Modern

. . H.
. . Romeo
. . "Hamlet,"
. . Paul
. .
. . . Two
MONTREAL
Ted Atkinson, Montreal manager of Cardinal
Films, reports that his office is ready
to release the first two Screen Guild productions
for the 1948-49 season, "Return of Wildfire"
and "Jungle Goddess." Atkinson visited
John Dufort, owner of the Crystal Palace
here, who is a patient in St. Justine hospital,
and found him well on th3 way to recovery . . .
Empire-Universal held a two-day sales meeting
at the Mount Royal hotel, conducted by
A. W. Perry, president, and M. J. Isman. general
sales manager. Besides the Montreal
staff, L. Michaelson, manager of the St. John
branch, attended the meeting.
Holidays are nearing an end, but there are
still some vacationists from Filmrow. Mrs.
Bertrand, owner of the Princess at Riviere
du Loup, returned from a cruise to the
Saguenay. F. Jansen, stenographer at 20th-
Fox, took a two-week cruise on the Great
Lakes. Arthur Larente, manager of Peerless
Films, was on vacation. Francois Beland.
booker at Peerless, returned from a vacation
at St. Gabriel de Brandon. Ray Pellatt, cashier
at Empire-Universal, spent a week at
Atlantic City. Eugene Venne, assistant booker
to H. Hurteau at Monogram-Eagle Lion, took
a holiday. Maurice Duhamel, supervisor of
the Auclair circuit, returned from a vacation
at Banff . Ginsler, salesman at the
head office of Astral Film, Toronto, visited
Filmrow on business.
The Amos Theatre at Amos, Quebec, was
opened by Maurice Magny with the French
color picture, "Ramuntcko" . . . Marcel Bessette
sold the National, Marieville, to Jacques
Venne of St. Donat . Cardinal
has sold the Canadian Theatre here to A.
Grimaldi, owner of a trans-Canada circuit.
Pierre Madore, Rimouski, has opened his
new Cartier Theatre, replacing the Rimouskois
which burned . with Sir
Lawrence Olivier, will open September 20
. . . His Maje.sty's will reopen September 19
with a color feature of the Olympic Games,
"The Glory of Sport."
H. Cass, MGM manager, was a patient at
the Jewish General hospital . . . Charles
Chaplin, manager of United Artists in Toronto,
was here on business, as was Armand
Champagne, who is constructing a new theatre
m Sherbrooke, Que. ... An addition to
the office staff of International Film is
Lorraine Ratelle, steiiographer . . . Phillis
Hamer, cashier at International, is leaving
and will be replaced by Renee Porlier, at
present a stenographer.
Arthur Bahen, manager of the new Champlain
Theatre, and Mrs. Bahen are parents
of a son ... A birthday gift in the form of a
brown leather wallet with gold initials was
presented by the staff of RKO to Johnny
Bastien, booker
. Goudreau, Paramount
salesman, was on a business trip to
Val d'Or northern Quebec gold mining center
.. . Exhibitors in town: R. A. Baillargeon,
St. Sauveur Theatre, St. Sauveur, Que.: D.
St Jacques, Capitol, Thurso, and Maurice
Simard of the Central, Ste. Julienne .
Jim F. Pearson, 20th-Fox salesman, left for
Gaspe peninsula on business.
To Toronto House Opening
CALGARY — Jack Barron of the Grand
Theatre here, left to attend the official opening
of the new Odeon Carlton Theatre in
Toronto.
Waltz' Leads Trade OTTAWA
At Toronto Houses
TORONTO—The de luxe houses moved into
the new season with strong product but they
faced plenty of competition from the Toronto
fair, which was expected to attract
new record attendance of at least 2,500,000.
The Labor day holiday also pulled trade
away from the boxoffices. In its 14th week
at the Biltmore. "The Mating of Millie" still
was good. "The Emperor Waltz:" topped the
newcomers.
(Average Is 100)
Biltmore—The Mating of Millie (Col
Danforth and Fairlawn—The Dud
(Mono); Smart Womon (Mono)
Eglinton and Tivou—Escape (20th-r.
Imperial—Forever Amber (20th-Foy)
- - With ludy (MGM~
115
Loev/'j
Nortown and Vict Two Guys From Texas
(WB)
Shea's—The Emperor Waltz (Pi
Uptown—Tap Roots (U-I), 2nd vk
Cooler Weather Welcome
To Vancouver Managers
VANCOUVER—First run managers were
more pleased with boxoffice business than a
few weeks ago. A stretch of fairly cool evenings
and rain sent many pleasure seekers
to picture palaces instead of to outdoor
places. "The Best Years of Our Lives," in
its fourth week at the Vogue, was still doing
capacity. "Feudin'. Fussin' and A-Fighttn'
was above average at the Plaza. The Orpheum,
with its first twin bill in a year, was
away off with "Silver River" and "The Big
Punch."
