The Exhibitor (1956)

14 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR The International Scene... Canada Small House Closings Seen By Fitzgibbons Toronto — What of the future of the motion picture industry in Canada? John J. Fitzgibbons. president and managing director, Famous Players Canadian Cor¬ poration, Ltd., predicted for the Windsor Daily Star that more than half of the company’s theatres would be closed within a decade. “We’re resigned to the fact that all but our largest movie houses are going out of business because of television. So we’re going to get in on TV in a big way.” Fitzgibbons said the company was at¬ tempting to establish Telemeter in Canada, “offering movies shortly after they have been seen in local theatres. We’re moving our theatres right into a man’s home — no ticket taker, no posters, no big screens — just a few coins in the TV set.” A happy note: “Business has never been better for the bigger theatres. Kids pluk down a dollar for a movie the way they used to put in a quarter. And for really big pictures, such as several we now have coming up, you still get the crowds. “The ordinary movie? Sometimes you could fire off a cannon in a theatre with so few people in it, nobody would get hit.” There is another side to the television picture in Canada. Famous Players, a sub¬ sidiary of Paramount Pictures may be limited by the government as to the number of TV stations that it can control. The question then arises, so aptly put by Hye Bossin, student and authority of the film industry in Canada, “Who’ll have the TV stations that will get the show busi¬ ness that movie houses will lose?” A. D. Dunton, chairman of the CBC, has indicated the direction. He said there was little objection to newspaper ownership of broadcasting outlets, although the gov¬ ernment agency didn’t care for multiple ownership by private interests. Appar¬ ently, radio and TV are regarded as a natural extension of the business of pub¬ lishing news, and of entertainment, at least in Canada. What’s show business’ stake in TV in Canada? Famous Players is a half-partner in the Kitchener and Quebec City stations. RKO has 30 per cent of the Windsor station. Of Canada’s present 37 TV transmit¬ ters, nine are owned wholly or in part¬ nership by interests with newspaper pub¬ lishing affiliations. When the CBC-owned eight TV stations are deducted from the 37, it leaves the newspaper publishers with some say in the control of 30 per cent of the 28 private stations. Canadian Comment Importance of the confection dollar in Canada has been stressed in many theatre balance sheets. Much of the sweet news has been supplied by bright, new ideas for increasing business at the candy counters. These have developed from contests among theatre managers by Canadian Seen at the recent Warners Latin American sales meeting in Havana, Cuba, were, left to right, Peter Colli, Caribbean division manager; John J. Glynn, vice-president, Warner International; Ary Lima, Atlantic Division manager; Wolfe Cohen, president, Warner International; and Armando Trucios, Pacific division manager. theatre circuits. So good have these ideas been that many have been picked up reg¬ ularly for U.S. use. It is estimated that the national gross for theatre refreshments in Canada should run to about $35,000,000 in 1956, compared with the $30,000,000-orso of last year. This would be roughly about 35 per cent in relation to the grand boxoffice figure of around $100,000,000. The related figure in the U.S. is around 40 per cent, but it must be remembered that the sale of refreshments in Canadian theatres is about a decade old, whereas in the U.S. that has been an important part of the business for three times as long. Candy grosses are down, but those of hot dogs, ice cream, popcorn, and drinks are up, the managers pushing the latter four because of the greater profit margin. CINE CHATTER: Lome Moore, man¬ ager, Odeon, North Bay, was selected as winner of a $50 prize for the best cam¬ paign on “Trapeze.” . . . Alice Fairweather, well-known industry figure in the Mari¬ time, died in Saint John, N.B., after a lengthy illness. She was 76. For many years she was secretary of the New Brunswick board of censors. . . . Mana¬ gerial changes in Famous Players’ District “B” houses were announced by Dan Krendel. The changes followed resigna¬ tions of Hammy Bower from the Capitol, Sarnia, and Norman Gray, Algoma, Sault Ste. Marie. Herb Chappell moves from the Palace, Guelph, to the Capitol, Sarnia. Murray Summerville, formerly assistant to Bill Trudell, Capitol, Londoa, becomes manager of the Sault Ste. Marie house. Lloyd Taylor, formerly associated with Famous Ontario drive-in operations, takes over management of the Palace, Guelph. . . . Other managerial changes were noted in Port Arthur. James Fustey, former manager, Inter-City Drive-In, Port Ar¬ thur, was named manager, Orpheum, Moose Jaw, replacing Ralph Crawford, following the resignation of Ed Dulko. . . . Well-known in Winnipeg, where he was chief projectionist of the Main Street Pool Theatres, Samuel Katz, 62, died in Vancouver following a heart attack while Tit anus, 20th-Fox Set Five Picture Pact New York — As Dr. Goffredo Lombardo, president, Titanus Films, of Italy, returned to Rome last fortnight it was announced that a five picture deal between his com¬ pany and 20th Century-Fox had been made. Intended primarily for the European market, the films will be made by Titanus during the next two years with the two companies sharing in the financing. Two of the films will be distributed by 20thFox worldwide, including Italy. The others will be distributed by 20th-Fox world¬ wide, except in Italy, where they will be released by Titanus. It was further revealed that Titanus had purchased Italian distribution rights to some five or six American pictures, with several major companies said to have been involved in this transaction. Franco De Simone, Titanus’ general manager, and Lee N. Steiner, the com¬ pany’s U.S. representative, left for the west coast. Wiener Succeeds Sardou Paris — President Lacy W. Kastner of Columbia International Corporation re¬ cently announced that Jack Wiener had replaced Roger Sardou, who resigned as publicity manager for Continental Europe and the Middle East. Wiener has held various industry posi¬ tions in the United States, including four years in charge of exploitation for MGM in several southern states. As to Sardou’s resignation, Kastner said: “This depart¬ ure, which we sincerely regret, was moti¬ vated solely by personal reasons. Roger Sardou wishes to devote himself in asso¬ ciation with Felix Vitry of ‘Societe In¬ ternationale de Publicite Artistique’ (SIPA), to publicizing European films while in production.” 20th-Fox Sets Billings Marks New York — The greatest amount of billings in any single week in the history of 20th -Fox’s International and InterAmerica Organizations was achieved the week of Nov. 11 to 17 which was dedi¬ cated to Emanuel D. Silverstone, vicepresident and general sales manager. on a leave of absence. . . . Italiafilm (Canadian) Ltd. has been incorporated in Ontario with an authorized capital of $40,000 to “carry on the general busi¬ ness of theatrical agents.” . . . New man¬ ager of Odeon’s Plaza, Victoria, is Steve Allen, who succeeded Jack Armstrong, now managing the Odeon. . . . Teenage vandalism is a bad problem for the Cobalt, Ontario, theatre. . . . Louis Rosenfeld, general manager, Columbia Pictures of Canada, Ltd., announced the adoption of “Hey, Rube!” as the name of a sales drive honoring Rube Jackter, the company’s assistant general sales manager. The drive, which will have two 13-week sections, will start in Canada on Jan. 2 and run to June 27. . . . Bill Winterton, veteran Saskatoon theatreman, has retired as man¬ ager of Famous Players’ Capitol. His suc¬ cessor is Reg Plumb, who was manager, Daylight, Douglas Winterton was named manager. Daylight. —HARRY ALLEN, JR. November 28, 1956