Canadian Film Weekly (Apr 10, 1970)

Vol. 35, No. 13 PUBLISHED BY THE MOTION PICTURE INSTITUTE OF CANADA Toronto, April 10, 1970 Maxis... Minis... and Multis (Part IV) The assumption that mini theatres have a role to play in our business is a reasonable one. The ever present danger, of course, is that there may be over-building — always a curse to be dreaded. The two questions to be considered are — should minis also be multis and what size of film should be used? Virtually, all theatrical films are now produced and exhibited in color and 35 mm color prints are an expensive item. Mini theatres do not require this size of print in order to put on a good professional show. Motion picture engineers have been working on the perfection of 172mm and another system called skip-frame — the use of either of which would help slash print costs substantially. In addition, the exhibitor could save in many ways. Besides the decreased capital costs and the benefit of simple automation, the exhibitor could save on express charges. This is an increasingly important item of cost and in some remote areas of our country these charges sometimes exceed the film rental itself. Some years ago we suggested that such theatres should adopt 16 mm. It has been our contention for years that theatrical motion picture films should be shown in three sizes — 70mm, 35mm and 16mm — each to be employed where most practical and utile. Due to the greatly increased use of 16mm in planes, boats, army camps, hospitals, etc., 16mm reduction prints are available practically on release. Distributors should encourage exhibitors in small situations to use 16mm and make the prints ayailable. In point of fact, there are many exhibitors, operating in towns up to 10,000 population, who really cannot any longer afford the luxury of 35mm. If they want to stay in _ (Continued on Page 3) Picture — Midnight Cowboy Cowboy Art Direction — Hello, Dolly Editing — Z Foreign Language Film — Z Sundance Kid Musical Picture — Hello, Dolly Sound — Hello, Dolly Special Effects — Marooned ACADEMY AWARD WINNERS Actor — John Wayne, True Grit Actress — Maggie Smith, The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie Supporting Actor — Gig Young, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Supporting Actress — Goldie Hawn, Cactus Flower Director — John Schlesinger, Midnight Cowboy. Story and Screenplay (based on material not previously published) — Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Screenplay (based on material from another winner) — Midnight Cinematography — Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Costume Design — Anne Of The Thousand Days Documentary Feature — Arthur Rubinstein, The Love Of Life Documentary Short — Czechoslovakia 1968 Music (original score for non-musical) — Butch Cassidy and the Song — Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head Live Action Short — The Magic Machines Cartoon — It’s Tough To Be A Bird Tempers flare, threats made during censorship squabble In March, reporters were invited by the Ontario Board of Censors to view a feature length film, The Female Animal; which had not yet been judged by the board. Then they saw 30 minutes of scenes cut from movies, and the sections from which they had been cut. These representatives were chosen from Coming Apart, Fuego, Greetings, De Sade, The Killing of Sister George, I Am Curious, Yellow, I, A Women, 2, Succubus, Laughter In The Dark, The Activist, Paranoia, Sex Check, The Libertine, and Inga. The writers were then asked to judge for themselves whether the film should have been censored at all, whether too much had been cut, or too little had been removed. Last week, an NDP member accused Ontario’s tourism minister of showing dirty movies and another member threatened to punch a third in the mouth as the Legislature debated the meaning of obscenity and the role of the Provincial Board of Censors. Dr. Morton Shulman (NDP) renewed a charge he first made two years ago when he accused tourism minister James Auld of putting together a “super-pornographic extravaganza”’ of sexy bits cut out of censored films and showing it to privileged members of the legislature and senior civil servants. “I said two years ago such a film did not exist and I say today it did not exist”, Mr. Auld replied. “I challenge the member to put up or shut up. Show me your evidence.” Whether the film of two years ago existed is questionable, but the fact that the censor board did show a similar film last March is extremely clear. The news media saw the film, and the news media reported the screening to the public. Stewart Brown, Hamilton Spectator columnist asked, “How could I see it and you can’t?” Pat Lawlor (NDP) made the punching threat when he was interrupted by Eddie Sargent (Liberal) during a philosophical discussion of the meaning of obscenity. Mr. Airport still soaring in U.S., Canada runs Airport, Ross Hunter’s production for Universal, reached an outstanding $191,110 in the first four days of its fifth week at New York’s Radio City Music Hall, topping all previous weekend grosses during its world premiere engagement. Airport has now amassed $1,254,113 in the first 32 days at the world famed showplace. In Toronto, Airport is soaring at the Carlton Theatre. In its second full week, it grossed $54,322, giving it a two week total of $111,053. In Montreal, Airport hit $31,843 in the first six days of its engagement at the Atwater Theatre. At the Vogue Theatre in Vancouver, Airport rolled up $21,494 in six days, while in Winnipeg, at the Garrick II, it grossed $18,704 in its opening week. Sargent complained that the House was wasting time when it should be discussing “important issues” such as unemployment. He again interrupted as Mr. Lawlor suggested that there can be no obscenity in movies if respect and tenderness is displayed. ‘Be quiet, you chirping poppinjay,” Mr. Lawlor erupted, “or I will come over and bust you in the teeth.” Both Mr. Lawlor and Dr. Shulman took exception with Elmer Sopha (Liberal) who felt that Ontario’s board of film censors should be eliminated since it creates a conflict with the police. When police act against a movie under the Criminal Code sections on obscenity, after it has been approved for showing by the censor board, the approval can and has been used as a defence. Dr. Shulman and Mr. Lawlor said Ontario needs a censor board to rate movies to prevent young people from_ seeing potentially harmful fare, but they felt that adults should be allowed to judge for themselves what they want to see. Such a movie was shown in March to a special party of reporters, he said. The same show of clippings is available for members of the legislature, for the same purpose. S