Canadian Film Weekly (Apr 10, 1957)

April 10, 1957 Incorporating the Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Founded 1915) Vol. 22, No. 15 April 10, 1957 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 WAlinut 4-3707 4 Price $5.00 per year. ea ei ee ae The. matter of newsreels being ended was explored recently by the famous British film maker, Paul Rotha, in The Manchester Guardian Weekly. He was not surprised at newsreels going: “It js only surprising that changes have not come about before now, but then the cinema-trade notoriously permits serious situations to steal upon it before taking action to cope with the problem.’’ At tne end of his article he makes these interesting observations: Distribution and exhibition methods that have remained unchanged and mostly unchallenged for years may have to undergo drastic revision and become more flexible in order to meet the requirements of not one mass-minded audience but. a number of audience groups each displaying selectivity in its cinema-going. In this new appeal of the cinema the interpretative news magazine could play the important role which it is denied in television. The spot-news field will become the sole province of television; the considered, didactic, editorial comments could be the cinema’s contribution if, and only if, exhibitors realized that their audiences had changed. It is doubtful, however, if there will be screen-space in Britain for several such regular productions as there was for five oldtype newsreels. Whoever is first off the mark will score, but with this proviso: the superficiality of approach and the formula methods of yesterday must go; more knowledgeable editors, better writers, more skilful cutters, experienced research staff—all will be essential if quality is to be achieved. And they will have to take into account that the picture on tape instead of on film will, like sound on tape, soon be in general use and that it will be the biggest technical revolution in film production methods since the coming of sound in the late twenties. MGM Casts Barbara Lang Barbara Lang will star opposite Elvis Presley in his next for MGM. CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY Royal Commission (Continued from Page 1) vate competition it would be only reasonable to give the CBC the right to set up in areas now private station monopolies. The Commission thought that the time might be here for competitive TV in certain Metropolitan areas, among which would be Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg, Vancouver and Halifax. It did not state into which private TV areas the CBC should go. The Commission expressed itself as doubtful about pay-as-you-see TV, since, due to the limited video facilities in Canada, it would not be a “rightful use of the airwaves’ and would tend to be a “‘narrowing’ of communications. However, it left the door open for future development of this theme. Seemingly, it did not distinguish between a subscription TV system which uses the airwaves, such as Phonevision or Skiatron, or one that uses a cable setup, such as Telemeter and Rediffusion. The recommendation would appear to apply to the first two but not to the second. While the commissioners advocated that foreign investment in Canadian radio and TV, directly or indirectly, be limited by statute to a maximum of 20 per cent, they did not see any pressing evil in monopoly operation of TV or radio or both. They thought that licences granted to independents would be preferable. “The Board of Broadcast Governors (a 15-man regulatory body for all Canadian broadcasting pro| posed by the Commission to replace the CBC Board of Governors and have no members of the CBC on it) should accept the responsibility not only, as at present, for ascertaining the fact of common or multiple ownership at the time the licence is granted, but also for the continued scrutiny of performance to ensure that the multiple ownership of several stations or of several media has not resulted in actual detriment to the public,” the commissioners said. The report suggested that if Canada is to keep its own identity and culture it should be prepared to spend public money in large quantities on radio and TV and estimated that a sum of $470,000,000 would be required up to 1963. It recommended that this money be assured the CBC by statutory provision and suggested three ways of giving it the necessary funds. This method would make the CBC less vulnerable to direct political control. The Commission was against any licence fee for TV or radio sets because of the “‘almost universal” resistance to it. The commissioners advised the CBC not to hurry into color TV but thought that it could become a reality by May, 1959 and that half the CBC programs could be in color by 1963. The Commission, which was made up of Robert M. Fowler of Montreal, chairman, Edmond Turcotte of Montreal and James Stewart of Toronto, was appointed in December of 1955. It held 47 hearings across Canada last year and received 276 briefs and over 600 letters. Its report, tabled in the House of Commons, ran to 289 pages — some 100,000 words. Changes in Motion Picture Theatres 1939-1955 Although more movie houses are closing every day, the figures of the Dominion Bureau of Statistics are optimistic ones. The DBS works from the lists of licenced theatres sent in by the various provincial governments. This is checked with new registrants of the Unemployment In surance Commission and with information from other sources to make it as complete as possible. The table below is of auditorium theatres only, and it does not include community halls, though some 16 mm. situations are contained in the totals. New Theatres Theatres Net Theatres Re-opened Closed Change 20 38 4-7: 53 25 30 + 46 18 59 Bey 13 37 A ae, 25 27 38 5 22 4: 29 ‘ 7 4° 25 12 20 + 154 10 27 + 216 7 56 + 257 12 86 + 250 2 79 70 4 64 + 7 4 60 -+ 35 1 60 4 13 77 ae 23 87 Se Page 3 Our Business Hy ; bw AA Taylor N. A. Taylor is holidaying and will be back in this space shortly. This week his guest is Frank H. Fisher, executive vice-president in charge of theatre operations for The Odeon Theatres (Canada) Limited. PROMISES have a_ definite function in any industry. They are the stanchions of op timism — the breath of en couragement. In the motion picture business, promises relate to more and better product, signs of increased theatre attendances and even statistics of a decline in the sales of TV sets. Promises have a place but unless nurtured and supported by facts they remain just so many words in our trade press. That is why I welcome the opportunity to write this guest column; to tell you of some facts which clearly proclaim their own bright promises for our industy in Canada and, indeed, throughout the world. My premises are based upon the operations of The Rank Organization because I have been connected with the development of the group in Canada since the outset and can write of it with enthusiasm fostered by personal experience. The Rank Organization is comprised of a great number of companies engaged in a diversity of business around the globe, of which film production, distribution and exhibition is but a fairly large portion. The group’s continuing expansion in this country, as well as other parts of the world, is undeniably a reliable indication of confidence in the future. Here are corroborated actions — not just promises of future performances. Last year, The Odeon Theatres (Canada) Limited acquired the bulk of theatre properties operated by National Theatres Limited. This more than offset the number of uneconomical houses relinquished during the year. The company also took over full control of 15 theatres previously run in conjunction with a partner in Eastern Canada, Mr. A. IJ. Garson. In film distribution, a new company was formed to function in the South American market. It was an immediate success and has now extended its activities to Mexico. This month will see the beginning of Rank Organization film distribution in the USA. _ Financing of this expansion in the dollar areas by a group (Continued on Page 5)