Boxoffice-December.20.1952

. . . John
. . Two
. . K.
. .
Notional Will Operate
30 Theatres in Ontario
TORONr( National nieiitres. which
Samuel FiUKuld uiU own 100 per cent after
termlnatlnR his a.s.soclatlon with Odcon Theatres
of Canada January 5, will continue to
operate a circuit of 30 theatres In Ontjkrio.
Included are the Roxy theatres at Acton,
BurllnRton. Carleton Place, Cootsvllle, Chesley,
Cornwall, Georgetown, Hamilton, Markham,
Midland, Owen Sound, Port Stanley,
Uxbrldge, Walkerton, Milton. West Hill and
Woodbrldge: the majestic. Dundas; Caplto.
Midland. Midland Drive-In, Midland: Seville,
Montreal: Blltmore, Oshawa: Elmdnle. Ottawa:
Century, Ottawa: Centre, Owen Sound:
Bcarboro Drive-In: Stanley, Stouffvllle.
Odeon, St. Thomas, and Winchester. Wlnehester.
National Booking Co.. subsidiary of National
Theatre Services and located at 20 Carlton
St., will continue under the leadership of
Lionel Lester, who will book and buy for some
45 Independent Ontario theatres.
Theatres which will now be operated under
the Odeon banner Include the Royal. Aurora:
Roxy. Brampton: Odeon, Brampton; Bramp
ton Drive-In: Roxy, Newmarket; Century,
Oakville; Gregory, Oakville, and Odeon, Sturgeon
Palls.
Tax Removal Appeal
Is Issued by Showmen
From Eastern Edition
WASHINGTON, PA.—More than a week
ago city council readjusted its 1953 budget
ordinance and cut anticipated revenue from
the city's 10 per cent amusement tax in half.
from $30,000 to $15,000. This was not satisfactory
to William Basle, owner of the Basle
Theatre here, and he returned to city fathers
with an urgent plea for relief. With representatives
of Warners' State and Washington
Theatres and the Halliday Bowling Center,
Basle pleaded that the amusement tax,
which has been in effect here for the past
ttve years, be rescinded for at least next year.
He said that theatres had to have complete
reUef from the tax in order to remain in
business.
"We have our backs to the wall and need
complete relief from the tax at least next
year. If our business picks up, and we anticipate
this theatre slump will end soon, we'll
be glad to pay the tax again. But as long as
business is as bad as it is, we have to have
more help from you," Basle told Washington
councllmen.
A spokesman for projectionists said that
union members realized the slump in the
motion picture business and had not requested
any pay increase for the last four years from
management. Washington council is reconsidering
the matter at budget sessions.
TORONTO. OHIO—The two theatres in this
Jefferson county city of 7,500 closed for good
this week. Manos Enterprises directors said
that a city admission tax has made both
theatres unprofitable.
To Serve You Better
We have opened an Edmonton office
under management of
EDWIN H. HAUGEN
J. M. RICE 6t CO.
10911 116H. St. Edmonton, Alto.
BOXOFFICE December 27. 1952
MONTREAL
Tullette I^care won the title of Montreal'*
Penny Prlnco.^.^ In flnnU Friday night
lit the Kent Thrutro The contest wan run
all week from the .-.taKe of the Kent in con-
Junction with the J Arthur Rank film.
"Penny Prince.**." MKs Legure will go to
Toronto to compete for the national title
and the winner there will be awarded a
grand array of glft-s plu.s an ull-lre at
New CarlLsle. and hl.s bride went to
Mexico for the winter Maloney,
Barachols Theatre, Barachols, Oa.spe coa.st,
visited Montreal for the Christmas and New
Year's holidays and called on friend.i at the
film exchanges . new theatres opened
December 20—The Luxor In Montreal North,
owned by L. Larocque, and the Cinema
Pocatiere owned by Georges Etlenne Potvln
of Ste. Anne de-la-Pocatiere . . John
DiMambro has left Montreal Paster Exchange
to operate Veterans taxi . . . Carl
Pepercorn, Toronto, Canadian district manager
of RKO. spent a few days In Montreal
and conferred with Harry Cohen, local manager.
During the holiday season many ftarties
are being held. At United Amu.sement Corp.,
President George Ganetakos will ho-st about
200 guests at his annual party December 30
Ganetakos. vice-president of
United Amusement Corp. and managing director
of Confederation Amusement^, received
guests for Confederation December
18 . . . Tom DoW'biggin, Paramount manager,
was host at a staff party at Ruby Foo's
Monday (22) ... Gerry Chernoff. 20th-Pox
manager, took his guests to the Bucharest
cafe for dinner and dancing Tuesday (23>
... I. Levitt, Columbia manager, was host
to his staff at the Nanking cafe Monday .
