Canadian Film Weekly (Dec 26, 1962)

Page 22 David Griesdorf executive H. S. Mandell secretary, M. Taylor treasurer and John A. Winter, v-p and general manager. A world-wide motion picture and TV distribution organization, Anglo-Canadian Film Corp., is established by Commonwealth Film Productions Ltd., a Vancouver company building its own studios near the city. The company completes its first feature, The Bitter and the Sweet, in July. Stars are Paul Richards and Yoko Tani. BC Government reduces amusement tax by making tickets up to 75 cents exempt, where previously the tax went on from the first cent, and cutting the tax on admissions 75 cents and over from 10 per cent to five per cent. April Dept. of Trade and Commerce reports that capital and repair expenditures for Canadian _theatres in 1961 amounted to §2,500,000 and estimates that for 1962 it will total only $1,800,000. Winner of the annual Heart Award of the Variety Club of Ontario is L. Edwin De Rocher, manager of the Royal Alexandra Theatre. Ray Junkin is appointed general manager of Screen Gems (Canada) Ltd., the Columbia TV subsidiary, as successor to Steve Krantz, who returns to NY as v-p in charge of international sales for the company. Gaston Theroux is re-elected president and managing director of Quebec Allied Theatrical Industries. A capacity audience of 2,500 guests in Rochester’s Auditorium Theatre see the live performance on a 20x15 foot screen of the stage play, Gideon, televised from the Plymouth Theatre on Broadway. Although not tops technically, this first attempt is rated “good or potentially good” by most of the audience. American Telephone and Telegraph announces that in late summer it will put aloft a Telstar communications _ satellite with the aid of the USA Space Administration through which live TV programs between North America and Europe will be exchanged. When Telstar goes into orbit it is an unqualified success. Lloyd B. Kiely is appointed executive v-p and general manager of Rediffusion, Inc. of Montreal when T. A. Cross becomes managing director of Redifon Ltd. of London, England. “Gratifying improvement” in financial operations is reported by Famous Players for 1961. Net profits for the year amount to $2,423,919, as against $1,875,251 the year before. UA's West Side Story, Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins who directed it, Maximilian Schell for his performance in Judgment at V-P. CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY News Roundup Nuremberg and Sophia Loren for her role in Two Women are the top winners in the annual Academy Awards. Alfred R. Taylor is recalled by Paramount to the USA to take over as a division manager in Dallas and his position as Canadian general manager of Paramount and its representative with Affiliated Pictures Corp. is filled by Mickey Stevenson, formerly assistant general sales manager of Affiliated under Harvey Harnick. Charles Mason of Odeon Theatres is elected first president of the Film Advertising Circle under a new three-month rotation system. John T. Ross, head of Robert Lawrence Productions (Canada) Ltd. is elected president of The Association of Motion Picture Producers and Laboratories of Canada as successor to Henri Michaud of Montreal at the annual meeting in Toronto. Aid for Canadian production to encourage “the firm establishment of a Canadian film industry” is asked for by Oldrich Vaclavek of Commonwealth Film Productions in a brief to the Board of Broadcasters. Paul N. Lazarus Jr. resigns as v-p of Columbia Pictures and later joins Samuel Bronston Productions as executive v-p. City Council of Edmonton refuses to amend its bylaws to permit smoking in theatres although the fire chief and provincial fire officials recommend it. Don Wilder is re-elected president of the Canadian Society of Cinematographers at the fourth annual meeting in Toronto, which approves a training program for the development of assistant cameramen. Big stories appear in Canadian newspapers that the purchase of The Odeon Theatres (Canada) Ltd. by Atlas Telefilms, headed by Leslie A. Allen, is imminent and a price tag of $17,000,000 is mentioned. The principals involved do not confirm or deny the rumors but admit that negotiations are going on. Nothing further is heard about the deal and towards the end of the year it is acknowledged to be dead. United Amusements opens its twin-auditorium Dorval Theatre in the Montreal suburb of that