Kinematograph year book : 1931 (1931)

The Year in Canada. 2\ CANADA DURING 1930. By Capt. W. M. Gladish. THE past calendar year in Canadian film trade and theatre circles has been replete with many developments, some of a startling nature, while there lias been a definite movement towards perfection in moving picture entertainment in which Britisfi producers have played a real part. This is intended as a plain statement of fact and not merely as something to ple.ase the British reader because, strange as it may seem, British films are now really considered worth while in the Dominion. The outstanding historical event of the past 12 months was the absorption of Famous Players Canadian Corp., Toronto, by Paramount-Publix Corporation of the United States through an exchange of stock which some regarded as being one-sided. The offer from Paramount-Publix precipitated a battle which occupied much space in the newspapers for weeks and eventually reached the floor of the House of Commons at Ottawa. The crisis was featured by the resignations of three directors of the Canadian chain, namely, N. L. Nathanson, who had been managing director since its start ; Sir Herbert Holt, Montreal multi-millionaire, and Hon. W. D. Ross, Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario. On the day that the option of stock transfer expired, Adolph Zukor quietly announced, however, that sufficient shares had been deposited to insure control of the mammoth Canadian chain by Paramount-Publix. In October there was an echo of the shareholders' battle when Hon. G. D. Robertson, Federal Minister of Labour, Ottawa, announced the appointment of Peter White, K.C., Toronto, as a commissioner to investigate the affairs of Famous Players Canadian Corp., and moving picture business conditions generally under the Combines Act — and Famous Players officials announced they welcomed the inquiry. For some weeks there were rumours upon rumours that N. L. Nathanson planned an alliance with William Fox and Gaumont to build rival theatres across the Dominion to fight Famous Players, but Fox found trouble enough at home in the United States and the situation cooled off with the news that Nathanson had agreed to stay out of the cinema business for five years, it is said. British film productions definitely made a better impression among theatregoers and managers in Canada than for years past. For several seasons there had been a tendency on the part of exhibitors to camouflage the fact that the odd feature attraction was British but the situation has completely changed during the past 12 months. Canadian feeling changed with the presentation of " Lligh Treason " which was heralded as the first big British talking feature. Then came " Atlantic," " Splinters," " Balaclava," " One Embarrassing Night," " Loose Ends " and other British specials, several of which actually played as road shows at SI. 50 top in Toronto and Montreal before being released for regular runs. " A Throw of the Dice " played four weeks at one theatre in Montreal and this achievement was only equalled by " All Quiet on the Western Front " and " Whoopee." The talking version of " Alf's Button " also had a good start at Montreal in the fall with a two weeks' engagement. These were all openly and proudly proclaimed as British productions and were shown at the big cinemas with much success. Evidently the tide is turning in the Dominion with regard to public attitude toward films from the Motherland and other parts of the Empire. A feature of 1930 was, of course, the continued wiring of theatres for dialogue and sound films and towards the end of thej^ear official announcement was made by the Motion Picture Distributors' Association of Canada that more than 600 of the 1,000 cinemas in the country had been completely equipped. It was pointed out that this ratio was considerably higher than the proportion of wired theatres in Australia.