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. . . The<br />
I<br />
ARITIMES<br />
ntUntic Films, Ltd., which recently opened<br />
a studio at St. John's, Nfld., plan.s to<br />
widen its scope from production of commercial,<br />
educational and industrial shorts and<br />
documentaries to include feature films for<br />
theatres, starting with .shorts with the accent<br />
on Newfoundland topics. Albert Jekste, general<br />
manager, says he has designed film<br />
studios and theatres in his native Latvia.<br />
He said Canada is in a very difficult spot<br />
for home film production because most of<br />
the theatres are linked by ownership and contracts<br />
with U.S. theatre operation and film<br />
production. He maintains the U.S. releases<br />
must be used almost wholly in the Canadian<br />
theatres.<br />
A linking of "The Body Snatcher"' and<br />
"I Walked With a Zombie" at the Majestic<br />
in New Waterford was billed as "the most<br />
daring shriek, shudder and shock" tieup ever<br />
brought to the screen. Appropriately, the<br />
opening was at a Sunday midnight show.<br />
Fred Gregor heads the Majestic and allied<br />
Paramount ... A one-day hookup of outdoor<br />
films was screened at the Russell in<br />
Glace Bay; namely, "Cattle Drive" and<br />
Yukon Manhunt." Saturday morning shows<br />
for children there open at 10 o'clock.<br />
Some members of the London Theatre Co.,<br />
booked into school auditoria in the maritimes<br />
so far this winter season on a play-a-week<br />
plan, have backgrounds of screen, stage and<br />
television-radio experience in their native<br />
England. In the troupe are Leslie Yeo,<br />
David Morrell, Charles Mardel, AiUhony<br />
Newlands, Richard Easthan. Hilary Vernon,<br />
Roma Haycock, Avis Lennard, Jacqueline<br />
Lacey and Ruth Perkins. The group offered<br />
stock in an auditorium in St. John's, Nfld.,<br />
last winter and returned in the fall of 1952<br />
for a limited run, thence transferring to a<br />
school building at Halifax.<br />
A fire which destroyed a dozen commercial<br />
buildings at Corner Brook, Nfld., was<br />
close to the Regent and Palace theatres. A<br />
concrete wall prevented the spread of the<br />
flames to the Regent and adjoining buildings.<br />
The Regent is owned and operated by<br />
Coombs & Coleman ... A stock issue of<br />
$425,000 was recently made in behalf of W. J.<br />
Kent & Co., Bathurst. The Kent Theatre is<br />
being operated in partnership with Famous<br />
Players.<br />
Leading a delegation from St. John to<br />
Ottawa to protest against political strings<br />
being pulled for replacement of St. John by<br />
Fredericton for location of an army camp,<br />
meant a return to an old home-town by<br />
Mitchell Franklin. He spent considerable of<br />
his youth in Ottawa, and was a pupil at St.<br />
Patrick's college there . . . Bills change at the<br />
York and Nickel at St. Johns, Nfld., on Saturday<br />
afternoons. Double bills are played at<br />
the York and singles at the Nickel. Both<br />
theatres are managed by Mike Fewer, exhibitor<br />
veteran of the Atlantic provinces.<br />
Thus far this season, hockey is providing<br />
weaker competition for theatres than in<br />
previous seasons in the maritimes. The socalled<br />
maritime .setup started out with St.<br />
John and Moncton dropping out owing to<br />
big financial deficits for the 1951-52 season.<br />
Cnnt!n>iing in the loop, most formidable by a<br />
wide margin in the Atlantic region were<br />
'r.'.ilfpx, Charlottetown, Sydney and Glace<br />
Bay, with the latter, both on Cape Breton<br />
Island, quickly developing financial difficulties.<br />
There is talk of Glace Bay folding completely<br />
