What's New? (Jan-Feb 1970)

I i i } | hi SOeny7O il SO°N70 iil wae BIG IDEA? Well, to put it simply, EVERYBODY has ideas ... some practical, some away out, others on the border line. The BIG idea is to translate such ideas as you may have into practical suggestions for the benefit of our company. Can costs be trimmed and economies effected in your thetre or department at head office? Can work loads be shifted to make better use of our manpower and eliminate duplication? Can our various services be improved so that our customers WANT to come back again and again? How about a revision in our advertising procedures?! can think of many areas in which your suggestions can prove of inestimable value to us. Mr. George Destounis will welcome any suggestions you may have, and all are to be addressed to him personally. There will be a pay-off in cash bonuses and other valuable prizes to the contributors of such suggestions as are accepted for implementation. Such suggestions and awards will be published in these pages. This applies to EVERY EMPLOYEE in our company .... theatre staffs, F.P. head office, General Sound, and T.C.L. personnel. In this issue you will find an insert which you may use for your remarks, and in the case of theatres a dozen or so extra copies for distribution to staff members. This experiment if it works, will be continued indefinitely. So ... let’s get our thinking caps on and show our president that we too are involved and interested in the welfare of our company. So, WHAT’S YOUR BIG IDEA ? Let’s keep those suggestions coming fast and furious. F7O WiC ONTO i SOTO NSO 70 i SOTW70 ESOT 70 4 SOW TO BSOWTO ISOW70 8 SO'NJORSOTE 70 BSOWT7O BSOWT70 ESOT 708 SO W700 BS0W70 BS0w 70850'Nw'70 IS BOGN-OSBOL:N-OS 8 OL¢NOS SOLWN OS BOLAOS BOGINOSS O44-08 8 OZ NOS BOLN-OS MOLINOS FE OLANrOS If OL dNOS MOL ALOS HI OLALOS Ill OZ LOS WOLIN-OS li! OL NOSE hi SONNE 7O ti Sone 70 ill @:. . $10,000.00 A YEAR FOR FILM SCHOLARSHIPS Mr. George P. Destounis has announced that Famous Players as part of its 5Oth Anniversary celebrations has set up a fund which will make available awards totalling $10,000.00 a year to would-be film makers at the university and high school levels. Both French and English films are eligible. According to Mr. Destounis the top university film makers will be eligible for first and second prizes worth $2500.00 and $1,750.00 respectively for both French and English productions in I6mm, and at high school level first prizes of $750.00 will be awarded for either I6 or 8 mm in either of the two languages. Detailed plans will be forthcoming shortly and the first awards will be made before the end of 1970. Mr. Destounis further commented “Now that the roots have been planted for a national feature film industry through the Canadian Film Development Corporation, we at Famous Players feel that by providing creative incentive at scholastic levels will be contributing to the growth of this feature industry. Also, in practical terms, it could amount to an investment in our own future since in time, some of the prize-winners just might produce features we could show commercially in our theatres.” A NEW C.A. ON OUR ACCOUNTING STAFF | have just been advised by Lorne Smith that Mahmood Kazi, a member of our accounting department for the past year, has successfully completed his course, passed his examinations at the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, and is now a full-fledged C.A. Mr. Kazi is a very personable young fellow and a valued member of our accounting department, and in addition to our own head office accounting load has become deeply involved in the accounting aspects of many of our subsidiary companies and theatre pools. Congratulations Mahmood. All of us at Famous are proud of you and wish you continued success in your chosen field. VETERAN PROJECTIONIST C.J. FORD RETIRES After 44 years in the theatre business, Charlie Ford retired as projectionist at the Capitol theatre in Brockville on December 31st, 1969 at age 78. He started as a stage switchboard operattor in the New, later renamed the Regent theatre in 1925, then moved over to the Capitol in 1929 as a temporary second projectionist. That temporary position lasted forty years. In 1919 Charlie founded and operated the Ford Electric Company which he sold in 1967. He built the first allelectric Gold Medallion home in Brockville, overlooking the St. Lawrence where he and wife Mary still reside. Charlie was business agent of Local 345 of the |.A.T.S.E. for thirty years, and presently is president of the local, a position he has occupied continuously since 1929. A member of the Canadian Picture Pioneers, Charlie also belongs to the Brockville Rowing Club, the Knights of Columbus, was for many years an active member of the Royal Order of Moose and secretary of the Casey Hockey Club. In 1958 he was granted an audience with Pope Pius XIlth and still bears the scars of a wound inflicted during World War 1 while he was serving with the 38th Battalion. pee ae : : *, . aati ee i: His pet hobbies are carpentry, swimming and skating. He loves to travel, mostly by car. Charlie and Mary have two daughters, Anne and Mary, both registered nurses, one in Brockville and the other in St. Catharines. MRS. EVA THOMPSON RETIRES A member of the maintenance staff of our Palace theatre in Guelph, and prior to that time the Royal theatre in the same city, Mrs. Eva Thompson retired on January 28th. The very best wishes of all of us in Famous go to Mrs. Thompson for many years of health and happiness in her retirement. Mrs. Thompson was a member of our Guelph theatre staff for over 30 years.