Boxoffice-Febuary.07.1948

. . Gustave
. . Norman
. . Lou
. .
. . . H.
. . . Exhibitors
. . "Black
. . Ben
TORONTO
n number of managerial changes have taken
paign. Also coming up is "Whispering City,"
which was made in Canada by Quebec Productions
Corp. J. Arthur Rank has the world
distribution
rights.
After a lengthy visit with her son, Len
Bishop, manager of the Tivoli, and his family,
Mrs. Bishop sr., returned to her home
in California. Another son, Harold, is the
Famous Players district manager in Winnipeg
. R. Demery, projectionist at
the Tivoli and a member of the Famous Players
25-Year club, is a patient in Toronto
General hospital . . . Sydney Blumenstock
of 20th-Fox, New York, was here to arrange
for the Canadian premiere of "Gentleman's
Agreement." He brought word to Toronto
friends from his brother Mort who is with
United Artists.
Ken Holland's Amateurs, who have become
a weekly stage fixture at several Toronto
theatres, have added the Family to their
bookings Allin, former head
office booker for Odeon, has been appointed
booker in Cleveland for the Co-Operative
Circuit of Ohio, taking over his duties February
2. Mrs. Allin will follow from Toronto
when he gets settled.
The Mayfair was sold out for a one-night
showing of "Song of the South," sponsored by
the Humbercrest Home and School Ass'n in
cooperation with Manager M. White.
For the first run of "The Burning Cross,"
Manager Ralph Wilson of the Circle placed
an illuminated display on the theatre's stage.
In cooperation with the Ace and Kenwood
theatres, he has been distributing book
matches . Michelson, who resigned as
salesman here for United Artists, has succeeded
Joe Plottel as Winnipeg manager of
Selznlck Releasing Organization . . . Manager
Al Sedgwick of the Palace, St. Catharines,
picked a cold Saturday morning for
the free distribution of ice cream to patrons
of the Odeon Movie club show, but the many
juveniles disregarded the temperature.
The Brant in Brantford had good attendance
for a Circus day program for its Famous
Players Movie club performance, all the
short subjects dealing with the big top . . .
The Esquire, also in Brantford, played up
the western angle for a Saturday matinee in
featuring "Hollywood Cowboys," a Screen
Snapshots short, and other appropriate pictures.
Fan photos of Roy Rogers were distributed.
Dave Gordon, supervisor here for Biltmore
Theatres, had a spell in the hospital but his
condition is not serious . . . Manager Ken
Johnston of the new Odeon at Guelph has
introduced the Odeon Movie club plan to the
juveniles of the Royal city . . . Dewey D.
Bloom, MGM explolteer, returned with his
wife after a cruise to the West Indies.
place in the 20th Century Theatres following
the resignation of Nat Bresver from
the Belsize. He is moving to Brandon, Man.
Aubrey Lent was transferred from the Community
to the Belsize and Tom Montagu has Famous Players 25-Year club, A. E. Cauley,
In connection with his election to the
taken charge of the Commimity. Fred C. manager of the Capitol in Peterborough, drew
Leavens has gone from the Family to the a lengthy personal boost in the Daily Examiner
in that city, the write-up giving de-
Grand in Sudbury, Dave Robinson becoming
manager of the Family. Ed Hubbard has tails of his long career as a showman .
moved from the Mountain in Hamilton to the "Damaged Goods" played a week's engagement
at regular prices at the Savoy in Ham-
Community in that city and Tom Gallagher
to the Century at Trenton. George McEwen ilton . . . R. W. Bolstad, vice-president of
has become manager of the Manor here. Famous Players, and Mrs. Bolstad have a
25-Year club of their own. They've just celebrated
a quarter century of happy marriage.
Howard Elliott returned to managerial
duties at the pairlawn after three weeks in
a hospital, and jumped into preparations for
the early opening of "So Well Remembered,"
for which he has laid out an extensive cam-
Film About Mounties
Given Big Buildup
CALGARY—Extensive free publicity was
developed by Pete Egan, manager of the Palace,
for the National Film board's 35-minute
pictm-e, "R.C.M.P. File 1365," which was
booked as part of a double feature.
The film board sent a man here from
Winnipeg to work on exploitation with Egan
for nine days. Advance stories broke in the
news sections of both dailies, something imusual
in this city. A special window was put
in by the Hudson's Bay Co. department
store, and a red-coated Mountie and police
dog were lined up for a stage appearance at
a Saturday morning kiddy show.
