Canadian Film Weekly Year Book of the Canadian Motion Picture Industry (1957)

The Wtoneer of the Dear: Oscar KR. Hanson + OU have given us a wonderful gift. It is something that we will cherish for the rest of our lives. Your being here tonight will give us memories that are priceless. We’re glad to be worthy of your thoughtfulness.”” With these words Oscar Hanson, holding the onyx-and-gold symbol of The Pioneer of the Year Award for 1956, thanked his fellows of the Canadian Picture Pioneers and their guests, who filled the Crystal Ballroom of the King Edward Hotel on November 22, 1956 .for the fourth annual event of its kind. He coupled Mrs. Hanson in his appreciation, for the Honorable Leslie Frost, Prime Minister of Ontario, who made the presen tation to the man he called ‘‘a very good friend of mine,” had suggested that Mr. Hanson owed much of his success to her. Hanson spoke warmly of the late Clair Hague, the Pioneers’ first president, and the late Ray Lewis, his co-founders in 1940 of the industry’s fraternal and benevolent association. Much of the evening’s enjoyment was owed to Mr. Frost, who had been introduced by Morris Stein, CPP president and toastmaster. The Premier’s remarks, personal in relation to Mr. and Mrs. Hanson and markedly fraternal when the industry came into them, were provocative of much laughter and sentiment. The fraternal aspect was based on the fact that as Provincial Treasurer, a post recently relinquished, he had been the senior officer of Ontario’s theatre department and censorship board, which is administered by O. J. Silverthorne. “T want to pay tribute to your industry,” he told the gathering. ‘In my 12 years with you I found that you played the game and always held high the standards of business.” The optimism with which the industry faced difficult times is ‘‘typical of Show Business in this province and in America,’”’ he observed. ‘‘The show will go on.” The award to Hanson was preceded by one to James A. Whitebone, MBE, made by John J. Fitzgibbons, CBE, and rereceived in his behalf by his fellowtownsman, F. Gordon Spencer. Mr. White bone, IATSE business agent and a prominent figure in Saint John community life who is president of the New Brunswick labor organization, was unable to be present. Fitzgibbons said that he was glad to have been chosen to make the presentation to Whitebone ‘“‘for his lifelong service to his country, to our industry and to the community in which he resides,” since the latter had been a Famous Players employee from the first day that the company, which the speaker heads, had entered the Maritimes. He spoke highly of the responsibilities of the projectionist, Whitebone’s craft and nis own at the beginning of his career. ‘‘Although the applause of his friends here tonight will fade away, this award of the Canadian Picture Pioneers will endure.” In receiving the scroll from Mr. Fitzgibbons Spencer said: ‘‘Back home we say that James Whitebone is the nation’s most distinguished projectionist. This proves it.” The first award of the evening, made to the Winnipeg branch of the Pioneers in recognition of its outstanding contribution to the CPP’s work, was placed in the hands of Hy Swartz, its president, by N. A. Taylor, immediate past president of the Pioneers, during whose four years of office The Pioneer of the Year Award had been established. He recited the accomplishments of the Winnipeg members. Swartz, a charter member of the Pioneers, said it was the intention of his branch to keep winning the award for service. ‘But we'll be glad to relinquish it to any branch that deserves it more than ours,’’ he added. The evening opened with Mayor Nathan Phillips of Toronto welcoming those visiting the city. ‘“‘No group in our community answers the call for public service more readily and often than the people of the motion picture industry,” he told the gathering. The events drew a full press corps. Not only were the film columnists present but reporters and photographers had been assigned by the daily papers.