Canadian Film Weekly (Feb 2, 1955)

: 13 ‘4 B id February, 2, 1955 CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY Page 5 NEW PROJECTOR (Continued from Page 1) rama, of course, is excluded. First showing will be at the Rivoli, NY in May. Its switch-lever adaptability will be for 70 mm. film with any number of magnetic sound tracks, 70 mm. film with separate sound film, CinemaScope film with four magnetic sound tracks, C.:nemaScope film with optical sound tracks or Perspecta Sound, Wide-screen films of any size with magnetic or optical sound tracks, Standard 35 mm. films, 3-D films in the single 3-D system and 3-D films in the twin-film system. The Todd-AO aspect ratio is two to one and the film 65 mm., with one projector and a curved screen being employed. The process “establishes the illusion of participation in the action . the feeling of literally being present at the scene,’ states the Magna Theatre Corporation, which controls the process. Dr. Brian O’Brien of the American Optical Company and a team of research and engineering scientists developed the Todd-AO process. Additionally, Dr. O’Brien has devised a special film printer which can reduce Todd-AO 65 mm. negative to a Todd-AO 35 mm. negative, and can also make 35 mm. wide-screen prints for theatres now equipped to show CinemaScope, VistaVision or conventional flat pictures. The driving mechanism of the Todd-AO projector is housed in an oil-tight casing, closed hermetically by means of a large cover to protect it against dust. The cover is fixed with five screws only and therefore can easily be removed for inspection of the mechanism and for refitting. The projector is equipped with a curved runner plate. A slight bend in a longitudinal direction is said to give the film a greater stiffness in transverse direction. The concave side of the runner plate faces the lens. In each 70 mm, film frame, there are five perforations instead of the usual four. In the 35 mm. operation of the projector, the construction for 35 mm, projection is just the same as for 70 mm. except for the smaller aperture. Speed of the Todd-AO camera has been stepped up from the conventional 24 frames per second to 30, which is said to guarantee to smooth out completely action on a larger screen, eliminating all flicker. The angle of coverage of the camera lenses ranges in size from 128 degrees, down through 64, 48 and 37 degree lenses. All four Todd-AO lenses can be used interchangeably, thus eliminating the need for additional cameras for each scene set up. The cameras are to be made available to other producers, News Notes WINNIPEG MOVIE BALL, BONSPIEL The ninth annual Movie Ball of the Winnipeg branch of the Canadian Picture Pioneers, a popular occasion open to the general public, will be held at the Roseland Dance Gardens on Thursday, March 10. The chairman of the committee is Sam Swartz. Tickets will be on sale soon at theatre boxoffices. The date was set at the meeting of directors under the chairmanship of Jack Biggerstaff, president. The Winnipeg branch, which includes Pioneers from all parts of Manitoba, will hold its third annual Motion Picture Bonspiel at the Maple Leaf Curling Club on Monday, February 21. Co-chairmen are Charlie Krupp and Harold Bishop. The entry fee of $3 will include luncheon and all entrants must be registered by February 16. Over 40 applications have been received already, among them some from ladies, four of whom played last year and did well. The Henry Morton Memorial Trophy and the Jacob Miles Memorial Trophy, along with many other prizes, will again be up for competition. Entries may be addressed to Charles Krupp, 303 Donalda Block, Winnipeg, Manitoba. YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP K. W. Carey of the Technical Research branch of the National Film Board, who was recently made a member of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers’ Progress Committee, has been asked to submit a report called “Canadian Motion Picture Production During 1954” by the chairman, Dr. C. R. Dailey. Carey asks the help of his fellow-members of the Canadian industry in preparing the report, which will be published in the May issue of the SMPTE Journal. He suggests that information be sent him, care of the NFB, on each new or improved piece of equipment, method, procedure, quantity or trend. He will be glad to get these, along with photographs, publication references, dates, quantities, equipment model numbers and