Boxoffice-11.04.1950

Vaudeville Returns
To Vancouver Stage
VANCOUVER—Vaudeville will return to
this city November 6, opening at the Hastings,
Odeon circuit house in the east end
which formerly was the Pantages. The Bert
Levy agency in Los Angeles will book the
acts.
Odeon dropped stage shows when it took
over the Hastings, and has been only fairly
successful with straight films.
Vaudeville will start there at 50 cents top
for a stage show plus two films. Roy Mc-
Leod, who used to run the vaudeville at the
Hastings, has been moved back there from
the Vogue, along with his assistant. Marge
Brewer. Al Jenkins of the Plaza succeeds
McLeod at the Vogue: Ernest Sauer of the
Lux moves to the Plaza and Carmen Gentile
of the Hastings goes to the Lux.
Pioneers in Maritimes
Consider Get-Together
ST. JOHN—Members of the Motion Picture
Pioneers maritimes branch are considering
sponsorship of a get-together of Pioneers
and film folk in general. Reg March. 20th-
Fox district manager, is president of the
maritimes Pioneers; Abe Smith, MGM district
manager, is vice-president; Les Sprague,
partner-manager of the Gaiety at suburbati
Fairfield, is secretary-treasurer, and the following
are directors: Fred Gregor, New
Waterford, N. S.; Joe Franklin, St. John, and
Bruce Yeo, Souris, P. E. I.
The recent addition of Clarence Fraser,
Truro, N. S.: Don MacDonald. Sydney; Gerry
Hoyt, St. John and Edgar Neal. Woodstock,
N. B., brought to 30 the members in the
branch.
New Rex in Tracadie, N. B.,
Will Open by Nov. 15
TRACADIE, N. B.—The Rex Theatre is
expected to be ready for opening during the
first half of November. The seating capacity
is 400, with space for adding 80 seats. The
projection and sound are Simplex and RCA.
The North Shore Theatre Co. owns the Rex.
There are four partners, all local residents.
The Rex will be the only Tracadie theatre,
as the Capitol was destroyed by fire some
time ago and was not rebuilt.
Ban on Theatre Building
Considered in Canada
OTTAWA—Canadian Trade Minister C. D.
Howe has revealed here that this country
may be forced to follow the recent action of
the U.S. in imposing a ban on all theatre
construction. However, the Southam newspaper
bureau here later indicated that a
clamp on entertainment construction would
not be necessary for the time being at least.
The bureau quoted a government source as
saying there was not enough theatre building
in the Dominion to require such a restriction.
Howe said any action toward a construction
ban would depend upon the availability
of materials involved, particularly those
which are necessary for armaments.
The development came at a time when
theatre construction had reached its lowest
point since the end of World War II. Only
about 24 major construction jobs are planned
or under way at this time throughout the
Dominion.
In the Edmonton, Alta., district some $2,-
000,000 in building is in the "definite" stage.
Bids have been called on the $1,000,000 Famous
Players Canadian Paramount, an 1,800-
seat house slated for completion in late 1951.
Site has been bought for a new Odeon downtowner,
expected to seat about 1,200 persons.
Work is expected to start next spring, although
Odeon has never confirmed a construction
date. The theatre is rated in the
$500.000-and-up class.
Third Edmonton project is a $150,000 drivein
planned north of the city by Western
Drive-In Theatres, which now has two airers
in the district. President Mervyn "Red"
Dutton, on his last trip to the city, said the
third unit is on the books. F>reliminary work
is to start this year with completion slated
for late spring.
In Ontario, a move has been made for
erection of a long-delayed theatre at Hamilton,
but it is believed likely that FPC again
will pigeonhole the project in view of conditions.
The site for the propo.sed 1,600-seater
has been purchased by FPC. A drive-in
near Orillia, Ont.. has been started by 20th
Century Theatres, while FPC has one major
project under way, the remodeling of the
Brantford Capitol, slated to reopen soon as
the Paramount.
Other jobs which have been started or
planned in the Dominion in recent months,
include:
Alberta:
Vilna—Vilna Theatre, 300 seats, owner J. Froescul,
VegreviUe—
Red
Lisogar.
Deer— Drive-in
600
on
seats. R.
Sylvan
Lisogar
Lake highway
planned by FPC
theatre, for J. Beverly—Unnamed 400 seats B.
Speirs.
Barrhead— Roxy, 600 seats, Williams Osadchuk.
British Columbia:
Moncton—Paramount, 1,243 seats, FPC.
Quesnel—Rex, 600 seats, Paul Gauthier.
Kamloops—Paramount, 1,000 seats, delayed until
spring 1951.
Port Alberni—Port, conversion of roller rink by
Harold Warren.
Pnnce Rupert—Totem, 700 seats, FPC.
Manitoba:
Winn:peg—Savoy, 450 seats, J. 1. Phillips.
New Brunswick:
St John-Quonset theatre, 400-450 seats, Jack
Coughlm and Art Arseneau.
Sunny Brooke— Tile block theatre, 400-450 seats.
Tults Cove—600-1, 000-seater, Franklin & Herschorn.
Nova Scotia:
Kentville—850-sealer, F. G. Spencer Co.
Ontario:
Maniwaki—Agora, 700 seats, by Philias E. Theriault,
Sakatchewan:
Wilkie—500-seat theatre under way for Rothstein
Theatres, Winnipeg.
Whitewood— Legion, 300 seats.
Caught Breaking Into Theatre
HALIFAX—A policeman early in the morning
recently caught a man trying to break
into the Casino Theatre. The man, Raine
Paul, was charged with breaking and entering.
Threatens Suit Over Odor
ST. JOHN—The odor of gasoline, allegedly
coming from a leak in gasoline tanks of a
filling station next door, has caused the management
of the Mayfair Theatre to threaten
a damage suit unless the tanks are moved.
The odor can be detected in the theatre
auditorium, offices and apartments in the
Mayfair building, it is contended. The gasoline
tanks were laid right next to the theatre
foundation.
Recognizes Film Villain
ST. JOHN—When Lou Simon and his wife
were taking a stroll here recently they saw a
familiar person looking at some advertising
in front of the Capitol Theatre. Simon. Columbia
exchange manager, recognized the
man in the rumpled sports jacket as Mike
Mazurki, film villain and wrestler, who was
in town for a grunt-and-groan date.
BOXOFHCE November 4, 1950
MARTA IN MONTREAL—In connection with the six-city Canadian world premiere
of Universal-International's "Deported," Marta Toren, star of the film, and
Lionel Shapiro, author of the screenplay, made personal appearances. Miss Toren is
seen here before going on the stage of the Princess Theatre in Montreal. Left to right
are Phil Maurice, supervisor of Consolidated Theatres; Robert Shepherd, manager of
the Princess; Miss Toren; M. J. Isman, Empire Universal district manager; Tom
Cleary, publicity chief for Consolidated Theatres, and George Bishop, local radio commentator
who introduced Miss Toren from the stage.
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