M. J. Isman, Empire Universal manager, was
host to his staff at the Sheraton Mount
Royal hotel.
Robert Giles of the advertising department
of United Amusement Corp., left by
plane Friday (26> to spend the New Year's
Del Buckley,
holiday in New York City . . .
office manager and head booker at RKO, and
his wife left Christmas for St. John. N. B..
for a few days. Arthur Bell, booker, of the
same company, left by plane to spend the
New Year's weekend in New York City . .
.
Exhibitors who visited Filmrow were Mr.
and Mrs. E. Vachon, Royal, St. Evariste
Station; Flaymond Noel, Loma, Windsor
Mills; D. St. Jacques, Capitol, Thurso, and
R. Major, Bellerive, Valleyfield.
Two local theatres narrowly escaped being
robbed recently. Thugs who tried to crack
the safe at the Hollywood failed, but stole
S15 from night watchman Armand Jobin.
whom they hit over the head with a h.immer,
causing a deep gash. They tied Jobin between
two chairs and he watched them unsuccessfully
attack the safe. An hour later
he released himself and called police. Two
bandits tried to open the safe at the Beaubein,
but failed, and got nothing . . .Armand
Davignon was removing the last letters
of "You for Me" from the marquee at
the Imperial, when a taxi crashed into his
ladder and knocked him to the sidewalk. He
wax taken to General hospital, Kufferlng
from back Injuries.
Removal or restriction* on the UAe of steel
for noncKsentlul building has been announced
and will mean that steel can be obtained (or
theatre construction, provided supplies are
available . . . Montreal'.^ police hkl patrol
ha.s been filmed by A.^Jioclated Screen News
In the latefit Canadian short .subject, reli-a.sed
an "Spotlight No. 4." The police ski
squad controls as many as 15.000 Kk'.en on
Mount Royal Sundays and holidays ... Ed
Corl.stlne, now director of admlnLstr.itlon of
the National Film Board, Ottawa, visited
film friends here ... A theatre will be Included
In the new shopping centre at Cotedes-Nelges
road and Van Home avenue.
Canada's 2.6S9 theatre.s had In 1951 total
receipts of $96^19,583, exclu-slve of tI1387,-
"Pepplno et Vloletta,"
226 amu.sement taxes . . .
Italian production, was shown to stu-
dents of the University of Montreal at a
gala presentation. Part of the recelpt.s went
to the outside college at Longueuii. Que.
Among those who attended were Msgr.
Olivier Maurault, rector of the university;
Gratien Gelinas, French-Canadian actor,
dramatist, and film producer: Mr. and Mrs.
J. P. Desmarais, Cine-France Distribution.
"Peppino et Violetta" Ls now in Its second
week at La Scala Theatre . . . "Victory at
Sea." 26-part serial picturing the Allied
navies during the last world war. will be
shown on television in Canada, the United
States and Great Britain simultaneously.
Add 18 to Academy
From Western Edition
HOLLYWOOD — Eighteen new members
have been added to the roster of the Academy
of Motion Pictiu-e Arts and Sciences. They
include Charlton Heston. actors' branch;
Wade B. Rubottom, art directors; George
Gale, film editors: Lucien Cailliet. Paul Dunlap.
Lester Lee. Joseph MuUendore and Walter
Sheets, musicians; Harold Hecht, producers:
Lindsay Durand and Stephen Miller,
publicists; Peter Zinner, sound; Lester Beck
and Huntington Hartford, members-at-large.
and Alvin G. Manuel, Fred Raphael. Joel
Preston and Bill Watters. associates.
Jewish Films Offered
WINNIPEG—A Jewish Film Festival was
offered to this city's large Jewish population
during the slow pre-Christmas .season. The
State, which holds western Canada franchises
on the majority of Yiddish-language films in
release, offered two complete double bill programs,
each of two-day duration. The Israelite
Press cooperated with the State by
lengthly writeups.
French Film in 4th Week
TORONTO—The specialty
theatres carried
on bravely against the Christmas shopping
rush. "Clochemerle," the spicy French picture,
remaining for a fourth week at the
International Cinema and "Gift Hor.se of the
Sea" doing a third week at the Towne
Cinema. The Astor made a play with "Christmas
Carol" and the Studio offered "When
Love Calls."
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