The Exhibitor (1953)

12 EXHIBITOR The International Scene Canada Singleton Succeeds Norrish As ASNL Head Toronto — The retirement of Ben E. Norrish as president, Associated Screen News Limited, Montreal, takes from the Canadian motion picture scene one of the country’s leading figures and pioneers. Norrish, ASN’s founder, plans to become a member of the company’s board of directors. He is being succeeded by Wil¬ liam J. Singleton, who has served ASN in sales, advertising, administrative, and executive positions for almost 30 years. Five years ago, he was named general manager. Norrish founded ASN in 1921 for the production of newsreels and motion pic¬ tures to encourage travel, colonization, and industrial development. Six years later, the company had grown under his direction to become the first permanent motion picture laboratory in Canada, with a new building in Montreal’s west end. An addition to the original building was completed in 1934 designed to house the first permanent sound stage in Canada for motion picture production, and, in addition, giving more scope for expanded photo¬ graph and film service facilities. At a later date, a special division, known as Benograph, was set up to handle the distribu¬ tion of motion picture and photographic equipment and supplies. Enjoying wide popularity in the indus¬ try, Singleton goes to his new position with the good will of the whole industry. He is president, Quebec division, Canadian Motion Picture Pioneers; is vice-president, Association of Motion Picture Producers and Laboratories and is a veteran in the field. Canadian Chatter: Recognizing the production of motion pictures in Canada as an important indus¬ try, the Canadian government’s Dominion Bureau of Statistics has begun a survey for detailed information. The results will reveal all the aspects of film activity undertaken in the country during 1952 through the mailing of a special question¬ naire to all producing companies. The first section of the form seeks information about the firms, their size, and economic background. The date on which they started operations is requested together with the number of people employed, salaries and wages paid, and the gross revenue from production and printing for the year. The questionnaire then goes on to ask information about production of motion pictures running five minutes and longer, including short and feature-length theatrical films, as well as non-theatrical, together with the number made in color and black and white, and whether they were with or without sound. The last part deals with miscellaneous production, and there is a question about the operation of a laboratory. Joseph Brager, manager, Tivoli Cinema, Calgary, Canada, and the first exhibitor to witness thirddimension filming at Paramount, and Mrs. Brager were recently welcomed to the set of "Sangaree," being photographed in Paravision 3-D as well as in Technicolor, by Fernando Lamas. The Tivoli is affiliated with the Nat Taylor operations. An affiliate of Famous Players in Leth¬ bridge, Alberta, A. W. Shackleford, was the subject of a picture which gained national prominence in both the United States and Canada with its publication in Life and Time magazines. It shows Shackleford, mayor of Lethbridge, hang¬ ing on to a microphone for dear life when he was engaged in a duty dear to the hearts of all public officials, introducing a beauty queen. As he began speaking to 800 dancers he took hold of the handle of the public address system microphone, and then grabbed the radio station mike, too. Instantly, an electric current fled into his body, and froze his hands to the mikes. The stuttering mayor reeled backward while a radio announcer and a town aiderman tried desperately to free him, but the mikes held the frantic mayor captive until switches were thrown, releasing him un¬ harmed. A difference in grounding sys¬ tems left a difference of 50 volts between the two mikes, and, when the mayor em¬ braced both, he became a reluctant con¬ ductor. Nat Taylor, who heads a number of theatrical enterprises in Canada, has been returned for a second term as president, Canadian Picture Pioneers. Oscar Hanson, producers’ representative for several lead¬ ing British and American companies, was elected vice-president, while Tom Daley, manager, University, Toronto, is secretary treasurer. . . . Succeeding his brother, the late Arnold Entwistle, Clarence Entwistle is now supervisor of Entwistle Theatres, Edmonton, Famous Players’ affiliate. Clar¬ ence Entwistle was formerly manager, Dreamland, Edmonton. Jack Franko, as¬ sistant, Capitol, under Bill Wilson, moves to the Dreamland as manager. Ralph Rinehardt takes his place under Wilson at the Capitol. A1 Troyer, Famous Players, is team captain for the industry’s activities on behalf of the campaign for funds by the Canadian Red Cross. He is organizing the trade to spark contributions and publicity. . . . In Windsor, a Sunday night variety concert in the Palace, sponsored by Eugene Fitzgibbons, director, Famous Players’ Theatres, Windsor, was held to raise money for the Overseas Flood Re¬ lief Fund organized by The Windsor Daily Star. The show was produced by Hugh W. Simpson, with all services being given free, proceeds going directly to flood relief work. Interest was widespread in the publicity stunt conducted by manager Bill Burke, Capitol, Brantford, in connection with “The Big Sky.” He held a contest to select “Miss Six Nations”, Indian beauty queen. The Indians have a reservation just outside the city of Brantford, and are a large percentage of the theatre’s patrons. Guests for the selection were several In¬ dian town councillors who watched the 18 girls vie for the title. Winners received gifts donated by merchants, and runnersup all received consolation prizes. . . . Second theatre for Sturgeon Falls, Gnt., is the Lido, a 451 -seat six-day operation opened by the Levesque brothers, Albert and Henri. The other house in town is the 498-seat Odeon, operated by National The¬ atre Services. Work has started on Fitz¬ patrick Brothers’ theatre in Burin, New¬ foundland. It will be the first permanent structure, although the Fitzpatricks have been putting on a weekly show in the community for a number of years. . . . Two widely separated theatres are fight¬ ing for top position in the Ralph Dale Inaugural Contest for managers of Sam Fingold's National Theatre Services, with some 30 participants. The Centre, Owen Sound, led during the early stages, but first place was taken by the Roxy, Carleton Place. The Roxy, Chesley, was third, and the Roxy, Midland, was holding fourth spot. Basis of the competition is increase in business in the current 13week period over the same weeks last year, figured on percentage. The first of three awards is an extra vacation of two weeks with pay for the manager. . . . Vern Hudson, manager, Capitol, St. Catharines, who has long played a leading role in the Niagara Peninsula Theatre Managers As¬ sociation, has been elected 1953 chair¬ man, retail section, St. Catharines Cham¬ ber of Commerce. . . . Negotiations have been completed for the controlling inter¬ est in the Fort Erie Drive-In. Barney Ziff, Fort Erie, takes over from Gordon Chechik. . . . The Paramount, Kentville, N. S., has been donated on sevei'al Sunday evenings to the Kentville Fire Depart¬ ment, which has presented several band concerts, proceeds going to purchase new instruments for the band. . . . Mr. and Mrs. John Levitt, Montreal, announced the en¬ gagement of their daughter, Shirley Lucille. Levitt is a salesman for Columbia. . . . Joseph Brager, manager, Tivoli, Cal¬ gary, and his wife returned from a Holly¬ wood trip. . . . Jack Earthy, one-time branch manager for Capitol Records, joined the staff of the St. Clair, Toronto, as assistant manager. . . . J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (Canada) Limited will begin a “JARO Coronation Playdate B rive”, it has been announced by Frank Fisher, Canadian general manager. . . . A novel event in the annals of the Canadian film industry was the curling bonspiel held in Winnipeg by the Canadian Picture Pioneers under the chairmanship ( Continued on page 18) March 18, 1953