Canadian Film Weekly (Oct 5, 1960)

October 5, 1960 CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY Page 3 AV 19 Kes/ [(LAANY A ACERS S AAG Incorporating the Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Founded 1915) Vol. 25, No. 38 October 5, 1960 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 e Phone WAlInut 4-3707 Price $5.00 per year JOHN WA YNE (Continued from Page 1) attack, fought long and hard before giving way to the Americans under Gen. Zebulon Pike. Just before our side retreated they blew up the magazine, killing Pike and many of his men. The Yanks, angry, burned the Legislative Assembly. In retaliation the British burned the presidential mansion in Washington, which was repainted white and so, by common reference, became ‘“‘The White House.” Thus Fort York, now a museum, was a lesser Alamo. Wayne, who got much press, radio and TV coverage in Montreal and Toronto, was right at home in Fort York and even fired one of the authentic muskets carried by troopers assigned to the fort who are dressed like the British soldiery of the War of 1812. The $12,000,000 Todd-AO film, which has been in germination and production for 14 years, opens a hardticket engagement at the Tivoli, Toronto soon. Wayne proved to be a talk-rightup guy. His biggest headache? “Money.” He’s got all his in the picture, with Clint Murchison of Texas and others putting in the rest. Duties of a producer came up during discussion of Wayne’s duties as director and actor: “I don’t know what a producer is — and I’ve been in the business for 31 years. It seems too me that the director is the important man in the picture. The producer has very little to do once the picture gets started.” About arguments between directors and actors: “I find it easier to win your point with a good director rather than a mediocre one.” Favorite actor: “Cary Grant — he’s gay; he’s natural.’’ Foreign films: ‘‘Even the pictures the critics praise — if we made them in Hollywood they wouldn’t let us release them.’”’ Then what about Hiroshima Mon Amour? “If you enjoy a man and woman threshing about in each other’s arms while discussing world affairs — you’re welcome.” After Toronto he returned to the States, where his heavy cold turned to pneumonia and caused hospitalization and cancellation of the rest of the tour. ta John Wayne of 'The Alamo’ Gets Around Top photo shows John Wayne with Controller Don Summerville of the Prince of Wales Theatre, Toronto, and Mayor Nathan Phillips, QC, in the latter's office. The Alamo goes into the Tivoli, Toronto. In the second Wayne is shown with United Amusemeni Corp. executives after discussing the campaign for the picture in the Seville, Montreal, Front row: Harold Giles, vice-president; Wayne; and Wm. Lester, president and managing director, Back row: John Sperdakos, advertising; Wm. Robinson, asst. booker; Allan Spencer, publicity; and Thos. Cleary, ad and publicity. AWARD TO STEIN (Continued from Page 1) Chosen for ancillary honors were Clare J. Appel, Toronto; Reg Doddridge, Calgary; A. E. (Steve) Rolston, Vancouver; and Thomas J. Cleary, Montreal. “As Eastern Division General Manager for Famous Players Morris Stein was responsible personally for a great share of the Canadian motion picture industry’s daily operation,” said Fisher. ‘‘His presidency of every leading organization in our industry across the years has given his career a range that affected and bettered the lives of many people.” Stein has headed the Motion Picture Theatres Association of Ontario, the Motion Picture Industry Council of Canada, the National Committee of Motion Picture Exhibitors Associations of Canada, the Canadian Picture Pioneers and tne Variety Club of Ontario. He is honorary chairman of the National Committee, a members of the Variety Village Council and a director of the Ontario Society for Crippled Children. Born in Chicago, Morris Stein came into the motion picture industry through his family’s theatre in Sarnia, Ont., the Empire, where he taught himself to be a projectionist. This was in 1908 and when World War I came along he helped install movie equipment in Canadian Army camps, then enlisted in the army of the U.S. when that country entered the war. In 1919 he joined The Allens as managing director of their new theatre in Montreal, the New Grand. After managing the Tivoli, Windsor, he went on to Detroit to open a vaudeville agency. Then he took over the management of the Tivoli, Hamilton, where his stage policy revived the house. After that Stein came to Toronto on the invitation of N. L. Nathanson, then Famous Players’ president, to open a vaudeville agency for the Toronto theatres. His next post was as manager of the Pantages, the name of which he changed to the Imperial. In June, 1930 J. J. Fitzgibbons, then new to Canada, moved him to the head office and a career as an executive that lasted 28 years. His sons, Herb and Don, have both had theatrical management experience, as has his daughter, Mildred, and his wife, Sadie, has played her part in the work of the Variety Women’s Committee. The choice of Stein to be honored as The Pioneer of the Year will make many people happy. COURTESY IS NOT ENOUGH OVER the years so much has been spoken and written about the necessity of courtesy on the part of theatre staffs in dealing with the public that one might assume further | mention would be pointless. | , Nevertheless we | ¢ continue to hear } , about cases ¥ where theatre patrons are not treated with what is generally called “‘common courtesy.” We can remember the time when theatre owners and managers made it their business to be “on the floor’ as much as possible. They knew at least half of their patrons by sight and many by name. The friendly and homey atmosphere of the motion picture theatre was something a patron looked forward to with anticipation. In smaller towns there may still be theatre owners who operate on this basis but generally conditions have changed. Circuit theatre managers now have a great deal of paper work and are therefore not likely to be in the lobby as much as in former years. Theatre owners, bored or worried with poor business, are likely to leave as soon as the evening’s take is counted, entrusting the theatre to the care of some junior. Today theatres do not have the regular patronage of yesteryear and the result is that there is less personal contact with our audiences. This careless or thoughtless manner of dealing with the public does not seem to be confined to theatres. We find it in many other places, particularly restaurants. When we stumble on one which really seems to care we are likely to want to return because courtesy and pleasantness seem to make good food taste better. Common courtesy is a minimum requirement in dealing with the public but it is not sufficient. To this must be added a genuine friendliness to the point of creating an impression on patrons which will stay alive after the visit to the theatre and which will engender a desire to return. The warm hand of friendliness covered with the silk glove of courtesy can do a great deal for any theatre.