Canadian Film Weekly (May 26, 1948)

May 26, 1948 The ron Curtain’ Opens In Canada (Contiaued from Page 1) men and women carrying placards were dispersed by a squad of police as they started to parade and one of them said that they would undertake legal action for the right to picket the film as a form of warmongering. Riots, which were in the newspapers across the continent, took Piace in front of the Roxy, New York, when the film opened. The police granted permission for four pickets from opposing factions to picket the Roxy. These were from the New York Committee Against War Propaganda and the Catholic War Veterans. The Toronto demonstration was carried on by the Canadian Committee of World Federation of Democratic Youth. Soviet composers whose music is uSed in the film have taken court action against Fox and three of the Canadians who were among the nine found not guilty of espionage have threatened to do the same. Spyros Skouras, president of Fox, described the action of the anti-‘“Iron Curtain’ pickets as “attacking the basic American right of free expression” and called the film “largely a factual treatment.” Much of the film was made in Ottawa and for a year before its release it was the object of vigorous opposition in Canada by many who felt that it should not be made at all. This opinion was expressed by the Canadian Council for Canadian-Soviet Friendship, Canadian newspapers and members of the House of Commons. Opinions about the quality of the picture were also contrary to each other. Roly Young of the Toronto Globe and Mail said that it “packs a whale of a realistic wallop” and earned ‘‘a resounding hand from the audience.” Jack Karr of the Toronto Daily Star called it ‘pretty tame” and said “it would do nothing to improve the strained relations of the world.” Helen Allen of the Toronto Evening Telegram wrote that “whether it was a mistake to make ‘The Iron Curtain’ we are not in a position to say’ and “Taken out of the field of fact, and regarded simply as entertainment ‘The Iron Curtain’ is a spy story with a good deal of excitement which is all concentrated in the last few minutes.” Bosley Crowther of the New York Times wrote: “It still Seems excessively sensational and dangerous to the dis-ease of our times to dramatize the myrmidons of Russia as so many sin Canadian FILM WEEKLY Canadian Co-op Plan Now In Operation (Continued from Page 1) the MPAA, is apparently Ottawa’s method of letting the motion picture industry help alleviate Canada’s USA dollar problem. It is designed to make Canada interesting to potential American tourists by showing Canadian subject matter on USA screens. Announced following a luncheon in Ottawa of motion picture industry representatives from Canada and the United States, radio people, officials from the government and the Bank of Canada, and diplomats, the plan began in February and will be reviewed in December. Prior to the plan being made public the House of Commons discussed remittances to the USA of film rentals and theatre profits and Finance Minister Douglas Abbott said that he was seeking a “quid pro quo” agreement which would cause an equivalent sum to be spent here. The plan appears to be either a means of doing that or a substitute for the original intention. There have been some private expressions of dissatisfaction with it. The plan is being handled in Canada for the MPAA by the MacLaren Advertising Company, Toronto, with Don Henshaw of that agency, who is well-known in Hollywood and Canada, in charge. Henshaw performed a similar task during the war for bond and stamp drives. He reports that there has been a considerable number of enquiries from Hollywocd producers in recent weeks. Part of the agency’s duties is to provide information regarding location shots, customs problems, duplication of foreign backgrounds, provincial and federal laws, hotel facilities and any ister fiends. It still seems extremely irresponsible to go all out with a wave of ‘hate the Red.’ And that’s what is done in this picture—in a familiar, oldfashioned way.” After commenting that “in spite of the honoring of the record and some exterior shots of Ottawa, this story and film have a patent detachment from authenticity,” Crowther writes, “that this would pass for a mild spy melodrama if it weren’t for the violence of the blast.” Time Magazine called it “an above-average spine-chiller” and “top-notch anti-Communist propaganda.” Fox released the film in 400 situations in the United States and Canada at about the same time, thing else prospective Hollywood workers may need here. Part of the progress of the plan to date is as follows: Prodviztion of a picture about the CPR by Nat Holt, shooting to start in July. Also 20th Century-Fox has a writer in Ottawa making use of material previously gathered there by a researcher working on an RCMP subject. It is expected to be a semidocumentary type of film and shooting will start in the fall. A short subject of Canada’s dollar problem, being made for the MPAA by Paramount, will be ready for USA release soon. Narrations of several shorts made in Canada by Americans were rewritten to fall in with the plan. Several shorts are nearing completion, . with one, Warners’ “Calgary Stampede,” ready for release. Fitzpatrick will make two of his Traveltalks, one each in Quebec and Ontario, for MGM distribution and shooting on them will start in July. National Film Board footage has been placed before Hollywood producers and 16 mm. NFB subjects are being distributed by the MPAA to the circuits, made up of schools, film societies, etc., which it serves. Radio transcriptions, made by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, feature native groups and these, with comment by such Hollywood stars as Alan Ladd, Charles Boyer, Walter Pidgeon, Irene Dunne, Robert Taylor, Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck and Barbara Stanwyck, are being used by American stations. Purchases Theatre. H. S. Humphrey has purchased the 250-seat Windsor Theatre in Grenfell, Saskatchewan, from Dave Gorenstein. Humphrey, who has been operating the theatre for some time, will step up performances from two days weekly to four. Para's 'Big Clock" Biq In England Paramount’s “The Big Clock” is doing capacity business at the Plaza Theatre in London. Reviewers are unanimous in their praise of the picture. “First class suspense film,” “Enthralling and outstanding,” “An extremely Slick and brilliant thriller” are Some of the comments voiced by Mewspapers. Charles Laughton’s performance is rated “su perb” and high praise is accorded Ray Milland, Maureen O'Sullivan and Elsa Lanchester. Page 11 CHARLES M. WEINER Popular general sales manager of SRO’s Canadian division for the past year, who returns to Minneapolis. He has been succeeded by Joseph Marks, formerly general sales manager of Pathe in Great Britain. MGM Sets High For e a Technicolor Films A new high for Technicolor productions is being set by MGM, with ten of its 18 most recent pictures in that medium. Over 50 per cent of the films scheduled for an early start are also slated for Technicolor. They include “Words and Music,” “Sun in the Morning” and “Neptume’s Daughter.” Richard Fleischer To Direct "Bodyguard" Richard Fleischer, co-producer of RKO Radio’s Academy Awardwinning documentary feature, “Design for Death,” has been assigned to direct ‘Bodyguard,” starring Lawrence Tierney. Fleischer came to films as a writer and director of RKO Pathe’s “This Is America” series after achieving recognition as a stage director. Paramount Brings Hopkins Back Miriam Hopkins will return to the screen after four years’ absence to appear with Olivia de Havilland in “The Heiress,” New York stage hit which will be the first Liberty Productions picture to go before the cameras at Paramount under the direction and producership of William Wyler. Miss Hopkins, remembered for her performances in “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” “Design for Living,” and “Barbary Coast,” last was seen on the Screen in “Old Acquaintance” in 1944. She will play the role of Miss de Havilland’s Aunt Pennimas in “The Heiress,”