Boxoffice-December.25.1948

. . Jack
. . King
. . Offices
VANCOUVER Children's Library ST. JOHN
•Two projectionists who have worked together
at the Strand for the last seven years
have been in motion picture business for
over 40 years. They are Wally Woolridge
and George Gerrard who have come from the
days of hand-cranked silents and song slides
to official posts in unions and on labor
boards in British Columbia and Vancouver.
They are members of lATSE Local 348.
The Cascades Drive-In on Vaucouver's outskirts,
operated by the Steel-Johnson interests,
called it a day for the season. The
Cascades, the only drive-in west of Toronto,
will have competition next year in
two new ozoners being readied near here.
The two major circuits also are showing interest
in the drive-in business.
.
Pat Smith is a new member of the Strand
John Cooshek, assistant
Theatre staff . . .
manager of the Odeon Plaza, is back on the
job after a delayed vacation . . . Al Jenkins,
Plaza manager, will holiday south of the
border after the holidays Hughes,
chief provincial censor, wishes to correct a
news item which appeared in the tradepress
about Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein."
The picture, after a turndown by
both the censors and the appeal board, was
finally reconstructed and passed by the censors,
NOT by the attorney general of the
province, as reported.
A planned Sunday concert, sponsored by
the Canadian Legion in aid of Shaughnessy
hospital, has been canceled at the Orpheum
after Lord's Day Alliance heads refused to
approve it. A letter stating the Alliance
would not institute prosecution if the concert
was held was necessary before Famous
Players would denote the theatre.
. . .
With the drop in lumber sales to Great
Britain, British Columbia centers which depend
on lumber pay rolls say that amusement
dollars are being hoarded and that
theatre business is off, according to Harold
Warren, who operates three theatres in the
Alberni district of Vancouver Island
The Rev. Gerald Switzer of the Canadian
Memorial chapel, Vancouver, after seeing
"Apartment for Peggy." wrote a letter praising
it to Jack Randall, Strand manager. He
referred to the film in his radio sermon.
One of Vancouver's largest department
itores, Spencer, has been sold to the
T. Eaton Co. of Toronto for a reported $17,-
000,000. This deal may change plans for
Eaton's to demolish the old Vancouver hotel,
situated next to the Cinema here.
Jack Pechet, head of Canadian Screen
Publicity, was here from Toronto looking up
circuit heads and exhibitors. Pachet reports
that his screen advertising shorts are proving
popular across the Dominion and he is
placing sponsored films in 900 theatres.
New FPC Theatre
TORONTO—Work on the new University,
a Famous Players miit at 102-6 Bloor St.
West, is approaching completion and will
be the first new theatre here for the New
Year. The University will have a handsome
facade of natural stone. The architects are
Eric W. Hounsom and A. G. Facey and the
general contractor is the Dickie Construction
Co.
Is Ready in Canada
TORONTO—The motion picture section
of
the Toronto Board of Trade, of which Mon-is
Stein, eastern division manager for Famous
Players, is chairman, announced that the
Children's Film Library movement would
start in Canada in January when prints of
18 features will be available at Toronto,
Winnipeg and Vancouver. These pictures
have been approved by a reviewing group
of the Children's Film Library committee of
Canada which is made up of representatives
of many women's, commimity and educational
organizations.
The plan, which was described to 31 representatives
of the film industry at the Board
of Ti-ade meeting, is patterned after the
juvenile library of the Motion Picture Ass'n
of America, New York, and its preliminarj'
organization in Canada was sponsored by
the National Film society.
CALGARY
"The last of the film salesmen got home as
subzero weather hurried the stragglers.
They reported intense cold and some wind,
but few delaying sncw drifts. The late ones
came spinning down the frozen highways
from the Rockies, the prairies and the mining
districts, thankful roads were fau-ly clear.
As they headed for home, conscious of a job
well done, thoughts of the Yuletide fireside
hastened them on the way.
One of the most prominent staff cocktail
parties of the festive season again took place
this year at the Palliser hotel where the
snacks and beverages were supplied by head
office executives.
