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Maritime Testimonial
For Patrick Hogan
ST. JOHN—Members of the Maritime Exhibitors
Ass'n. Maritime Motion Picture
Pioneers and the Maritime
Film Board
honored Patrick J.
Hogan, veteran film
manager and exhibitor
on his recent retirement
after 34 years as
manager of the local
Paramount Film Service.
The testimonial
dinner was held in the
Admiral Beatty Hotel
here February 5.
The rooms were decorated
Patrick Hogran
with fish nets
and card displays with humorous phrases of
Newfoundland. Hogan's birthplace and location
of the four theatres he operates with
Famous Players as a partner. Irish and Newfoundland
songs were played and sung with
speeches made by Les Sprague, president of
the Maritime Motion Picture Pioneers; I. J.
Davis, president of the Maritime Film Board,
vice-president of New Brunswick; F. Gordon
Spencer, for the Maritime Exhibitors Ass'n;
General Manager Lee April on behalf of
Odeon-Maritimes; Manager F. Harrison
Howe, Paramount Theatre; James Mitchell,
manager of the Capitol Theatre; Joe Lieberman,
partner, B&L Theatres; S. A. Babb,
Franklin & Herschorn Theatres; A. A. Fielding,
Bridgewater, N. S., president of the SFA
circuit, and Joseph LeBlanc, Shediac, who
spoke on behalf of the Independent Exhibitors.
Hogan was presented with a portable typewriter
and an engraved desk set by Reginald
G. March, retired 20th Century-Fox manager.
The dinner was chaired by P. Gordon Spencer.
Eric Golding. local MGM manager, was
in charge of arrangements. Many telegrams
from all parts of Canada and the USA were
read.
Hogan will book the Capitol, Cornwall,
Paramount and Star in St. John's, Nfld., and
outpost theatres with headquarters here.
Canadian Mulls Idea
Of Telecasting a Birth
OTTAWA — The Canadian Broadcasting
Corp. is toying with the idea of booking a
British film for its television network which
shows the birth of a baby in what has been
called a demonstration of natural birth. A
CBC spokesman said: "If we feel it Is worthwhile
telecasting and we can find time for it,
it will be shown." The information is apparently
intended as a feeler for public reaction.
This would be the second birth on CBC
television, however. In an Eskimo picture on
a recent Sunday afternoon, one sequence
showed the birth of a child in an igloo, the
woman being assisted by a grandmother. It
was intimated that the CBC was unaware of
the incident in the documentary and there
were no published objections.
"Purple Hills' in Decca Records
The Toppers, quartet on the Arthur Godfrey
show, have recorded "The Purple Hills"
from RKO's "Run of the Arrow," for Decca
Records.
Voll' Ban to Stand; Stirs
Protests at Vancouver
VANCOUVER—The banning of "Baby Doll"
in British Columbia by provincial censor R. W.
McDonald and the appeal boai-d recently,
after McDonald had approved the film early
in January, cannot be contested. Attorney
General Bonner commented in Victoria.
"I don't think the statute permits overriding
decisions of the appeal board," he said.
That's the word he'll pass on to Warner
Bros. here, producer of the film, if an appeal
should be made to his department.
TOO MUCH CRITICISM
McDonald said he changed his mind because
"too much publicity" had been given
the picture, which aroused caustic criticism in
the newspapers and other quarters.
The Vancouver Sun, in an editorial, commented:
"Reasons offered by the B.C. movie censor
for approving 'Baby Doll," then reversing himself
and banning it, suggest that movie censorship
itself ought to be abolished. The
criminal code provides penalties for exhibiting
obscene or indecent movies just as it
does against obscenity or indecency in books,
magazines, radio, television or for that matter,
newspapers.
"Anyone can bring charges against the exhibitor
of a movie likely to harm the minds of
the underaged or the moronic adult. Then
the courts would decide by full reasonable
processes whether the movie was obscene
within the law as laid down by Parliament.
"It could be argued that this would leave
many movies too free to exercise baleful influence
on the young before anyone got
around to launching court proceedings. This
could be guarded against however by a review
system which merely labeled movies as adult
entertainment and possibly under categories
for public guidance.
"Like all censorship, present movie censorship
tends to extend itself. The 'Baby Doll'
ban for instance isn't based on the nature of
the picture but on what has been written
about it and said about it elsewhere.
"The censor has decided to punish the public
by depriving them of a picture written by
a top-ranking U. S. playwright because he has
decided that written discussion had made it
•notorious' and might cau.se people to go to
see it for the 'wrong motives."
BAN DUE TO COMPLAINTS
" 'Baby Doll' wasn't banned because of the
kind of picture it is. It was banned because
of the number of times the censor's telephone
rang."
The Vancouver Film Society likewise criticized
banning of the picture.
"From what we've read in the book and
about the movie," said President John Averill,
"I don't think any of the members of the Vancouver
Film Society would be especially interested
in seeing it. But what we object to
is banning a film, not for the film itself but
for its publicity. And on that basis we are
sending a protest to the censor and to Attorney
General Robert Bonner.
"We feel that most adults in British Columbia
are capable of making their own
decisioias."
The film society is hoping that interest in
the topic will bring about a revision of legislation
concerning motion pictures.
"It is quite an old act," Averill said. "I believe
it goes back at least 30 years. People
and pictures have changed in that time. It's
time the act was revised and brought up to
date."
"Baby Doll" has been banned in two other
provinces—Alberta and New Brunswick.
Morris Stein Named
Pioneer Chief Again
TORONTO—Directors of the Canadian Picture
Pioneers, now in its 17th year, meeting
in the board room of Famous Players here,
re-elected Morris Stein president and R. W.
Bolstad as vice-president. George Oullahan
was named secretary-treasurer to succeed
Tom Daley, manager of the University Theatre,
Toronto. Oullahan. who is with the
Oscar R. Hanson organization, was co-ordinator
of the recent annual meeting and banquet
of the Pioneers at the King Edward
Hotel.
Committee chairmen include the following:
membership, Len Bishop; public relations,
Claire Appel; annual golf tournament, Dan
Krendel; awards dinner, George H. Oullahan;
annual meeting. Archie Laurie, and counsel,
David J. Ongley, all of Toronto.
The benevolent fund, which operates anonymously
in the assistance of present or former
representatives of the industry in Canada,
is handled by a permanent board of trustees
headed by O. R. Hanson, honorary president.
Ernie Rawley Given Party
By Variety of Toronto
TORONTO—Barkers of Variety Tent 28
gave a sendoff to Ernest M. Rawley, a canvasman
for many years, prior to his departure
for New York City to become executive
director of a new theatre organization.
Len Bishop, manager of the Toronto Hollywood,
directed the lusty program which included
a presentation to Rawley, who was the
winner of the club's Heart award in 1951.
Rawley resigned recently as manager of the
Royal Alexandra.
The Variety Club has secured alleys at
Leaside bowling center, 832 EgUnton Ave. East,
for the use of barkers and families every
Sunday at 1 :30 p.m., arrangements for which
were made by Joe Bermack, chief trundler.
Nat Taylor, chief barker, said teams are
being organized for a Variety bowling league.
Fire in Theatre Basement
OTTAWA—The Cinema de Paris in suburban
Gatineau Point suffered a loss of $1,000
and two men required hospital attention when
a can of gasoline ignited in the basement of
the theatre last week. The theatre was not
operating at the time and firemen kept the
flames confined to the basement. Treated for
burns were Raymond Berlinquette, 27, and
Jacques Champagne, 20.
BOXOFFICE February 16, 1957
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