Canadian Film Weekly (Jun 15, 1949)

Page 14 USA Report On Canada 16 Mm. Canada’s 16 mm. field was the subject of a report prepared recently by the United States Consulate General’s office in Montreal. The 16 mm. field has expanded so rapidly in Canada during the past few years that the Bureau of Statistics in Ottawa found it necessary to make a distinction between itinerant exhibitors and those operating permanent situations. Formerly all 16 mm. theatrical exhibitors were classified as itinerants. Now those classified as theatres exhibit several days a week in a semi-permanent location. ‘ The Washington report on Canadian 16 mm. makes the following interesting observations: “By means of _ exhibitors’ agreements, 16 mm, entertainment pictures are not shown within a circumference of 10 miles of any point where 35 mm. films are exhibited. With the growth in the number of 35 mm. theatres in small urban centres, this means that 16 mm. exhibitors must constantly recast schedules and move further away from small towns so as not to violate these agreements. Inasmuch as the itinerant exhibitor is the principal medium through which 16 mm. entertainment films are exhibited (except in Quebec Province where numerous Catholic parishes show 16 mm. film entertainment programs to which admission is charged), the fact that they have been able to keep their operation in the black and increase in numbers despite continuous inroads of 35 mm. film exhibition would seem to augur well for the future of the industry. “Distribution of 16 mm. films is still in a highly disorganized state. There are three 16 mm. entertainment film distributors in Canada who maintain offices throughout the Dominion. In each of the Provinces there are other small independent distributors who operate somewhat on a ‘catch-as-catch-can’ basis, and whose distribution in terms of the whole is comparatively small. In the Province of Quebec, France Film handles the 16 mm. distribution for all French-language films. All of the Provinces in Canada censor 16 mm. entertainment films. Charges vary for this service in the different Provinces. “It is to be questioned whether there are any full-time operating 16 mm. theatres in all of Canada. It is possible that an occasional exception may be found in the northern part of the western Provinces, but nearly all 16 mm. showings are by itinerant exhibitors with mobile equipment who Canadian FILM WEEKLY dges that the CBC's $2.50 fee will be eliminy limited if the Progressive Conservative George Drew ple ated and its authorit Party captures power. : y : The CBC, he told a Nova Scotia audience, 1s not only a super yisory bedy which is authorized to control private radio stations put it operates in competition with those same stations. Private stations are prevented from operating networks in competition with the CBC. “There should be authority for licensing of broadcasting stations, either public or private. But if the public stations are to be maintained at your expense they should be separated from the commercial stations and should be free from the body controlling both private and public stations,” he stated. Thus, if the PC’s win the election, the chances are that TV applications will be granted quickly. A continuing study of television, particularly in its relationship to motion pictures, was approved unanimously by members of the Motion Picture Association of America’s Television Committee at a meeting held in the home office of Columbia Pictures, New York. Chairman Jack Cohn told members that Eric Johnston, president of the MPAA, had chosen them so that the committee would be well representative of engineers, film executives and economists. The work of the committee, Cohn said, is “largely to keep abreast of all television developments.” The committee viewed a film on the subject of “Phonevision”’ and listened to John R. Holland, assistant to the president of Zenith Radio, discuss his company’s plans for vitilizing telephone wires in connection with television. After a brief discussion of Federal Communications Commission channels for theatre television, the committee authorized the secretary, Edward T. Cheyfitz, to engage a paid assistant who would devote his entire time to the committee’s television activities. Committeemen who attended the meeting included Theodore Black, Lewis Blumberg, Robert Chambers, Edward T. Cheyfitz, Jack Cohn, Oscar Doob, Paul Raibourn, John Whitaker and Frank Cahill. Negotiations were going on between British manufacturers and the CBC for the purchase of television equipment but these were halted when Parliament ended its-session without granting the loan asked by the latter, Harold Wilson, head of the UK Board of Trade, said in Toronto recently. He said he believed British receiving sets to be superior, pointed out that Britain was the world’s largest supplier of transmitting equipment and stated that it would fight hard for the Canadian market. travel from place to place giving showings at staggered or sporadic intervals. There is no evidence that the future is likely to bring any development in the way of 16 mm. theatres exhibiting on a daily basis. The competition from 35 mm. films which continue to expand exhibition into the more remote areas and hamlets of Canada appears to act as a continuing check to any large-scale 16 mm. theatre development. “While the condition of roads in the winter acts as a deterrent to the movement of 16 mm, projection equipment from place to place for scheduled exhibition, Canada’s network of railroads makes it possible for itinerant exhibitors to operate throughout the long winter. They can schedule performances in conformity with train schedules in the area involved. “Canadian production supplies only a very small portion of the total exhibition of 16 mm. entertainment film. The vast majority of such film is brought in from the United States.” Ul Film Shooting Shooting has started on Universal-International’s Fugitive From Terror. Tom Walton Passes In Queen City Retired for several years following the sale of the Rio, Toronto, Tom Walton, Sr., 67, died last week in Toronto. Mr. Walton entered the theatre business in Hamilton and came to Toronto 25 years ago. He was born in England and came to Hamilton as an infant. A yachting enthusiast, he was a member of the National Yacht Club. Surviving are one daughter, two sons and a sister, Women’s Gr 4 OUps Pick Best Filan! Marking the first a century of their exist tion picture preview S 16 of America’s Jeq organizations combined membershj 000,000 women States, announce motion picture rare rated as possessin lonal merit. These which were released to during the past 14 mo clude foreign as well as product. Of over 300 featur ‘ ed, film critics for “these a men’s clubs recommended 74 a cent for family Patronage anq 29 per cent exclusively for adults Over half of these endorsed for family perusal were especially de. signated for children. “There is today no reason for any mother in the United States not knowing the preview classification of the picture playing at her neighborhood theatre when she wants to take Junior to the movies,” reported Arthur DeBra, Director of the Community Relations Department of the Motion Picture Association of America. The 32 feature pictures which the preview groups Selected as of exceptional merit are: Easter Parade, The Lost One, Melody Time, The Iron Curtain, Homecoming, The Search, I Remember Mama, My Wild Irish Rose, Cass Timberlane, Sitting Pretty, Three Daring Daughters, The Pearl, The Paradine Case, Mourning Becomes Electra, A Double Life, Call Northside 1777, Green Grass of Wyoming, Johnny Belinda, Apartment for Pegey: The Secret Land, Joan of Ar, The Paleface, The Snake Pit, So Dear to My Heart, Command Dee cision, Portrait of Jennie, The Su Comes Up, Down to the Sea z Ships, Hamlet and The Re Shoes. Charles McGraw In New RKO Picture Charles McGraw draws frst leading part in RB Terror. He will portray less killer in this origin melodrama by Hugh King: a Felix Feist is directing TE” King is producing te pack which has a Palm Springs Wanted , onis iecti Grade “B’? Projeee vary desires position. State a you are willing eon Send replies to BOX 2” LY CANADIAN FIL Wee 175 Bloor St. E-, Tor er of NCe, mo. : Broups 0 of 39 Which B eXcep. features theatres nths, indomestic features