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. . Mel<br />
. . Les<br />
WINNIPEG<br />
nil Famous Players houses pushed hard the<br />
sale of gift tickets as the ideal Christmas<br />
Charlie Ki'upp. former longtime<br />
gift . . . showman now associated with one of the<br />
city's leading oil finns as its sales manager,<br />
has carved another career for himself by buying<br />
his way into the hotel business. Charlie<br />
now is owner of the St. Boniface hotel. He<br />
still has a finger in the film industry by<br />
operating a booking agency for country<br />
houses in addition to his other enterprises.<br />
All local houses have felt the usual pre-<br />
Christmas falling off in busi:iess, but with<br />
the holiday season in sight, they now are<br />
sitting back waiting for the bonanza they<br />
always receive . . . Famous Players' first run,<br />
downtown Gaiety, has been playing "Paisan"<br />
for a second week.<br />
Lou Goldin's Rialto has been showing a<br />
double bill of foreign films; one, the Austrahan<br />
"Eureka Stockade," and the other<br />
the British "Snowbound" ... A Jewish picture,<br />
"The Cantor's Son," with Moishe Oysher.<br />
has been doing well at Ban Sommers'<br />
State.<br />
After a short-lived run of the Swedish picture,<br />
"Apassionata," with Vlveca Lindfors,<br />
Albert Cohen's Valour is opening with the<br />
British filming of H. G. Wells' "History of<br />
Dave Rosemond carried his<br />
Mr. Polly" . . .<br />
first run of "Not Wanted" into an extra week<br />
and now has opened with the Abbott and<br />
Costello comedy, '>Meet the Killer."<br />
For the Christmas season, Tom Pacey<br />
brought in "The Wizard of Oz," which started<br />
off to a big play at his house.<br />
As a special Christmas attraction, the Winnipeg<br />
Ballet is presenting a new three-act<br />
ballet, "The Rose and the Ring," with choreography<br />
by Director Gweneth Lloyd and<br />
music by Walter Kaufman, conductor of the<br />
Wirmipeg Symphony . Torme, the<br />
"Velvet Fog," is coming to town to delight the<br />
bobbysoxers at Don Carlos' Casino, Januaiy<br />
6-12.<br />
The Tribune notes that the Memorial at<br />
Reston, Man., has built a cry room, a soundproof,<br />
glass-enclosed room where mothers can<br />
take their babies without missing any of the<br />
picture when the yoimgsters start to cut up.<br />
The idea has value, thinks the paper, and<br />
commends it to the consideration of local<br />
house operators.<br />
Marcus Loew's Theatres<br />
Adds to Working Capital<br />
OTTAWA—Keeping capital expenditm-es<br />
at a minimum, Marcus Loew's Theatres, Toronto,<br />
is steadily rebuilding its working capital<br />
position, which was depleted by the redemption<br />
of the preferred stock in April 1947.<br />
Redeeming the shares took $763,428 and reduced<br />
net current assets from $808,249 as of<br />
Aug. 28, 1946. to $248,250 at the end of the<br />
following August. However, during the year<br />
just completed with net profits totaling $115,-<br />
172 and capital expenditures aggregating<br />
only $34,922 and dividends paid amounting<br />
to $30,000, working capital at August 31 last,<br />
improved to $469,491 from $304,227 a year ago.<br />
Current assets were higher at $566,434 and<br />
consisted chiefly of $202,674 in cash and $353,-<br />
114 in Dominion of Canada bonds.<br />
Trade al Vancouver<br />
Holds Fairly Well<br />
VANCOUVER^Considering the pre-Christmas<br />
slump, business at first runs held up<br />
rather well. Most of the theatres were getting<br />
average or better grosses, and where<br />
business was off, it is not unexpectedly low.<br />
A return visit of "Dillinger" at the Paradise<br />
led the town. A second week of "That Forsyte<br />
Woman" at Capitol, also held up fairly well.<br />
Capitol—That Forsyte Woman (MGM), 2nd wk. Good<br />
Cinema—The Winslow Boy (EL); Spring in<br />
Park Lane (EL) Average<br />
Dominion—My Friend Irma (Para): Rope ol Sand<br />
(Para)<br />
Fair<br />
Orplieuin—Task Force {WB) Average<br />
Plaza and Hastings-Too Late lor Teors (UA) Fair<br />
Strand—Thieves' Highway {20th-Fox) Average<br />
Stale- Call Northside 777 (20th-Fox), plus stage<br />
show<br />
Fair<br />
Studio—Mrs. Fitzherbert (IFD) Average<br />
Vogue— Passport to Pimlico (EL) Fair<br />
"Adam's Rib' in Second Week<br />
Is Best at Toronto<br />
TORONTO—Many seats were vacant during<br />
the week before Christmas. Only one holdover<br />
was in the major list, "White Heat,"<br />
in its second week at the Imperial.<br />
(Average Is 100)<br />
Biltmore Silver Queen (UA),- The Night Invader<br />
(SR) 80<br />
-<br />
Imperial—White Heat (WB), 2nd wk 85<br />
Loew's-Adam's Rib (MGM) 105<br />
Odeon and Fairlawn-The Hidden Room (EL) 95<br />
Shea's Nortown and Capitol—The Small Voice<br />
(EL).' Arctic Fury (RKO) 85<br />
Tivoli—Under Capricorn (WB)<br />
S5<br />
University and Eglmton—Holiday Inn (Para); The<br />
Lady Eve (Para)..._ - 85<br />
Uptown—Tension (MGM); Free For All (U-I) 85<br />