On the morning the show opened, a preview
was held for the city's cliief constable,
the Royal Canadian Mounted Police inspector
of the district, several legal lights and
judges, and, as a speaker, Lucien Maynard,
attorney general of the province. Maynard
came all the way from Edmonton for the
occasion. This also was good for free publicity
for the booking.
The picture deals with an authentic police
case in the neighboring province of Saskatchewan,
showing how the Mounties put
together slender clues that led to the arrest
of a murderer on the docks of Halifax. He
was later hanged in Regina.
Jack Johnson Opens First
Theatre in Windthorst
WINDTHORST, SASK.—This farm community's
first theatre, the 325-seat Windthorst,
was opened recently by Jack Johnson.
It operates on two changes of program a
week.
Will Compose Score
Hugo Friedhofer has been engaged to compose
a supplementary score for Goldwyn's
Technicolor comedy, "A Song Is Born."
Dollar Economy Cuts
Vacations in U.S.
Toronto—Canada's dollar-economy restrictions
apparently are discouraging winter
vacations in Florida or California by
Toronto film executives. There has been
little talk here of plans for a lengthy stay
in the south or on the coast.
L. M. Devaney, Canadian district manager
for RKO, and his wife are on a vacation
cruise in the West Indies where
the use of Canadian dollars does not
come under restrictive regulations of the
Dominion government.
MONTREAL
The outstanding social function since New
Year's in Filmrow circles was a cocktail
party given by Eagle Lion for Mr. and Mi-s.
James Mason, the film stars. Mrs. Mason
(Pamela Kelloi is author of a best-selling
novel, and she and her husband autographed
copies in a local department store. Filmrow
folk present at the party included Bob Johnson,
Eagle Lion, and his wife; George Ganetakos,
president and managing director of
United Amusement Corp.; H. Ciles and Mel
Johnston, also of United; Allan Spencer, director
of advertising of Confederation
Amusement; Gordon Dann, general supervisor
for General Theatres, and Mrs. Dann;
W. Singleton, general sales manager of Associated
Screen News; S. Jacobs, district
manager of Monogram; Hector Hurteau,
booker at Monogram; Eddy Schrider, salesman
for Eagle Lion-Monogram; Mort Pi-evost,
G. Destonis, manager of the Strand
Theatre; G. Panos, manager of the System
Theatre; Alfred Goulet, Art Bahan, Mr. and
Mrs. Phil Maurice, H. Curtin, Les Reynolds,
M. Norris,. Miss B. Meyohlan and Miss Kay
Sheehy, secretary to Grattan Kiely, Montreal
manager for Warner Bros.
"Wings of the Morning," a Cardinal Film
production, was held a second week at the
Imperial ... A new theatre is being constructed
in Cowansville, Que. Carl Brock and
his partner, Leo Choquette, are the proprietors
. . . Allied Artists "It Happened on
Fifth Avenue" moved to the Strand after
five weeks at the Snowdon . Gold,"
another AA picture, will open at the Imperial
in mid-February.
Teddy Atkinson, booker at RKO, has resigned
. . . Paramount gave a cocktail party
for Joan Caulfield in the new "skylight roof"
at Ruby Foo's .
. . Bill Lester is sick.
John Levitt, Colimibia salesman, was on a
selling trip in Gaspe peninsula . . . Ai-thur
Hirscli, head of Consolidated Theatres, returned
from New York . Cronk,
Toronto, handled Fi-ench publicity here for
Empire-Universal.
Jason Cohen, salesman for Empire-Universal,
has left for Gand Mere and La Tuque
B. Miller, salesman for MGM., has returned
from an eastern townships selling
trip . . . Miss Belle Corber, office manager
and booker at MGM, was in a hospital . . .
Miss Jeanne Paquin, manager for Hanson
16mm, left for the hospital.
Mrs. K. Bonnell, formerly of 20th-Fox,
Toronto, is now cashier with Eagle Lion here
in town: Gonzague Ti-emblay,
Chicoutimi, owner of the Capitol there and
the Palace, Arvida; Roger Lalonde, owner of
the Colonial, Plessisville; D. St. Jacques,
proprietor of the Capitol, Thurso, and Paul
Lafontaine, manager of the Laurier, Hull,
Que.
Eugene Marquis, Liberal member of parliament
for Kamouraska, Quebec, advocated
tightening of censorship of literature and motion
pictures and a closer scrutiny by parliament
of applications for divorce. Marquis
said it was not surprising that juvenile delinquency
was increasing when magazines
and motion pictures depicted free love as an
ideal life and concubinage as an attribute
of liberty.
42 BOXOFFICE :: February 7, 1948