The Exhibitor (1954)

L0 EXHIBITOR The International Scene . Canada Columbia Gets More Control In Canada Toronto — Purchase of 50 per cent of the stock of Columbia Pictures of Canada Limited by Columbia Pictures Corporation give the American company more direct control over the operations of its Can¬ adian counterpart, it was indicated last week. The purchase, completed nearly two months ago, was made from Henry L. Nathanson, the Jules Laine estate, Arthur Cohen, and Paul L. Nathanson. The Allen-Rosenfeld interests still control the other 50 per cent. Negotiations were made directly with the individuals involved by Leo Jaffe, vice-president, American company. The Canadian operation is the only one in the world which has a franchise from Columbia. Jack Cohn, president, American com¬ pany, and Abe Schneider replace Henry L. Nathanson and Paul L. Nathanson on the board of the Canadian company. Cohn becomes vice-president and Schneider treasurer. Louis Rosenfeld continues as president. Columbia Pictures of Canada Limited was incorporated in August, 1926, and absorbed Independent Films, which had followed Dominion Films as the Allens' successor company to Famous PlayersLasky. The Allens had distributed Colum¬ bia films under state rights’ arrangements. Revelation of the purchase followed a visit to Toronto by sales toppers Abe Montague, vice-president and general sales manager, Columbia Pictures Cor¬ poration, and Rube Jackter, assistant gen¬ eral sales manager. They were guests of honor at a reception given by Columbia Pictures of Canada Limited. Invited were important exhibitors and circuit executives. Canadian Comment Censorship continues to be of topical interest. Two provinces, Alberta and British Columbia, banned the showing of “The Wild One,” while protests on the banning of “Martin Luther” in the Prov¬ ince of Quebec continue to mount. Also in Quebec, Premier Maurice Duplessis announced in the legislature his intention to apply censorship to TV films. Infringe¬ ment of the censorship law may be pun¬ ished by confiscation, destruction of films and by fines. The Board of Cinema Censors is also charged under the law with super¬ vision of live television programs and shows and must report to attorney-gen¬ eral Duplessis. In enacting the law, the Province runs up against the federal gov¬ ernment, which operates the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation operating two TV stations in Montreal. The CBC has al¬ ready said that it was above the provin¬ cial law since it was a federal operation. The banning of “Martin Luther” in Quebec has not yet resulted in an appeal, although there have been protests from various Protestant bodies. No further com¬ A huge figure of Doris Day recently dominated this eye-arresting display for Warners' "Calamity Jane" at the Cineac, Amsterdam, Holland. ment was forthcoming from Alex Gagnon, chief censor, who said several weeks ago that the film was banned for the sake of social peace. No official appeal, as pro¬ vided for by the censor board, has been made. Distributors in Ontario are awaiting proclamation of the new Cinematographs Act which was revised last year following consultation with both distributor and ex¬ hibition bodies of the province. The new legislation will carry a number of revised and new regulations. Executive changes in distributing com¬ panies also highlighted the week as Mark Plottel was named sales manager for Empire-Universal Films Limited, Can¬ adian distributor for Universal and Re¬ public, it was announced by A. W. Perry, president-general manager. He was suc¬ ceeded as Toronto branch manager by Herb Mathers, until now in charge of the contract department in the head office. Another appointment was that of Cecil Black, who moved from Empire-Uni¬ versal, where he was special representa¬ tive, to sales head, Sovereign Films, the company’s 16mm. division. He was named to the post by Alex Metcalf, general man¬ ager. Carl Peppercorn, general manager, RKO Distributing Corporation of Canada Limited for the past few years, resigned. Peppercorn is leaving to become president, Dairy Maid Chocolates Limited, Toronto. The past year has been the healthiest for the Canadian Picture Pioneers, it was revealed at the annual meeting of the Ontario branch in Toronto. Reports indi¬ cated that there was a membership of 630 all across the country, with Ontario branch having the largest, 207. Quebec is close behind with 204, then Vancouver with 79, Winnipeg with 73, Calgary with 36, and the Maritimes with 31. At the meeting, following the induction of two dozen new members, all of whom have a quarter century service with the industry, a new board was elected. The board will choose officers. The directors are Nat Taylor, Tom Baley, Morris Stein, Harold Pfaff, Eddie Wells, Clare Appel, Dan Krendel, Frank Fisher, Bill Redpath, Hugh J. Sedgwick, and Frank Vaughan. By a resolution passed by the membership, all former presidents become ex-officio members of the board. These include Ray Lewis and Oscar Hanson. Members inducted include Fred Trebilcock, Harry W. Braden, Harold P. Braden, Harvey H. Harnick, Morris Rittenberg, Fred G. Doney, Jules Wolfe, W. N. Thornberry, William Adams, Roy Mil¬ ler, R. W. Bolstad, Ralph Dale, Jack D. McCulloch, William K. Trudell, Dave Gordon, Robert J. Martin, Henry A. Har¬ vey, Peter M. Grant, Eddie Harris, Hugh W. Usher, Ray Tubman, Russell Simpson, Dave E. Daniel, and Jack Clarke. The recent return to her home in Tor¬ onto of Carole Tickten, high school girt winner of a trip to Paris in a contest to find a double for Claire Bloom, brought to a sucessful climax the promotion schedule by Cardinal Films Limited for “Innocents In Paris.” Beginning last September, The Evening Telegram ran daily stories with many photographs of entrants. The con¬ test continued into late December, with the departure of Miss Ticktin on her journey. Cardinal organized an impressive list of the tieins for the campaigns, on a nation-wide pattern. All this was re¬ ported, with photographs in The Evening Telegram, spreading the promotion well into January, with Miss Ticktin’s return. Her father, Dr. P. T. Ticktin went along for the ride. Cardinal Films, which holds the franchise for the film for North America, is now planning the same kind of promotion campaign for the United States. CANADIAN CINE CHATTER: The yearly session of the Association of Motion Picture Producers and Laboratories of Canada was held in Toronto, with S. Dean Peterson, president, in the chair. . . . The Film Exchange Union, Vancouver, elected Douglas Isman president for 1954. Other officers include Jack Braverman and Della Garland. . . . First member of 1954 of the Motion Picture Theatres Association of Ontario is Leo Vaillancourt, owner, Plaza, Chelmsford. New association members are Pembroke and Copper Cliff Drive-Ins, operated in season by Twentieth Century Theatres. . . . Reginald Gazeley, son of W. G. Gazeley, manager, F. G. Spencer Company Limited theatres, Campbellton. N. B., enlisted with the RCAF. . . . Nich¬ olas DeCoste, Maple Drive-In, N. S., was fined for operating on Sunday. . . . The new film exchange building in Vancouver will soon get underway. . . . The annual meeting of Local 400, St. John, N. B., elected Louis J. McCourt president. He succeeds Charles W. Chase. . . . Vancouver is taking court action to acquire the 450seat Star. It needs it for a new jail. It will be settled by an arbitration board. . . . Word interpretation won a dismissal in Calgary Police Court of a charge against the Grand. Counsel for the theatre, Robert H. Barron, son of J. B. Barron, owner, argued the presentation of a play was a “performance” as opposed to “exhibition, the latter word being the language of the Amusement Act. The theatre was charged with presenting the play on a Sunday. . . . Ottawa managers have had discussions with newspapers regarding the possibility of more favorable treatment in the papers. . . . Minor damage from smoke and water was caused to Famous Players’ Osborne, Winnipeg, when a fire broke out in an ( Continued on page 16) February 3, 1954