indications of the future importance of anything covered. Address of Carey is the National Film Board, John and Sussex Streets, Ottawa, Canada. PARKS CHIEF VS. CARNIVALS Theatre managers who have for years been protesting against the privileges granted carnivals, which provide competition for their houses, will be interested in the opinions of Parks Commissioner Bell of Toronto. He opposed applications for the use of city parks by carnivals with service club sponsorship. Carnivals, Bell said, made it impossible to maintain a high standard of attractiveness and placed great strain on sanitary conditions. “You are asking us to make the parks beautiful,” he said. “But if carnivals are permitted to use them this aim will be defeated. Not only will citizens be deprived of the use of a park when a carnival is operating, but in many cases it is impossible to repair damage to lawns for many weeks afterward.” Alderman Herbert Orliffe thought that applications should be granted for this year but notice of future prohibition given. Alderman Mrs. Jean Newman said that the people in the areas affected don’t want the carnivals and Alderman Kenneth Waters said that the returns to the service clubs were small. ODEON BUYS ARMVIEW, HALIFAX Odeon-Garson Enterprises, now marking the 10th anniversary of the partnership between Odeon and A. I. Garson of Saint John, has acquired the 743-seat, six-day Armview, their fourth theatre in Halifax and 15th in the Maritime circuit. The theatre, purchased from M. E. Walker at an undisclosed figure, underwent a week’s refurbishing before reopening on January 28. Mrs. Myrtle Smith, wife of the Halifax supervisor, Douglas Smith, will manage the unit built over seven years ago by Walker. Other Odeon-Garson situations in Halifax are the Casino, Garrick and Oxford. Before entering partnership with Odeon, Garson operated the Kent in Moncton and the Garrick and Oxford in Halifax. Since that time, many of the houses acquired by the organization have been restyled in keeping with modern moving picture house trends. L. J. April of Saint John, who joined the circuit as an office manager, is now the company’s vice-president. FILM BOARD (Continued from Page 1) expenditure” as $3,859,693, which it subtracts from the $4,009,036 to show “Excess of Income over Expenditure, transferred to Balance Sheet’ — $149,342. The last figure is apparently what remains of the government grant and is usually described as “surplus,”’ Breakdown of expenditure shows that administration cost $431,350, production of films $1,183,166, production of filmstrips $27,845, production of still photos $72,348, distribution $1,213,685, equipment $113,878, and cost of sales $817,421. An analysis of sales and cost of sales shows that the net proceeds from the $817,421 in sales was $55,541. No provision was included for depreciation of equipment nor the cost of (a) quarters, equipment and services provided by the Department of Public Works, (b) accounting services provided by the office of the Comptroller of the Treasury, and (c) telephone service provided by the Department of Finance. In 1952-53 the NFB’s total income, according to its manner of arriving at it, was $3,511,465 and its “surplus” $35,377. NFB theatrical subjects, distributed by Columbia, had 11,447 bookings, an increase of 2,102 over the previous fiscal year, while bookings abroad went up by 33 per cent—from 16,159 to 21,505. TV bookings were 797 in Canada and 2,019 outside, both figures being higher. The NFB’s expenditure among private film producers came to $315,860 compared with $411,372 in 1952-53. Canadians got $198,969, USA firms $98,751 and the remainder went to the UK and other countries. Regular staff of the NFB was 548, an increase of 13 resulting from the new TV production activities. The fifteenth annual report was presented by Dr. A. W. Trueman, Government Film Commissioner and chairman of the National Film Board, to the Honorable J. W. Pickerskill, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, who has cabinet responsibility for the National Film Board. Figaro Pix Via UA Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s Figaro Incorporated has concluded a deal with United Artists for the production of four motion pictures. Mankiewicz will personally write and direct two, the first one to be The Story of Goya. FOR SALE Motion Picture Camera Car Specially fitted springs and top camera. platform Contact FELIX LAZARUS 344 Jarvis St. WA, 3-3217