Canadian Film Weekly (Dec 24, 1958)

Christmas Number CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY Incorporating the Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Founded 1915) Vol. 23, No. 50 Christmas Number 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 Mall, Post Office Department, Ottawa Published by Film Publications of Canada, Limited 175 Bloor St. East, Toronto 5, Ontarlo, Canada — Phone WAInut 4-3707 Price $5.00 per year. A PUZZLEMENT (Continued from Page 3) of difference. Certain types of films were never much good in small towns as a class — horror, crime, etc. — and it’s still that way. They want family pictures, not those in the Restricted category. Yet Peyton Place, a Restricted picture, crowded small-town theatres. Westerns were always a staple in small towns. Not today, when you can get dozens on TV. Of course, films such as The Ten Commandments and Old Yeller are good for small towns and large, as well as cities. Thing about small towns today compared with small towns yesterday amounts to this: the better pictures, which do big business in cities and were never expected to draw as well in small towns, used to give a better account of themselves than they do now. As one distributor pointed out, pictures related to a major piece of recent history can cross all population lines at a particular time, as war pictures did ten years ago. When this passes war pictures don’t have the power of attraction all down the line or perhaps become city draws. Rarer and odder is the fact that some pictures do well in some big: cities and not in others — although local circumstances, rather than the type of picture, have something to do with it. Perhaps it has a background of special interest to the people of that city or local re viewers liked it. And perhaps the ° local manager was a live wire who pitched in and put it over. But by and large the question, “What kind of pictures ought we to make?” gets this kind of answer from film people: ‘‘The kind that makes money.” They keep trying. Fox, Bing Crosby Sign Two-Picture Contract Twentieth Century-Fox and Bing Crosby Productions have entered into an agreement whereby the singer-actor will star in two 20thFox productions next year. In the first, Say One for Me, Crosby will portray a Roman Catholic priest whose parish includes the Broadway theatrical district. Robert Wagner will also star in the CinemaScope-De Luxe color attraction. Che Wompis HIS Christmas will be just a little brighter for a number of families in the Toronto area because of the efforts of the local branch of the Women of the Motion Picture Industry, which will supply Yuletide baskets of food and gifts to impoverished homes listed by the city’s welfare agencies. Some of our older citizens will also be remembered during the festive season by the WOMPI members, who make helping others a year-long project. They FLORENCE LONG President are active in work with the Home for Incurable Children and the Ontario Mental Hospital and are always looking for more ways to aid those less fortunate. The WOMPIs, along with the Variety Clubs International, make up the two organizations in the amusement world whose basic objective is humanitarian and charitable projects benefitting persons outside the entertainment field. Those inside it in distress are taken care of by a third group, the Canadian Picture Pioneers. Organized in 1952 in Dallas, Texas, the Women of the Motion Picture Industry gained an international flavor in 1955 when the Toronto branch received its charter at an inaugural banquet at the King Edward Hotel. Toronto was the sixth to receive the charter, following Dallas, New Orleans, Atlanta, Memphis and Jacksonville. Since that time six more have been organized, at Charlotte, Denver, Washington, Des Moines, Kansas City and St. Louis, bringing the total to 12. Plans for more branches in Canada are in the talking stage, with Winnipeg probably closest to realization. "THE first banquet of the Toron to WOMPIs was a glittering affair, with leading film industry figures, newspapermen and trade press representatives among the more than 100 persons in attendance. Guest speaker was John J. Fitzgibbons, CBE, president of Famous Players Canadian Corporation, who praised its aims and offered his support for them. He promised that he and his organization would always be ready to aid the WOMPIs in their objectives. May Levandusky made a colorful and entertaining toastmistress and called on a number of other speakers, including Anne Kaplan of Paramount, the first president. Anniversary dinners since then have seen Gladys Rawnsley of United Artists take over as president in 1956, Lois Skinner of Paramount in 1957 and Florence Long of General Theatre Supply in 1958. Mary Pickford, an honorary member, wired her greetings and congratulations on the first birthday dinner. Each president has led a delegation to the annual convention and in 1956 at Atlanta Olive Copleston of MGM in Toronto was elected Western regional director. In 1958 Miss Long was successful in securing the 1960 convention for Toronto. The Toronto members are even now planning to make it the most memorable one of them all. ANY ways are used by the Toronto members to raise funds for their activities. Raffles, dances, teas and fashion shows have proved popular, as have dinners in which each guest has been asked to contribute a gift to go into a Christmas basket. There is no doubt that from the point of view of good public relations the work of the WOMPIs is of value to the whole motion picture industry. For that reason and for the cheer which they bring to others they are worthy of the support of everyone who earns his living in this industry. Give them yours wholeheartedly. Page 5 S the end of another year approaches, it is natural to want to look back over one’s shoulder—to weigh the import of the events and happenings of the past year. It is also the period when one desires to peer through the veils of time which obscure for us the future. In a business which is still going through such a degree of upheaval it is very difficult to properly assess the impact of events which have just taken place. It is even perplexing to attempt to properly predict events of the immediate future. In the vein of simile we may liken our business to a tribe which has been safely ensconced on high ground for decades and now finds itself subject to floods which makes this location no longer tenable. It is, therefore, forced to move to other grounds in order to insure survival. Our business is presently inundated with many new forms of competition and, like the tribe, is en route to safer places, charting a course as it proceeds. In the process many become casualties, some fall by the wayside and others become stronger when exposed to the new perils. We seek a new haven and one which holds a greater degree of permanency and good promise. In the spirit of the season, and with complete awareness of the problems which lie ahead, we should like to wish our host of readers and good friends the Compliments of the Season and with them the hope that the New Year will bring each and everyone to the new plateau with good cheer and good health. BRIGHTER DAY’ (Continued from Page 3) letter, with For Brighter Sunday as its heading, says: “Sir: Is there a person against a brighter Sunday who has not his own home or flat and television? I speak for the many with their one room and meals in the restaurant a block away. A very pleasant way to spend our Sunday evening would be to sit in comfort and listen to a concert or see a decent movie. To the lucky ones, I say, is the reason you vote no on this question because you have no need for somewhere to go yourself? Roomers should have the right to vote in municipal elections; after all, our rent helps to pay the taxes on the houses.”