What's New? (Jan-Feb 1974)

Personal appearance of star Christopher Plummer and his charming wife helped launch the opening of the Canadian feature film attraction THE PYX at Sebastian Lopez’ Four Seasons Sheraton Cinemas. A beaming Sebastian is shown to Mrs. Plummer’s left, the happy distributor of THE PYX, Orval Fruitman of Cinepix, is on Christopher Plummer’s right: : THE PYX was produced in Montreal by» Maxine Samuels and deals with a gum chewing detective, ably played by Christopher Plummer, who probes the death of a call girl to determine-whether it was a murder or suicide, and finds devil worshippers. Attraction played to a holdover eight weeks business. CINEMA, WESTMOUNT SQUARE MONTREAL USHER CYCLES 9.385 MILES! Paul Tattersall, handsome (and obviously very fit and healthy! ); an usher at The Cinema Westmount _ Square in Montreal, likes to cycle. A feature article ~ Star pays recognition to this unusual fact in an eight column giving details of his exploit. In 1972, he cycled from Montreal to Vancouver. This. year for an encore, he.cycled from Newfoundland to Vietoria and Chicago a-distance of 9385 miles. A student. at Dawson College, he started his formidable trip on June 25th, returning August 25th, in time to register. ( We wonder when does he usher? ). With 1634 miles behind him (NewfoundJand to Montreal) the major portion of the trip. took 19 days from Montreal to Vancouver. eer He claims Victoria as one of his favorite spots, along with the Rockies, including Canada’s highest peak , Mount Robson. “’ | had some skiing practice there, ‘’ said this Quebec ski team member. “ Did a bit of mountain climbing, too.’’ He found that cycling had kept him in excellent’ condition for these arduous sports. We bet! After ferrying to Washington state from Victoria he carried on to San Francisco where he continued cycling, finding the hills a bit of a bind. Then on to Reno where he tried his hand at gambling only to have his chances ruined by a policeman who informed him the gambling age was 21. At all events he still left with a profit of $15.00. | -On a bicycle heading from Reno to Salt Lake City. Very hot and dry,. Paul reported he is still drinking water like mad. In Yellowstone National Park he came face to face with a bear who appeared to object to being photographed he charged. ‘I didn’t know what to do so | froze,”’ reports Paul, then continued, “He stopped dead and: after about a minute he retreated | was pretty scared and dashed away on my bike; for the next three miles | was just shaking.”’ At Lake Louise he met another bear, a grizzly which tore his bags apart , though fortunately after he had left his campsite. However, the marauder took off with 12 hotdogs Paul had planned to eat for his dinner. In South Dakota he hit the Bad Lands where he heard his first coyote baying at the moon. Chicago he avoided as ‘‘not an ideal place to ride a bike by yourself.” From Chicago he took a bus to Toronto » and from there to Montreal. Looking back on his marathon ride he remembers he first became interested in this sort of trip through friends who discussed their proposed -cross-Canada jaunt with him. The in the Montreal . friends went but they started Paul reading, books about cycling. He boughts;a bicycle and decided to actually do it after travelling West by train with his mother. “What really.hit me was the Rockies because | like skiing and mountain climbing.” Everyone thought he was’ joking when he_ told his relatives and friends in British Columbia that he would come back to visit them the next year on his bicycle. His mother was worried last year when he eventually took off but now she is resigned to his wanderlust. Sometimes, he finds the travelling lonely. ‘It's good to take a radio along on a trip like this. But it’s a cheap way to see North America and have time to take it all in.”” This trip cost him $170.00, a fact he attributes to the people along the way who were generous enough to feed him and let him camp in parks and on campsites free of charge. Some 14 pounds lighter he is now preparing for preseason training before he starts skiing in the Laurentians. (Ed. Note: A coloured photo accompanied the article, but regrettably colour will not reproduce inWHAT'S NEW. You'll have to take our word for it Paul is, indeed, handsome @ and fit.) NEW PLANS UNVEILED FOR F. P. EDMONTON COMPLEX. Recently reported in the December issue of Box Office were new plans for the Capitol Square complex in Edmonton. Plans for this project were first disclosed in April of last year but a start on construction was delayed when the developers decided to revamp the design of a 20-story building. The edifice will occupy the east of 101 st. Street on Jasper Avenue, which formerly was filled by the Agency Building, the Monarch Building and the Capitol Theatre. At a press conference with President David Mooney of Famous Players real estate division were Gordon Horne, vice-president, and Don Menzies, district manager. The change in the project was the announcement that the number of. theatres originally charted would be doubled from two to four. Seating Capacities of the auditoriums will range from 250-500. Horner says that Famous Players “fully endorses’’ the underground ‘“‘pedway”’ system and, on this level, Capitol Square will have a retail complex. There will be a second retail floor above ground. The pedway network will have to be extended down Jasper Avenue to meet with the new building. Capitol Square will have the distinction of being the first major construction to be connected with Edmonton's proposed rapid transit system. There also will be four underground parking levels to supply parking for the 20 floors. Anyone who knows Gerry Dillon at all, who knows the quietly attractive and somewhat shy wife and mother Jean, is aware of their tremendous support and _ interest in their three sons selected careers in hockey, Wayne, 18, Brian, 17 and Gary 14. (Before your reporter winds up in a mess of trouble with Dad Dillon winding up in a similar jackpot, let’s not overlook yet another important and sportsminded member of the family, 12 year old daughter, Tracy. More on her later.) Main thrust-of this warming family story is directed to eldest son, Wayne, who last Fall signed.a three year, Toronto Toros of the World Hockey Association the big time, no less ! Which accounts for the happy proud expressions on the faces of Gerry and Jean, above, looking over the left shoulder of Wayne as he signs his important contract. One of the top scorers for the Memorial Trophy winning Toronto Marlboroughs, in