What's New? (Jan 1953)

Page 2 JACK ARTHUR LEAVES FAMOUS AFTER 30 YRS; TO BE CNE PRODUCER Jack Arthur, after an association of more than thirty years with Famous Players, resigned his position to take over a full-time job as producer of the Canadian National Exhibition grandstand show. “J. most deeply regret Jack Arthur’s decision to leave us,” said J. J. Fitzgibbons, ‘‘and it was with reluctance that I accepted his resignation, but I know that in taking this new position Jack is returning to his first loye—the production of shows featuring live talent. He will be afforded an opportunity of rendering a fine public service in presenting the C.N.E. spectacle— a show which adds to the stature of Canada. It must be a source of great satisfaction to Jack that he has been named the producer of what is recognized as one of the greatest annual presentations in the world. “Jack Arthur has made a great contribution to the building of this company. He’s been with Famous Players from its beginning, and has rendered outstanding service as a producer, musical director and district manager. This is a great opportunity for Jack, and it is a source of pride for us that he has been named producer of the great Canadian National Exhibition grandstand show.” In the spring of 1952 that stormy petrel of politics, Mayor Lamport of Toronto, quarreled with the powers that be at the Canadian National Exhibition. ““Lampy”’ insisted on a Canadian show with a Canadian producer. Jack Arthur was his nominee. Jack took on the job of producing the show, and it pleased an audience of 24,000 every night for two weeks. His production was successful — artistically and financially. The show played to more people and rolled up bigger grosses than any attraction in the history of the C.N.E. grandstand spectacle. It was only natural that the executives of the Exhibition would hasten to flourish a contract which featured so much folding money that Jack, a canny Scot, had to say “yes” and sign on the dotted line. In addition, Jack is currently featured on a C.B.C. network radio show produced as “Mr. Show Business,” a successful radio program based on his colorful life in show business. Television, too, is beckoning Jack. Completes Cycle Thus, he has completed a cycle. He first won fame as a stage producer. When talkies knocked out his chosen occupation he became a > JACK ARTHUR theatre district manager. And now he’s back at the job he likes best— the producing of live shows. He takes with him the memories of many friendships he has made through the years and the best wishes of everyone in Famous Players. Jack’s career is more exciting than any radio or TV program based on his life could ever be. Born in Scotland, he was a child prodigy in Sir Harry Lauder’s troupe. At an early age he came to Canada with his father, and he received his education here. As a youth he joined the Raymond & Poore troupe as a fiddler, and later became a member of a Mississippi show boat troupe. He conducted the orchestra for Primrose Minstrel show. Returning to Toronto, he took up music seriously and joined the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. In 1914 Jack conducted the orchestra in Loew’s ill-fated Winter Garden theatre on top of Loew’s theatre, after a term as conductor with the Griffin theatres. When N. L. Nathanson and his associates bought the old Majestic theatre in Toronto from Ambrose Small and transformed it into the Regent theatre, Jack went along as producer and orchestra conductor. It was here that he won early fame as the producer of atmospheric prologues and symphonic accompaniments for silent films. As Famous Players expanded, Jack, who is a charter member of the 25-Year Club, was named director of all stage and orchestra productions. He made a name as a discoverer of stage talent. Jack was in radio early in the game. He conducted the orchestra for the opening show of station CFRB in Toronto, and he found time, too, to establish a school of ballet in association with Boris Volkoff. When talking pictures supplanted silent movies and vaudeville, Jack came to Head Office as a district manager, but when World War II broke out, he was drafted by the late W. L. Mackenzie King as producer of the Army Show, with the blessing of Mr. Fitzgibbons. As chairman of the Citizens’? Committee for Troops in Training, he arranged more than 3,000 shows for the troops. For this he was awarded the M.B.E. by the late King George. Jack also produced all the stage spectacles for the Variety Club of Toronto, which raised thousands of dollars for Variety Village, a vocational training school for crippled children. The best of luck to you, Jack, in your new venture! EXCHANGE TICKET EASES SEAT PROBLEM Noticed a smart stunt while visiting the Capitol theatre, Calgary. It should work well in any theatre where there is a demand for an exchange of regular admission tickets for loge seats. We watched a big line-up on a Saturday night in the Capitol. Many people went over to the check-room to exchange their general admission tickets for loge seats. As each person was sold a loge ticket he was given a card 2 by 31% inches which read: PATRONS’ LOGE EXCHANGE TICKET No. 50 Please present this ticket to the usherette upon request. Standing patrons will be seated in order. THANK YOU. As seats become available the usherettes circulate among the patrons at the standee rail and call out numbers in order. The cards are picked up by the usherettes and the patrons are seated in the order of their arrival. Manager Ralph Mitcheltree tells us that this method does much to eliminate “beefs” from standing patrons who are seating in the order of their purchase of exchange tickets. Incidentally, it was nice to see 25 Year Club member, Jessie Latus, briskly and efficiently in charge of the sale of exchange tickets at the Capitol, Calgary. PAPER LAUDS SHORTS An editorial in one of Canada’s most respected newspapers, The Winnipeg Tribune, lauds a short subject entitled “Curtain Call.” It is seldom an editorial is written akout a motion picture other than to condemn them, but to write an editorial and laud a short, is noth-’ ing short of a miracle, caused by some hard work by two guys, Harold Bishop and Bill Novak. The editorial mentions the fact that the picture as playing the Capitol theatre, which Bill manages, and describes the film. It goes on to tell that six others of the series are to be shown, ending off, “The series may well bring to a wider public a bright new vision of the place of great art in the enrichment of daily life.” FAVORS FOR ALL FORMULA FOR FUN For ‘Monkey Business” at Shea’s theatre, Toronto, manager Len Bishop and Tiff Cook of head office put their heads together and came up with a medicine man who handed out good advice to the citizens of Toronto. Dressed in the garb of a doctor of an earlier day, and carrying the inevitable black bag, the medicine man passed out 5,000 gelatine capsules to people. In the capsule was a small strip of rolled paper carrying the copy: “This is not a monkey gland, but it is your formula for fun See “Monkey Business” today at Shea’s.” The doctor had emblazoned on his small black bag Dr. (Cure All) Grant, and dressed in his top hat, frock coat and high collar, he created a great amount of interest in Toronto’s downtown section. He was out passing out his advice during the rush hours of a Friday, and all Saturday morning of the tremendous crowd-gatherer, Eaton’s Santa Claus Parade. But the doctor couldn’t assist the live monkey manager Bishop placed in his lobby for a day. Although the monkey attracted a lot of attention for his stand, he couldn’t stand the cold that Len thought he was catching. The idea was there, but the monkey couldn’t stand up to it. Could it have been those warm looks from Marilyn Monroe? The playing of “Beware My Lovely” in Toronto was tied in with the pedestrian safety campaign. At 120 spots, the stencil, in two lines, “Beware My Lovely Cross With The Lights” was placed three feet from the sidewalk so that pedestrians waiting for the lights would see it from the sidewalk.