Canadian Film Weekly (May 25, 1949)

May 25, 1949 FROST PREMIER (Continued from Page 1) Picture Censorship and Theatre Inspection department is a branch of the Ontario treasury. First Prime Minister to retain control of film censorship and theatre licensing through command of the portfolio which contains them was Maurice L. Duplessis. As head of the Department of the Attorney-General in Quebec, of which he is also Premier, Duplessis directly controls the Board of Cinema Censors in that province. He has made a number of personnel and other changes since he was returned to power in 1944. Ontario’s new Prime Minister has become quite conscious of motion picture matters. During the present session he defended the efficiency of both film censorship and theatre inspection to critics from the other parties in a long debate. His post of Provincial Treasurer also made him key man in another important theatre matter—the amusement tax. Representations have been made to him for a reduction in the rate, considering that the federal government abandoned its 20 per cent on each ticket. The earmarking of the money collected as amusement taxes for hospital and welfare aid has been of major interest during two budgets now. Frost has also addressed a number of theatre functions in the past few years. However, so far he has neither reduced the tax on tickets nor the high censorship fees. But film and theatre men are still hopeful. Censorship boards are under a variety of departments in Canada. Perhaps such branches can be placed in any section because of their comparative simplicity and limited financial importance. Following are the departments, according to province, which control censorship boards: Alberta—Department of Provincial Secretary. British Columbia — AttorneyGeneral’s Department. Manitoba—Department of Municipal Commissioner. New Brunswick — Department of Provincial Secretary-Treasurer Nova Scotia—_Department of Provincial Secretary. Ontario— Provincial Treasurer’s Department. Quebec—Department of Attorney-General. Saskatchewan—Department of Labour. Prince Edward Island—No censor. : Newfoundland—No censor. Stars Of MGM Film Joel McCrea, Ellen Drew and Dean Stockwell will star in MGM’s Stars in My Crown. Canadian FILM WEEKLY News Notes BROCKINGTON HEADS SHUT-IN’S ASSN. President of The Shut-in’s Association of Canada, part of an international organization, is Leonard W. Brockington, KC, LLD, one of the vice-presidents of Odeon Theatres of Canada, who is rector of Queen’s University, Kingston. Object of the Association is to encourage remembrance of the sick and disabled. It sponsors a Shut-in’s Day the first Sunday in June. In its recent bulletin the Association gave the Toronto Variety Club an orchid for its movies-for-shut-ins’ work, which is headed by Barker Al Troyer. ANGLO-USA COUNCIL PLANS PROJECTS A joint advertising program to stimulate motion picture attendance in the United Kingdom and throughout the world was one of a number of co-operative projects discussed at the recent first meeting of the Joint Anglo-American Film Council in Washington, according to the initial report to the executive committee by Eric Johnston, its president and one of the members of the six-man Council. Participation in film festivals was also planned, with the objective being to have one annual festival as world-wide as the Olympic Games. An exchange of technical skills and technica! information for the improvement of production techniques in both countries was also included in the talks. Second meeting of the Council will take place in New York on June 2nd and 3rd. Empire-Universal Sked (Continued from Page 1) Fred McMurray, and The Life of Riley, which stars William Bendix supported by Jimmy Gleason, Rosemary DeCamp and Beulah Bondi. The success of these, proving that the public wants laughter ahead of everything else, is being matched by Ma and Pa Kettle, starring Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride, two of the film world’s top laugh-getters among all types of patrons. They, too, grew out of The Egg and I. Another excellent comedy on the Emp-U schedule is Abbott & -Costello’s Meet the Killer, in which they are supported by the one and only Boris Karloff, Alan Mowbray and Lenore Aubert. Other films on the company’s list fit into action, romantic and other categories. Red Canyon, in Technicolor, stars Ann Blythe and Howard Duff, while City Across the River, _ starring Stephen McNally and Barbara Whiting, is in the class of the late Mark Hellinger’s Naked City, which Empire-Universal also released. Another Western which should win wide interest is Calamity Jane and Sam Bass, in Technicolor, with Yvonne De Carlo, Howard Duff and Willard Parker. Miss De Carlo, this time with Scott Brady and Charles Coburn, will also appear in The Western Story, in Technicolor as well. Barbara Stanwyck, teamed with Robert Preston and supported by Stephen McNally and Eve Barrett, will appear in The Lady Gambles, a title which recalls her most successful film in recent years to the patron. Illegal Entry is another on the lively list and Howard Duff and Marta Toren will star, with George Brent and Gar Moore being featured. To add to the variety of its program Empire-Universal will offer a Technicolor musical, Yes Sir, That’s My Baby, which stars Donald Coburn and Gloria De Haven, with Charles Coburn and Patricia Alphin in support. Take One False Step is a film which stars one of the most talked-about new players, Shelley Winters, who is costarred with William Powell and supported by James Gleason and Marsha Hunt. Another in the action category is Arctic Manhunt, with Mikel Conrad and Carol Thurston. Empire-Universal is also offering a group of 17 re-releases. These consist of Phantom of the Opera, Frontier Gal, Diamond Jim Brady, Pardon My Sarong, 100 Men and a Girl, When the Daltons Rode, Hold That Ghost, Imitation of Life, East Side of Heaven, Who Done It, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Lady From Cheyenne, In the Navy, Shadow of a Doubt, Destry Rides Again, Magnificent Obsession and I Stole a Million. Opposite Gene Autry Gail Davis will star with Gene Autry in Columbia's Cow Town. Page 3 WILSON HERE (Continued from Page 1) Kingdom corresponds to the Department of Trade and Commerce in the Canadian government. Wilson will be in Toronto on May 31st for the official opening of the showrooms in the new Odeon building. These will be in the head offices of the scientific equipment wing of the J. Arthur Rank Organization of Canada. While in the city, where JARO is headquartered, he will discuss the state of the British film in Canada with those responsible for its distribution. JARO officials state frankly that Wilson, in Canada to drum up revenue for Britain through the sale of its products here, will discuss the distribution of films with government officers. Wilson, who is 33 years old, is today a key figure in the motion picture world and became important to the industry when Great Britain, because of the dollar situation, held back 75 per cent of USA earnings in 1947, reducing the total of remittances from $68 to $17 million. This, since adjusted, precipitated a minor crisis in Hollywood, causing reduction of work and retrenchment. Since then Wilson, has been in the middle of the quota quarrel, as well as the UK production crisis, which is still on. He is top man in the production field, for, through his powers, he controls its chief owners. While in Canada Wilson will visit 11 cities, make 15 official calls, hold ten business conferences and seven press talks, and make a number of speeches. "Perfect Strangers’ Ginger Rogers and Dennis Morgan will star in Warners’ Perfect Strangers. BS UNDIMASTER = SOUND EQUIPMENT The Golden Voice ef the Silver Screea Built for Today’s Modern Theatre To Meet the Demands of Today’s Progressive Exhibitor IMMEDIATE DELIVERY Write Wire Telephone PERICINS COMPANY LIMITED