Canadian Film Weekly (Nov 30, 1955)

CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY November 30, 1955 Vol. 20, No. 46 November 30, 1955 HYE BOSSIN, Editor Assistant Editor Ben Halter Office Manager Esther Silver CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY 175 Bloor St. East, Toronto 5, Canada Authorizzd as Second Ciass Mail, Post Office Department, Ottawa Published by Film Publications of Canada, Limited 175 Bloor St. East, Toronto 5, Ontario, Canada — Phone WAInut 4-3707 Price $3.00 per year. New C'Scope Method Shown Via ‘Carousel’ Scenes from Carousel, now in prcduction, were used by 20thFox to demonstrate the latest development in its CinemaScope method of photography at its Hollywood studios. Those at the screening were impressed with the new process and Thomas M. Pryor of the New York Times wrote: “The footage from the Rodgers-Hammerstein musical had striking brilliance as well as increased depth of focus, and if there was any light fall-off at the extreme sides of the screen it was not noticeable to this observer.” Scenes are first shot on a 55 mm. negative and then standard 35 mm. prints are made for theatrical use. GOOD FILM EDITORS Here’s an opportunity for creative 35 MM and 16 MM film editors to work with Canada’s largest motion picture, producer and laboBoth ¥atory. permanent and temporary positions are available. We offer liberal employee benefits and a promising future to those applicants who meet our high standards. Write or call: ASSOCIATED SCREEN NEWS LIMITED 2000 Northcliffe Avenue, Montreal. DExter 1186. (Continued from Page 1) vice-president of both companies. He was elected a director in February, 1953 and became vice-president in November, 1953. Fisher joined Odeon in 1944 as chief buyer and booker and was FRANK H. FISHER later named Western Division manager. In 1947 he became administrative head of JARO’s Canadian distribution organization and was made a director of the Odeon companies in September, 1954. He entered the industry in Calgary in 1927. He’s a Canadian Picture Pioneer, a Variety barker, a director of the Rotary Club and the Ontario Society for Crippled Children, and past president of the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association. Vaughan, like Fisher, is a popular veteran of the industry. From the West, he left EmpireUniversal, where he was assistant general sales manager, in 1946 to join Monogram, now Allied Artists, and became general manager in 1949. He remained with JARO when the Allied Artists franchise left there a year ago. Save Children Fund Aided By Industry 3atten Films Limited donated a trailer for the appeal of The Canadian Save the Children Fund, for which the raw stock was provided gratis by Canadian Kodak Company Limited. The printing of 200 copies of the trailer was contributed by Film Laboratories of Canada Limited. The trailer, which features Clair Wallace, describes’ the work of the fund in providing urgently-needed food, clothing, drugs, shoes, ete. for the children of all countries, with no distinction of race, creed or color. EDWARD, CAMPBELL JOIN SINGLETON Two former Associated Screen News department heads, Albert Edward and James Campbell, have joined W. J. Singleton & Company of Montreal, film counsellors, a firm recently organized by Bill Singleton, until a year ago president of the first-named company. Edward headed ASN’s editing department for years and Campbell, after long service in charge of newsreels, became production chief in 1954. The latter has Associateships in the Royal Photographic Society and the Photographic Society of America. Both are members of the Quebee branch of the Canadian Picture Pioneers. CANADIAN KODAK APPOINTMENTS James W. Spence was elected chairman of the board and Donald C. Kerr was elected president and general manager of Canadian Kodak Co., Limited at a meeting of the board of direc tors on November 17. Spence, a member of the Kodak organization for 50 years, has been serving as treasurer and assistant general manager. He has been a board member since’ 1942. Kerr has been secretary and assistant general manager. He has been a member of the board since March, 1954. Kerr succeeds E,. Stanley Currie, who died November 6. The board of directors also announced several other executive appointments at its meetin g, held at headquarters of the parent organization, Eastman Kodak Company, in Rochester, New York. R, Louis Christie was elected assistant general manager and also a director of Canadian Kodak. D. Douglas Lauder was elected secretary, R. Laird B. Joynt was named treasurer, and Kenneth Winter comptroller. All officers were elected at the same time to similar positions with Canadian Kodak Sales Limited, a Canadian Kodak affiliate. In addition Kerr announced the appointment of Donald N. Spring as assistant sales manager of Canadian Kodak Sales Limited. Spring joined Kodak in 1940, switched to saleq in 1946 and handled motion pictures. T MAY be necessary to delve further into the figures recently released by the Dominion Bureau of Statistics on our business. One should not always take figures literally ; and _ frequently there must be an understanding or explanation of them. Several exhibitor —associations are presently seeking amusement tax reductions, and it may be easy for government Officials to seize upon the 3.3% drop in gross revenue to point out that our business is not being hurt very much. Therefore, a sharper analysis is important. The figures released for the year 1954 indicate a trend which became more pronounced in the year 1955. When statistics are available for that year they will undoubtedly show a further decline in paid attendance with a consequent drop in gross. This, however, is only part of the overall picture. Lumping the gross for all boxoffices does not highlight the fact that there are many more boxoftices than formerly, and, therefore, the amount of dollars taken in by any one can be smaller. In some cases greatly so, depending upon the opposition which has arisen. Take, tor example, the small town which for years has managed to support only one theatre and where there is now a drive-in theatre as op: position. This can siphon off large chunk of such a heute gross. Taking into account the number of obsolete theatres which have been closed, there are still a great many more potential seats for patrons because of the phenomenal rise in drive-in theatres. More importantly, the cost of operation in every phase of our business is steadily increasing. Without going into detail, it is safe to suggest the basic overhead cost as compared to four or five years ago has increased by about one-third. The net result is that the squeeze between reduced income and increased overhead is making it difficult for many theatres to stay open. Theatre owners should, indeed must, seek reduction of taxes as well as reduction in film and other expenses. The important point is that statistical figures should not be misinterpreted by those who may be able to offer some help. We know the real facts of our business and should make certain to impart this information to those people of influence who may not be so well informed. <a