and Sydney being transferred to New<br />
Glasgow. In the New- Brunswick league, the<br />
backers have tossed in the sponge, and the<br />
players w^ho are practically all localities, have<br />
taken over the management. Local attendance<br />
has been very much down. Elsewhere<br />
the attendances have ranged from poor to<br />
fair.<br />
F. Harrison Howe, manager of the Paramount,<br />
St. John, singled out "The Snows of<br />
Kilimanjaro" for personal commendation . . .<br />
The lobbies of the Strand in Sydney Mines<br />
and the Odeon in North Sydney are being<br />
used to advertise the merchandise offered in<br />
connection with the Foto-Nite cash prizes<br />
L. J. Aprils of St. John became<br />
parents of a baby son named Michael Francis.<br />
Rains and Shopping<br />
Hurl at Vancouver<br />
VANCOUVER—Heavy weekend Christmas<br />
shopping hurt most situations.<br />
(Average Is 100)<br />
Capitol Everything I Have Is Yours (MGM) Fair<br />
Cinema You for Me (MGM), The Merry Widow<br />
(MGM), 2nd d. t. wl< Fair<br />
Dominion The Story of Will Rogers (WB);<br />
Les Miserobles (20th-Fox), 2nd d. t. wk Fair<br />
Orpheum The Crimson Pirate (WB) Good<br />
Ploza The Roiders (U-l); The Lady Says No.<br />
(UA)<br />
Fair<br />
Strand The Devil Mokes Three (MGM); Words<br />
and Music (MGM) Good<br />
Studio Reluctant Heroes (JARO) Fair<br />
Vogue Meet Me Tonight (JARO) Fair<br />
"Limelight' Only Above 100<br />
Grosser at Toronto<br />
TORONTO—A weak week went into the<br />
records for Toronto theatres with delayed<br />
winter weather bringing a rush of Christmas<br />
shopping. Only two theatres had entirely<br />
new programs, "Hurricane Smith" being<br />
shown at the Imperial and "Som.ething<br />
for the Birds" at Shea's. "Limelight," moved<br />
from the Odeon, was the only picture to<br />
gross above average, and it was helped by<br />
advanced prices.<br />
Eglinton Operation Secret (WB), 2nd wk 90<br />
Hyland Limelight (UA), 2nd wl< 105<br />
Imperial Hurricane Smith (Para) 95<br />
Loew's The Prisoner of Zenda (MGM), 4th wk. . . 80<br />
Nortown The Quiet Man (Rep), 8ttl d. t. wk... 80<br />
Odeon Bloodhounds of Broadway (20th-Fox), 2nd<br />
wk 85<br />
Shea's Something for the Birds (20th-Fox) 90<br />
Tivoli, Capitol What Price Glory (20th-Fox); Park<br />
Row (UA) 85<br />
University The Snows of Kilimanjaro {20th-Fox),<br />
4th wk 85<br />
Uptown Because of You (U-l), 3rd wk 80<br />
Victoria Don't Bother to Knock (20th-Fox); Lure<br />
of the Wilderness (20th-Fox) 80<br />
Odeon Unites Advertising<br />
In Hamilton and Toronto<br />
TORONTO—Odeon Theatres has consolidated<br />
.some of its theatre advertising in Toronto<br />
and Hamilton.<br />
In Hamilton, the display announcements<br />
of five theatres have been combined under<br />
such .slogan lines as "Odeon Entertainment<br />
Where Something Big Is Always Going On."<br />
In this plan, the Windsor and York advertising,<br />
previously in a separate column, has<br />
been placed with the displays for the Palace,<br />
Capitol and Savoy,<br />
At Toronto, the suburban Paradise and<br />
Colony have joined with six theatres in the<br />
combination ads. These are the Odeon. Hyland,<br />
Danforth, Humber, Pairlawn and<br />
Christie.<br />
Canada Will Remove<br />
Controls on Steel<br />
OTTAWA—The government, in a surprise<br />
announcement December 12, revealed controls<br />
prohibiting the use of steel for so-called nonessential<br />
purposes would be lifted December<br />
31.<br />
The development will enable theatre companies<br />
to proceed with the construction of<br />
long-delayed projects, particularly in expanding<br />
communities.<br />
The announcement was qualified by the<br />
statement that the government would continue<br />
