Canadian Film Weekly (Jan 26, 1949)

pa) Of) Vol. 14, No. 4°: VOICE of the GN MOTION! PICTURE TORONTO, JANUARY 26, 1949 INDUSTRY $2.00 Per Annum Public Hears Trade Questions One Reason For Odeon Houses: More UK-Pix Outlets — Lawson “It is no secret that in the past British films, despite their small number and variable quality, had difficulty in finding retail outlets in Canada,” the Hon. J. Earl Lawson, KC, head of the J. Arthur Rank Organization, told a meet Renaissance May Be Court Issue Nine preferred shareholders in Renaissance Films, year and a half old Montreal studio, recently published a public notice that they would apply to Quebec for legislation giving them _ the “powers and the rights necessary to follow up the objects of the (Continued on Page 3) Films Dont Hurt Country Kids In spite of a recent radio program of the National Farm Forum criticising movies, four of the discussion groups inspired by it in Ontario found that films had little influence on rural young people. The National Farm Forum, a CBC program, encourages (Continued on Page 3) Lawson's Statement To Trade Press ‘Most definitely, the origin of any Ottawa concern” over British films in Canada is not the J. Arthur Rank interests here but “the. simples arithmetic of Canada’s trade situation,” J. Earl Lawson said. The government, he said,:: had urged increased buying of Britain’s goods to help her keep up Canadian purchases. This automatically brought up the question of increasing film earnings. “I would not presume to tell the federal authorities at Ottawa how this should be done, nor suggest what action can be taken.” Commons May Debate CBC Video Policy While in the USA the rival networks jointly celebrated the hooking up of the east to the west on the television net work, news from Ottawa indica ted that the Canadian Broad casting Corporation’s joint participation plan would. be among the questions debated by the House of Commons during the session which opens on January 26. Extension of television until it now includes one quarter of the USA’s population was made possible by the Bell System of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company opening its coaxial cable, linking the east (Continued on Page 3) Lois Maxwell Cast: Lois Maxwell, Canadian-born actress, has been assigned to the feminine lead in Columbia’s “Kazan.” Principal Investm'ts Gets Two Under Way Two more theatres are under | way in Ontario for Principal Investments Limited. At Mattawa work is progressing on the company’s 500-seater, the first there. In Orillia work has started on the 900-seat de luxe house. Two situations at present operate in the community, the 787-seat Opera House and 793-seat Geneva, both in the Twinex Century circuit. The company recently renewed work on its Penetang theatre job. ing of the Canadian Shoe Retailers Association in Toronto last week. “Nor is it any secret that this was one reason why Mr. Rank embarked on a policy of acquiring and building theatres in the Dominion.”’ The operating policy of these theatres, he said, “is to present films of merit from any country, specifically and particularly in (Continued on Page 13) Aussie Theatres Outseat Canada According to the Motion Picture Directory of 1948-49, there are 1,674 theatres in Australia showing 35 mm. features, plus 50 touring exhibitors. It is estimated that these theatres are capable of seating 1,403,000 persons, (Continued on Page 13) New Theatre Opened B. Halyk recently opened his 300-seat theatre in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan. S. Karby’s Strand operates there now. THE TELEVISION MUDDLE (From the Toronto Globe & Mail) The muddle into which television has fallen in this country is a monument to the lengths to which bureaucratic overzealousness can go. If television were a mystery which had been unfolded to us' with all the dramatic explosiveness of atomic power, perhaps such a policy of caution and control would have been justified. The medium, however, is almost as old as radio itself. It has been in general operation in Britain for thirteen of fourteen years and in the United States for a decade. Canadians saw public television experiments at least ‘fifteen years ago. We have had years to prepare. And now we are supposed to wait years more. The original stipulation by the CBC was that television was “to be basically Canadian.” This wad a high purpose indeed (especially considering that nearly half the CBC's own commercial radio programs are from the United States). But it has backfired. While there is no Canadian television. there is television in Canada. Hundreds of Canadians living close to the United States border are buying sets—for the purpose of tuning in American stations. The CBC's policy of obstruction has defeated itself. Richmond Hill House Richmond Hills’ first theatre, the 600-seat Richmond, was recently opened by E. C. Hill and the ‘Richmond Amusement Co. Richmond Hill is near Toronto. Opening Date Set A February opening date has been Set for the 670-seat Plaza Theatre in Oshawa being built by K&W Theatres, Odeon affiliate. MGM's Ted Gould To Attend Conference Ted Gould, sales manager for MGM Pictures of Canada, Ltd., will attend the company’s ‘“Preview of Product” jn Los Angeles February 6th to 12th. It will mark the first time he has attended such a gathering in California. Due to pressure of business, Henry L. Nathanson,. president, will be unable to be on hand. WITH THE BEST OF THIS YEAR’S PRODUCT” — Motion Picture Herald ‘HE WALKED BY NIGHT’ RICHARD BASEHARTeSCOTT BRADY An EAGLE LION YNER from INTERNATIONAL FILM DISTRIBUTORS Limited