Canadian Film Weekly (Dec 28, 1955)

News Clips The man who projected the Jeffries-Sharkey fight in 1899, C, RR. Wood, Sr. died in Florida at 82... Doug Wilkinson, who shot several Arctic subjects for the National Film Board, just brought out a book, Land of the Long Day, which is about the region and its people ... The US Federal Court supported the right of producers to keep their 16 mm. prints off TV. Judge Leon R. Yankwich ruled against the Department of Justice contention that five majors, in so doing, were engaging in a conspiracy . » » One-time Odeon manager in Trenton and Kingston, Harry Dunk died recently in the latter city from a heart attack at 42. Harry Roth, manager of the Victory, Toronto, was slugged by a holdup man who hid in the theatre. He failed to get any of the receipts . . . John Latimer, CBC film procurement officer in Toronto, has resigned to take the management of a _ boys’ camp, Kilcoo, which has a staff of 60... Charlie Perrie has been transferred from Peterborough by Famous Players to succeed Leslie E. Mitchell as manager of the Regent, Brockville. Mitchell was moved to the Capitol, Welland to replace George Forhan, Jr., who resigned to join the ad staff of The Evening Tribune. Managing editor of Le Soleil and L’Evenement, Quebec newspaper, Irenee Masson passed away in Quebec City at 59 after a two-year illness . .. The Toronto Globe & Mail devoted a long jocular editorial to a recent Variety article headed Do Newspapers Hate TV? Morals charges were laid against a Montreal police official recently by Jacques Sauriol, Montreal publisher and a member of the Quebec film censorship board. The charges were dismissed when two young ladies denied them. Now one of the young ladies, testifying at the perjury trial of the other, says she was bribed to say what she did. The vote against a new $12,000,000 City Hall by Toronto electors will delay action on the Civic Square and give Shea’s Theatre, due to be wrecked, a lease of life . . . IATSE colleagues were the pallbearers at the Canadian Legion funeral of Thomas Haywood, Fort William projectionist, who was accidentally suffocated . . Montreal actor Lionel Murton will be seen in JARO’s The Battle of the River Plate . . . New Chief Barker of the London Variety Club is Nat Cohen, head of Anglo-Amalgamated Films. CANADIAN FILM: WEEKLY Friends and Admirers Honor Reg March The Admiral Beatty Hotel, Saint John, NB, was the scene of a banquet in honor of Reginald G. March, who retired as Maritime chief for 20th CenturyFox after many years with the company. He is on the right. Shaking hands with him is A. |. (Abe) Garson, prominent Maritime exhibitor, who presented March with a TV set for those present. Looking on is F. Gordon Spencer, another lead ing exhibition executive, who was toastmaster for the occasion. "The Opposite Sex' With the addition of Ann Miller to MGM’s The Opposite Sex, the picture, scheduled to start production shortly, will have four of Hollywood’s most glamorous stars in its cast. Those previously cast include June Allyson, Dolores Gray and Ann Sheridan. "The Proud Ones’ Robert Ryan, Virginia Mayo and Guy Madison will be starred in The Proud Ones, which Robert Jacks will put before the CinemaScope cameras shortly for 20th Century-Fox. Robert Webb will direct the super-Western. UNITED ARTISTS QUITS MPAA For the second time in a decade, United Artists withdrew from the Motion Picture Association of America, which it rejoined in 1954. This time it was because of the MPAA’s refusal to grant a Code seal to The Man With the Goldren Arm, which deals with dope addiction. Some member companies voted and others abstained from what was an appeal against the decision of the Production Code Administration. Commenting at column length, Walter O’Hearn of The Montreal Star concluded with: “Perhaps United Artists’ moving out will bring some revisions. Two years ago the industry shook the Production Code around a bit, but no really substantial changes were made. It may be time for a few.” OCTOBER EMPLOYMENT, WAGES UP The Canadian employment index and the average weekly industrial salary were up in October, 1955 over the same month in 1954, it is reported by the Dominion Bureau of Statistics from Ottawa. Employment, based on 100 in 1949, increased to 118.3 in October, 1955, as compared with 113.4 a year earlier. Newfoundland had the highest with 147.3 and Nova Scotia the lowest with 103.1. Average Canadian weekly industrial wage in October, 1955 went up to $61.46, with British Columbia leading with $66.31 and Prince Edward Island trailing with $44.59. BRITISH EXPERT JOINS CRAWLEY Ivor Lomas, expert on quality control in camera, sound, processing and printing for British firms, recently joined Crawley Films, Ottawa as Technical Control Officer. Until he came to Canada the 43-year-old Lomas, a 24-year man in the industry, was Technical Manager for Color Film Services Limited of London and was employed in the past by Technicolor and the Kodak Laboratories. A writer and lecturer on his work, he’s a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and a member of the British Kinematographic Society. He’s busy on a book about Sensimatic Procedures. December 28, 1955 HONOR MARCH (Continued from Page 1) which: March, in Saint John 33 years for his company, heard himself lauded by a dozen or so speakers. He was then presented with a TV set in behalf of those present by A. I. Garson, another leading Maritime personality. The dinner to the popular filmite and Saint John business figure was sponsored by the Maritime Allied Exhibitors Association, the Motion Picture Pioneers and the Maritime Film Board of Trade. Peter S. Myers, Canadian general manager for 20th CenturyFox, expressed the appreciation of his company to March and introduced his successor, C. Dawson Exley, formerly of Toronto. During the evening local film folk spoke of their regard for March and of his contribution to the growth of the industry in the Maritimes. Many wires, from all parts of Canada, were read by Spencer as chairman. Out of town guests included James McDonough, Halifax, district manager of Famous Players; J. LeBlanc, Shediac; Harry Adkins, Richibucto; Colin Danson, Sussex; A. J. Mason and Lloyd Mason, Springhill, NS. A. J. Mason is president of the Maritime exhibitors’ association. A native of Surrey, England, March came to Montreal at an early age and became an advertising clerk with Specialty Film Co. (Pathe) in. 1913, He was transferred to Saint John in 1915 by his chief, L. Ernest Ouimet. Later, he became associated with Fox as branch manager in 1922. Active in many forms of community endeavor, March is vicepresident of the St. George’s Society and has been past president of the Maritime branch of the Canadian Picture Pioneers, the Rotary Club and the Film Board of Trade. During the First World War he was a member of the film industry’s war finance committee, and during the Second World War he was provincial chairman of this committee. An indication of March’s importance in the community was the thorough coverage given the dinner by the Evening-Times, which carried a story and a three-column picture of the presentation. March is owner of the Film Centre building in Saint John, NB, and has operated many theatres in New Brunswick. Possessed of a rich tenor voice, he has sung as soloist at many local churches and _ directed many early minstrel shows. He is married to the former Marie Kathleen Golding and they have two sons, Walter G. and John A., and one daughter, Mrs. L. A. James of North Bay.