Boxoffice-March.10.1951

MONTREAL
Driefs from Fllmrow: Jack Roher, Toronto,
president of Peerless Films, was in town
on business . . . Arthur Larente, Montreal
manager for Peerless, has been ill . . . D. St.
Jacques of the Capitol, Thurso, was a visitor
. . . Georges Champagne of the Cinema
circuit, Shawinigan Falls, has acquired the
Empire Theatre, La Tuque . . . Garth Beckett,
salesman for Arrow Films, broke his
wrlit when attempting to start his car . . .
Simon Moreau, cashier at 20th-Fox, sent
the staff a card from Florida where she is
recuperating . . . Ruby Rabinovitch, booker
at United Artists, spent the weekend skiing
in the Laurentians. He stayed at the Vermont
hotel, Ste. Agathe.
A Walt Disney festival is being presented
at the Auditorium, St. Laurent . . . National
Film Board has invited the French-Canadian
pwet, Robert Choquette, to write the commentary
for a film about rural life in Quebec
. . . Cinema de Paris has been showing
Michele Morgan and Henri Vidal in "La
Belle Que Viola" in its sixth week ... At the
Canadien in its second week, "L'Escadron
Blanc" and "Apres TAmour" are featured.
Louis Jouvet, outstanding personality of
the Parisian films and stage, is being brought
by Prance Film to His Majesty's where he
. . .
will star in Moliere's "L'EcoIe des Femmes"
The old Place Viger hotel, which has
been sold to the city by the Canadian Pacific
railway, was built in 1849 on the site
of an early Montreal theatre, the Hays, belonging
to the chief of police of that period.
France Film brought Luis Mariano in person
to the St. Denis, where the famed operetta
singer was acclaimed by 21,192 persons
during a single weekend . . . Mistinguett,
idol of Paris for years, drew a crowd of admirers
each night to the Montmartre. She
arrived by air from Paris . . . Mayor Boivin
of Granby, Que., theatre owner, increased his
popularity with the young set by removing
the arm of every second chair in the theatre
so that spooning couples would not be hampered
by a projecting arm.
Thanks' for Cancer Drive
TORONTO—The film industry has received
official commendation from the Canadian
Cancer society for its active cooperation
in its fund-raising campaigns. The theatres
and film exchanges made extensive use of
trailers and devoted advertising space for
the crusade. The board of the cancer .society
expressed special appreciation to President
J. J. Pitzgibbons of Famous Players Canadian
Corp. and President Gordon Lightstone
of the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors
As.sociatlon.
Rally to Red Cross Aid
TORONTO—Stimulated by the seriousness
of the international situation, local film
executives have rallied to the support of
the Canadian Red Cross In its annual financial
drive. The film Industry committee
is headed by vice-president R. W. Bolstad
of Famous Players Canadian Corp. Its personnel
includes 17 officials of theatre groups
and film exchanges.
'Birdie' Hits High Spot
In Toronto Week
TORONTO—Although there continued to
be considerable sickness in the Toronto district,
the attractions at half of the important
theatres were held over, three of them for a
third week, these being "Born Yesterday" at
the Imperial, and "Call Me Mister" at the
University and Nortown. The chief feature
among the new pictures was "Watch the
Birdie" at Loew's. The weather was disagreeable
in spots.
(Average Is 100)
Biltmore—Cocaine (SR); Power Dive (Para) 110
Fairlawn Harvey (U-I); David Harding. Counterspy
(Col) 105
Hyland The Strange Case of Madeleine (EL),
2nd wk 9b
Imperial—Bom Yesterday (Col), 3rd wk 90
Loew's—Watch the Birdie (MGM) 120
Odeon The Woman in Question (EL) 105
Shea's—Cry Danger (RKO) 105
Tivoli and Capitol American Guerrilla in the
Philippines (20th-Fox); If I'm Lucky (SR), reissue
- 90
University and Nortown Call Me Mister (20th-
Fox), 3rd wk 85
Uptown—Tomahowk (U-1), 2nd wk 90
Victoria and Eglinton The Prince of Peace (HP),
2nd wk 100
Flu Epidemic, Rain and Lent
Hit Vancouver Grosses
VANCOUVER—First runs were suffering
from a minor flu epidemic, rain and the
Lenten season, but "Kim" had a big week at
the Orpheum "Harvey" at the Vogue did very
well.
