The Exhibitor (1953)

12 EXHIBITOR The International Scene Canada Canadian Project Shows Growing Success Toronto — A reflection of the growing importance of the Canadian scene in American motion pictures is pointed up in the annual report of the Canadian Co¬ operation Project issued last week by the American Motion Picture Producers Asso¬ ciation. The report shows that in 1952 two features were produced entirely in Canada, while eight others were made from Canadian stories with complete Canadian backgrounds. Fifteen more features contained Canadian characters or references. In relation to the previous year, this was an increase of 25 per cent of Canadian subject material. In shorts, the subject of Canada has also provided the producers with active material. Fifteen short subjects were pro¬ duced and/or released by American motion picture companies on Canada. A total of 76 shorts on Canada have been released since the inception of the pro¬ ject five years ago. Of the 15 shorts released, seven were made by Canadian organizations. Four were from the National Film Board, the state-owned motion picture agency, and three by Associated Screen News. Canada took up 14 of the 15 short subjects’ material entirely. In the matter of newsreels, the amount of Canadian footage declined from the previous years. However, in 1952, the total number of Canadian sequences in Ameri¬ can newsreels were 128, while, in 1951, the total number was 149. What the report fails to point out is that under Canadian regulations, particu¬ larly in Ontario, a minimum footage on Canada is required. As a result, then, if the film has been made, it would follow that the clips would be used in the Ameri¬ can reels. Howsoever this material is obtained, the result is important. And that is why the project was set up. Much of the news-footage is obtained gratis from the NFB. Though the project had a struggle at first, it is now considered quite successful. This is a tribute largely to the driving force of John J. Fitzgibbons, president and managing director, Famous Players Can¬ adian Corporation, who helped organize it in the first instance, and those within the Canadian film industry who have assisted the project as it went along. These include such persons as James R. Naim, director of public relations and advertis¬ ing, Famous Players, and Clare Appel, executive secretary, Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association. The project was set up to assist Ameri¬ can motion picture producers to obtain reliable material from which they could produce authentic films on Canada. It was said to aid American motion picture com¬ panies to take out their money from Canada from film distribution, and en¬ George Altman, left, holds the Heart Award re¬ ceived from Chief Barker R. W. Bolstad, right, Tent 28, Variety Club, Toronto, Canada, for his work in raising money for the Heart Fund of the Variety Village. Altman turned over $7,000 to the fund through the sale of scrap metal. courage the producers to make more pic¬ tures in this country. At the present time, a full-time repre¬ sentative is employed in Hollywood to assist the United States producing com¬ panies to obtain information on Canada and provide cooperation in connection with planned productions. He is Blake W. Owensmith. Contact in Canada is maintained through an advertising agency whose function is to arrange liaison with government agencies and other organizations, al¬ though much of this work is done by industryites. Contact by MPAA is through Taylor Mills. Canadian Comment Exhibitor interest in the Motion Picture Theatres Association of Ontario trade show to be presented in Toronto, Nov. 2526 is running high. The show is being staged by McCulloch and Fitzgerald, to whom the association has delegated re¬ sponsibility for the event. Interest from equipment and supply companies has resulted in an eager response by all. Ger¬ ald Fitzgerald feels that 3-D and wide¬ screen projection will make this show historic and of vital interest to all ex¬ hibitors. The committee which represents the MPTAO is made up of three directors, Harry Mandell, Morris Stein, and Wil¬ liam Summerville, Jr. Arch H. Jolley, executive secretary, MPTAO, is acting as liaison between the committee and those putting on the show. The story of a homeless Canadian soldier in search of love and family life, “TitCoq”, the Gratien Gelinas Production, was the winning film in the theatrical feature length section of the 1953 Canadian Film Awards. The film, “Tit-Coq”, was also de¬ clared as “The Film Of The Year.” In the theatrical shorts section, the NFB’s “L’Homme aux Oiseaux” picked up the honors. The non-government non-theatri¬ cal documentary class award went to Crawley Films’ “Immediate Action.” A special award was made to the United Church of Canada for “The King’s Man” and Associated Screen News for “High Powder.” Two other films from the NFB won awards. One went to “Angotee,” an account of an Eskimo boy’s life from in¬ fancy to maturity, and the other to “Shy¬ ness”, a study of that subject. Amended regulations of the British Columbia Censor of Moving Pictures, which include a $1.50 charge for the insertion of news clips, does not apply to those for charity, recruiting, etc. Accord¬ ing to R. W. McDonald, it only applies in the case of newsreels already censored in which a special clip is placed after the newsreel has begun its showing in the theatres. Higher priced attractions, other than movies, will benefit from the amusement tax reduction in Manitoba from a top rate of 25 per cent to a minimum rate of approximately 17 x/z per cent. The an¬ nouncement made before the Manitoba Legislature indicated that the reduction of possibly one or two cents would have so little effect that the price of movies would remain the same. The chief bene¬ ficiary will be horse and auto races, con¬ certs, touring companies, and circus entertainments. A gathering of technicians and indepen¬ dent theatre owners heard an address by Larry Davee, Century Projection Corpor¬ ation, New York, on the problems of three-dimension. The gathering was spon¬ sored by Dominion Sound Equipments Limited. Davee, talking in Toronto, said the advent of 3-D fever was a welcome stimulant to industry ingenuity and efficiency. CINEMA CHATTER: The Calgary branch of RKO is leading the Canadian section of the company’s “25th Anniver¬ sary Drive.” ... A Sunday midnight show at the Capitol, Winnipeg, benefited the benevolent fund of the Canadian Picture Pioneers. . . . Ken Cashman, liaison for Photo -Engravers with the film industry, caught an overanxious youth who tried to hold up the Downtown, Toronto. ... A party in Montreal was held for Dorothy Lamour. Jane Powell was entertained at a press party in Toronto, following which Jim McCracken, Loew’s publicity, squired her to interviews. . . . F. R. “Budge” Crawley, head of Crawley Films, is in Europe interviewing prospective new technicians, and making plans for the production of a film in the French Alps. . . . The Essex, Kent, and Lambton The¬ atres Association staged a benefit show in Windsor, and collected $1,011 for the Overseas Flood Relief Fund. . . . Indus¬ tryites honored with a citation by the Canadian Cancer Society were James Nairn and Morris Stein. President J. J. Fitzgibbons told the annual meeting of shareholders that Famous Players Canadian Corporation plans to get into the television field. He said the company has the necessary equipment and experience, and stressed the importance of Telemeter, to which the company has Canadian rights. He ex¬ plained that Telemeter provides better than broadcast programs to a paying audi¬ ence through the use of a slot machine attachment. — Harry Allen, Jr. May 13, 1953