to dii'ect the distribution of steel, the<br />
aim being to spread its use.<br />
Speaking in the Commons for Defense Production<br />
Minister C. D. Howe, John Dickey<br />
said improvement in Canada's steel position<br />
made the move possible but warned thati<br />
ample supplies would not be immediately<br />
available for all purposes.<br />
Osborne in Winnipeg<br />
Shifts to Art Poicy<br />
[Xl<br />
WINNIPEG—Workmen are busy at theA, Xm<br />
i*<br />
Osborne, reseating the de luxe neighborhood!<br />
house in the Famous Players circuit, erecting]<br />
a new marquee and giving the place a general<br />
facelifting. It will be reopened on Boxing da;<br />
with an art policy. Manager Dave Robertsoni<br />
at home recuperating after a hospitali<br />
now is<br />
t<br />
All<br />
Go N"'?<br />
.(lien<br />
Jfil<br />
sene «o<br />
altiie<br />
lojatani<br />
iiaioriyt<br />
;tieasi Bi b<br />
i! tie liEM<br />
iFNita.<br />
!. ihicli 1<br />
D<br />
[dyouliad<br />
< rig«. II<br />
Walter.<br />
Oil<br />
!.»m and 1<br />
teller, Hea<br />
tf a doiiMe<br />
stay, and Basil Belvie of the Metropolitan is<br />
C<br />
acting manager until Robertson returns<br />
Harold Bishop, Manitoba district manageriBi«« Com<br />
for Famous Players, was enthusiastic about ''"?'"<br />
^^<br />
ill<br />
the Osborne Cinema's affiliation with the<br />
,'«!<br />
International Cinema Guild of Canada, whicl<br />
Its.<br />
organization selects motion pictures with<br />
artistic merit and offbeat films which de^<br />
serve the attention of the discriminatingj<br />
There will be two performances each eveningj<br />
with matinees on Wednesdays, Saturdays^<br />
and holidays.<br />
Although the crackling of popcorn and the<br />
crunchmg of peanut brittle will be absent<br />
patrons will be permitted to partake of more<br />
Weatlier:<br />
Tmit. C<br />
irjal patona<br />
Califomi<br />
tie lover<br />
Played S<br />
.-G.J. Fork<br />
Snall-toini<br />
imGliJiCo<br />
discreet and silent confections while thi<br />
the<br />
view the carefully selected screen fare.<br />
The opening attraction will be "Hawks it<br />
Sail<br />
We.Elleo<br />
aiid t!<br />
the Sky," a British drama starring Jacl^soiedot<br />
'<br />
lie<br />
Hawkins and Michael Dennison. Hawkins ii<br />
Scot!<br />
currently winning new friends as the good-,<br />
«: Coxi,-<br />
*y. Ik<br />
hearted but belligerent doctor in "Tlie Story<br />
of Mandy," which won a gi'eat favor witt'<br />
Winnipeggers at the Odeon Other picturef^<br />
irihiir<br />
t o[ laiish<br />
Rather;<br />
Blaki<br />
irllieatre.<br />
Co<br />
fflil rural c;<br />
1<br />
to follow are "Outcasts of the Islands,'<br />
"Castles in the Air," "Gift Horse of thi ^IfetisL<br />
Sea" and Greta Garbo in "Camille." Eai,cl<br />
'*» Pram<br />
program will also have a special<br />
„.<br />
selection o:<br />
! 3iII<br />
He<br />
suitable shorts as well as a first run newsreel<br />
tiitli'Do,<br />
Winnipeg welcomes a second art house. Tbt f^^<br />
other is the Cohen Bros.' Valour. Winnipei<br />
6e:Vi[f_<br />
film critics were rhapsodic in praising thi Mo.<br />
forthcoming opening of the city's second ar<br />
house.<br />
Drive-In Owners Restless<br />
TORONTO — The prevalence of "Jun<<br />
weather" in December (up to the time o<br />
IfPEBI<br />
this writing, at least) encouraged a fe\^fci::<br />
fei'<br />
operators of drive-in theatres in Ontario t W.f<br />
consider reopening for New Year's eve show.'i<br />
There were inquiries at exchanges regarding<br />
films available for the occasion<br />
Producer Sam Katzman has signed Johii]^ m u,<br />
Ireland to star in Columbia's "49 Men."<br />
Hull Jmti,<br />
JofncEj,<br />
BOXOFFICE December 20, ~ ,<br />
1961