Boxoffice-October.27.1951

. . 20th-Fox
. . Support
I
MONTREAL
The Vimy at Rigaud has been purchased
from A. Bussiere, owner and builder, by
Van Develve, and Wilham Cote has bought
the Warwick in the town of that name from
Jose Igartua, who is returning to his native
John Ganetakos,
Porto Rico to reside . . .
executive of United Amusement and Confederation
circuits, spent a week in court in
the old Tabah litigation . . . Eugene Venne,
manager of International Films, reports his
company is distributing the long-awaited
Italian motion picture, "Bitter Rice." which
stars the tempestuous Silvana Mongano . . .
Gene Autry was appearing at the Forum, and
John Carroll at the Seville.
Following the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday
many exhibitors visited the Filmrow exchanges.
Among them were Charles Magnan,
Laurier, Victoriaville: J. M. Martin, Royal,
East Angus: Dick Allaire and Paul Gendron,
the Victoria, Victoriaville; T. C. Soucie of
the Larrainville in that town, and the Montcalm,
Rouyn, and Marcel Croisetiere, the
Oasis, Buckingham.
. . .
"Beaver Valley," wild life picture filmed by
Walt Disney, was shown at Montreal Museum
of Fine Arts Westmount High School
Alumnae Ass'n is holding theatre nights October
Irene Upton, billing clerk at
29, 30 . . . Columbia, has resigned . will lose
two staffers with the resignations of Simone
Moreau, cashier, and Grace O'Donnell, bookkeeping
machine operator. Succeeding them
are Francoise Michaud and Barbara Pradkin.
Miss Moreau has been 12 years with the
company and Miss O'Donnell five and a half
years.
. . . Roland
Jo Oupcher, salesman for United Ai-tists,
was in Quebec City, and Archie Cohen, Warner
Bros., was in the northern Quebec mining
district around Vald d'Or
Beaudry of Montreal Poster motored to Boston
with friends on a two-week vacation . . .
Lucien Lartigau, head booker for the same
company, became father of a baby girl.
"Stagecoach to the Stars," a new film issued
by the Canadian postoffice and produced
by National Film Board, was shown to
the Montreal Stamp club. Besides tracing the
history of the mail, it shows the preparation
and printing of the four new stamps issued
recently to commemorate Canada's first
postage stamp, the three penny Beaver.
Halt Smoking in Theatre
OTTAWA—Fire Chief William Beattie and
the municipal council of nearby Arnprior
have decided to clamp down on smoking by
patrons in the O'Brien Theatre. In recommending
the action. Chief Beattie said:
"Smoking in the theatre is a fire hazard and
must be stopped."
Claudette Colbert dropped out of the cast
of RKO's "The Korean Story" on doctor's
orders.
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CALGARY
Phones:
609A 8th Ave. W. Bus. 64919— Res. 22514
Confederation Corp.
Deal Is Contested
MONTREAL—Fred Tabah, or a number of
years president of Confederation Amusements,
asked the superior court to issue a
temporary injunction to prevent the directors
from enforcing certain regulations adopted
following the sale of 60 per cent of confederation's
preferred and common shares to
United Amusement Corp.
Confederation, through its counsel, Jean
Martineau, contested the application. Tabah
alleged that he is the possessor of 1,000 shares
of the company, and that the board of
directors sought to reduce the powers of
the president. He claimed that a resolution
adopted by the board April 27, 1949, named
one of the directors general manager with
absolute control of the books, documents and
contracts of the company. Following the
sale of control to the United Amusement
Corp., the directors, he claimed, created a
new category of shareholders, holders of A-
stock, which he contended exceeds their legal
rights. He also alleged the A-shareholders
were given the right to elect four directors of
a total of ten, and that it would be impossible
to increase the number of directors
without the consent of the new shareholders.
Justice Maurice Lelonde concluded the
hearing and took the matter under deliberation.
