver the six Eddie Dean and eight Al Larue features in the 1947-48 list as promised but the following year there will be only eight Eddie Dean musical westerns. Added To Cast Of New Columbia Pic Anton Kosta, Maurice Marsac and Arthur Dupuis have been added to the cast of ‘“‘The Woman from Tangier,” Columbia mystery melodrama with Adele Jerfens, Stephen Dunne and Michael Duane. Harold Daniels directs the Martin Mooney production,