Boxoffice-February.26.1973

—
Odeon Now Twinning
Uptown in Calgary
CALGARY—Odeon Theatres soon will
have another set of twins in this city. The
Uptown now is in the process of conversion
to a dual unit.
This is the first major renovation of the
22-year-old theatre, which will have a very
distinctive feature. Rather than being
twinned with the conventional wall, the Uptown
will employ a horizontal separation
known as the "piggyback." The balcony will
be separated from the main floor, with
upper-level and lower-level cinemas resulting.
The renovations are being carried out, to
date, without closing the theatre completely.
Open during the evenings, construction
is being accomplished during the day. A
projection booth is being built on the main
floor. Once this is operational, work will
begin on a dividing wall. This will be constructed
from the ceiling to the balcony
level.
Jim Moore, Odeon Theatres (Calgary)
supervisor, hopes that the showhouse can
remain open during all phases of the construction
and decorating.
When completed, each auditorium will
seat 500 patrons.
This twinning will leave only one movie
theatre in its original design in Calgary's
downtown area, the Famous Players' Palace,
which now seats 1,800. The Uptown
will be the city's fifth pair of twin movie
houses.
Pete Huley, 80, Is Dead;
Acted in Silent Films
VANCOUVER — Pete Huley,
known to
thousands in the Yukon as "Klondike Pete,"
died early this month in Vancouver General
Hospital after a long illness. He was
80.
After people, in his earlier years, pointed
out Haley's resemblance to Charlie Chaplin,
he headed for Hollywood, where he
managed to land a contract at Columbia
Studios. Huley appeared in small parts in
Laurel and Hardy films, as well as in movies
with Buster Keaton and Ben Turpin. However,
when talking pictures arrived in the
late 1920s, Huley's Austrian accent (he
came to America from Austria in 1912)
put an end to his film career.
He then returned to the Yukon, working
as a gardener, and later got a job with
the White Pass & Yukon Railway.
Theatre's Window Display
Offends City Alderman
PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. — A city
"crackdown" on publicity photographs in
the display window of the downtown Silver
Kitten Theatre is being urged by Aid. Lome
McCuish. The movie house, part of a circuit
showing "restricted" films on closedcircuit
TV monitors, warns patrons not to
(Continued on page K-4)
Simpson, Dumond Promoted
By 20th Century Circuit
TORONTO— Myer L. .Axler, vice-president
of Century Theatres Management,
annoimces a number o\ c\cculi\c appoint-
Dudley Dumond
Martin Simpson
ments and managerial changes brought
about by the recent death of John S. Kurk,
manager of theatre opera-tions for the 60-
theatre 20th Century circuit.
Martin Simpson, circuit supervisor for the
past ten years, becomes the new manager
of theatre operations. Dudley Dumond,
manager of the Yonge Theatre, one of the
circuit's larger downtown "keys," has been
appointed supervisor of theatres in the
Toronto area and assistant to Simpson.
Fern Marleau, manager of the Capri
Theatre, succeeds Dumond at the Yonge
and Steve Poulin of the 7&27 Drive-In,
Toronto, has taken over the Capri as
temporary manager during the ozoner's offseason.
Simpson began his career as an usher in
the Capitol Theatre, Windsor, in 1930 and
later managed the Capitol, Halifax, and
Century, Hamilton, before being appointed
manager of the Downtown Theatre in
Toronto, which was constructed in 1948 as
the flagship of the 20th Century circuit.
He remained at the Downtown for 15 years
before his appointment as supervisor of
theatres in 1963.
Dumond joined the circuit in 1948. After
managing several Toronto houses, he
opened the new deluxe Westwood Theatre
in Toronto's west end. In 1963 he was
transferred to the Midtown Theatre, which
later was renovated as the Capri. In 1969,
upon the acquisition of Loews Theatres in
Toronto by the 20th Century circuit, Dumond
was transferred to the 1,600-seat
Loews, which then was renamed the Yonge
Theatre.
Imax to Be an Attraction
At 3 Entertainment Sites
TORONTO—Multiscreen Corp. of Gait,
Ont., has licensed its Imax giant-screen projection
process to developers of three multimillion-dollar
entertainment complexes in
the U.S. and England. Until now, the process
only had been used at Ontario Place
here but installation now is under way at the
Hall of Science in San Diego, Calif., which
soon will open.
Imax also will be a leading attraction at
a preview center at the $75,000,000 Circus
World, being built by Ringling Bros. -Barnurn
& Bailey near Orlando, Fla., and at
Thorpe Water Park near London, England,
which is due to open in 1974.
NFB's Norm McLaren
Honored in Philly
MONTREAL—^Canada's Norman Mc-
Laren, internationally renowned film animator
for the National Film Board, was
honored recently at the opening of a retrospective
showing of his work at the Philadelphia
Museum. McLaren, who was on
hand at the initial presentation to discuss
his work, was acclaimed "the filmmaker's
filmmaker."
The seven-week series entitled "Norman
McLaren Retrospective" will run through
March 17 and consists of three 90-minute
programs shown twice a week.
Each screening features the awardwinning
documentary, "The Eye Hears, the
Ear Sees," a BBC production on Norman
McLaren. The celebrated artist's own letters
and sketches, as well as a photo exhibit,
also are on display at the museum.
Vancouver Citizen Urges
Preservation of Orpheum
VANCOUVER — Following reports
that
the giant auditorium of the Orpheum Theatre
on Granville Street would be remodeled
into seven separate movie houses, local
resident
Stephen A. Dunsmore directed a letter
to the editor of the Vancouver Sun
opposing such a move. The Orpheum, incidentally,
was opened in 1927 and, with
3,000 seats, it is the largest theatre in the
city of Vancouver.
Commenting on the proposed project,
Dunsmore said: "With all the controversy
about preserving our old buildings, I have
noticed that the general concern has been
with the exterior ... I am wondering why
no one is worried about the interior ot
some of our landmarks. The building which
immediately comes to mind is the Orpheum
Theatre.
"The Orpheum is one of the last great
movie houses in Canada. In addition, the
Orpheum is the only theatre in Vancouver
that still has its pipe organ installed and
operating. Being an active member of the
American Theatre Organ Society, an
organist and and organ teacher, I am
especially concerned with preservation of
the Wurlitzer pipe organ—but, as a citizen
of Vancouver and a moviegoer, I sincerely
hope that the Orpheum will be with us for
a long time.
"Anyone who attends a film at the
Orpheum doesn't soon forget the gold-leaf
and fabric walls, the ornate carved columns,
the chandeliers and, of course, the magnificent
dome. I could go on about the imported
ceilings in the foyer and the stone carving
but that would serve no purpose here. It
has to be seen!
"The Orpheum is a part of Vancouver
just as much as the Birks Building or Christ
Church Cathedral and deserves to be kept
so future generations can experience the
thrill and the splendor of one of the last
great motion picture houses in the world
today."
BOXOFFICE :: February 26, 1973 K-1