Boxoffice-January.24.1953

: January
on AW A
J^ormally a resident of Ottawa, where he has
been closely associated with high government
circles, Leonard W. Brockington. president
of J. Arthur Rank enterprises in Canada,
stepped to anotlier sphere when he was
named chairman of the loyalty panel of the
United Nations, New York. Brockington is a
former chairman of the board of governors of
the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.. and served
as conciliator which brought about a settlement
of the countrywide railway strike several
years ago. He is also a member of an
important government committee here and
was an adviser to the late prime minister.
L. W. M. King.
The Little Elgin was thronged with patrons
to .see the French film. "Clochemerle." after
it had been condemned by Archbishop Alexandre
Vachon. The picture was replaced
January 16 by "The Magic Box." Manager
Ernie Warren said publicly that he was glad
to cooperate with the prelate, but he did
not want anyone to get the impression "that
we are being forced to discontinue the film."
Warren expressed the view that the picture
would have run for three weeks.
Now on loan to the UNESCO, Norman
McLaren, producer of the National Film
Board here, was notified that he had been
awarded a 1.000-bolivar prize (about $280)
for the best creative films at the film festival
at Caracas, Venezuela. His exhibit of
four NFB short subjects are animated creations.
Pembroke, in the Ottawa valley, will have
its first drive-in this year, a site of 12
acres having been secured by J. A. Campbell
for a construction of a 400-car theatre at
J. S. Duncan, director
cost of $60,000 . . .
of Odeon Theatres, accompanied Trade Minister
C. D. Howe, along with other officials,
on a government trade mission to Soutli American
countries.
Manager Fred Leavens reported that the
Elmdale was jammed during the three-day
engagement. Januai-y 15-17. of two members
of the Bowery Boys, Huntz Hall and Gabe
Dell. Adult prices were raised to 50 cents
and $1 for the appearance of the Hollywood
pair.
Second Airer Is Projected
For Fredericton Area
FREDERICTON, N. B.^Plans for opening
a 400-car drive-in early in June have been
made by Byron Evans of Nashwaaksi.s. about
three miles from here. RCA equipment will
be used. The projection room and screen will
be completed in May. It will be the second
airer in the Fi-edericton area, which had the
first in the maritimes several years ago. It
was opened at Springhill, about five miles
distant, by Ashley Burnett.
Popcorn suppliers to Canada's leading independent
theatres from coost-to-coast.
YORK CONFECTIONS LTD.
277 Victorio Street Toronto 2, Ontario
Ass'n of Producers
Picks S. D. Peterson
OTTAWA— S. Dean Peterson of Toronto
was elected president of the Ass'n of Motion
Picture Producers and Laboratories of Canada
at its annual meeting Saturday il7) in the
Chateau Laurier hotel.
Formerly the vice-president, he succeeds
F. R. Crawley, president of Crawley Films,
who occupied the chair for the 1953 conference.
Peterson is president of Peterson Productions,
337 King St. W., Toronto.
The representatives of some 20 companies
attended the meeting, the luncheon of which
w-as addres.sed by W. Arthur Irwin. Canadian
government film commissioner,
A report on the Motion Picture Industry
Council of Canada was presented by J. J.
Chisholm of Associated Screen News, who is
the International pre.ss guy of Variety and a
past chief barker of the Toronto tent.
Gordon Sparling of Montreal dealt with
the subject of the annual Canadian Film
awards while other business matters were
discussed by Graeme Fraser of Crawley Films;
W. J. Singleton. Associated Screen News,
Montreal, and others.
A discussion took place on the customs
duty and federal taxation as it affects the
production and processing of films.
The secretary of the convention was J.
Alasdair Fraser of Montreal.
No Crackdown Decreed
On Bingo in Ontario
TORONTO—Following a number of convictions
against operators of bingo and other
games of chance in different cities, intimation
has come from the provincial attorney
general's department that no indiscriminate
crackdown has been ordered against lotteries
in Ontario.
