Canadian Film Weekly (Oct 2, 1957)

Incorporating the Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Founded 1915) Vol. 22, No. 38 October 2, 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 WAlnut 4-3707 Price $5.00 per year. CONCILIATION (Continued from Page 1) a conciliation system broke down after months of meetings on the matter of including terms. The exhibitors asked for this and the distributors said yes to everything but that. It is not unlikely that the USA agreement will cause floor discussion at the forthcoming annual meetings of the Ontario and national exhibitors’ associations, as well as at the Motion Picture Industry Council of Canada. The USA conciliation system assures that any matter an exhibitor wishes to bring up will be fully considered, first at the branch level and then, if the exhibitor so desires, by the office of the general sales manager. This new system of conciliation was worked out by the joint committee representing both exhibitors and distributors. Approval of the conciliation text was separately given by official action of the exhibitor organizations. Each of the distributing companies has recorded its decision to put the system into effect on November 1. Industry representatives on the joint committee unanimously agreed that conciliation should be put into effect on November 1 without waiting until agreement could be reached on an arbitration system. This would permit the benefits of conciliation to be made available to exhibitors without delay. “We consider this action today as one of the most important achievements in national exhibitordistributor relations of the motion picture industry,” the joint committee said. “‘We are happy to emphasize that this agreement on conciliation is the result of a series of frank, constructive discussions between responsible representatives of the exhibition and distribution branches of the industry.” The joint committee, encouraged by the progress made in working out a conciliation plan, have pledged themselves to continue unabated the effort to agree upon” and establish an industry-wide arbitration system. Paramount's ‘The Rat Race" Perlberg-Seaton have acquired Garson Kanin’s The Rat Race for production at Paramount. CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY ‘Improved Results (Continued from Page 1) on by Rank Film Distributors of Canada Limited under the leadership of Frank Vaughan, also won an approving comment from Lord Rank: ‘Business during the year has shown some improvement in the returns at the boxoffice secured from each individual contract, which position has, we believe, been brought about to some extent as a result of television having spent its initial impact.” Production contributed to the decline in group profit before taxation from £5,535,812 in 1955-56 to £4,907,673 in 1956-57, although the major factor was the sharp drop in the profits before taxation of the Rank Precision Industries Group—£1,065,663 to £485,989. This fall was anticipated, since 1954 and 1955 were exceptional years in the sale of cinema equipment. In the same way the decline of production and _ distribution profits was no surprise. The previous year’s larger figure having included the proceeds from the sale of some of the company’s backlog to American television. That factor wasn’t present last year. “Having regard for all these factors, I think you will agree that the year’s trading results are satisfactory,” Lord Rank states after an examination of the effect of the entertainment tax and other matters. “We have continued to play an important part in British film production and you will note from the Financial Review that the financial outcome has been by no means unsatisfactory,’ he _ said. The films which are being made are conceived in relation to selling in the international market on competitive terms, both as to their entertainment value and technical quality. He foresaw a larger sum for British production than in the past because of the introduction of the Statutory Levy in October, 1957. The Voluntary Levy paid by exhibitors since 1950, commonly known as the Eady Fund or the British Film Production Fund, lapses in October, 1957. It will be replaced by the Statutory Levy, which will be administered by the Robert Bray Signed For Robbins Film Robert Bray has been signed to co-star in Harold Robbins’ Never Love a Stranger with John Drew Barrymore and Lita Milan. The picture, which is being filmed in its entirety in New York for Allied Artists release, gives Bray his second prominent screen role since he gained recognition as the bus driver in the film version of Bus Stop. Bray recently completed his first starring role in My Gun Is Quick. British Film Production Fund Agency. Over the next ten years the new levy will provide no less than £2,000,000 or more than £5,000,000 per annum. The first year’s levy is designed to produce £3,750,000, which compared with the £2,500,000 of the present. The report told the shareholders about the British Commonwealth International Newsfilm Agency Trust, of which the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is a member. “‘The main object of the Trust is the provision of a service of international news on film for subscribers anywhere in the world who may operate television services, produce cinematographic newsreels, or who require newsfilm for other purposes as, for example, universities.” The field has been duminated by American interests in the past. Lord Ratcliffe is chairman of the Trust. DOUGLAS MILLER (Continued from Page 1) taxes and their application to the theatre business and the difficulties of censorship were discussed through questions and answers that followed an address by Colonel P. J. A. Fleming, the chief film censor. The afternoon session was attended by Provincial Secretary the Honorable A. J. Hooke, who did not participate. He was the guest speaker at the dinner which ended the convention. Another speaker at the dinner was Abe Gotfried, the new MGM branch manager in Calgary, who related many of his experiences in the Far East, where he was a film executive for many years. The Association played host to the wives of the visiting members at a luncheon in the Sun Room of the Palliser Hotel and for a conducted tour of the city which followed. The ladies returned to the hotel in time to join their husbands for cocktails and the closing banquet. Elected along with Miller were Walter P. Wilson of Edmonton, honorary president; M. E. Jenkins of Calgary, first vice-president; Wm. H. Wilson of Edmonton, second vice-president; Len Purnell of Red Deer, third vice-president; Matt Park of Calgary, secretarytreasurer; and Leroy J. Chown of Calgary, assistant secretary. Directors named were D. A. Boyle of Fort Macleod, E. T. Lewis of High River, R. J. Mitcheltree of Calgary, F. H. Kershaw of Calgary, A. B. Staniland of Edmonton, Joe Godfrey of Picture Butte, D. C. Fox of Pincher Creek, K. M. Leach of Calgary, Dick Barron of Calgary, B. H. Wiber of Edmonton, Sam Binder of Edmonton, George W. Annable of Stettler and Park and Chown. October 2, 1957 UR NEWS continues to pour in about pay TV and cable theatre and is likely to continue to do so for a long time. The latest is that the Federal Communications Commission : in the United | States will authorize tests of | pay TV over the : air in certain lo\ calities. This ; further compli| cates the prob‘ems__ presently ' ‘engendered by the introduction of Telemovies and the forthcoming Telemeter setup over cable. We may readily assume that there is a percentage of TV set owners who are prepared to pay for the privilege of viewing special events and new or superior entertainment (assumedly movies) without the annoying interruption of commercials. How great this segment is has not yet been established. Nor has it been determined what it will actually cost for a wire setup, although we can assume that if such systems came into general use the cost could be greatly reduced. On the other hand, if it is permitted to transmit pay TV over the air, such cost will only be a fraction of that of wiring into the homes. The possibility of pay TV may halt the present trend to cable theatre and all this talk and news can only result in more uncertainty for the exhibitor and everyone else concerned. Logic would seem to dictate that in the future the mass entertainment medium will be principally film and it will be shown to the public via three systems: the theatre, free TV and pay or wire TV. The degree of public acceptance of any of these three mediums remains unknown and will only be learned through time and experience. We cannot assume that any one medium will necessarily kill off the others, but the degree of prosperity of each one, in co-existence, again has to be determined. _ In locations where overseating has been eliminated, according to present-day conditions, we may assume that business has now hit bedrock. Population growth and the increasing percentage of young people would indicate that business will gradually improve. As opposed to the disadvantages of going to the theatre, there are enormous plus values of which everyone is (Continued on Page 7) —