his first year he scored 14 goals and 60 assists in 56 games. In his :second season, 1972 1973, he lead the team in scoring with 47 goals and 60 assists when he centred the exciting line with Mark Howe (of the well known Gordie Howe family) and Glenn Goldup. Mark Howe, along with brother Marty, was later drafted and signed up with the Houston Aeros. The NHL can’t accuse the WHA of: raiding if there was any raiding it was done by Wayne, who, still with two .years of junior eligibility, took the initiative and approached bossmen President Johnny Bassett and General Manager Buck Houle of the Toronto Toros. It paid off, they were: delighted to sign him up to the lucrative contract. A close knit family, one of the written conditions of the contract is. that he lives swith his family. He is guaranteed to play hockey inToronto while continuing his education at Wexford Collegiate. This creates a what might well be for most people the impossibly demanding dual role of student and adult hockey player who must produce. What is unusual is the dedicated and mature manner in which Wayne, manages to do this hockey every morning with his peers, professionals, many twice his age, then a mad dash to become the student. As reported recently in’ the Toronto Star, one weekend you may find him playing hockey in Los Angeles or Houston other you'll find him at a teenage (he probably hates that word! ) party with his student peers. This creates some baffling situations for the Toros, GM Buck Houle. Late for a team bus during the Mooney said, ‘’ In addition to the theatre, we expect to attract fine restaurants and shops to the retail area, providing a diversified package of services. With the amenities, we feel the 14 floors of office spaces will be the most attractive in. the oy According to Horner the growth pattern shown by Edmonton (an average of 16.5 per cent) was a. determining factor in Famous Players decision to construct the tower in that city. ® THIRTEEN ONTARIO THEATRES THIRTY CHRISTMAS PARTY RENTALS Vice-President Les Mitchell, and District Manager Alan Bell, with minor reservations are most enthusiastic about the results of excellent selling jobs done by thirteen of the thirty five Ontario houses, including Toronto. One would have to agree that thirty no-cut contract with the — Sitting pretty is the star hockey player, Wayne Dillon, son of T.C.L.’s Jean and Gerry Dillon seen above looking over his left shoulder as he signs his important contract with the Toronto Toros of the World Hockey Association. He signed a lucrative three-year, no-cut contract in August of last year and is already, in the short space of time, being touted for Rookie of the’ Year Awards. GM Buck Houle, President Johnny Bassett, with Wayne’s lawyer Ron Robertson in , the centre background, look on approvin 27 Ls exhibition schedule Buck Houle could only shake’ his head at Wayne's legitimate explanation that he had had to serve a detention. Other contradictions are also apparent in many ways. During one bone-grinding continental trip from one game to another within a 48 hour period he worked on a history assignment. In an in-depth interview by Toronto “Star sportswriter Jim Kernaghan last November, Wayne is quoted as saying ‘’ At times it’s hard to believe all this is happening to me. But | don’t think my life has changed all that much. My friends ‘treat me the same way, my parents still get mad at me at times, things © like that are unchanged.’’ The rest of the Toros rib him good-naturedly. He is still slightly in awe of their company and marvels that the very people he’s facing on the ice now Ralph Backstrom, Gordie Howe, J.C. Tremblay all fill the pages of his scrapbook at home. 4a Everything seems ‘so sudden, he reflected. ‘“ Here | am actually | playing against these guys meeting Gordie Howe. It was a big decision to turn pro and there were a lot of sleepless nights over it. | can’t understand now why the decision was so difficult. “”” The future looks glowing bright for Wayne, and what.a future. It looks bright for the entire family for that matter with the promising high calibre hockey talents of brother Brian, who now plays for the Marlie. Juniors and young Gary, a Marlborough midget. All three play rentals by thirteen managers for a total of over $5,500.00 is a figure anyone can be enthusiastic about, particularly as it was produced during non operating hours. This figures does pose a reservation and makes one wonder what exciting figure might have been reached if all theatres had been equally successful on Christmas Theatre Party Rentals. gly. : hi centre. As Wayne says, ‘‘I’d love to play pro with them as.a line. | go to their games, of course, and both are great players. We could have Gary at Centre and Brian and | could switch to the wings.’’ © Stranger things have happened. look at the Howe’s. Can you imagine it though, goal by Dillon, assisted by Dillon and Dillon. So much for Wayne and his brothers. As for daughter Tracy, she is deeply involved with sports also, accountably hockey, which she practices in the basement we are told. However, her interests run to track and field, volleyball, and basketball. With all these activities going on no wonder there are times hard driving Gerry looks a little weary! Nevertheless, it is easy to believe familyman Gerry when he quietly states it has alf been so worthwhile from the standpoint of, and this is the key word, “’ the family ‘. All one has to do to believe this is to reflect briefly on the incredible number of hours spent over the years driving the family to and from hockey | practices, frequently very early in the morning in order. to secure ice time, the time spent during these formative years providing vital encouragement at games, praise for winning, support and consolation on losing, etc. To paraphrase a somewhat overworked religious cliche, “’ the family that plays toge ther, stays together. °’ ® NEW SECRETARY — Pity the poor sales manager in Chicago, who hired a new secretary . the day before he had to leave on 2 sudden trip to New York. 4a in Milwaukee, Wisconsin "’, he told her “’ and make it clear | won’t be able to keep our appointment this Wednesday”’. He returned to work Monday to discover a carbon of the letter addressed: ‘Alice Chalmers’’.’’ Dear Alice: | have been called to New York suddenly and won't be able ° au to keep our date.... Immediately he sent a wire to the Milwaukee Company asking them to disregard the letter. “Too late,’ read the reply, ‘‘It’s been on our bulletin’ board for three days”. page 3 Drop a note to Allis Chalmers