Canadian Film Weekly (Dec 24, 1958)

Christmas Number space in 100 of its 520 UK theatres to dancing studios in an effort to bolster falling revenue. A. A. (Ritchie) Richardson is appointed successor to Willis Forward as Vancouver manager for General Theatre Supply. Licence and Property Committee of Hamilton, Ontario recommends to City Council that it halve the municipal per-seat theatre tax, bringing it down from 20 cent to 10. The Winnipeg Tribune backs request of the Manitoba Motion Picture Exhibitors Association for an amusement tax cut, suggesting that it is time that it was completely abolished. Helen Twelvetrees, star, passes. Martin White is elected president of the Twentieth Century Theatres (Toronto) Managers Club. March A new company, Toronto International Film Studios Limited, opens for business with an-ultramodern and fully-equipped studio in the heart of downtown Toronto and a 150-acre ranch on the city’s outskirts for outdoor shooting. Company plans the production of TV and feature films but is also making its facilities available for rental. President is N. A. Taylor, general manager Emile Harvard, vice-president David Griesdorf and secretary-treasurer H. S. Mandell. Canadian film rentals in 1956 dropped four per cent or $1,557,631 from the year previous and boxoffice receipts at 1,849 standardtype theatres declined seven per cent to $80,666,267, while driveins, numbering 237, also showed a seven per cent decrease in the take, dropping by $360,862 to $5,394,296. Hollywood completes arrangements for the CBC to carry the complete Academy Award telecast at a cost of $700,000 and the move is seen as giving the Canadian film industry unlimited scope for promotional activity. Charles P. Cashman, representative to the Toronto motion picture community of Photo Engravers & Electrotypers for over 28 years, passes at his home after a lengthy illness. One of the most successful promotions for children’s matinees in recent years, an International Coin Collection, is helping exhibitors build their juvenile patronage. The idea was conceived by Murray Sweigman and Somer James of Theatre Poster Service Limited and has spread outside the industry to chain and department stores, drawing favorable comments from newspapers and periodicals all over Canada. Children attending matinees are given an actual coin from a foreign country with their admission ticket and are awarded prizes for the best collection, the first one completed, etc. Al Lichtman, 69, one of the great 50, former CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY News Roundup pioneers of the motion picture industry and a leading executive with a number of companies until moving into independent production two years ago, dies of a heart attack in Los Angeles. Vancouver and Stratford film festivals get approval of the International Federation of Associations of Film Producers as noncompetitive festivals. TV and taxes are main causes of the slump in the British film industry, which saw some 350 out of the 4,000-odd cinemas close in the last 18 months and attendance drop by 70,000,000 in 1957, says J. Arthur Rank. Around the World in Eighty Days is named the best film of 1957 and Frank Sinatra the top performer by critics and reviewers in the annual Canadian Film Weekly poll. Harry Cohn, president of Columbia Pictures, dies of a heart attack in Phoenix, Arizona. He is succeeded by Abe Schneider, formerly first vice-president. Joseph R. Vogel is re-elected president of Loew’s, Inc. and George Killion named board chairman at a meeting of the directors, without any sign of the controversy which was expected following last year’s proxy battle. Royal Commision on copyright recommends that the life of copyright on films be shortened, telecasts be protected from undesirable rediffusion and a re-examination of performing rights be made. Deal whereby Skiatron International would acquire 50 per cent SL EE SE ELLIE EE EEE The Management and Staff of Pictorial Display wish you A MERRY XMAS and a° HAPPY NEW YEAR PETE GRANT AL HARVEY ¥ 18 TAPED PO POLO TAFE PAPA TO FOLATE PAPAL PAPA IA PAPA PA PO PAPAPA PAPE PA PAPA . 4 SUPE a RA PRS HON, ELLEN L. FAIRCLOUGH Assumed responsibility for the National Film Board on being appointed Minister of Citizenship and Immigration in the Federal Cabinet. of the stock of Rediffusion Inc. of Montreal is dropped. Almost 200 attend the Sixth Annual Communion Breakfast of the Toronto entertainment industry and hear the Reverend Francis Marrocco, DD, stress the importance of entertainment and praise the people who provide it. Quebec Censors make no move to lift ban on children under 16 attending movies for showing of Walt Disney’s Old Yeller and it causes much comment in newspapers. The following month the board shows no leniency for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, with the result that it is withdrawn from its Montreal booking. Around the World in Eighty Days wins the 35th annual poll of The Film Daily of New York as the best film of 1957. Hillis Cass, g-m of MGM, is elected to succeed Mark Plottel, general manager of Empire Universal, as president of the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association and his post as vicepresident is taken over by Frank Vaughan, g-m of Rank Film Distributors. April Columbia’s Bridge on the River Kwai romps aways with top honors, including best film of the year, in the 30th annual Academy Awards. Its star, Alec Guinness, gets the Oscar as best actor and its director, David Lean, wins the award in that category. Female acting prize goes to Joanne Woodward for 20th-Fox’ Three Faces of Eve and supporting performers Oscars go to Red Buttons and Mi Page 27 yoshi Umeki for their roles in Warners’ Sayonara. Treasurer of Consolidated Theatres Limited of Montreal, Norman Adilman, 64, passes in that city. Nova Scotia theatres provided $277,000 of the $469,523 collected as provincial amusement tax in the fiscal year ended March 31, 1957, it is reported in the legislature. Attendance at theatres dropped by 25 per cent in comparison with the previous year and nine theatres went dark in the 12 months. Premier Operating’s Princess Theatre in Val D’Or, Quebec is destroyed by fire. The Robinson-Basilio fight draws 400,000 patrons who pay $1,500,000 to see the theatre telecast in 92 houses in the USA and Canada. Producer of Around the World in Eighty Days and one of the most colorful showmen in the USA, Michael Todd, 50, husband of Elizabeth Taylor, is killed in a plane crash in New Mexico. The Manitoba Motion Picture Exhibitors Association is successful in getting a minor tax cut amounting to $80,000 annually when the Legislature okays the raising of tax-exempt tickets from 50 to 60 cents. The Odeon Theatres (Canada) Limited absorbs its subsidiary, Regional Theatre Circuit, into the main organization in a tightening of its operations. Canada’s first second-floor theatre, the 750-seat Plaza in Montreal, which was rebuilt by Michael Custom from a ground-floor house, makes its bow. Quebec Province eliminates the 25 per cent surtax on the amusement tax, which is 10 per cent of the admission price, giving muchneeded relief to exhibitors. Republic Pictures announces that it will try to get out of the film business by July 1. Annual report of Famous Players Canadian Corporation shows a drop in net profits from $2,738,455 in 1956 to $2,220,186 but its strong financial position allowed the company to pay out its regular common dividend of $1.50 per share even though it was in excess of the amount earned. One of Toronto’s pioneer exhibitors, Charles Rotenberg, 82, passes. Vince Winchester is promoted to salesman-manager of the Saint John branch of Empire-Universal Films on the resignation of Jack Bellamy, manager. Bob Hope makes personal appearance at the Capitol, Montreal, for the premiere of his film, UA’s Paris Holiday, proceeds of which go to the Canadian Cancer Society. O. J. Silverthorne reports that in the 1957-58 fiscal year 582 feature films were submitted for review, of which 356 were from the USA, 79 from the UK and 137 were in foreign languages. In the 582 features 198 original deletions of content were made due to ‘‘possessing dangerous social impacts.” Cinemiracle’s first film, Windjammer, makes its world debut at