name. Loew's Theatres’ 2,463-seat Uptown in Toronto is severely burned in a Sunday morning fire that causes $150,000 damage. After a complete refurbishing, which includes a new screen, fewer but roomier seats, the theatre reopens in August with Hollywood-style ceremonies attended by celebrities and several top NY executives of the company. May Sydney Banks is elected president of the newly-organized Screen Directors Guild of Canada at its first executive meeting in Toronto. Jack Lingeman and Lorne Freed are elected v-p’s, Bob Barclay secretary, Bob Rose treasurer and Don Haldane and Edward Rollins directors. Ron Emilio, Toronto salesman for 20th-Fox, is promoted to 16 mm. sales manager. In July he joins Dola Films only to leave that company shortly after to become Toronto branch manager for MGM. Wm. G. Lester, president and managing director of United Amusement Corp. Ltd. is honored as the Quebec Pioneer of the Year by the Quebec branch of the Canadian Picture Pioneers. Later he is chosen as the Pioneer of the Year by the national CPP and is presented with a plaque as the guest of honor at the annual CPP award banquet at the end of Nov. in Toronto. Manitoba cuts amusement tax by about five per cent. Value of Canadian earnings to American film producers drops further when the Canadian dollar is pegged at 92.5 per cent of the American dollar. Frank Vaughan is named a trustee of the Trust Fund of the Canadian Picture Pioneers to fill the vacancy created by the death of Clare J. Appel. Charles Topshee takes a leave of absence as executive director of the Canadian Film Institute so that he can accept a request of the Government of Basutoland SEUSIEICIC IEICE ENE IRIE IEICE IRIN IEE Greetings TO MY MANY FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES ACROSS THE DOMINION HARRY W. HURWITZ Odeon-Morton Theatres WINNIPEG, MAN. NEDENE NEE LEPE NEE ISIRISIERENE REIS IE NE ISIE IS ENS IERIE IRIS IEE LEIE LEIS LEIS IERIE IE IRIEL IR IRIE DD DDD ADIDAS Stata tit atlas taia iia lata latatototatatoteiaiotetet “. ABD ABMMAMDDDBAMAMAAARADBA SS Christmas Number to direct its adult education program. Roy Little, previously Topshee’s assistant, takes over his position and Bernard Lalande is named associate executive director. Board of Broadcast Governors eases its regulations requiring 55 per cent Canadian content in TV broadcasting when a number of stations run into trouble. Joe Garfin resigns as Calgary branch manager for EmpireUniversal Films to concentrate on the restaurant business and is later succeeded by Mike Brager. Mrs. Jean Uttley is re-elected president of the Toronto branch of Women of the Motion Picture Industry. Maurice Leroux is appointed chairman of the Quebec Board of Cinema Censors as successor to L. G. Provost, QC, who left to become Clerk of the Magistrate’s Court. He is later succeeded by Lucien Desbiens. The National Film Board’s color short, Morning on the Lievre, is named the best theatrical film at the annual presentations of the Canadian Film Awards. No features were entered and_ the judges did not see fit to select a Film of the Year. Rotus Harvey of San Francisco is elected International Chief Barker of Variety Clubs International at the annual elections in Dublin, Ireland, scene of the 1962 convention. John J. Fitzgibbons Jr., Past Chief Barker of the Variety Club of Ontario, is voted in as International Property Master, the first time a Canadian has been elected to office on the governing body. June Columbia Pictures and Paramount Pictures mutually agree to dissolve Affiliated Pictures Corp. Ltd. of Canada, the company organized on Oct. 1, 1960 to handle sales and distribution in Canada of the product of the two companies. Richard F. Walsh, IATSE head, is elected president of the newlyformed Inter-American Federation of Entertainment Workers at its second congress in Lima, IHqulege ts, J. Beauchemin of Shawinigan Falls, Que., is elected president of the National Community Antenna Television Association of Canada. ’ DBS estimates the Canadian population at April 30 of this year as 18,508,000. Abe Feinstein resigns as manager of UA’s Winnipeg branch to become Vancouver manager for Astral as successor to A. E. Rolston, who retires. Later Joe Brown is named by UA to take over Feinstein’s former post. | Paramount and Columbia, which have agreed to split up their sales staffs by dissolving Affiliated Pictures, announce their new branch managers. For Paramount