Canadian Film Weekly (Nov 3, 1954)

November 3, 1954 Observanda CHARLIE STEPHENSON’S brother, Bobby Stevens, who doubled with Morton Downey in support of Sophie Tucker years ago, died in Chicago last week at the age of 56. He had been on the Balaban & Katz managerial staff for almost since he quit vaudeville . . . CBC, which will take over the Carlton, almost made a deal for the Loew’s Winter Garden, the theatre above Loew’s Yonge Street, which hasn’t been used for about 20 years. It would make a great TV point of origin. By the way, the film department, now fattened out to about 150 employees, moves from Jarvis Street to Broadview Avenue soon... Mavety’s film delivery trucks all carry this: “Let’s Go to the Movies” ... Thanks so very much for those fine notes about our new Year Book. And thanks also for your kind comments on the Walter Winchell biography . . . Jn Lowered Tones to AE: Wouldn’t you think, since he was lucky enough to be politicked into an over-his-dome job ahead of others who deserved it more, he would have some humility instead of cheap arrogance? THE MOST ELUSIVE GAG in a long time is about the disturbed guy who went to a psychoanalyst. “Your trouble is,” he was told, “that you’re in love with your raincoat.” The man thought for a minute, then said: “I’ll admit I like my raincoat — but love . . .” Don’t write in for an explanation. If you don’t get it, you never will. I’m not sure I do. THERE’S A DEBATE in the press about the “most perfect poetic line.” Is there a more beautiful one than this, from Hamlet: “But, look, the morn in russet mantle clad, walks o’er the dew of yon high eastern hill” . . . This is true. A fellow was reading a pocket book in a hotel lobby. Every time he finished a page to tore it off. Someone asked him why. “This way,” he explained, “I won’t lose my page” . . . Park space is becoming parking space, as witness what’s been done to the grounds of both the Public Library and the Art Gallery . . . Word for Wayne & Shuster’s first TV show for Christie’s Biscuits: Excellent . . . Woman worker, asked to go on strike for shorter hours, agreed, saying: “lve always thought 60 minutes were too many in an hour.” ‘FELLOW WE MISS MUCH hereabouts is Russ Simpson, whose bright mind and light humor used to add enjoyment to our work. He quit distribution to manage the Ottawa Valley circuit... Toronto is getting to be a cosmopolitan town. There’s a fencing school above the Csarda cafe on King and the Bloor subway parlor now shines your shoes after six o’clock for 25 cents... Spadina Avenue femme film fan was praising one she had seen and was asked the name of it. “Gelber and Solomon,” she answered. She meant IFD’s Gilbert and Sullivan . . . Saw Christine Jorgenson recently, You remember her—she’s the one who isn’t Christopher Jorgenson . . There are 11 Balabans in the Toronto phone book and I know nary a one... At the CBC TV telethon for the hurricane fund Metropolitan Mayor Fred Gardiner spoke too long, finished, thought the camera had been switched to the other emcees, Wayne & Shuster, smiled at Dick McDougal, who had introduced him, and asked: “Are we off the air? Can I shut up?” Answered Dick: “We aren’t off the air—but you can shut up.” LISTENING TO NIXON and Eisenhower, you would think that Truman had acted like the chief executor of the USA instead of the chief executive . . . Carson Kerr, Liberty's Show Business columnist, is editor Frank Rasky .. . You know who are among the most eager of the late-TV-movie viewers? Managers and projectionists, whose hours prevent them from seeing as many films as they'd like . . . Somehow dubbed-in laughter on TV programs reminds me of artificial insemnation. It’s real laughter, all right, but— . . . Here's a daring yarn: Old couple had been together 30 years and the man said: “You know, we ought to get married.” The woman answered: “Don’t be silly. Who'd have us now?” . .. Clyde Gilmour has accepted the vice-presidency of The Society For Getting Victor Mature Back Into Pants. I'm the president. CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY , m-th Page 5 A Fine Man SQUARE I WAS INTRODUCED TO Charlie Skouras and I never forgot what happened. I was standing in the lobby of the Ambassador with Sherrill Corwin during a Variety convention when Charlie went by and Sherill called him over. “I want you to meet a newspaperman from Canada,” he was told. Charlie shook my hand. “From Canada, eh?” he said, seemingly impressed. Just then a waiter went by a few feet from us and he stopped and turned after Charlie called to him. “Waiter,” said Charlie, “give this guy anything—he can pay for.” Then, as he walked away, he turned, smiled and winked at me. “Glad to have met you,” he said, waving goodbye, first to me, then to Sherrill. Some years later I met him again, this time at the 20th-Fox Showmanship Conference in Chicago. Charlie’s humorous remarks from the head table provided much enjoyment. He was reminiscing about his early days in America, to which he had come as a teenager. “Now,” he said, “the Greeks say I speak broken Greek and the Americans say I speak broken English!” He recalled what had happened when he wrote to his brother Spyros to come to America. Spyros, then in a theological seminary, was hesitant. “In Greece I will become a priest,” he had written Charlie. “What will become of me in America?” Charlie had written back: come. “In America you can become president.” And Spyros had “Now,” said Charlie to the audience as he half-turned and looked at Spyros, seated behind him, “I want you to meet my brother the president—of Twentieth Century-Fox!” Funny how some men win a warm place in your memory quickly. Charlie Skouras was like that and it is sad to think that he is no longer among us to brighten our orbit. FILM ART Trailers, Toronto, has acquired five subjects, each in 16 mm. and 35 mm. of the Salzburg Marionettes for distribution in Canada, Sam L. Vinsen announces. The company also concluded a deal for distribution of valances, banners, etc. of the Valley Forge Flag Company of the USA. ALLIED States Association of Motion Picture Exhibitors, at its meeting in Milwaukee, passed a resolution calling for the regulation of interstate commerce in motion pictures in an effort to end sales practices held objectionable. TRANSPORT Department, superior of the CBC in the federal government, turned down the request of the radio-TV agency for a television station in St. John’s, Newfoundland and awarded a licence to a private applicant, Newfoundland Broadcasting Company Limited, which operates Station CJON in St. John’s CFRN-TV, Edmonton recently began operations. G. R. A. (Dick) Rice is president and general manager of the Sunwapta Broadcasting Company Limited, which operates it. INCREASE of population since September, 1953 was 420,000 according to the Dominion Bureau of Statistics. The population is now at 15,313,000, of which about 1,200,000 have arrived since the end of World War II. PROJECTION system developed by RCA can show color television on theatre screens as well as black and white. It was announced at the meeting in California of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, The system is now in operation in the Brooklyn color studio of the National Broadcasting Company. ROY M. BREWER has rejoined Allied Artists and will be in charge of exchange operations. Brewer, for many years the Hollywood representative of the IATSE before his association with AA, served as an executive aide to president Steve Broidy prior to his resignation some months ago. LITIGATION continues to disturb the USA industry scene, A Kansas City jury awarded the Electric Theatre $2,400,000 against six distributors, while the Maple Drive-in of Circleville, Penn., also in an anti-trust suit asks $1,500,000, :