The Exhibitor (1959)

July 22, 1959 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 19 CANADIAN Highlights By Harry Allen, Jr. PRELIMINARY FIGURES from the Dominion Bureau of Statistics indicate that the attendance drop at Canadian theatres was six per cent. The figures are based on reports submitted by 78 per cent of the situations and are compared to 1957. The gross in 1958 was $75,584,425, a decline of 1.2 per cent from 1957, while admissions, at 137,326,088, were down 9,429,740 or 6.4 per cent from 1957. The Dominion Bureau of Statistics warns: “Although it is not expected that these figures will be much different in the full coverage report to be submitted at a later date, they should serve only as indicators and not as an account of theatre operations in 1958.” With the decline in theatre gross, amusement taxes took a nose-dive, dropping by 10.3 per cent. The average admission price, however, was up from 52 cents to 55 cents. This helped protect exhibitors. Effect of economy and the closing of theatres is indicated by a 696 drop in the persons employed (11,948) and a $407,779 decline in earnings ($17,219,718). The estimated statistics of the DBS apply to roughly 1,568 standard theatres, 96 fewer than in the previous year. At present there are 1,536 standard theatres in operation, 32 having ceased operation since the year started. REEL CLIPS: With the interest in the Royal Visit to North America this summer at an all-time high, 20th Fox Film International Corp. will take on the distribution of a National Film Board subject dealing with the visit. The film, to be shot in Deluxe Color and CinemaScope, will be available Aug. 1, coinciding with the royal party’s departure for home. The three-reel subject will be distributed in Canada, United Kingdom, and other commonwealth countries. . . . The occasion of United Artists’ 40th birthday brought gross billings in the final week of the celebration to $261,000 in Canada alone, said Charles S. Chaplin, Canadian general manager. Some circuits were booked solid with UA product, he claimed. Congratulations and happy birthday Charles. . . . Efforts to put Telemeter into actual fact began with the purchase by Trans Canada Telemeter of a building in suburban Etobicoke. The building, presently housing a Kresge store, will take two months for con¬ version. The building has one story and penthouse, latter to be used for offices. . . . Rank Film Distributors will handle a 58-minute feature documentary on the Dieppe Raid, “This Most Gallant Affair,” opening Aug. 18, the anniversary of the costly full-dress invasion. The film was produced by Arthur Kelly of Brantford, Ont. . . . Canadian Broadcasting Corp. will have an hour show dealing with the history of Hollywood put together by Tony Thomas and Gerald Pratley, using Cecil B. DeMille as the symbol. . . . Gerald Pratley, by the way, has gone overseas to visit various film festivals, and will write for The Toronto Star as well as obtaining material for his own radio shows on the CBC. . . . The Famous Players houses, Orpheum and Capital, Vancouver, will play day-and-date with Len John¬ son’s Lougheed Drive-In in nearby Burnaby. UA Launches "Sheba Million-Plus Campaign NEW YORK — Roger H. Lewis, United Artists national director of advertising, pub¬ licity, and exploitation, announced last week that the first major promotion swing of UA’s million-dollar-plus campaign for “Solomon and Sheba” will blanket key western cities over the next four weeks. Lewis said that Teet Carle, western coor¬ dinator of the special “Solomon and Sheba” unit, will participate in an intensive schedule of local level promotional activities in Dallas, Forth Worth, Kansas City, Omaha, Denver, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco. He will meet with newspaper, magazine, radio and TV editors and repre¬ sentatives as part of the all-out promotional effort to get advance interest in the film. Carle will further develop promotions in the fields of religion, art, literature, civic, church and community organizations. Col¬ leges, schools, museums, churches and libra¬ ries will be primary targets. In all of the major cities, UA fieldmen and promotion experts in various areas of mass communica¬ tions will be coordinating and supplementing the local level push. The western tour, Lewis revealed, is the first stage of a three-ply campaign penetra¬ ting a total of 50 key cities in advance of regional openings set for December. Para. Strengthens Ties With Canadian Operation NEW YORK — George Weltner, Para¬ mount Pictures’ vice-president in charge of world-wide sales, last fortnight an¬ nounced plans for a new and stronger U.S. -Canada coordination setup. The arrangement involves personnel and facilities of Paramount Film Distributing Corporation, and calls for more extensive utilization of its management services by Paramount Film Service, Ltd., of Canada. Sidney G. Deneau, vice-president of Paramount Film Distributing Corporation, will direct the management services. Gor¬ don Lightstone will continue to function in his capacity as general manager of Paramount Film Service, Ltd., of Canada. TV Firm In Theatre Field NEW YORK — Joseph Harris and Sig Shore, chairman and president, respectively, of Vitalite Films Corporation, announced last week that their company, heretofore involved in distributing feature films to television, is going into the field of theatrical releasing. They have acquired an array of foreign fea¬ tures to launch their project. Conn. Enforces Sunday Law HARTFORD, CONN. — The Department of State Police recently warned Connecticut’s 38 drive-ins to halt the illegal shows on Saturday nights which run over into the early hours of Sunday mornings. The Sunday law bans screening of motion pictures be¬ tween midnight and two p.m., but has not been strictly enforced. HE ARTHUR GODFREY l I PROGRAM gives a hearing and a viewing to . Arthur Godfrey may be away, but the spirit of lis program is being carried on by Sam Levenson, CBS-TV spokesman, and Robert Q. Lewis, the an who fills in for him on CBS radio. tese gentlemen have carried on most ably the Jfrey reputation for lengthy, informal, and friendly conversations among intelligent people on serious subjects. BLUE DENIM, dealing as it does with today's youth, their struggles to communicate their oroblems to their elders, and their fumbling entrance into an adult world they are not yet prepared to understand, made excellent subject matter for such discussions Levenson, a former schoolteacher himself, created quite a stir in earlier discussions with Godfrey deal¬ ing with youth, its problems, and it joys. Brandon de Wilde, in addition to starring in BLUE DENIM, is a very articulate young man, and he acted as spokesman for BLUE DENIM These pro¬ grams on radio and TV have devoted a lot of time to the film, and have stirred up quite a show of public interest. Catch these shows, and we think you'll agree. • Seen discussing 20th-Fox's provocative BLUE DENIM, are CBS-TV's Sam Levenson; Martin Michel, 20thFox TV and radio director; and Brandon de Wilde, who stars in the film with Carol Lynley.