Canadian Film Weekly (May 8, 1957)

Page 4 CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY May 8, 1957 STRATFORD FEST (Continued from Page 1) Film Festival, which is being directed by Leonid Kipnis, has obtained the co-operation of producers and government representatives in shaping up programs of films never shown in Canada before. The opening program, which will be accompanied by a special ceremony, has Canada’s first showing of Oedipus Rex as its main attraction. This film, made by Oedipus Rex Productions Limited in Toronto as a photographic reproduction of the Stratford stage version directed by Tyrone Guthrie, won the respect of New York critics. It will be one of two or more all-Canadian programs. Into the other programs will go such shorts as Associated Screen News’ famous Canadian Cameos, several of which have been produced recently under the direction of Gordon Sparling. One of the Canadian programs will see the world premiere of the Canadian Cameo, The Beloved Fish, in Anscocolor. ASN will also provide Trooping the Colors, which the National Film Board has acquired for distribution. It shows one of Canada’s crack regiments engaging in that colorful ceremony. Also to be shown are Crawley’s much-praised Kitimat short, Generator 4, and a new Norman McLaren cartoon from the NFB. Hayes hopes to complete arrangements for the premiere of Canadian Profile, the NFB feature which took three years to complete and is said to be of extraordinary quality. Many Canadian provincial film departments have submitted entries to the Film Festival, which has no prize awards. The majority of feature films have won prizes in one or more international competitions. From the USA will come On the Bowery and the Naked Eye. Japan will provide A Rose on His Arm and Yugoslavia The Girl and the Oak. Greece has sent A Girl in Black and France Renoir’s colorful Can Can. Czechoslovakia has sent a film about the life of its great composer, Smetana—From My Life. Pacific Destiny, shot in Samoa and an enchanting film to view, is one of Britain’s contributions. The only Festival film previously shown in Canada may be Israel’s Hill 24 Doesn’t Answer, which will be accompanied by a special short from that country, The Book and the Idol. Poland has entered several features and Russia four. Italy and Germany have made known their intentions of being represented and Mexico may come in. Hayes is having a busy time looking at the films which have arrived and completing arrangements for the others. The Festival, inaugurated last year, has certainly grown in stature, for the entries practically make the Stratford a Festival of Festival Films. News Notes NFB FILM WINS GOLDEN REEL AWARD Winner of one of the Golden Reel awards as the best in its category at the recent American Film Assembly festival in New York was the National Film Board’s Fish Spoilage Control, produced for the Department of Fisheries, which took down top prize in the Natural Resources section. Over 250 16 mm. films were entered in the 23 classes of the competition, which is sponsored annually by the Film Council of America. Grant McLean, the NFB’s director of production, accepted the award at the presentations dinner at the Statler Hotel. International Film Distributors’ British-produced film, The Bespoke Overcoat, which has been given theatrical release in Canada, also won a Golden Reel award in the Literary, Musical and Theatrical Arts division. Silver Reel awards, given for films finishing in the runner-up position, went to three other NFB and one Crawley Films productions. The NFB shorts taking down second place were Man of America, Go to Blazes and Rythmetic and the Crawley picture was From Ten to Twelve. Fish Spoilage Control illustrates the proper method of handling and preparing fish. It uses the animation technique and was directed by Gerald Potterton, assisted by Wolf Koenig, Allan Mardon, Obiad ul Haque and Frances Stewart. Photography was by Douglas Roberts and music by Eldon Rathburn. NEWSREEL CHIEFS MEET IN UK W. H. Hogg, the CBC’s chief news editor, is in England to help organize a new international newsfilm service. He is attending the first major directors’ meeting of the British Commonwealth Newsfilm Agency, Limited, which plans to place camera crews in strategic world news areas. BCNA will provide newsreel services to television news subscribers desiring them around the world. The BBC, the J. Arthur Rank Organization and the Australian Broadcasting Commission also have representatives at the London conference. Hogg