The Exhibitor (1959)

July 8, 1959 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 19 CANADIAN Highlights By Harry Allen, Jr. THE FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT of Telemeter’s plans for the world’s first pay-as-you-see television out of the way, there is now time to look into other aspects of the operation. The plans are to construct the first operation in Etobicoke, a western suburb of Toronto. There, Famous Players Canadian Corp., which holds the Canadian franchise for Telemeter and has been working on the problem since 1947, will offer units to 5,000 homes during the fall and win¬ ter months. Altogether, according to John J. Fitzgibbons, president and managing director of FPCC, the subsidiary of Paramount Pictures, there will be 10,000 Telemeter installations. Fitzgibbons, in an expansion of his original announcement, said there would be no amuse¬ ment tax payable for films shown on Telemeter. “I don’t know why there should be — it’s entertainment in one’s own home.” He said he felt the film companies would go along with Telemeter because “they are interested in increasing their take. It doesn’t matter where this money comes from.” On the subject of censorship, Fitzgibbons said there should be no change of censorship, “since we will play films which have been censored for the theatres.” Yet there is a regulation on the Ontario censor books which states that “restricted” films are not allowed to be shown in a drive-in because of the family trade. Yet censorship author¬ ities, by law, have no control over what is shown on TV sets. The Province of Quebec has a law governing censorship on TV, but it has never been proclaimed and thus has no effect. REEL CLIPS — Paul Nathanson, whose father was the late N. L. Nathanson, a founder of Famous Players Canadian Corp., Ltd., is 43 years old, and seems from his various activities in the entertainment field to be growing as a leader. Earlier this year, he was an associate in the purchase of a block of Loew’s stock. Then reports began to circulate in Canada that he was purchasing interests in TV stations in Hamilton, Windsor, and Saint John, and ne¬ gotiating for more. The Board of Broadcast Governors which governs TV operations in this country thus far has made no mention of any transfers in these stations. Nathanson again came into the news when Abe Schneider, Columbia Pictures head, announced that Colum¬ bia had purchased 50 per cent of the common stock of Columbia Pictures of Canada, Ltd., from Premier Operating, of which Louis Rosenfeld and Jules and Herbert Allen are the major stockholders. This block of stock was in turn to be picked up by Nathanson. Then came the announcement from Nathanson himself of his opening of a film programming serv¬ ice somewhat along the lines of theatre buying and booking organizations, for TV stations. This company, Sovereign Broadcasting Co., Ltd., to be located temporarily at 25# University Ave., will be headed by Alex Metcalfe as vice-president and general manager. Metcalfe re¬ cently resigned as general manager of Empire -Universal Films, Ltd., another of Nathanson’s holdings. . . . Teleprompter had eight setups for the closed-circuit showing of the heavy¬ weight fight, with two of them in Toronto, one at Loew’s Uptown and another at the Maple Leaf Ballpark. Loew’s sold out its 2,743-seat house at $4 per, while 6,000 were attracted to the park. . . . Ben Langboard is now Ontario sales representative for International Film Distributors. . . . George Jones and Bill Harris resigned from the Tivoli booth after 25 years. . . . Harry Sullivan heads two districts for Theatre Confections, Ltd. Boston Cites Goldwyn For ''Porgy'' Production BOSTON — Arriving to talk to the press about his $7,000,000 production, “Porgy and Bess,” Samuel Goldwyn received a citation from the New England Baptist Hospital League as a special tribute commemorating the world premiere of the original “Porgy and Bess” at the Colonial in 1935. Attending the luncheon at the Ritz Carlton Hotel were Governor and Mrs. Furcolo, May¬ or and Mrs. John B. Hynes, Mrs. Goldwyn, and a long list of distinguished Bostonians. Bradford Washburn, director of the Boston Museum of Science, acted as toastmaster and presented the citation which read: “A pio¬ neer showman whose significant life has spanned the history of the entire industry. A man whose single-minded dedication to the highest ideals of motion picture