Kinematograph year book (1935)

26 The Ktnematograph Year Book, Provinces of the Middle West, devoted largely to grain-growing and where there have been serious and repeated droughts. A strict return to normal operation is now found in the Provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. By far the largest theatre circuit in Canada is, of course, Famous Players Canadian Corp., owning or controlling about one quarter of the theatre list of the country. The company has reported that its houses have enjoyed larger patronage in the past 12 months. Famous Players is not the only organisation, however, to show expansion. The FranklinHerschorn Circuit in the Maritime Provinces erected two theatres in the year, and various independent theatres have been built in Toronto, Ottawa, St. John and other large centres of the East, while 30 or more theatres have been rebuilt or so completely overhauled, after periods of darkness or uncertain operation, that they are practically new. Small theatres have also sprung up in the new mining centres of Northern Ontario and other mineral areas. While theatre development has been relatively conspicuous, there has been little change in the set-up of film distributors in personnel or physical facilities. The one structural advance was the decision of the Fox Film Corporation of Canada to proceed with the erection of a new head office building in Toronto which will be ready in 1935. On the third hand, there has been a shrinkage in production ventures, otherwise studio promotions. Government film producing activity contracted rather than expanded because of the decision of a new Provincial Government in Ontario to wipe out its studio at Trenton, Ontario, but this was no great loss because this plant had already become quite inactive. Labour and tax troubles were conspicuous by their absence during 1934 and the film trade interests rested in the assurance that no increased levies were contemplated by the various Governments in the Dominion for 1935. Strife between groups of organised projection machine operators and independent theatre owners, which had been prevalent in 1933, almost completely disappeared. What did develop to a wide extent during the 1 2 months was the practice of conducting Sunday midnight shows in all Provinces except Quebec, where regular Sunday performances are tolerated. These midnight shows had the effect of adding one performance to the week's schedule. Canada enjoyed the visits of two British film stars in the persons of Jack Hulbert and Madeleine Carroll, both of whom were royally welcomed, particularly in Toronto. The advisability of further visits to Canada has been stressed. It is interesting to note that neither of these stars made any personal appearances at theatres but they were well received privately nevertheless. There were some theatres where the fans looked for British films, such as the Princess Theatre in Montreal, the Uptown in Toronto, and the Osborne in Winnipeg. At the last-named theatre, in fact, an all-British policy was adopted in the autumn by Manager Frank Kershaw and this got under way very auspiciously with the presentation of "Thine is My Heart." " Chu Chin Chow " made a fine start in the Dominion with a second week at the Toronto Uptown, which, with its 3,300 seats, is the largest kinema in the country. The longest run of the year occurred at the Tivoli Theatre, Winnipeg, when " Those Were the Days " ran for three weeks. The renovated Strand Theatre at Toronto reopened nicely with a British attraction, the new management choosing " Evergreen " for the occasion. Many other incidents could be recited with respect to the British film successes of the 12 months. All in all, Canadian exhibitors regarded 1934 as the first of the postdepression years in so far as their own business was concerned.