Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1947)

2$ SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, March I, 1947 REGIONAL NEWSREEL (Continued from Page 27) who had a knee operation performed in Deshon Hospital, Butler, six weeks ago, is now recuperating at home and expects to return to duty by March 15. The engagement of United Artists' Marian Harris to Dr. Harold M. Cherkin has been announced by her parents. The wedding is scheduled for early spring. Byron D. "Buck" Stoner, coast district manager for 20th Century-Fox and former branch manager for MGM here, was a visitor on film row en route from a sales meeting in New York to San Francisco. TORONTO While John Grierson, former head of the National Film Board at Ottawa, has been proclaiming from Paris that he is not a Communist, the ex-employe of the Dominion government has been the target for questioning in the Canadian House of Commons regarding his eligibility to re-enter Canada. The name of his former secretary in Ottawa, Miss Freda Linton, a fugitive from justice for some months, has also been brought before the House. The latest word from Grierson was that he didn't care because he had secured a United Nations appointment at Faris. Meanwhile the Canadian Government has been asked in Parliament if, in the light of the U. S. refusal, Grierson is eligible to return to Canada and what his Canadian status is. The Canadian Government has not yet given answer to these questions. Eagle-Lion Films of Canada, Limited, has announced at Toronto that Arthur Rank's produc Popcorn Trouble Frank Kershaw, who has the Canadian agency for Manley popcorn machines, is having trouble with the fire department in Vancouver, B. C, and to date has been unable to install any machine in Vancouver theatres. However, he has placed candy counters in many theatres and they have proved good money-makers despite shortage of candy supplies. Famous Players operates its own candy bars in Vancouver. tion which was given a Royal Command performance in London last fall will be released in the Dominion under the original title of "A Matter of Life and Death." In the United States the film is titled "Stairway to Heaven." Count Jean de Hauteclocque, French Ambassador to Canada, has issued an official note charging "lack of courtesy" on the part of the Quebec Provincial Government in condemning the made-in-France feature, "Les En f ants du Paradis," on moral grounds after the film had been brought to the Dominion through a diplomatic channel. The picture was to have had its first showing at the University of Montreal, a Roman Catholic institution, and Rene de Messieres, an accredited representative of the French Embassy, withdrew when announcement was made to the audience that the picture had been banned. George Archibald of London, managing director of one of J. Arthur Rank's producing companies, has been a visitor in Toronto to discuss film distribution in Canada. He declared that a production program in Canada was not imme diately planned but that Rank would eventually make pictures in various parts of the British Commonwealth. A start had already been made in Australia in the production of "The Overlanders." The members of the Niagara Peninsula Theatre Managers Association, meeting at St. Catharines, Ont, raised the first protest against the proposal for the re-enactment of the 10 per cent amusement tax in Ontario by the Provincial Legislature in March. First theatre release has taken place in Montreal of the picture made last year by Quebec Productions Corp. at St. Hyacinthe with Paul Lucas, Helmut Dantine and Mary Anderson as stars. The picture was produced under the title of "The Stronghold" but has appeared on the screen as "Whispering City." According to a semi-official statistical review, Canada now has 1,493 theatres in operation, this total being 139 greater than the number of active theatres reported at the end of 1945 in an official analysis of the Canadian Government. All of the increase does not represent new theatres. At the present time 85 theatres are reported to be under construction throughout the dominion while plans of 50 other theatres have been announced. While in the midst of opening-week activities for "Song of Scheherazade" at Loew's Uptown Theatre, Toronto, Manager S. E. Gosnell sustained an arm injury in the sudden movement of a street car. His arm was gashed when it went through a window and hospital treatment was necessary. WASHINGTON A distinguished audience turned out for the global premiere of "The Beginning Or the End" at Loew's Palace Theatre on Feb. 19. Among the 2,370 people in the audience were David E. Lilienthal ; Director Wallace White, Major General and Mrs. Leslie R. Groves; Charles G. Ross, President Truman's press secretary ; Admiral William S. Parson, secretary of Agriculture and Mrs. Clinton P. Anderson; Lord Inverchapel, the British Ambassador ; Senator Millard Tydings ; Senator and Mrs. John W. Bricker ; Senator and Mrs. Arthur Vandenberg; Senator Alban Barkley; and Sam Rayburn, former Speaker of the House. All 60 motion picture theatres in the District participated in the American Brotherhood Week campaign sponsored by the National Conference of Christians and Jews. Local MGM officials had a luncheon for Mr. and Mrs. Lauritz Melchior, in town for Melchior's concert at Constitution Hall. John J. Payette, general zone manager of Warner Bros., and Carter T. Barron, Loew's eastern division manager, are co-chairmen of the Red Cross drive, with Wade Skinner, of Payette's staff, serving as assistant. Special Saturday morning screen bills for children have been booked into nine Warner Bros, neighborhood theatres through August. This fourth series calls for each theatre to present a children's program on one Saturday of each month. Beginning in March, the Silver, Uptown, Tivoli and Penn will serve the youngsters on the first Saturday of each month ; the Beverly, Avalon, Calvert and Kennedy on the third Saturday and the Sheridan on the fourth. Newcomers at the local MGM exchange are Sam Richer, cashier department, formerly in the navy ; Thomas Wheatly, shipper, who re THEATREMEN AT ATOMIC BOMB FILM PREMIERE. Besides top government army, navy, scientific and civic leaders and the diplomatic corps almost in its entirety, the world premiere in Washington, D. C, last week of MGM's "The Beginning or the End" was attended by Capital theatremen, some of whom are shown above. Top, (1-r): Fred Kogod, of the Kogod-Burka Theatre Enterprise, and Mrs. Kogod; Frank Boucher, also of Kogod-Burka, and Mrs. Boucher. Bottom, (1-r) : Miss Regina Ryan and Wade Pearson, district manager of Neighborhood Theatres, Inc.; George Ryan and Miss Mary Davis, of Warner Bros. Theatres, all Washington.