art has enriched and made more pleasurable the lives of all. A man whose inspiration brings forth great creative work from his associates. His vision and encouragement have reached an artistic zenith in his production of George Gershwin’s and Dubose Heywood’s ‘Porgy and Bess’.” Mr. and Mrs. Goldwyn met the members of the press at a cocktail party following the luncheon. “Porgy and Bess” opens Aug. 6 at the new¬ ly-equipped Astor. The opening night is a complete sell-out as a benefit for the New England Baptist Hospital League. The affair for the Goldwyns was arranged by Paul Anglim, New England representative for the Goldwyn company. Lynn Farnol accompanied the Goldwyns. Dan Finn, general mana¬ ger, Astor, was also present at both affairs. I He told the press that the most advanced Todd -AO projection equipment is now being | installed at the Astor, along with stereophonic sound and a screen 50 feet high and 30 ! feet wide. The theatre is now closed for the | installation which is being handled by Eddie Comi, Massachusetts Theatre Equipment Company; Oregon Convention Aug. 11 PORTLAND, ORE. — The Oregon Theatre Owners Association, a TOA affiliate, will hold its annual convention at the Benson Hotel in Portland, Ore., on Tuesday, Aug. 11, it was announced by Albert Forman, president The one-day session will be followed by the Association’s annual golf tournament and fund raising for the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital. Producer Samuel Goldwyn is seen at the recent premiere of his Columbia released ''Porgy and Bess," Warner, New York City, with Robert McFerrin, who sings the role of Porgy, and Mrs. McFerrin. Benefiting from proceeds were the American Friends of Hebrew University and the Kings County, New York, branch of the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Cleveland's Hippodrome Sold NEWARK, N. J. — Eastern Theatres has announced the acquisition of the Hippodrome, Cleveland. The Hippodrome, a downtown first-run, is the second conventional theatre to come un¬ der the Eastern banner in the past six months. The company also owns a circuit of drive-ins in New Jersey and New York and has announced plans for building a 1200 seat deluxe indoor theatre on the Garden State Plaza Shopping Center, Paramus, N. J. The Hippodrome will get a complete re¬ furbishing. Jack Silverthorpe, present man¬ aging director, will continue in this position under the new management. Sylvan Goldfinger, Chicago, is associated in the Hippo¬ drome takeover, according to Sheldon Smerling, executive vice-president of Eastern. RKO Teleradio Earnings Up AKRON, OHIO — W. O’Neil, President General Tire and Rubber Company, parent company, RKO Teleradio, reported last fort¬ night that it was “far ahead of its 1958 per¬ formance.” All divisions, he said, are current¬ ly operating profitably and the overall out¬ look appears excellent. General Tire’s estimated earnings for the first six months of 1959 come to $13,929,809, equivalent to $2.63 per share of common stock outstanding. This is more than four times greater than the figure for a compar¬ able period last year Perkins Leaves WB Post NEW YORK— The retirement of Robert W. Perkins as vice-president, secretary and gen¬ eral counsel of Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc., was announced last week by Jack L. Warner, president. He will continue as a member of the board of directors and as a consultant to the company. Perkins has been associated with Warner Bros, and First National Pictures since 1925. The Los Angeles law firm of Freston and Files will become general counsel for Warner Bros., with Herbert Freston, the senior part¬ ner, having being elected secretary of the corporation. Freston and Files has served as west coast counsel for Warner Bros, and its predecessor since 1923. Perkins became secretary, general counsel and a director of Warner Bros, in 1936. He has been a vice-president of the company since 1945. He was engaged in private law pi-actice before joining First National as gen¬ eral counsel and secretary in 1925. UA Drive Leaders NEW YORK — Harry Segal, UA branch manager in Boston; Jack Finberg, UA branch manager in Cincinnati; and Harry Woolfe, UA branch manager in Vancouver, are the third lap winners of United Artists’ “Roar¬ ing Fortieth Anniversary Sales Drive,” it was announced by co-captains James R. Velde, general sales manager, and Roger H. Lewis, national director of advertising.