Canadian Film Weekly (Sep 7, 1949)

Page 6 Ed Small Shooting Valentino Biog Climaxing 11 years of research and preparation, an industry record, Edward Small, producer, has finally started cameras rolling en the life of Rudolph Valentino, titled Valentino as I Knew Him. The film being made under the personal supervision of the producer, deals with the life, romance and adventures of the now legendary “Great Lover’ of the screen. Formidable statistics surround the preliminary production. Highlights include: Research began on October 12, 1938, closely followed by Small’s acquisition of S. George Ullman’s story, “Valentino as I Knew Him.” Eighteen screenplays were prepared and discarded, culminating in the acceptance of a treatment by George Oppenheimer. Major hurdle, from the inception, was the casting of the title role. To find an actor with both the physical and temperamental attributes necessary to satisfy the millions who had made Valentino an international legend involved a search that encompassed half the globe. Over 13,000 photographs were analyzed, almost 1,800 personal interviews Were granted by Small’s international representatives and some 500 screen tests were made in the USA and foreign countries. In May, 1947, Small found his “Valentino.”” Placed under a sev-. en-year contract, 29-year-old war veteran Tony Dexter has undergone eight hours a day training for more than two years. Besides dancing and language lessons, he has seen every Valentino picture ever made, with many sequences slowed down for minute absorption of Valentino’s every mannerism. Friends and close associates of the late star have been with Dexter at various times to add to his fund of knowledge. Most feared groups to placate will be the 1,007 Valentino Fan Clubs still extant all over the world. Broadway Star Set For Initial Film Stanley Kramer Productions has signed Marlon Brando, star of the Broadway hit, Streetcar Named Desire, for the leading role in the forthcoming picture, The Men. Brando who has been sought by every leading company, signed with Kramer in Hollywood for his first picture by telephone from Paris. Brando will arrive late in September to start rehearsals under Fred Zinnemann, who will direct the film, which is being written by Carl Foreman. Canadian FILM WEEKLY Loudest silence in connection with the Royal Commission is that of the moribund Film Producers Association of Canada, which hasn’t met in a year. All it seems to have accomplished was to establish a sales tax rate on Canadian production. Paul L’Anglais, the FPA’s theatre spokesman and head of production for Quebec Productions, met with government representatives and an eight per cent tax on five per cent of the cost of theatrical productions was agreed on. Why five per cent of the cost? Because Canada is considered to be a five per cent territory, although it runs as high as eight per cent for a certain big company, according to guessers. Leon Chafir of 17 Queen Anne Street, London, W. 1, is buying films for his own account and accounts of European clients. He wants names and prices of films you might want to distribute through him. Thousands of persons have been watching outdoor movies on Sunday evenings at Elkwater, a resort 38 miles from Medicine Hat. The NFB provides the projector and films. Television “has been a boon to the film industry. Films are to television as recordings are to radio,” Graeme Fraser, Crawley Films’ sales chief told the Ottawa Kiwanis last week. The Alm business is the most interesting in Canada, he said. Death of H. G. D. West, managing director of JARO’s Cinema-Television, as a result of a fall while mountain climbing brought much regret hereabouts. He visited Canada several years ago and made good friends. Time Mag gave Paramount’s DeMille spectacle, Samson and Delilah, what Max Youngstein quite rightly called “one of the most unusual breaks on an advertising and publicity campaign that you’ve ever seen.” It won’t be released until 1950 but the film will have the public all hopped up, what with continual hypos from Paramount. Renaissance is about ready to release Le Gros Bill and Quebec Productions has finished Le Cure De Village as well as the English subtitle version of Un Homme Et Son Peche. The lastmentioned will have a sequel, La Rue Principale. Carlton, Toronto, B & F house managed by Art Grover, turned in $900 to the Alfred Layng — Short Throws — Fund. Money goes to the widow of the former RCAF man who was killed pursuing a holdup man. Bing Crosby will turn the sod for the Canadian Legion Jasper Memorial Hall in Jasper, Alberta, it is reported. Pyrcz Brothers turned over the Devonian Theatre opening receipts to the swimming pool fund of Devon and district, Alberta. All across the country exhibitors, with the co-operation of distributors, help local causes in that way. Pincher Creek, Alberta, put on quite a show for the preem of a 12-minute RKO short, Roughriders Day. They brought the Old West back to life with an Indian ambush, a parade and dancing in the streets.-They ambushed Art Elliot,.Calgary RKO manager, who was made Chief Running Wolf by the Peigan Indians. Their reservation was the scene of the shooting during roundup time. Footprints of championship cowboys went into wet cement. Mark Robson, Montreal-born director of Champion, was awarded the quarterly honor for direction by the Screen Directors Guild. France Film will distribute all. Renaissance productions and has taken over the theatre: site of Renaissance Cinema Company at St. Catharine and St. Elizabeth. The last-named company has dropped out of exhibition and surrendered its charter. The battle between J. A. DeSeve, formerly head of Renaissance and now head of France Film, and his earlier associates seems over. Story Head in NY Times re-. port: “Films at Moral Low, Says Decency Legion.” . N. Peter Rathvon, former president of RKO, will supervise the use of substantial new capital for the primary financing of independent motion pictures for Eagle Lion (Hollywood) release. Bernard Kranze,-general sales’ manager of Film Classics, was in Toronto and called on Nat Taylor, Ben Geldsaler, Dave Griesdorf, Ben Okun and others. Izzy Allen, whose Astral Films has Film Classics’ Canadian franchise, gave a cocktail party at the Variety Club in honor of Kranze. He is justifiably proud of Not Wanted and Lost Boundaries, which got a $40,000 week in Detroit, and says that Guilty Bystander, with Z. Scott, Donlevey, September 7, 1949 Canada Supplies Newsreel Clips Newsreel stories are supplied to some six newsreels companies which individually edit and incorporate them into newsreels, distributing them to theatres in Canada, the United States, England and other countries, stated the National Film Board brief to the Royal Commission. As an example of the coverage obtained in newsreels during the year 1948-49, a total of 42 stories were photographed across Canada. Of these 28 stories appeared in 103 isswes of newsreels; 61 in Canada, 19 in the United States, 13 in the United Kingdom and ten in South America. In addition they appeared in one UK and ten USA television network programs. The remaining 14 stories were held for subsequent release. ; oo. Six still-picture stories were released to the Canadian and American press, simultaneously with distribution of newsreel stories on the same _ subject. News clippings show a combined circulation on each of these stills Stories of from three to five _ million’ readers. Newsreel footage is also edited into a cine-magazine for monthly release to NFB rural circuits and to film libraries. The newsreel activity has a second and an important aspect, namely that it provides a film storehouse with important documentation of present-day developments in Canada, which can profitably be drawn upon in the making of many of the SBoard’s shorter films. Among the subjects used one way or another were Atomic research at Chalk River, Canadian trade mission in South Africa and Canada at the UN Council. The newsreel audience can be estimated from figures compiled by the Motion Picture Association of America. It totals 60 millions in Canada, and 320 millions in the United States. To this latter figure may be added an estimated gross audience of 50 millions for television. Faye Emerson and Mary Boland, will also line them up. Pirates of Capri, with Louis Hayward and Binnie Barnes, is another film he has great hopes for. It was made in Capri. BETTE DAVIS leaving WB after 18 years for free-lancing. Walter Helm of Stratford, who has been with Premier Operating for 23 years, has resigned to follow other pursuits. Walter is a great guy and his leaving the business on September 30 will cause much regret.