Canadian Film Weekly (May 11, 1949)

IN HAMILTON a fire near the Community caused the manager to empty the theatre and when it was over the audience returned. The word “Movie” appeared in the head of the story in the papers, giving the quick impres sion that the fire was in the theatre. JOHN FITZGIBBONS told the Toronto Telegram that every Famous Players theatre is being placed at the disposal of Chambers of Commerce and special films to teach tourist courtesy to attendants of all kinds will be shown, THE GOVERNMENT intends to introduce a bill at this session if possible to make anti-combines legislation more effective, the Prime Minister told the House. “The Minister of Justice feels that there should be legislation,” he said. Might as well mention here that there have been talks by several persons interested from a film standpoint. EHOW MUCH MONEY does the Canadian exhibition field earn annually? Can’t be as much as most people think it does. Famous Players and associates operated 383 theatres last year, and it is estimated that the company’s own theatres handled 50 per cent of Canada’s BO receipts. Its net profit in 1948 was $3,286,264. Just as information on the growth of the industry in Canada the following year-to-year net profit figures of Famous Players are offered: 1923 — $379,935; 1924 $149 377; 1925—$122,160; 1926—(7); 1927 — $1,191,877; 1928—$1,507,067; 1929$3,376,844: 1930— $1,906,255; 1931—$823,106; 1932 —$21,985; 1933—$30,068; 1934— $302,626; 1935_$335,266; 1936 $576,240; 1937$869,198; 1938— $974,788; 1939—$904,324; 1940— $1,012,270; 1941__$1,122,511; 1942 — 31,276,719; 1943 — $1,348,450; 1944 —__ $1,371,625; 1945-$1,594,974; 1946 — $2,834,957; 1947 — $3,156,464; 1948_$3,286,264. VAUDEVILLE will be back in the Palace, New York, on May 19th. There it once flowered, then wrinkled and died in 1932. Now it will be tried again with movies at popular prices and $60,000 will be spent to refurbish the house. Sol A. Schwartz, v-p and &-m of the RKO chain, praised the unions for the “fair deal” that will make the experiment possible. In Vancouver the Odeon-Hast Canadian FILM WEEKLY — News Notes — ONTARIO ASKS CEILING REPORT The Theatre Inspection branch of the Treasury Department of the Province of Ontario has asked exhibitors “to have an inspection made of your ceiling by a competent authority” and to provide O. J. Silverthorne with the report by June Ist. Silverthorne made the request in a letter, in which he recalled recently attending a performance when a portion of the ceiling fell, narrowly missing a patron. He pointed out that two similar accidents of a more serious nature had happened in the USA lately. He was hopeful that the theatre operator “will be able to provide the necessary assurance that such can not occur; that your patrons may relax without fear of accident, painful or fatal.” MAY PASS MONDAY HOLIDAY PLAN Some statutory holidays, exclusive of Christmas and New Year’s, may be observed on a Monday. It was stated in the House of Commons by the Hon. Colin Gibson, Secretary of State, that he had hoped to introduce a bill along such lines during the current session but it was delayed. Business men and others who like the long week-ends have asked many times for readjustments of holidays. Amendments are required to certain acts to make such a move legal. DILLON OF CMPDA TO VISIT WEST Fred Dillon, recently appointed executive director of the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association, will visit Western Canada on a “get acquainted” trip. Local Film Boards of Trade and their guests will welcome him at special luncheons and he will speak on public relations and other matters of general trade interest. The distributors’ representative will be in Edmonton on May 12, Calgary 13-14, Vancouver 16-17 and Winnipeg 19-20-21. His first stop after leaving Toronto, however, will be Regina, where on May 9-10-11 he will attend the meeting of the Dominion Fire Prevention Association. USA EXHIBS COMPARE BO NOTES Boxoffice performance plan by which 400 Theatre Owners of America members in locations having populations of 2,500 to 25,000 will submit weekly reports for picture performances the previous week, computed in percentage terms with 100 per cent the normal, has been inaugurated. Replies of individual theatres will include smaller independents, circuit houses, and will be regarded as strictly confidential. Copies of the weekly summary will be mailed to members in spots with over 50,000 population to assist in bookings. foundland, which was taken over ings begins five acts of vaude ville on May 14th and more houses are trying it every week in Canada. And the Canadian branch of AGVA has a minor problem in the rise of would-be bookers. SAM GOLDWYN and David O. Selznick are reported negotiating with Robert Young for the purchase of a part interest in Hollywood Eagle Lion. TELEVISION CO-ORDINATOR for the CBC during “preliminary stages preceding actual television” will be Alphonse Quimet, assistant chief engineer, and regional representative in Newfoundland for the CBC will be William F. Galgay, former general manager of the Broadcasting Corportaion of New by the CBC under the terms of the union. Both appointments were made public by Dr. Augustin Frigon, CBC general manager. A 52-WEEK audience participation quiz show on film will be tried out in Miami next week. Each issue runs ten minutes and ten prizes are offered at every performance, There will also be a $100,000 national jackpot. Owners are Santa Claus Qv'z Shows, Inc., 36 West 44th St., NY. No Canadian agent as yet. FOX-WEST COAST, California, will experiment with from five to ten television theatres, while the NBC, American network, states that it will offer theatre owners TV shows soon. May 11, 1949 Critics Josh At ‘Canad n Pacific Toronto’s critics welcomed Canadian Pacific, 20th CenturyFox’ Cinecolor film produced by Nat Holt, with sneers. The CBC's film critic, Gerald Pratley, also lashed it severely. Jack Karr of the Toronto Daily Star wrote: “As entertainment it may have some value. As anything resembling history, the less said the better.” Herbert Whittaker of the Globe and Mail said that “presumably the C.P.R. has accepted the history as set down by Hollywood, and so we shouldn’t fuss about it. Viewing the film apart from its historical connections, we find Canadian Pacific a fairto-mediocre adventure film, with sufficient action, appalling dialogue and stock characterizations.” “Canadian Pacific,” wrote Stan Helleur in The Telegram, “is standard material with a misleading title. If you attend the movie expecting an _ historical story of that well-known railway, you'll be disappointed. But if you’re after frontier type of action, you'll enjoy yourself.” The film opened without any fanfare, which indicates that the CPR publicity department did not take advantage of further exploitation possibilities. The rumor is that it considers this the most judicious policy at the moment, in view of the casual use made of the name Canadian Pacific, an outstanding one in Canadian history. Dorothy McGuire Signed By 20th-Fox Twentieth Century-Fox has announced the signing of Dorothy McGuire to a long-term studio contract. Her first role on the 20th-Fox lot will be the lead in The Doctor Wears Three Faces, the Mary Bard story which is being adapted for the screen by Claude Binyon who also will direct. Fred Kohlmar will produce. "Make Mine Laughs' New Vaude Picture Due to the success of its first vauideville-on-film, Variety Time, RKO is speeding production on its second using the same theme, Make Mine Laughs. Gil Lamb is acting as star and master of ceremonies and shooting has started. é Film’ will comprise a batch of new acts, a new series of Flicker Flashbacks and sequences already filmed featuring Ray Bolger, Francis Langford, Leon Errol, Dennis Day, Joan Davis, Jack Haley, Ann Shirley and Frankie Carle and his orchestra,