will complete a survey of news operations in both London and Paris before returning to Canada May 14. Ken Brown, editor-in-charge of the CBC News Bureau in London, is also attending the meeting and will deputize for Hogg as an alternate director on the BCNA board. The newly-formed organization is already servicing TV film coverage with the output to be stepped up considerably within the next few months. CANADIAN NAC CONFERENCE Canadian concession and vending techniques will be discussed on May 8 at the Fifth Annual Regional Sales and Merchandising Conference at the King Edward Hotel in Toronto. It will be sponsored by the National Association of Concessionaires and serving as cochairmen are J. J. Fitzgibbons, Jr. of Theatre Confections Limited, and Sydney Spiegel of Super Pufft Popcorn Limited, both of Toronto. Invited to participate on the speaker’s program will be NAC officers, directors and members from various parts of the United States. Canadians who will speak, in addition to the co-chairmen, are Fred Allen, Coca-Cola; Ken Welland, Orange-Crush; Syd Koffman, Pepsi-Cola; Pat Doyle, Mission Orange; George Nichols, Rowntree; Ken Harvey, Lily Tulip Cup; Russell Simpson, Ottawa Valley Amusements; Mrs. Lee Evans, Tempo Fruit Products; Tom Sanci, Sanci Pizza Pies; Clifford Oates, Shopsy’s Food Products; Kevin Fitzgibbons, Cronyn Pockock & Robinson Insurance; Jack Decker, Kitchener Memorial Auditorium; Ken Wells, Theatre Confections; and Tom Moran, Odeon Theatres. USA NTA TO OFFER DEBENTURES A proposed offering of $7,500,000 worth of convertible subordinated debentures will be made by National Telefilm Associates, Inc. Bache & Company will head the underwriting group and details of the offering, such as interest rate, price and conversion features, will be announced later. NTA (Canada) Limited, an affiliated Canadian company, is not concerned in the deal. According to the NTA registration statement, $2,340,000 of the net proceeds will be used to pay off the money owing to 20th-Fox for a group of films; approximately $3,500,000 to retire certain debts and to purchase participations in film exhibition receipts; and the balance to be added to the general funds to provide additional working capital for the company’s expanding volume of business. OUR BUSINESS (Continued from Page 3) ning until it ‘catches on.” Such theatres must, however, maintain a very rigid standard of quality. Nowadays, it is difficult to discuss any segment of our business without seeming to contradict one’s self or others. One may compare it to a pleated skirt in that each part overlaps the other. There are many different audience tastes to satisfy and we must attempt to please as many as possible if we want to get the best results. Producers of multi-milliondollar blockbusters are forced to appropriate huge sums for publicity in order to “protect”’ their investments. Gimmick pictures find a certain market if exploited in the right way. Films with star value or based on established book or play properties have a marketable potential. Yet there still remains a goodly number of films without pre-release potential audience penetration which are most difficult to sell. This today is another problem of our business. 18 BEST SELLERS (Continued from Page 1) art starred. Completed Warner films based on books are No Time for Sergeants, starring Andy Griffith, from the story by Mac Hyman; The Story of Mankind, from Hendrik Van Loon’s classic, starring 50 internationally-famed performers; Sayonara, starring Marlon Brando in James A. Michener’s novel set in Japan; and The DI, starring Jack Webb in the story of a drill instructor at a Marine boot camp based on_ Richard Arkell’s novel. Now being filmed are Nobel Prize-winner Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, starring Spencer Tracy, and Band of Angels, by Robert Penn Warren, starring Clark Gable and Yvonne DeCarlo. Scheduled for production in the near future at the Warner studios are Kathryn Hulme’s The Nun’s Story, to star Audrey Hepburn; Weldon Hill’s. Onionhead; Too Much, Too Soon, Diana Barrymore’s autobiography; Patrick Dennis’ Auntie Mame, with Rosalind Russell scheduled to re-create the role she originated in the Broadway stage hit; Martin Dibner’s The Deep Six, to star Alan Ladd; Herman Wouk’s Marjorie Morningstar; Thomas E. Gaddis’ Birdman of Alcatraz; and Pearl Buck’s new novel, Letter from Peking. Books recently purchased by Warner Bros. include the FBI Story, by Don Whitehead; The Philadelphian, by Richard Powell; and The Whip, by Luke Short,