Canadian Film Weekly (Nov 21, 1962)

Vol. 27, No. 45 VOICE of the CANADIAN MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY TURNING SUNDAY PATRONAGE E CORNER INCREASE IN ATTENDANCE OBVIOUS IN ONTARIO For a long time Sunday movie patronage in Ontario, which was Is The Shoe On The Other Foot? There was a time not long ago when movies were given as the major factor in juvenile delinquency and no matter how many surveys and studies showed otherwise, it was hard to disestablish the idea. Now, paradoxically, the idea is growing that the absence (Continued on Page 6) More Customers Here Than Ever Canada’s estimated population rose to 18,683,000 at Oct. 6 of this year, with all provinces except Prince Edward Island reporting increases. The Dominion Bureau of Statistics said that the Oct. 1 figure represented an increase of 326,000 compared with (Continued on Page 2) inaugurated in Toronto on July 2, 1961, showed little to make the exhibitor happy. Patronage was poor and the Sunday patrons didn’t add anything to the week’s gross. But it seems that the corner CFW Editor Appointed Pioneers’ Archivist Hye Bossin, editor of the Canadian Film Weekly and the Year Book of the Canadian Motion Picture Industry, was + last week appointed Official Historian and Archivist of the Canadian Picture Pioneers. The appointment was made by the chair. The post is newly-created. Bossin, an honorary member of the CPP, is the author of Canada and the Film, the first history of the Canadian motion picture industry, which appeared in the Year Book in 1951. chief contributor on the motion picture in the Encyclopedia Canadiana and crea ted the Pioneers’ own historical volume, e The: Gold Book. In 1951 Bossin received the Special Award of the Canadian Film Awards “In recognition of his valuable contributions over the years in the field of (Continued on Page &) ‘63 A Bigger Year, Says Associated British There’s good news for theatre operators in the statement of Associated British that its Elstree Studios, though large, “will be strained to the utmost during 1963 to accommodate a large and varied lineup of product that cannot fail to make a considerable’ impact on the motion picture screens of the world.” Production chief J. R. Wallis says that 1963 will be a bigger year than 1962, a record one. AB, which made the Paramount-released It’s Wonderful to Be Young, with Cliff Richards, has him in another, Summer Holiday. It also has Nancy Kwan in Tamahine, which it is producing in collaboration with the Toronto-based Seven Arts. We Joined the Navy, starring Ken (Continued on Page 3) U-I's 'The Brass Boftle’ Tony Randall and Burl Ives have been signed by Universal to star in The Brass Bottle. | PE Taronte Made | Now Art House ee a oa sa er PR obit SS aE SC RR Syd Spiegel Re-elected As NAC Vice-President Sydney Spiegel of Super Pufft Popcorn Ltd., Toronto, vice-chairman of the Canadian Region of the National Association of Concessionaires, was re-elected second vice-president of the NAC at its annual meeting, held recently at Bal Harbour, Florida. Augie J. Schmitt, Houston, was _ reelected president; Edward S., Redstone of Boston vice-president; and Harold D. Chesler of Salt Lake City treasurer. Spiegel reported on regional meetings held in six cities and _ announced three more for 1963. Toronto's 16 mm, dual-auditorium Arcade Theatre, opened by Principal Investments in Nov., 1961, has been switched to Townart Hall Ltd., operators of the Towne Cinema and the International Cinema. Now, as the Little Cinema, it is an art house, the first ie. eee He is the . ita Dee a is being turned and in some situations Sunday is as big as Saturday, traditionally the biggest day of the week in Ontario. In Quebec, where Sunday movies have been the rule for a_ halfcentury, Sunday is a bigger day at the boxoffice than Saturday. _“Sunday business has improved the Board of Directors, meeting in To| ronto with Frank H, Fisher, president, in | said one circuit executive, “although we. still don’t know how much of the gross would have been spread over the rest of the week. In (Continued on Page 2) considerably,” Walt Disney's ‘Savage Sam' Brian Keith, Tommy Kirk and Kevin Corcoran star in Walt Disney’s Savage Sam, _ which Norman Tokar is directing. Win. G. Lester ©f Che Wear BEFORE Bill Lester got into the theatre Mount Royal School in his native city, Montreal. He played amateur baseball and hockey for the North Branch YMCA. He was an office boy on The Montreal Star before going into the accounting department, after which he was secretary to Lord Atholton, owner of the paper, for six months. He came back to The Star after his service as a member of the No. 1 gun crew of Capes Battery, following his enlistment in 1916. Now he was in the Star’s ad department, a good place for him, since ‘he had been a part-time employee of United Amusements since 1913. This was a year after the late George Ganetakos founded the predecessor company, Independent Amusements—the same year that Bill’s brother-in-law, Alan Murray, introduced him to George, who was then running the two theatres destined to become the (Continued on Page 6) film under the new policy being La Viaccia, starring Jean-Paul Belmondo. The new policy was marked by a luncheon at the — Lord Simcoe Hotel, Toronto, followed by a screening of the film. Little Cinema manager is Al Perkins, supervisor Barney Simmons. Atlas-Dola Adding People & Product Leslie Allen’s enterprises, which have -been in prolo: ged negotia “tions with The Rank Organization for the acquisition of The Odeon The: res (Canada) Ltd., are certair.. throbbing if not thriving. Personnel has been expanding and now includes some very well (Continued on Page 3) Reopen Oak, Vancouver Vancouver’s 400-seat Oak Theatre, closed t'1ree years ago, has been reopei1 2d by Leonard B. Johnson, owner of the Lougheed Drive-in in nearby Burnaby, after a complete modernization and refurbishing program. The Oak, built in 1937, was acquired in 1945 by Odeon Theatres and bought by Johnson in 1959. Promeer 1962 business he attended