Capitol Beyond Glory (Para) Average
Cinema—To the Ends ol the Earth (Col); I Love
Trouble (Col) Fair
Orpheum—Silver River (WB); The Big
Punch (WB) Moderate
Porc^dise The Loves of Joanna Godden
(EL); The Sign of the Ram (Col) Poor
Plaza—Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin' (U-I);
Trapped by Boston Blackie (Col) Good
Strand—Deep Waters (20th-Fox) Average
Vogue—The Best Years of Our Lives (RKO).
'High Seas' Leads Trade
At Calgary First Runs
CALGARY—With the opening of another
school term, downtown shoppers helped to
maintain average business at the first runs.
"Romance on the High Seas" at the Capitol
was very good. There were no holdovers.
Capitol-Romance on the High Seas (WB)....Very good
Grand—Are You With It? (U-I), split with
A Woman's Vengeance (U-I) and Holiday
Camp (U-1) Fair
Palace—Woman in While (WB), split with
Arthur Takes Over (20th-Fox) Good
Theatre in North Country
Closed Because of Polio
CALGARY—With an increase in the number
of polio cases in the north country, theatres
in all towns and hamlets in the Peace
River area have been closed.
More than 20,000 students in Edmonton,
the capitol city, enjoyed an extended holiday
as all schools remained closed.
School openings here and in South Alberta
have been normal, since the southern district
has not been hit by polio.
Double Chance to See 'Superman'
MONCTON, N. B—Something super about
the booking of "The Superman" serial by
Odeon in Moncton is that this chain screens
the chapters in the Capitol on Wednesday
and Thursdays and the Empress on Piidays
and Saturdays. The two Odeon theatres adjoin
each other and use the same entrance.
n pproximately 1,000 civic and police officials
attended a screening in the Capitol of
"Drug Addict," a National Film Board picture
dealing with the narcotics traffic. The
story is told that one of the addicts hired to
appear in the picture was missing when he
was to appear before the camera. He was
found in jail under the name of the NFB
"talent scout" who had secured him for the
film. A stand-in was used.
The Capitol at Smiths Falls is using a popular
stunt in the form of lucky marquee
numbers corresponding to those on advertising
literature. The winners are entitled to
two free tickets when their numbers appear
of the alleged burglars who made
a getaway in a gunfight with police after
robbing the Elmdale late at night have been
captured in the sister city of Hull. Officers
of the two cities surrounded a house with
revolvers drawn to arrest the suspects but
there was no more shooting.
Harry Ginsler, Ontario salesman for Astral
Films, Toronto, spent several days here to
check with exhibitors on new season bookings
The entrance of the Mayfair in
. . . south end has been torn out for the construction
The Nelson
of a modern front . . . and Somerset, neighborhood houses, combined
for a Saturday morning cartoon show,
admission for which consisted of ten coat
hangers in good condition.
Casey Swedlove celebrated the first birthday
of the Linden, in the New Edinburgh
section of the Canadian Capital, with a September
anniversary month of special pictures
... In the next picture for its Canada Carries
On series, the National Film Board has produced
a two-reeler on the Dr. Leslie Bell
Singers, outstanding Canadian women's choir.
The vocal numbers are relieved with comedy
touches.
. . .
Manager Henry Marshall of the Regent
took a September vacation after the return
of Nick Trembley, assistant manager
Manager Gordon Beavis of the Centre was a
visitor at his old home in Peterborough for
a reunion with relatives.
Odeon Building Project
Reported to Start Soon
ST. JOHN—Odeon circuit reportedly has
decided to end the delay in starting two theatre
building projects, one in Charlottetown,
P. E. I., and the other in FYedericton, N. B.
A site at Charlottetown, close to the Famous
Players-Spencer Capitol, was taken
over several years ago and a lot at FYedericton
was acquired in 1947. At Charlottetown,
the Spencer chain, unopposed for 30 years,
had exhibition .sewed up with the Capitol and
Prince Edward and the Empire, currently
under lease from the city.
At Predericton, W. W. O. Fenety, who opperated
the Capitol and Gaiety on his own,
linked with Famous about two years ago. He
had operated the Gaiety about 35 years and
took over the Capitol from Spencer about 12
years ago.
Odeon is said to be convinced that there
is an opening in both towns for new theatres
despite the two and three competition.
100 BOXOFFICE :: September 11, 1948