Boxoffice - Feb. 17, 2014

Sask. MPEA Averts
Hike in Licenses
Regina, Sask. — Success greeted the
prompt efforts of the executive of the Saskatchewan
Motion Picture Exhibitors Ass'n
to forestall any reported effort to increase
the tax against motion picture theatres of
the province through changing the manner
of taxation. The executive was assured
by Hon. E. M. Culliton, provincial
secretary, there would be no changes at the
cun-ent sittings of the legislature.
Rumors that the government was planning
to change the present method of licensing
theatres from a flat rate per house
to one based on the number of seats
brought about the executive's hurried
move. W. P. Mahon, Prince Albert, headed
the group of theatremen.
Beaver House in London
Canadian Soldiers' Club
Toronto—The formal opening of Beaver
House in London, England, by Their
Majesties King George and Queen Elizabeth
as a club for Canadian soldiers overseas
was announced at the annual meeting
of the Toronto branch of the Canadian
Red Cross Society. Supervisor of
Beaver House is H. J. Sweatman, manager
of the Community at Kapuskasing, Ont.,
who proceeded to England two months ago
to take charge of organization plans.
Sweatman served in a similar capacity for
the Canadian Expeditionary Force in the
Great War.
first
Among those elected to the executive
of the Toronto Red Cross were Col. John
A. Cooper, president of the Motion Picture
Distributors of Canada and also national
film commissioner of the Dominion government;
Mrs. N. L. Nathanson, wife of
the president of Famous Players Canadian
Corp., and Mrs. J. Earl Lawson, wife
of the member of Parliament for South
York and corporation counsel for several
Canadian film companies.
Oificials Aid Legion's
Fund Raising Action
Montreal—Helping the Canadian Legion
campaign to raise funds for war services,
Hon. Norman Rogers, minister of defense
and Hon. Charles G. Power, postmastergeneral,
appeared personally in a motion
picture short now being shown in theatres
throughout Canada. The film, entitled
"Help Plan His Tomorrow, Today,"
was produced by Associated Screen News
in its Montreal studios, and shows a cross
section of the youth of Canada enlisting
and training for overseas. It gives glimpses
of educational and recreational facilities.
indicating how the money will be used.
Both English and French versions were
made. Rogers speaking in the English one
and Power in the French. Theatre owners
are cooperating in showing the picture
throughout the campaign.
"Pago Pago" to Werker
Hollywood—Alfred Werker will direct
Pago Pago" for Edward Small.
Dog Days Reach
Saskatoon
Saskatoon—When a special perlormance
lor children oi "Gulliver's Travels"
was given at the Capitol here, the
ushers had to battle with 40 dogs accompanying
the children. The dogs
could scarcely be kept out and hung
around waiting ior their youthlul proprietors.
A dog pound or park might
be useful near a theatre.
British Wage Increase
Swings on Tax Cut
London, Eng.—The chances of a wage
increase for film employe groups hinges
largely upon the success of the Cinematograph
Exhibitors Ass'n in securing a reduction
or elimination of the entertainment
tax, it becomes apparent here.
While expressing sympathy with the desires
of employes, the CEA told a committee
that its members would be unable to
pass the additional cost on to the public
unless they could secure a remission of the
entertainment impost. The employe committee
asked an increase of 121/2 per cent,
directing the request to the London CEA
branch.
National aspects of the subject are being
considered, with the possibility of approaches
to the government on the tax
matter.
Coincidentally, employes of transport
firms are demanding an increase of 15 per
cent in wages, and a CEA committee is
studying that subject with hopes for a
compromise agreement.
Act to Facilitate Trade
With Mother Country
Toronto—Designed to facilitate trade
with Great Britain and to stimulate the
sale of British products in the Dominion,
the Canadian Importers Ass'n has recommended
to the federal government that
customs duties on items imported from
the United Kingdom be removed as a wartime
measure. This was decided at a meeting
of the association in Toronto.
The provision was made that the exemption
from tariff charges be applied on
products of a class or kind not produced
in Canada and included under this classification
are British film features of which
approximately 40 are brought from the
Mother Country in a year. The suggestion
will come before the government following
the general elections on March 26.
Would Curtail Holidays
Saskatchewan—Requests of the Retail
Merchants Association to the city council
for changes in the present civic holidays
have Regina theatremen alert. The
merchants would have the present yearround
Wednesday half-holidays eliminated
in October, November and December and
the Saturday night closing cut to July and
August only instead of including June.
Film Pioneers Club
Outlines Policies
Toronto — Following a preliminary
luncheon at the Royal York Hotel when a
committee was named for the organization
of the Canadian Film Pioneers Club, a
meeting was held to discuss the constitution
and policies of the club with Chairman
Clair Hague presiding, the conference
being held in the Film Exchange Bldg. in
conjunction with a screening of "My Little
Chickadee."
Applications for membership have been
received from many parts of the Dominion,
the restriction being that prospective
members must have been identified with
the film business for at least 25 years. To
date two oldtimers with a record of 39
years have been listed, these being Clair
Hague, Universal representative in Canada,
and Ben Cronk, manager of the display
department for the big chain and formerly
supervisor with the Aliens. The
long-distance champion, however, is
Charlie Stephenson, manager of the Century,
Kitchener, Ont., who started at the
Bijou in Toronto back in 1897 when the
ultra attraction was Queen 'Victoria's
Incidentally, Clair Hague started
Jubilee.
with the Fontaine-Manley Carnival Shows
at Sarnia when pictures were presented
in a tent.
Among the film distributors in the organizing
committee are H. M. Masters,
general manager, United Artists Corp.;
Louis Rosenfeld, Columbia Pictures of Canada;
J. P. O'Loghlin, 20th Century-Fox
Corp.; L. M. Devaney, RKO Distributing
Corp. of Canada; O. Hanson, Empire-Universal,
and Clair Hague.
The theatre veterans on the provisional
committee include Charlie Stephenson
of Kitchener; Fred Pursel, Lyric, Simcoe,
Ont.; Jake Smith, Revue and Tecumseh
theatres, Toronto; Ben Cronk, Famous
Players art department; Herb Allen of the
Allen circuit; Sam Sternberg of B&F
Theatres, and the following: Ed Wells,
secretary of the Canadian Film Boards of
Trade; Syd Taube of Canadian Automatic
Confections, and Ray Lewis.
A number of the Canadian veterans are
already members of the Pioneers Club in
the states, these including Hague; J. J.
Pitzgibbons, vice-president of Famous
Players; Louis Rosenfeld and Jules and J.
J. Allen who made their theatre start in
Calgary, later putting Brantford, Ont., on
the map as an early cinema center.
J6mm Films Are Adopted
By the Canadian Army
Toronto—The Canadian Army has
adopted the 16mm film for screen entertainment
purposes both in Europe and
Canada because of the compactness of the
projection machines and the reels. As a
result, a sudden demand has been made
for a supply of the latest prints through
the Canadian Legion War Services, a cooperative
body which is looking after
recreational features.
Features which have not yet played the
theatres are being provided in 16mm size
because of the rush.
BOXOFFICE
; : February 17. 1940 71