Boxoffice-October.02.1978

. . The
CALGARY
1978-79 season September
the usual program of outstanding
18. As well as
films,
there will be two extra series, a series of
Hollywood films from the '30s and '40s
por those who could afford it. comedian
and a third series titled "The Clowns." Later
Bob Hope performed in Edmonton at
in the season, a series entitled "Eroticism
tiie Convention Inn South under the auspices
in the Cinema" will be screened.
of the Canadian Progress Club. The
$125-per-plate dinner and show was put The Canadian Motion Picture Distributors
on to raise funds for the Uncles-at-Large
Ass'n has completed a detailed paper
program of the club. It is reported that entitled "Report on the Motion Picture Distribution
Hope garnered a $30,000 fee for his 90-
Industry in Canada." The report
minute stint on stage. The 800 persons in is an update and expansion of the 1976
attendance were entranced with Hope, even "Position Paper Concerning the Motion Picture
though his routine was routine; it still was
Distribution Industry in Canada." In
the association's view, the report represents
it his and came across in the usual superb
manner associated with the entertainer. Edmonton
the most complete documentation of feature
was one of four stops on a junket film distribution that has been done to date.
that included Dallas, Chicago and Thunder Copies of the report are available from the
CMPDA. Contact the Canadian Motion
Bay. Immediately after the show, Hope left
for Los Angeles by executive jet. This was
the largest fund-raising event undertaken
to date by the Uncles-at-Large and, happily,
it was successful.
The Neilson Co., makers of fine candies,
including chocolate bars, has teamed up
with Famous Players, 20th Century-Fox and
United Theatres circuits to promote its
wares. Inside specially marked family packs
of Neilson Jersey Milk, Mr. Big, Crispy
Crunch, Sweet Marie and Malted Milk,
vouchers will be hidden that will entitle the
finder to attend a movie at a participating
theatre any day Monday through Thursday.
The voucher has a question that must be
answered; there is a place for a signature,
and then this coupon will be accepted for
admission to the theatre with no taxes or
service charge. Canadians with a sweet
tooth stand a chance of getting a bonus with
their bars.
The Saskatchewan Film Classification
Board viewed a total of 25 feature films
in August with none falling iato the general
class, ten rated adult, two in the restricted
adult category and the majority. 13, classified
in the special X category. Three of the
pictures cannot be shown in any drive-in in
the province: "Autopsy" (Creswin), "Is
There Sex After Marriage?" (Danton) and
"Turkish Delight" (Cinepix). A total of 15
films must carry warnings; "The Dragon's
Dead—Long Live the Tiger," violence;
"Foul Play," language; "Hanging on a
Star," not suitable for young children; "No.
1 of the Secret Service," violence; "Our
Winning Season." not suitable for children;
"Driver," violence; "Tintorera," violence;
"Autopsy," scenes; "I Miss You—Hugs &
Kisses," violence; "In Praise of Older Women,"
scenes; "Is There Sex After Marriage?",
scenes; "1001 Perversions of Felica,"
scenes; "Turkish Delight," scenes and
language; "Valentina—The Virgin Wife,"
scenes, and "Who'll Stop the Rain," language
and violence. Astral and Cinepix
were the distributors submitting the largest
number of features—six each—with Warner
Bros., Paramount Films, Ambassador
Films, Bellevue, Creswin and United Artists
sending one each. Other distributors submitted
varying numbers.
The Edmonton Film Society launched its
Picture Distributors Ass'n, 1 Yonge St.,
Suite 2207, Toronto, Ont., Canada, M5E
1E5.
Comedian Bill Cosby was in the province
recently, making an appearance in Edmonton
and then appearing here the following
day. Both performances were held in the
Jubilee Auditorium in the respective cities.
Cosby played to sell-out crowds in both instances
and wowed everyone. He did it by
presenting a typical Cosby program with
his immense insight into human nature and
into a child's wocJd. Although there is much
grumbling locally about the lack of bigname
entertainment, people here certainly
have had a large share of such personalities
recently and none has been enjoyed more
than Cosby , Pleiades Theatre in ths
Centennial Planetarium screened "Raggedy
Ann & Andy" Sunday. September 10.
Industryites here will remember Roy
Maurice Aikenhead who at one time was
the manager of the Jubilee Auditorium in
this city. It is with regret that we report
his death September 5 at Victoria, B.C. He
leaves his wife Helen of the home; a son,
Keith, Biggar, Sask.; daughter and son-inlaw,
Karen and Don Howie; granddaughters
Casey and Corri Ann of this city, and
one brother.
Forty-two features were screened by the
Alberta Motion Picture Censor Board during
Auugst and only eight were rated "family."
Two received the adult label, nine were
in the adult not suitable for children group
and the remaining 23 in the restricted adult
category.
Festival of Festivals
September 8. a week before the opening
of the third annual Festival of Festivals in
Toronto, the Ontario Censor Board reversed
its decision on George Kaczender's
Canadian-made film "In Praise of Older
Women." The board restored 82 seconds of
the original two minutes it wanted deleted
from the film. Co-producer Robert Lantos
expressed pleasure with this decision but
festival founder and president Bill Marshall
valued the "shock" publicity of the
decision and was willing to "go for broke";
in other words, defy the law by screening
the film with no cuts at all. "It does seem
a kind of absurdity that what was deemed
an obscenity on Tuesday is now regarded
as wholesome." Marshall said at a press
conference called by Lantos. However, he
admitted that if the uncut version of the
film was shown at the Elgin or any other
Ontario theatre, he and his festival officials
would be liable to a fine and jail sentence.
Marshall and his partner, director Wayne
Clarkson, viewed the third film festival as
a civic event and tourist attraction par excellence.
"We want to make the festival
reflect the way the city is," Marshall staled.
"We're trying to expand the audience." As
a result of this objective, this year's festival
showed a big increase in both )najor U.S.
films and popular entertainment films. As
well, the lineup of name Canadian, American
and European film personalities was
truly impressive.
htighlights
Besides the Band's Robbie Robertson, the
rock superstar who was a judge of the Canadian
Film Awards, the festival's roster of
guests also included Michelangelo Antonioni.
the master Italian director (as a special
guest), and Canadian-born director Ted
Kotcheff ("Fun With Dick and Jane." "The
Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz"), who
personally brought his film "Who Is Killing
the Great Chefs of Europe?" American director
Martin Scorsese was a guest, as was
Claudia Weill, who brought her new picture
"Girl Friends."
Festival director
Wayne Clarkson scheduled
a varied program including future U.S.
boxoffice champions; a selection of A uslralian
films in its year of revitalization: "buried
treasures." films considered entertaining and
significant
but never successful financially;
special films selected on merit by Paris critic
David Overby; past and future (hopefully)
cull films; feature-length specials made
by RAl (Radiotelevisione Italiana). plus a
variety of other specialized categories that
attracted their special little audience. In all,
there were more than 80 feature films and
approximately 30 shorts.
Clarkson told Star writer Sid Adilman
that he was "not ashamed of big U.S. films"
and that he had no qualms about bowing to
the commercial side of the industry, including
Hollywood. He also was out. he said, to
prove to
the general public (without alienating
them) that "it is hogwash and balderdash
that all foreign films are art films" and
that "art" means "inaccessible." Clarkson
stated, "One of the purposes of the festival
is to get the public to see films they don't
usually see but should and would enjoy."
He added that he wants foreign films to get
more credibility with the public.
BOXOFFICE :: October 2, 1978 E-1