Calgary Grosses Are Good<br />
Despite Holiday Rush<br />
CALGARY—Exhibitors were content with<br />
business here dui-ing the usual pre-Christmas<br />
rush. All local houses did good business with<br />
strong film offerings.<br />
Capitol—Madame Bovary (MGM) Good<br />
Grand—Home of the Brave (UA) Good<br />
Strand—Scene of the Crime (MGM);<br />
Counterpunch (Mono) - Good<br />
ST. JOHN<br />
IJalpli C. Ellis, 25, former field representative<br />
for the National Film Board in<br />
Nova Scotia, now is located at Ottawa,<br />
handling distribution of NFB films to theatres.<br />
He was in the field about three years<br />
and is a native of Milton, N. S.. near Liverpool<br />
. Sprague, part owner and manager<br />
of the FairvUle, N. B., Gaiety, and<br />
projectionist at 'the Empire here for many<br />
years, is credited by some industryites with<br />
installing the first talkies in the maritimes.<br />
The Gaiety was founded by Tom O'Rourke<br />
and is heading for its 30th birthday.<br />
O'Romke owns a half Interest, as well as<br />
owning and managing another Gaiety about<br />
90 miles away at Mlnto, N. B. The FairvUle<br />
Gaiety was improved considerably several<br />
months ago. The front has been revamped.<br />
A new sound system has been installed in<br />
the Park at Southwest Harbor. There is one<br />
show daily at the .seaside house at 7:30. Single<br />
bills prevail, with tliree weekly changes . . .<br />
Booked into the Grand, Ellsworth, for the<br />
holiday period were "I Was a Male War<br />
Bride," "Madame Bovary," "That Forsyte<br />
Woman," "Oh, You Beautiful Doll." There<br />
are six bill changes a week, including a dual<br />
for Saturday.<br />
OTTAWA<br />
. . . 2,500<br />
•Phe civic board of control ivis made a bid for<br />
a .substantial share of tii' Ontario amusement<br />
tax of 20 per cent in .- move to help<br />
to defray the rising costs of l.^v government.<br />
The Ontario Ass'n of Mayo; and Reeves<br />
has been asked to take up tht matter with<br />
-ome the provincial authorities<br />
juveniles crowded the Capitol for ur armual<br />
Christmas performance of the loi i Rotary<br />
club Satui-day morning (17 1. The th. itre was<br />
donated by Manager T. Ray Tubmai: in behalf<br />
of Famous Players.<br />
The Britisii feature, 'Whisky Galore, has<br />
been given the new title of "Tight Little<br />
Island" for its release in the Dominion.<br />
There seems to be some connection betwet n<br />
whisky and being tight, at that. The picture<br />
was screened for a gxiest audience by Manager<br />
Jack Gibson at the Glebe Sunday night<br />
(18), prior to Christmas engagement under<br />
the theatre's adult-audience policy.<br />
Tlie Evening Citizen ran a streamer story<br />
to announce that Ontario theatres had got<br />
together to submit a brief to the provincial<br />
government for strict enforcement of the<br />
lotteries act which would ban bingo competition.<br />
The Ottawa police department favors<br />
the abolishment of bingo games . . .<br />
The<br />
mobile television unit of Famous Players<br />
Canadian Corp.. under the supervision of<br />
George Cuthbert. TV engineer, will make its<br />
next appearance at the forthcoming convention<br />
here of the Ontario Medical Ass'n, for<br />
which 1,000 doctors are expected.<br />
After several weeks, the entrance to the<br />
Regent continues to be boarded up while the<br />
front is being remodeled and patrons are required<br />
to use what is virtually a side door.<br />
Manager Hem-y Marshall is somewhat amazed<br />
that business had held up despite the inconvenience<br />
The new<br />
for customers . . . Odeon was used for the first time for a special<br />
attraction when the Ottawa Choral union<br />
gave a performance of Handel's "Messiah"<br />
December 14 with Manager Gord Beavis<br />
supervising the presentation. All seats were<br />
reserved.<br />
In Ottawa to talk sports, Clarence S. Campbell,<br />
president of the National Hockey league,<br />
Montreal, disclosed that he is interested in<br />
four drlve-in theatres in Alberta and Saskatchewan.<br />
Opposes Sunday Change<br />
TORONTO—With the local ratepayers voting<br />
Januai-y 2 on the question of abolishing<br />
the Sunday blue laws, William P. Covert,<br />
lATSE vice-president, condemned any commercialization<br />
of the religious day in a statement<br />
in a display advertisement. Covert is<br />
business agent of the Toronto Local 173 of<br />
projectionists. Covert said in part that he<br />
regarded the move as "the thin edge of the<br />
wedge to break down the workers' one day<br />
of rest in seven and it is a definite attempt<br />
to take away the God-given freedom of<br />
Sunday. We will oppose this move with every<br />
power at om" command."<br />
DRIVE-IN THEATRE CENTER AISLE LIGHTS<br />
With numbered Panels for Ramps with Opaijue Panels<br />
for Driveway Illumination<br />
DRIVE-IN THEATRE MFG. CO. K^a^asMI^Mo.<br />
BOXOFFICE December 24, 1949 101
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