Leo Maher, managing the FPC Roxy and
Monarch at Medicine Hat, underwent a
minor nasal operation from which he has
successfully recovered. He returned to duty
this weekend.
Dropped dm'ing the war years, the Christmas
night previews are being revived in the
principal FPC units in Alberta this season,
as well as the usual New Year's eve frolic.
Preview will be held on the Boxing day night.
New Year's eve previews also will be held
at the Monarch in Medicine Hat, the Capitol
and the Roxy at Lethbridge and the
Capitol at Red Deer.
. . .
XJirtually a full house attended a Sunday
night showing of "My Brother's House"
at the Mayfair Theatre here, imder the auspices
of the local Hadassah . . . Joshua "Joe"
Lieberman was re-elected president
Emmanuel
of the
Shaari Zedek synagogue
Ruault-Cazier. owner of the Renaissance
Theatre at St. Pierre, was reported to be recovering
satisfactorily following a recent
operation. He has resumed management of
the theatre and the adjoining rink.
Indications were that Halifax will be the
first Canadian city to produce television sets.
The Cossar Co., an English firm, has been
preparing to start production, and the first
sets manufactured will be distributed in Ontario.
Workers at the plant came from England,
from which financing also has been
handled . Calder, who appeared with
the Carroll Players in stock at the Majestic,
Halifax, now is in the cast of "Bravo," playing
at the Lyceum, New York City.
Deer Islanders now find it unnecessary to
cross the channel to Campobello Island or
to St. Andrews for screen entertainment,
now that Ira Butler is showing films at the
Mayfair on Deer Island . of Abe
Garson now are in a building owned by him
in the financial zone. Lionel April, his sonin-law
and maritime supervisor for Odeon,
and Bob Irving, booker, also are in the same
building. A starting date for construction
of the new theatre to be built by Odeon as
a showcase for J. Arthur Rank filnxs has
not yet been disclosed.
Howard Binns, recently appointed manager
of the Garrick, Halifax, is not the only
former air force officer from Ontario to be
a theatre manager in the maritimes. Jimmy
Mitchell, recently transferred to the Capitol
here, preceded Binns to the maritimes, having
been situated at the Moncton Imperial
before succeeding Harrison Howe, who moved
across King Square to direct the new Paramount
for FPC.
Police were called at Amherst, N. S., when
the payoff of an $18 consolation jackpot was
disputed by the promoter. James Smith, one
of the persons concerned, has written to the
provincial attorney general seeking an investigation
of such enterprises ... St. John
exhibitors and distributors are cooperating in
sponsoring an annual dinner dance and entertainment
December 22 at a local hotel. A
similar party last year cost approximately
$500.
Tent 28 Lays School Conerstone
TORONTO—The cornerstone of the Toronto
Vocational Guidance school, chief
project of Variety Tent 28 here, was laid
December 21 by George A. Drew, former
premier of Ontario and minister of education.
Chief Barker J. J. Fitzgibbons was
master of ceremonies for the occasion, which
included presentation of the silver trowel to
Drew, who recently became the national
Pi-ogressive Conservative leader in the federal
political field.
Variety club members and their friends
met at the site of the school in suburban
Toronto for the ceremonial program, arranged
by a special committee headed by
Morris Stein.
Speakers included Premier T. L. Kennedy
of Ontario, Hon. George H. Doucett, minister
of highways, and A. P. Permy, representing
the Ontario Society for Crippled
Children.
Among those who took part were a Catholic
priest, a Protestant clergyman and a
Rabbi, all of whom participated in the dedication
of the institution. Appropriate band
music was provided during the ceremony.
Members of the Variety committee in
charge of arrangements included Morris
Stein, chairman; Aixh H. Jolley, secretary;
James R. Nairn, Larry Graburn, Hye Bossin,
James Cameron, Ben Geldsaler, Jules
Wolfe, Lome Green and Jack Chlsholm,
representing all branches of the amusement
industry.
98 BOXOFFICE December 25, 1948