Boxoffice-January.08.1955

I
. . National
. . Bob
. . Sam
'
MONTREAL
/Canada's first Cinerama showing at the Imperial
Theatre here, opened December 27
with ceremony appropriate to the launching
of a battleship. The evening proceeds were
turned over to St. Justine Hospital by Sam
Ro.sen, executive vice-president of the Canadian
Cinerama Corp., and Lester B. Isaac,
national director of the Cinerama Exhibition,
who were on hand to greet civic and other
dignitaries. Rosen and Isaac welcomed Mme.
L. de Gaspe Beaubien. honorary president of
St. Justine Hospital, who commented following
the showing to the effect that "it certainly
is realistic."
The Seville Theatre, a United Amusement
house which dropped its bill of vaudeville and
films for straight motion picture programs
has decided to revert to vaudeville and motion
picture shows . Film Board
has set late 1955 to start moving personnel
and equipment from Ottawa to its new building
being erected here on Cote de Liesse
road. Wet weather last summer held up construction,
but work now is being pushed. For
the first time in its 16 years of existence, all
the board's operations will be housed under
one roof. Facilities will include the first
studios the NFB has owned.
. . .
International Film Distributors was host to
a crowd of distributors, exhibitors, press and
radio officials at a special preview of Verdi's
"Aida" at the Snowdon Theatre, a United
Amusement Corp. theatre managed by Harold
The motion picture hall at
Greenberg . . .
Quyon, Que., 25 miles northwest of Ottawa
operated by J. C. Germain, was completely
destroyed by fire December 27 just a few
minutes after the last patrons had left the
last .show . . . Harry Cohen, RKO manager,
attended the regional sales meeting of his
company at the Warwick Hotel in New York
Archie Cohen, Warner Bros, manager,
and Eddie White, booker, both attended the
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Film Exchange BIdg. Calgory, Alta.
opening of Cinerama presentation at the Imperial
Theatre.
Bill Trow, president of Montreal Poster Exchange
and of Quebec Cinema Booking, along
with John Trow, also of Quebec Cinema
Booking, attended the wedding of their
brother Tom at Three Rivers, Que. Tom is
the owner of the Imperial Theatres at Three
Rivers. John acted as best man for his
brother . Johnson, manager of JARO,
threw a party for his staff at his home preceding
a trip to Winnipeg to visit his
mother. On his way back Johnson planned
to stop at Toronto . . . Bob Brown, artist at
UAC, accompanied by his wife and children,
spent the holiday weekend with his sister and
brother-in-law at Cushing, Que.
Joe Rimer, head accountant of Montreal
Foster Exchange, and his wife spent the holiday
in New york . . . R. Murphy, manager of
Paramount Film Service, along w'ith Leo Berco
of Ruby Foo's again entertained charges of
the Sisters of Good Shepherd at Maison
Lorette with a movie and tea along with gifts.
The girls received five gifts each.
. . .
. . . John Levitt, sales representative
Rene Brosseau, accountant at Montreal
Poster Exchange, became engaged over the
holidays to Helene Vanier. The party took
place at Ste. Marguerite-du-lac Masson in the
Laurentians. Following the engagement party,
the couple were the guests of friends at
Jasper Lodge St. Donat . Kunitsky,
United Artists manager, accompanied by his
w'ife and baby, spent the holiday weekend
with his parents at Saint John, N. B. . . .
Barbara Jehu, office employe of United Ai'tists.
became engaged to Morrie Neilson
Johnny Larose, shipper at JARO, is the father
of a baby boy
for Columbia, accompanied by
his
. . . Canadian
wife spent Christmas at the home of his
daughter in New York City
National Railways' motion picture "The Museum
Train" was shown in Boston by Jean
Fournier, Canadian general consul at Boston,
for the first time in the United States.
Rapid Grip & Batten Makes
First Public Sale of Stock
TORONTO—Formerly a famUy controlled
company of many years standing. Rapid Grip
& Batten made its first public offering of
common and preferred shares at the year's
end for expansion purposes. It was originally
engaged in news service and engraving operations
but branched into film production.
Blocks of 30,000 common stock and 4,000 preferred
shares are offered to the public but
control of the company will be retained by the
Batten family.
In April 1953 the company purchased the
Queensway Studios in nearby Islington for
the making of 16mm and 35mm moving pictures
and has become a member of the Ass'n
of Motion Picture Producers and Laboratories
of Canada. The studio building had been a
unit of the J. Arthur Rank companies in
the Dominion under a proposed Canadian
production program.
Tlie pre.sident of Rapid Grip & Batten is
R. A. Batten, a son of the late A. C. Batten,
founder of the original news service and
former editor of the Toronto Daily News.
The sales manager is Frank O'Byrne, onetime
Canadian studio manager for JARO.
Early Leaders Nairn
In Odeon's Contest
Hamilton, by Nicky Langstor
'
Halifax; Varscona. Edmonton; Garrick
TORONTO—Fifteen theatres have
to commanding positions in the Better
agement contest of Odeon Theatres, a
ing to the initial progress report b
Hardiman, advertising and publicity
who is directing Operation 26, the t
the 26-week competition.
In the showmanship and attendar
vision of the race in which 98 ma
across the country are participatini
leaders are
managed
lined up as follows: C
ner of last year's drive; Odeon. Port A
Odeon, Toronto; Electra, Montreal;
Fort William; Hyland, Toronto; C(
Oakville, Ont.; Roxy, Brampton; C
fax; Villeray, Montreal: Broadway,
toon: Empress, Moncton, and the E
Winnipeg.
The Odeon at Victoria, B. C, is also
running for the early stages of the
paign after having run up a formidabL
on showmanship alone. Among the
for both promotion and patronage
were Don Gauld of the Odeon at For
liam, who captured second prize in tl:
contest; Vic Nowe of the Toronto (
winner of a district prize last year; Le
Guire of the Odeon, Port Arthur, and
Tyers who took over the management
Toronto Hyland a couple of months ai
Hardiman pointed out. however, th
standing of the contenders was sub;
quick change, so the boys had better
'
their toes because of expected jockey;
improved position.
A different story is told in the c
tionery sales section with the interim st;
being almost a reverse of the point;
for exploitation and attendance gains.
group the top performer is the Mci
at Belleville, Ont., with the Palace, St.
arines. and the neighborhood Parad
Toronto second and third.
Canadian Radio, TV Sc
Climb During 1954
TORONTO—According to a statem
the Canadian Radio and Television :
factiuers Ass'n, sales of TV sets ii
country for the first 11 months of 1954 1
530.350, representing a 69 per cent ir
over the same period of the previous
The value was placed at $134,607,675
increase of 43.7 per cent over the comp
1953 months.
Radio sales in the 11 months totaled
sets, valued at $28,236,657, for a decl
29.5 per cent in number and 38.5 per c
selling value.
Granada in Hamilton \
Reopen as the Downtov
HAMILTON—In the transformation
99-seat Granada at Hamilton, which ha
closed in early December by 20th C
Tlieatres circuit for reconstruction, t!
opening is being marked by the cha;
theatre name to "Downtown" to emj:
the modernization of the theatre th;
once operated as the Gra;nd Opera Hi
Paul Tiu-nbull continues as the m;
and his assistant is David Whitelaw.
80 BOXOFFICE January