WINNIPEG
JJice weather is helping fill theatres in
Winnipeg and exhibitors have a nice assortment
of films. Harry Gray held over
"Saturday's Hero" at the Lyceum. Phil Young
had "Jungle Headhunters" and "Tokyo File
212," Eddie Newman held over for a second
week "Here Comes the Groom" at the Met;
Charles Straw rolled them in the aisles for a
second week with "Up in Arms" and "They
Got Me Covered" at the Gaiety: Bill Novak
brought in healthy grosses with "David and
Bathsheba" at the Capitol: the Valour showed
the British "Travelers Joy"; the Rialto played
"Babes for Sale" and "Black Parachute";
Mesho Triller had "Cyrano de Bergeac" at
the Dominion; Tom Pacey held "The Browning
Version" for a second week at the Odeon,
and Dave Saifeer held "Meet Me After the
Show" at the Garrick.
Visitors to Winnipeg were George OuUahan,
general manager of Fotonite, Toronto;
Bill Welykolawa of the Elite and Capitol,
Kamsack; Nate Bresver, of the Oak, Brandon,
on one of his recent Toronto jaunts.
FP, B&L Scout Another
Location After F&H Buy
SYDNEY, N. S.—Famous Players and B&L
Theatres are reported connected with a plan
to establish a drive-in on Cape Breton Island
between Sydney and Glace Bay.
A site which had been held by FP for several
years between the two spots has been
bought by Franklin & Herschorn and work is
under way on the location. Another site is
being considered for the proposed, second
outdoor theatre.
VANCOUVER
Morth Vancouver's population has jumped
from 8,914 to 15,579 in ten years, but the
city still has only one theatre, the Odeon, a
734-seater, since the Lonsdale, a 450-seater,
closed a year ago. Two other theatres are
in the planning stage but material shortages
are holding up construction. The North Vancouver
Board of Trade is trying to get some
action for at least one more theatre, but has
had no luck to date . . . Other census figures
show the Penticton population has increased
from 5,777 to 10,517 (one Famous Players
Theatrei; Port Albernie from 4.584 to 7,800
(three theatres). Vancouver and Victoria
populations have not yet been listed.
The Kershaw Agencies of Calgary, headed
by FVank Kershaw, former district manager
for Famous Players here, will resume distribution
of Manley popcorn machines and popcorn
supplies as exclusive agent in eastern
Canada. The Manley products formerly were
handled by a Toronto company and the agreement
was canceled by court action last year.
Local managers of the Odeon circuit are
engaged in the 13-week J. Arthur Rank
showmanship contest which started last week
(18) and covers exploitation, boxoffice returns
and candy sales ... All Famous Players
theatres were decorated with flags and bunting
for the Royal visit . . . Frank Goddard of
the staff of the Vogue Theatre, a retired veteran
of the Canadian army, is on the job daily
as doorman.
Clarence Whittingham of the Youbou circuit
on Vancouver Island, and Ron McKee
of the Lulu Theatre, Richmond, were Filmrow
Fred Poyser, projectionist,
visitors . . . died last week at the age of 85. He retired
from theatre work a few years ago at the
Metro Theatre, New Westminster . . . John
Turner of the JARO newsreel staff in England
is covering the royal tour in Canada.
His shots are being shown in west end theatres
in London in less than 48 hours after
being filmed.
The local Warner exchange's Haskell Masters
short subject week was the biggest in the
history of any distributor in the Vancouver
territory. Earl Dalgleish, WB manager, reports
. . . All Vancouver neighborhood theatres
are going after the Saturday children's
matinee business in a big way this year . . .
Len Johnson, president of the British Columbia
Exhibitors Ass'n, declared of the projectionists
union agitation for higher wages,
that it was only a matter of time before the
issue would become national.
Stuart Keate, publisher of the Victoria
Daily News, was elected to the nine-man National
Film Board of Canada for a threeyear
term as Pacific coast representative . . .
Carl Peppercorn, RKO Canadian general
manager, was in getting acquainted. He reported
that RKO business was tops across
Canada, the only problem spot being the Pacific
coast region . for a city
plebiscite on an open Sunday came from the
Vancouver Labor council, but the church
groups are protesting again.
Hold Art Films Third Week
TORONTO—The sister theatres of the arty
class held their attractions for a third week.
They were "Tales of Hoffmann," as a roadshow
at the Towne Cinema, and "Laughter
in Paradise" at the International Cinema.
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92 BOXOFFICE :
: October 27. 1951