Canadian Film Weekly (Apr 21, 1948)

ee et | —_— = Page 8 Canadien FILM WEEKLY Short Shows Big Harmon, Fitz Explain Co-operative Plan (Continued from Page 1) In United States (Continued from Page 1) throughout that country are adopting similar programs. With RKO, the one hour comedy show consisting of four short subjects is offered at all matinees. Harry Michalson, RKO Radio short subject sales manager, in hailing the.short subject package show as a _ progressive note, states that his company is fully prepared to offer extensive range of one and two reel subjects covering a wide variety. One of the pioneers in this movement is the Laffmovie group which started in Times Square during 1944 and has now expanded to Boston and Baltimore. Its success is such that a nationwide chain is said to be.planned. A number of other New York theatres offer programs consisting entirely of short: subjects, including Brandt Theatres who have ‘used this plan at the Republic Theatre off and on for the past year, with considerable success. In the latter case, a four-hour ; show entirely composed of short subjects is given at admissions comparable to those asked by adjacent theatres offering a regular feature policy. The Sunset Theatre in Los Angeles is now presenting its 14th edition of “Laff Jamboree” and the Leon Errol and Edgar Kennedy comedies produced by RKO Radio have been represented in every one of the editions. “With RKO’s expanding scope in short subject production, we welcome this new trend and will continue the same high quality which has assured our product of a steady market,” concluded Mr. Michalson. . Pioneer Films Has French "Paradise’ “Children of Paradise,’ French epic owned by Sir Alexander Korda which caused a controversy in Quebec last year, is being distributed in Canada by Pioneer Films, which is owned by Oscar Hanson. Described as a French “Gone With the Wind” because of its great crowd scenes, it is doing powerful business in its opening engagement at the Paradise, Vancouver, “Children of Paradise’ was made during the German occupation and was shown in New York when the war was over. It did business in the USA and will likely repeat it here. At present it is banned in Quebec. Pioneer Films reports record business with its reissue of “Birth of a Baby,” which is crowding the Lincoln, St. Catharines, Ontario. present at the conference. Harmon stated that the industry recognized the importance of the Canadian market and desires to co-operate for the mutual benefit of both Canada and the industry. .This' co-operation has .already taken concrete shape in . plans to use more Canadian news _ shots, scenic background, studios, and other facilitiesin current. film production, Harmon explained. se Thirty-one Canadian shots have appeared in United States newsreels in February and March of this year as against. ‘10 in the same months of 1947, and three excellent short subjects — ‘‘Cal gary Stampede,” “Snow Capers” ' and “Big Game Angling’? — have been filmed. A new feature picture “The Emperor Waltz,” starring Bing Crosby, embodies the ‘sequences shot in the Canadian Rockies at a cost of $750,000. Recently locations in Canada have been found for two producers who need background for a special type of gold mining and an alpine-type village. Other locations and facilities are being studied in connection with an extensive list of Canadian stories which are considered suitable for film treatment. One of the ‘purposes of the discussion in Ottawa was to es tablish effective and continuing liaison with Canadian sources of information. Catalogs are being prepared listing all the stock shots and various scenic sequences available in the library of the National Film Board and other Canadian producers, with the intention of incorporating them in appropriate Hollywood productions, : _ Special developments include the provision of Canadian news to a USA television program which has a weekly audience of one million people, and the addition of an educational commentary on Canada to a picture which had already been completed with a Canadian background. : An important by-product of this display of Canadian film material in the USA was emphasized by WFitzgibbons. He pointed out that it should be of immediate and material assistance to the tourist industry and thus contribute to Canada’s vitally important supply of USA dollars. Harmon added special tribute to the splendid co-operation of the Dominion Government departments and private business men, who have contributed great existing studio. ly to the ‘development of a program of mutual co-operation ’ from which so much could be ex pected in the way of practical results. Actively ‘supporting the work of the Canadian Co-operation Project are Donald Henshaw and his associates of the MacLaren Advertising Agency, Canada, Mr. and Mrs, Blake Owensmith, who are handling the Hollywood studio contacts, and Taylor Mills of the International Division of the MPAA in New York. This triangle. set-up between Hollywood, Canada and New York makes possible immediate service to producers of motion picture shorts and:-features incor porating Canadian’ background material. : " ' Present at the luncheon meeting in Ottawa last week were the following representatives of the Canadian Government: Department of Trade:and Commerce Rt. Hon. C. D. Howe,. Minister. Max MacKenzie, Deputy Minister. Leo Dolan, Director, Dominion Government Travel Bureau. Bert Butler, Director of Public Relations. ——° Department of Finance Hon. Douglas Abbott, Minister. . Dr. Clark, Deputy Minister. Kenneth Taylor, Emergency Import Control. Ralph: McKay, Public Relations Officer. Department of External Affairs L. B. Pearson, Under Secretary. Saul: Rae, Public Relations Officer. Bank of Canada Graham Towers, Governor. Herbert Richardson, Deputy Sec retary. — Royd Beamish. Foreign Exchange Control Board rote Louis Rasminsky. Department of National Revenue Hon.. Mr. McCann, Minister. Ross McLean, Goverrment Film’ Commissioner. Accompanying the American Ambassador, Hon. Ray Atherton, was Capt. Jack Rabey, Naval Attache, bassy, Ottawa. Fisher, Hunt in NY Frank Fisher, general manaBer of Hagle-Lion Films of Canada, and Harvey Hunt of Odeon Theatres, were in New York for a meeting with J. Arthur last week, ; ble American Em PAUL COURTNEY Chief Stewart of Variety Club in its new quarters at _ the Prince George Hotel. Two More Theatres Destroyed By Fire ' Two more theatres were deStroyed by fire recently in what .-is turning out to be Canada’s worst year for theatre conflagrations. ; The only theatre in Lewisville, NB,.the 362-seat Star, owned by Star Amusements Limited, was completely destroyed ‘in a blaze that did $50,000 damage. An overheated furnace is believed to hava been the cause. _. : The interior of the 250-seat Ritz Theatre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, was completely gutted in a fire that did $19,000 | worth of damage. Quick work by firemen kept the blaze from spreading to the Ritz Hotel, also contained in the building. The theatre is leased by C. M. Hoar from William Geatros. Cause of the fire could not be ascertained. e iT "Radio Cavalcade Columbia. Pictures in association with Jerrold T. Brandt will bring to the screen the story of ‘the growth of radio in a film titled “Radio Cavalcade.” ‘Third British Award Names John Mills John Mills, J. Arthur Rank Organization ‘star, was named Britain’s No. 1 film actor, suc ceeding James Mason, in the third British national film awards. ‘Almost three million movie fans registered their votes in the poll conducted by the London Daily Mail. Best actor and actress and best film of the previous year are selected. Margaret Lockwood, also 4 JArthur Rank star, won the fem: inine award and ‘The Courtneys of Curzon Street” was name the best film,