Canadian Film Weekly (Sep 28, 1949)

Sr a Page 10 NFB CUTTING IN? (Continued from Page 1) stated in a long. editorial about the National Film Board which appeared recently in the Montreal Daily Star as “a review of its prospects and achievements.” The opinion of the newspaper on that score is interesting, for it is likely that the subject got a thorough talking-over at the meeting in Montreal last week of Canadian producers. Decisions and resolutions of that meeting will not be made public until the Ottawa Conference of the industry on October 12-13. After reviewing the history of the NFB the editorial, called “National Film Board—lIts Future,’’ returned to the question of encroachment on private enterprise in Canadian production. “As far as possible the National Film Board avoids competition with private producers. On the other hand, it takes on a good many jobs, official and otherwise, which private enterprise passes up.” The NFB makes films to meet “the low rentals which educational institutions can afford, since the business is not very attractive to private producers until a volume demand has been worked up. In educational supply therefore the National Film Board production will continue to serve a valuable purpose.” The newspaper then reaches these interesting conclusions: “Tt is essential that there should be as little trespass as Possible by any Government agency on. the field of private enterprise; that official undertakings should endeavour to strengthen and to assist rather than to replace. In the case of the National Film Board a great deal more could be done to assist independent producers of motion Pictures than has been done to date. Film-making equipment and studio facilities are merchantable commodities; if the Government owns expensive installations there would seem to be no reason why they should not be offered on a hire basis (as is done every day in Hollywood) to any group of artists who wish to make a motion picture or to record a television program. The provision of technical facilities at a reasonable rental and without capital expenditure would give Canadian playwrights and performers a much-needed outlet; it would constitute a public service of high cultural value. Such facilities likewise would counter a good deal of present day criticism of official participation in the television and motion picture industries. It is hoped that this Particular aspect of National Film Board activities will be exPlored in detail by the Massey Commission.” Canadian FILM WEEKLY — a DEMPSEY HELPS BOOST UA‘s ‘THE BIG WHEEL’ The man with the most enduring popularity in the world of sport took time off from his Toronto heavyweight tournament to get behind United Artists’ The Big Wheel, which stars Mickey Rooney. Dempsey is its coproducer with an ex-Canadian, Harry Popkin. The public will hear plenty about the picture as a result of Dempsey’s hosting of the press and radio boys and girls ct the Variety Club. Here the old Mauler has been forced to sit down, a cha i , : ‘ i nge for him during his Toronto stay, by Bert Wilkes, UA publicity rep; Doug Rosen, UA Toronto branch manager; Jack Karr, Toronto Star columnist; Jerry Burke of CKEY; and Hye Bossin, Canadian Film Weekly. FOUR SHORT photoplays combined into one feature motion picture, similar to Quartet, the British success, has been scheduled by the Norma Company, the Harold Hecht and Burt Lancaster outfit that produces for Warner’s. Two of the series will be “Boys Will Be Boys,” by Irvin S. Cobb, and “The Catbird Seat,” by James Thurber. HONG KONG’S newest theatre is the 1,002-seat Broadway, which opened recently. Cost of the structure was about 1,400,000 Hong Kong dollars ($350,000 in USA _ funds). Projection, sound and _ air-conditioning equipment was from the United States, as was the first feature shown. EXAMINATIONS of films purporting to offer sex education previous to screening by committees of competent persons named by provincial governments has been asked by the 17th General Synod of the Church of England in Canada in one of a number of resolutions on a wide range of moral and social issues. CRAWLEY FILMS’ The Loon’s Necklace, winner of first prize in the Canadian Film Awards, was the choice of the Cleveland Film Festival as the best in the Art and Music class. At the same time the National Film Board’s Feeling of Rejection was runner-up in the Men REVALUATION (Continued from Page 1) would seem to have a selling advantage now in such things as sound systems, pedestals, acoustical and other devices which it manufactures in Canada — but which others in the same business must import from the USA. Importation of many of the articles affected is still under restriction, with some firms working through an allotment tied to a basic period and others using individual permits. The currency revaluation affects the Independent distributor of motion pictures in cases where he must pay a fixed sum in advance for Canadian rights. The USA dollars will cost him 10 per cent more. Where he pays a percentage of Canadian earnings he is not affected, for he converts them into USA funds, but the other party to the agreement gets ten per cent less. tal Hygiene category. The NFB also won an international award, the fourth within a month, with its Vegetable Insects in a general biological film competition at the convention of the Biological Photographers Association. PLENTY of free newspaper space and radio time was garnered by the Odeon Theatre, Winnipeg, when its “Perfect Woman” contest, held in connection with the run of the J. Arthur Rank film, The Perfect Woman, resulted in the wife of an arthritic cripple winning. The story of the wife’s devotion and self-sacrifice, told by the bedridden husband in a letter, was so full of human interest that the Winnipeg Tribune and radio station CJOB were glad to feature it. September 28, 1949 TOA TALKS TV (Continued from Page 1) nization whose members control about 10,000 USA theatres and about 65 per cent of that nation’s seating capacity shared the four days of sessions. They heard such industry figures as Sam Goldwyn, Eric Johnston and Herbert J. Yates offer a variety of opinions. But one of the most important speeches, that bearing on TV, was made by the least-known guest speaker, Marcus Cohn of the Washington law firm of Cohn & Marks. Offering information about the tremendous strides of television and its continuing growth, he said: “Those who have heretofore contended that the cost of a television receiving set would preclude severe competition to the exhibitor (or for that matter to the radio station or newspaper) have had a rude awakening.” Cohn said that the decrease of attendance among TV set owners varied from between 13 to 84 per cent, depending on the survey, and he saw no reason why 85 per cent of transmitters should belong to radio interests. While the number of companies formed to make TV films had jumped from 200 to 400 in a year, but 16 of 311 pending applications for new transmitters were from motion picture interests. Calling for an all-out fight against motion picture censorship, Sam Goldwyn said that it Was a mistake to let pressure groups go on without opposition. “You have to stand up to them and fight,” he urged. “Exhibitors are mighty good fighters. You are stronger than you realize. You owe it, not only to the people of your communities, but to yourselves, to get up on your hind legs and do everything that has to be done to eliminate this vicious anti-American thing.” Eric Johnston, speaking against the amusement tax, pointed out that the motion picture was the only free medium of expression which was burdened with a wartime measure of that sort. It should have the same rights as the press “and should receive equal treatment at the hands of all legislatures,” he declared. Elections at the meeting by the board of directors resulted in Samuel Pinanski of Boston succeeding Arthur Lockwood as president, the latter assuming the board chairmanship; Edward Zorn of Pontiac, Tll., succeeding Morris Loewenstein of Oklahoma City as secretary; Charles Skouras remaining as treasurer; Herman Levy retaining his position as general counsel; and Mitchell ‘Wolfson of Miami and Sherrill Corwin of Los Angeles being elected vice-presidents.