Canadian Film Weekly (Nov 21, 1956)

— ee eee November 21, 1956 Vol, 21, No. 45 November 21, 1956 HYE BOSSIN, Editor Assistant Editor Ben Halter Office Manager ~Esther Silver CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY 175 Bloor St, East, Toronto 5, Canada Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post Office Department, Ottawa Published by Film Publications of Canada, Limited 175 Bloor St. East, Toronto 5, Ontario, Canada — Phone WAlnut 4-3707 Price $3.00 per year. NY CFI TO SPREAD (Continued from Page 1) The meeting approved the changing of the CFI’s legal address from Ottawa to Montreal, although its offices will remain in the capltal. ee The question of national film archives occupied considerable discussion after Cowan revealed that L. W. Brockington and Yousuf Karsh had proposed a special approach. Dr. J. R. Kidd suggested a voluntary committee to work on archive research and that the subject be explored in an article in the CFI’s new publication, Focus. The number of film societies affiliated with the CFI has grown to 70, Mrs. Dorothy Burritt reported, and Wm. Graff offered the opinion that film councils and their federations might logically become another CFI division. Elected to the Board of Directors were James Cowan, Carl B. French, L. W. Chatwin, Leonard B. Headley, W. Graff, Gaudry Delisle, A L. Hepworth, L. F. MacRae, Peter Cock, Breen Melvin, Dr. L. Hampson, Sir Arthur Elton, H. P. Brown, E. F. Holliday and Dr. J. R. Kidd. Later, the Board met and re-elected the complete slate of officers. They are Cowan, president; Hepworth, vicepresident; Delisle, second vicepresident; MacRae, honorary treasurer; Romain DesBois, honorary secretary; and Topshee, executive director. The nominating committee for the Board of Directors recommended that appointments to the nine positions still open on the Board be made by the directors in accordance with the principles of geographic representation. Batjac To Produce Four Pix For UA John Wayne’s Batjac Productions, Inc., and Arthur B. Krim, president of United Artists, have signed a four-picture releasing contract with the initial production set to go before the cameras early next year on location in Libya and Rome, tentatively titled The Legend of Timbuctoo. Wayne and Sophia Loren will star. The remaining three pictures under the deal will feature top stars and directors with emphasis on authentic on-the-spot locations, CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY Fox '57 Program (Continued from Page 1) the theatre market. Thirty of the films will be major productions and the company’s plans call for association with a half-dozen Independent producers. At this point its film about Christ, The Greatest Story Ever Told, seems to fit into the super-budget field opened up by War and Peace and The Ten Commandments. It is an adaptation of Fulton Oursler’s popular book, which was read by many millions in volume form or through newspaper syndication, and the price for it as a screen property is said to be $2,000,000. Walter Lang will make a film of the script, to be written by four authors representing the major faiths, who will consult with 12 experts, each of a different religion. The person to play Christ will be sought in a religious seminary and he will return atter the picture and never make another. Skouras called the book, which Fox purchased in 1954, ‘“‘the greatest love story ever produced — it is based on love, not hate.” It will be remembered that Fox made The Robe, the first CinemaScope picture, which portrayed the events leading to The Crucifixion. It was phenomenally successful and helped change the shape of the screen, as well as provide the first major defense against the inroads of television. Production chief Buddy Adler’s own films are an indication of the quality of the program—Anastasia, A Hatful of Rain, The Diary of Anne Frank and The Jean Harlow Story. Each name is easily recognized for its immediate boxoffice appeal. He will also handle Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison, for which John Huston will direct Deborah Kerr and Robert Mitchum, and Solo, a drama about a jazz musician. Many of the titles of other films will jump out at the reader, they having been given a special place in public consciousness because of their commanding place in literature or the stage. Charles Brackett will produce The Wayward Bus, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Samuel Shellabarger’s Lord Vanity. Nunnally Johnson will handle Oh Men! Oh Women!, Three Faces of Eve and The Wandering Jew, the last from the famous Biblical novel. Philip Dunne gets Three Brave Men and John O’Hara’s Ten North Frederick. Henry Ephron has some _ outstanding assignments: The Desk Set, A Certain Smile and Can Can —titles which any newspaper reader will recognize immediately. Boy on a Dolphin, Bernardine and Fraulein are for