Canadian Film Weekly (Jan 31, 1968)

~ fron +47 @ CANADIAN ms VOICE OF THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY — Vol. 33, No. 3 Incorporating the CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST (Founded 1915) TORONTO, January 31, 1968 Canadian Film Editors Have Plans For Guild A national guild of Canadian film editors is in the making as a result of preliminary meetings held in Toronto Dec. 18, Jan. 3 and Jan. 22. A general meeting is expected to be called early in February to implement plans formulated by a steering committee drawn from a cross-section of editors from the CBC; freelance and commercial editors; documentary, feature film and series editors; companies functioning as editing services and editors serving with private production companies. Leadership in the planning stages has been assumed by Kirk Jones and George Appleby, both of Tox who have benefitted idvice of George Gornuing member and prehe Directors Guild of eir first general meeting in December, held in Toron (Continued on Page 3) Film Developmt Corp. To Start This Spring? e Sec’y State spokesman says “‘timetable” set for feature loan fund The Broadcasting Bill was back before Parliament and therefore “tying her up” but the Hon. Judy LaMarsh, Secretary of State, had meanwhile set a timetable for action on the $10,000,000 Canadian Film Development Corporation and expected to have it in opera tion “by spring,” according to executive assistant William Neville. Neville’s statement was in answer to a letter written by this publication to the Minister seeking a progress report on the Bill which would provide a loan float for Canadian feature film-making by private individuals as distinct from features turned out by the National Film Board, unilaterally or in collaboration with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 1968's Product Picture Healthy For Universal e Canadian regional meet told 29 features for release by Labor Day Universal Pictures will have more films in release during 1968 than in any year since 1965, Henry (Hi) Martin, vice-president and general sales manager, told a twoday regional meeting of the company in Toronto last week, attended by other New York head office officials and managers from Universal’s branch offices across Canada. Accompanying Martin from ' New York were: his chief assist ant, James Jordan, and Norman = Gluck, head of Regional Film Distributors, Inc., the subsidiary company recently established to handle Universal’s specialized product in the US and through Universal Films of Canada. Canadian representation at the Westbury Hotel session was headed by Canadian general manager Mark Plottel, and included branch managers Robert Bowers (Toronto), Jean-Paul Hurtubise (Montreal), Don McKelvie (Saint John), Myer Nackimson (Winnipeg), Al Genaske (Calgary), Bryan Rudston-Brown (Vancouver), and Barry Carnon, Canadian advertising and publicity director. The company has scheduled 29 pictures for release from January through Labor Day of 1968, including two re-releases and the general release of its recordbreaking Throughly Modern Mil (Continued on Page 2) St. Stephen, NB Theatre Sold The 594-seat Queen Theatre in St. Stephen, N.B. has been sold by William Boyd to the St. Stephen Amusement Company Ltd., an organization with business offices in Saint John. Current renovations include a new concessions booth, redecorated lobby and realigned, contemporary seating. Plans also include stage facilities for live attractions. Ze ZB; sn ra First step in implementing the Bill would be to appoint a chairman and five board members for the CFDC, Neville said, and this would be followed “fairly quickly” by the naming of an executive director and his assistant, the two key posts as far as independent film-makers are concerned. Possibles for the position of executive director have been par (Continued on Page 2) Picture Pioneers Meet Feb. 14 In Toronto Annual meeting of the Canadian Picture Pioneers will be held in the Seaway Hotel, 1926 Lakeshore Boulevard West, Toronto, on Wednesday, Feb. 14. The meeting is scheduled for 5.30 with cocktails at 6 and dinner at 7. The committee plans to make this the outstanding business and social gathering of the motion picture industry, with an emphasis on streamlining the program. Pioneers will enjoy a brief business session conducted during the dinner which, this year, will (Continued on Page 2) Hollyw’d Commitment $306 Million For 68 The product situation in Hollywood is “up,” according to Jack Valenti, energetic president of the Motion Picture Association of America, who made a recent tour of west coast studios. His statement: “IT have just returned from California where I made a survey of the motion picture production plans for 1968 in the United States by the eight member companies of the MPAA. Right now, there are 108 feature motion pictures scheduled for production in 1968 in the United States, with nine more requiring partial production in the United States (Continued on Page 2) Frank Strean Installed Chief Barker, Tent. 28 The 1968 crew for the Variety Club of Ontario (Tent 28) was installed formally (including black tie) the night of Jan. 21 at a dinner dance in the banquet FRANK STREAN room of Toronto’s Beth Tzedec Synagogue. A capacity crowd of 400 Barkers and friends saw Frank Strean take over as Chief Barker from Jack Bernstein who has held the office for the past two years. Installed along with Strean were Sam Shopsowitz as Ist Assistant Chief Barker; George Destounis (in abstentia), 2nd Assistant Chief Barker; Stan Sobol, Dough Guy; Doug Wells, Property Master; and Canvassmen Leon (Continued on Page 3) Loew’s (Canada) Shows Profit Loew’s Theatres in Canada had a net profit of $372,350 for the fiscal year ending Aug. 31, 1967 as -compared to a net loss of $73,174 in the previous year. The improved position, according to an official statement, was based .on a gross revenue of $684,542. Theatre operations amounted _ to $529,118, with an investment income of $91,324 and rental income of $64,100. Current assets amounted to $2,005,343 against $1,859,831 the year before. KE