It was intimated that no drive was being
launched against church or charity organizations
as long as they observed the regulations
outlined in the criminal code.
One provision of the act permits what is
described as "occasional" games. The problem
is to define the word.
Leases Clarenville House
CLARENVILLE, NFLD. — The Clarendon
Theatre here has been leased by M. A.
Bourne, who has started renovating the interior,
with redecoration of the walls, ceilings,
floors and replacement of the screen, seating,
projection and sound equipment. Some
changes w-ill also be made in the front, it is
understood. The policy will be in operation
nightly except Sundays, with a matinee on
Saturdays and public holidays.
May Close St. John's Hall
ST. JOHN'S. NFLD —There is a move to
close the Pitts Memorial Hall until improvements
have been made. A few years ago a
hall just across the street was wrecked by
fire and a large loss of life resulted. The
Pitts hall has been liberally used for stage
performances, including stock units. There
are no exit signs and lights and the emptying
takes too long. The hall is frequently
congested for amateur and professional performances
and for closings, etc.
TORONTO
/"•ol. John A. Cooper, organizer and former
head of the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors
A.ss'n, will celebrate his 85th birthday
February 5. The dean of the film indus-
. . .
try made his latest public appearance at
the Canadian Picture Pioneers banquet in
November Rupert Lucas, a well-known
Toronto theatre, film and radio figure, died
in New York City. For some time he had
been identified with the produetion of the
March of Time film series.
Jack Arthur, former district manager for
Famous Players and now with the Canadian
National Exhibition, provided an interesting
plug in a public utterance for "The I Don't
Care Girl" at Shea's when he pointed out that
he was the producer at the Toronto Imperial
back in 1929 when Eva Tanguay headed
the stage show.
Manager Sam Hebscher of tlie Palace at
Hamilton featured the Toronto Symphony
orchestra in a one-night performance January
14 and has booked the National Ballet
Co. of Canada for February 4. The Palace
offers occasional stage and concert attractions
Jack Clarke, Loew supervisor in
. . . Toronto, has made a switch of assistant
managers. H. L. Taylor of the downtown
house went to the Uptown from which Robert
Cockburn was transferred to Loew's Theatre.
Arch H. Jolley, executive secretary of the
Motion Picture Theatres Ass'n of Ontario, reports
that eight more members have been
enrolled, these being the eight Odeon units
which had been operated by National Theatre
Services under the recently terminated partnership
agreement. They are located at
Brampton, Oakville, Aurora, Newmarket and
Seen at the opening at
Sturbeon Falls . . .
Loew's of "Above and Beyond" was Maj.
Theodore Vankirk of the U.S. air force, a
member of the B-29 crew that dropped the
atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
Raoul Auerbach of 20th Century Theatres,
Toronto, has gone to British Columbia on
business for the 70-theatre circuit headed by
Nat Taylor.
Stan Helleur of Toronto
Picks His Best 10 in 52
TORONTO—Stan Helleur. film critic
of the
Telegram, has added his "Best 10 in '52."
His lineup:
1. Limelight: 2. High Noon: 3. Carrie: 4. The
Quiet Man: 5. Five Fingers: 6. Cry. the Beloved
Country; 7. The Man in the White Suit;
8. Ivanhoe: 9. The Story of Mandy; 10. The
Greatest Show on Earth.
Helleur has added a number of special
selections, as follows: Best musical, "Singin"
in the Rain": best comedy, "Pat and Mike";
best documentary. "The Royal Journey"; best
semidocumentary. "The Lusty Men"; most
unusual. "The Thief."
His pick of stars included Laurence Olivier.
Claire Bloom. Arthur Hunnicutt. Thelma Ritter
and. for "most of the most." Marilyn
Monrbe.
Dealing with an interplanetary voyage to
Mercury. "Fatal Planet." original by Irving
Block and Allen Adler. has been assigned to
Nicholas Nayfack to produce for Metro.
90
BOXOFFICE
:
24, 1953