Samuel G. Engel -and Frank Tashlin gets The Girl Can’t Help It, a Rock ’n Roll comedy, and Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter. Actor director names crop up: James Mason in Jane Eyre and High Wind to Jamaica, and Dick Powell in Getaway and The Enemy Below. Eugene Frenke will also produce The Townsend Harris Story. Herbert B. Swope, Jr. has Three Brave Men, The Bravados and The Iron Butterfly. David Weisbart’s assignments are The Way to Gold and Brandy for Heroes. The Independents will enrich the company’s program. Darryl F. Zanuck has Island in the Sun and Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises. Jerry Wald will contribute the literary bombshell, Peyton Place, The Turn of the Screw, The Sound and the Fury, The Hardhats, Kiss Them for Me, Down Payment and Adam and Eve, which he will make in association with Leo McCarey. David O. Selznick will remake the Hemingway classic, A Farewell to Arms; Rodgers and Hammerstein are to provide their great musical, South Pacific; Conquest will come from Benedict Bogeaus, Seawife from Andre Hakim and The Circle from Robert L. Jacks. Special productions not yet assigned to producers are Tigrero, a South American game hunting film; Iris, an F. Hugh Herbert comedy; The Queen of Sheba, a mighty religious spectacle; The Lady and the Lumberjack; The Song of Ruth, a religious drama; Bellevue Is My Home, a story of the New York hospital; Harry Black, a British drama; and These Thousand Hills, from A. B. Guthrie’s Western novel. The stars due to appear in the Fox films are the top ones in the industry. The budget, though not given, must be the largest in motion picture history for a year’s program. Jules Schermer Joins WB Jules Schermer has joined Warners as a producer. SL Here Are Toronto Dates For Annual Meetings Here are the dates for a series of industry events, to be held in Toronto: November 19 (Monday) — Annual meeting and luncheon of the Motion Picture Theatres Association of Ontario in the King Edward Hotel. November 20 (Tuesday) — Annual meeting of the National Committee of Motion Picture Exhibitors Associations of Canada in the King Edward Hotel. Evening, 5.30: Variety Club monthly meeting at the Prince George Hotel. November 21 (Wednesday) and 22 (Thursday) — Annual meeting of the Motion Picture Industry Council of Canada in the King Edward Hotel. Wednesday, 12.30: Luncheon for MPICC delegates hosted by Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association. November 22 (Thursday evening, 6.45) — Annual Pioneer of the Year Award Dinner in the Crystal Ballroom of the King Edward Hotel. The Grey Cup game will be held at Varsity Stadium on Saturday, November 24, Game starts at 1 p.m, "THERE has been considerable discussion about the ability of certain theatres to survive and some speculation as to the number which will disappear in the next few years. Some important people have forecast casualties of anywhere from 25 to 50 per cent. These statements, uttered in good faith, but without attendant explanations, may alienate some of the paying public and mentally depress those presently earning their livelihood in our business. Over the years a false credo has led many to believe that every motion picture theatre built should prosper and once built should never disappear or be used for any other purpose. This delusion flaunts all the rules of good business. Changing public tastes and countless other factors, including obsolescence, dictate the necessity of fluidity in every enterprise. Unfortunately, our business has recognized this less than any other. Anyone with a knowledge of the theatres dotted on our vast map can name scores, if not hundreds, of theatres which, over the years, have been built without proper regard to local requirements, location or availability of product. At the best, these theatres could never be better than borderline operations and the drop in attendance caused by a number of new competitive factors, including TV, has forced many into the red. These same contributing factors have mitigated against the obsolescent theatres in which this country abounds. During the depths of the depression of the early 30’s, theatre closings became the order of the day, and it was found that many moderately-sized towns could only support one theatre. Despite modest population growth, some of these very towns now have in operation as many as four or five theatres, as well as one or two drive-ins. Clearly, the situation cried for retrenchment. Yet, theatres, like tradition, die hard and it is amazing that so large a number in this questionable category continue to survive. It has been suggested that the suburban theatre is finished. Such operations were never profitable in the smaller towns, but one cannot readily accept this statement in toto for larger cities. It is true that the very sub-sub-run is now to be count(Continued on Page 5)