Capitol Grounds for Marriage (MGM)
Cinema—The Steel Helmet (LP); Bandit
Average
Queen
(LP)
Fair
5th
d. t. Fair
Hastings The Admiral Wo« a Lady (UA), plus
stage show
Average
Orpheum Kim (MGM) Excellent
Dominion
wk
King Solomon's Mines (MGM),
Paradise Rocketship (Cardinal); Mars Attacks the
World (Cardinal) 5 days Poor
Plaza and Eraser Double Crossbones (U-I) Fair
Strand I'd Clinob the Highest Mountain
(20th-Fox)
Fair
Studio Faust and the Devil (Col) Fair
Vogue Harvey (U-I) Very Good
MARITIMES
Ilrchie Mason, owner of the Springhill Capitol
and president of the MMPEA, spoke
at the formal opening of the 1951 session of
the Nova Scotia legislature. He represents
Cumberland Center in the house as a Liberal.
At the 1950 convention of the MMPEA at
Amherst, in Cumberland county, he predicted
that a provincial sales tax of not more than
2 per cent would be introduced at the 1950
legislative session. Current indications are
that such a bill will be brought up, calling
for a tax of 1% per cent, a sharp contrast to
the 4 per cent tax in adjoining New Brunswick,
. .
The Mayfair and Dundas at Dartmouth
joined downtown stores in reviving Dollar
day. FVee bus transportation was provided
downtown for the hours during which the
stores operated. It has been several years
since a Dollar day sale was held at Dartmouth
. The Community Theatre and Community
barber shop, neighbors at the outskirts
of Rothesay, N. B., are offering bingo
games.
Arthur Burbank, who died recently at
Moncton at the age of 69, had been a musician
and entertainer In that city's theatres
for many years. Previously he had been In
vaudeville in the U.S., with a musical act,
playing a number of instruments.
OTTAWA
llJere for a federal government conference
recently was Fred C. Dillon, secretary
of the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors
Ass'n. He was also guest speaker at the
Rotary club luncheon in Smiths Falls March
2 and later at the Rotary meeting in Brockville
The Ottawa Imperial staged a word
. . . contest for juveniles in a tie-up with the
Classic Illustrated magazine. First prize was
a bicycle . . . Casey Swedlove of the Linden
gave cash awards for the best cowboy and
cowgirl costumes at a recent Saturday matinee.
Graeme Fraser, assistant general manager
of Crawley Films Ltd., was main speaker
at the Hull Rotary meeting in Standish
Hall. He stressed the growing imprartance
of the film industry in the Dominion. There
are 58 film producers, large and small, in
Canada.
Gerald Dillon, assistant manager of the
Ottawa Rideau, reaped some goodwill recently
when he learned that a theatre patron
discovered her son in a lobby photograph of
the Canadian troops in Korea. Dillon presented
the mother with a blowup of the
picture with the compliments of the theatre
. . . Ross McLean, former general manager
of the National Film Board, will also be chief
of the film division of UNESCO.
Manager Jack Gibson and the police are
baffled by the safecracking at the Glebe
when an estimated $500 was taken . . The
.
Kinsmen club of Kingston is cooperating
with Manager Ford of the Odeon in a draw
for an all-expense tour to Bermuda, the
Bahamas or Vancouver, sponsored by the
club.
Wide NFB Film Use
OTTAWA — The community film
movement
has had a spectacular expansion
throughout Canada, due mainly to the organization
work of the National Film Board,
it was brought out in a government report.
A total of 308 community film councils are
operating up and down the country, presenting
films in halls and recreation centers.
Also organized are 265 community film libraries
in which there are prints of many
National Film Board subjects. The Canadian
Film Institute, 172 Wellington St., Ottawa,
is active in the community and industrial
field as well.
Toronto 'Helmet' Moveover
TORONTO—After playing first run at five
units of 20th Century Theatres here with the
Downtown Theatre leading the way, "The
Steel Helmet" moved to the Astor, an affiliated
theatre, for a second week. Curly Posen's
King played the Canadian premiere of "The
Twins," an Italian musical feature with English
subtitles.
Korea Weapons on Display
OTTAWA—A special exhibit of military
equipment was on di-splay in the lobby of
the Rideau during the week's engagement
of "The Steel Helmet," the armament being
demonstrated by Canadian soldiers as representative
of the equipment being used by
Canada's troops in Korea.
92 BOXOFFICE March 10, 1951