Canadian Film Weekly (Feb 18, 1948)

February 18, 1948 Canadian FILM WEEKLY — Montreal Exchange Territory Statistical Summary OCTOBER, 1947 Seating i 4 No. Capacity No eseaaty Theatres in operation . ..... —_. Ss 157,994 Circuit-operated theatres* 81 73,562 Closed theatres ... 0. es 2 1 400 Non-circuit theatres ~ = PEYGS VRE 205 84,432 Totals sav28/, 158,394 Totals . 5 286 157,904 Seating capacity of theatres now in operation, according to population groupings: Towns with Cumulative No. Theatres Cumulative No. of Cc lati Population Theatres Total Operating Total Sets “Total i Peetnces Over 500,000 1(Montreal) — 66 — 5 Soo 00 : = 66 ; 68,575 1,059 250,000100,001 1(Quebec) 2 12 78 8,984 77,559 745 100,00050,001 1 3 4 82 3,758 81,317 940 50,00025,001 { // 13 95 10,997 92,314 846 25,00010,001 14 21 30 125 19,358 111,672 645 10,0005,001 12 33 19 144 8,489 120,161 447 5,0002,501 36 69 44 188 13,164 133,325 299 2,500 and under 92 161 98 286 24,669 157,994 252 *A circuit is defined as “four or more” theatres operated by the same management. N.B. Fifteen theatres contained in the above summary, with a total seating capacity of 10,722 use French pictures exclusively and therefore are not possibilities. Millions See NFB... Pictures Abroad Eee (Continued from Page 1) tablished in 35 countries and exploratory negotiations had been started with 30 more, the statement indicated. ‘Marked expansion” was noted by the report both in the theatrical and non-theatrical fields for government documentaries, short features and _ shorts. Notable among these were the Canada Carries On series and the first two short features turned out by the NFB, “Exercise Musk-Ox” and “White Safari.” Slightly over 30 films are turned out by the NFB each year and in its account to the Commons, the NFB stated that more than 100 prints were shipped abroad monthly and hundreds of copies were made of exported duplicate negatives. In the USA an average of three or four Canadian films a week were booked into newsreel theatres in large cities. Canadian life, as portrayed on the screen, had penetrated Germany, Japan, Sweden and Portugal and numerous other countries to which access had been barred by war. The increase had been so rapid that 41 commercial film distributing companies abroad and 24 foreign governments had asked distribution rights or a regular supply of Canadian films. In Canada theatrical distribution had continued at a high level and 2,760,000 persons had seen the board’s efforts on rural screens. Community and provincial agencies had been helped to develop their own services. There had een a 100 per cent increase in the number of ccmmunities with film libraries and community projection services. The annual attendance at rural circuit and urban library screen ings had reached 5,000,000. Another 24,000,000 persons saw the NFB films in commercial theatres. xy a {4 = 7 Sponge YF FP ee ‘ i = > ~ ers BRS pee ow N bd | J : Cpe Preserving ‘Pioneer’ Movies (From the St. John, NB, Evening Times Globe) Little known and little appreciated by the people of Canada and the United States is the work being done by the film library of the Museum of Modem Art in New York. The library constantly scours the world for prints. of famous motion picture productions of bygone years — movies which present-day theatre patrons look upon as merely obsolete or ludicrous, like yesterday's gramophones and radios, but which may have priceless value some day as antiques, as historical records of the beginnings of a great industry and the people who pioneered it. A good deal of resourcefulness has been shown by the film library in seeking out venerable movies. Oddly enough, for instance, a print of “The Kid,” the Charlie Chaplin film in which Jackie Coogan played the title role, could only be acquired from the Cineteca Italiano, Milan, with Italian sub-titles. A German-made picture starring Emil Jannings, which had seemingly vanished from the world after Hitler came to power, has been obtained from the Cinematheque Francaise. The museum authorities are showing far-sightedness in their self-appointed task, and they deserve the full encouragement of the motion picture world, studios and audiences alike. The early producers whose crude cameras ground out the first commercial films in 1895 had no idea of the magnitude which the motion picture business would assume—any more than the families who received letters with the first postage stamps on them in the middle of the last century thought the cancelled stamps were worth saving—and it has taken many years for the realization to dawn that an organized effort should be made to preserve in film the chronicle of the film industry's progress. Miami Variety Tent As a warm-up to the Miami convention of the Variety Clubs, International, in April, the Miami tent put on a big charity show recently. All the top acts in the city at the time were featured and some $50,000 was raised and will be turned over 100 per cent to children’s charities in the resort city, including the Children’s Cardiac Home. Added To ‘Sweet Sue' Katherine Alexander, wellknown character actress, who deserted Hollywood for Broadway several years ago, returns to the screen as the mother in 20th Century-Fox’ Technicolor production “Sweet Sue.” Robert Sinclair will direct “Sweet Sue,” which stars June Haver and Richard Greene, with Robert Bassler producing. Page 9 USA Controversy On Iron Curtain Controversy reminiscent of that which followed the release of “Mission to Moscow” by Warner Brothers in 1943 — except that objections are coming from the opposite direction has grown out of 20th Century-Fox’ “The Iron Curtain,’ which was shot in part in Ottawa. Opposition to the release of the film, supposedly based on Canada’s spy probe, was made known in Winnipeg and Washington recently. Eric Johnston, head of the Motion Picture Association of America, replied to the USA criticism. In Winnipeg the Council for Canadian-Soviet Friendship, in a letter to service clubs, women’s groups and other organizations, urged a boycott. The letter, signed by L. St. George Stubbs, Council chairman and member of the Manitoba Legislature, claimed that the film would make Canada’s relations with Russia more difficult. Fellowship of Reconciliation, a group established in 1914 which states that it has no communists or like-minded people in it, asked that all unfriendly references to the Soviet Union be deleted from the film in a letter to the Canadian head office of Fox. In the USA the Rev. William Howard Mellish, chairman of the National Council for SovietAmerican Friendship, protested to Eric Johnston, who answered: “The screen is free in America. I intend to do everything in my power to keep it free. I am resisting and will continue to resist any attempts to dictate what appears or does not appear on the screen. “To tamper in any way with the hard-won, precious right of free speech would chip away at the foundation of our democracy. I therefore reject your protest.” The picture in question is still being filmed by Twentieth Century-Fox. Stressing that friendship must be reciprocal, Johnston asked Dr. Melish: “What is your organization doing in Russia to promote SovietAmerican Friendship ? “You are aware that a play, ‘The Russian Question,’ is enjoying great popularity in Russia,’ he continued. “This play, with its sneering, lying attack on the United States and its people, is an open bid to stir contempt and hatred for America on the part of Russian audiences. “Have you written to anyone ‘in Ruagsia protesting this deliberate effort to create bad feeling against our country?”