Evening star., 1943-02-01

completed. the company assembled
and the actual job of making the
picture began. Ordinarily the begin
ming of that job on a location trip
consists merely Of selecting the per-
sonnel, collecting the necessary
equipment and putting both aboard
q train.
In this case it was complicated by
war and an international border.
Before any male member OF the
company could leave the United
States he had to obtain permission
from his draft board, and in several
instances that permission was re-
fused to men who were close to in
duction, making substitutions neces-
sary. Every one, male and female,
had 70 provide evidence of citizen
ship status. Aliens who were citi-
zens or subjects of Allied Nations
had to go through days Of red tape
at the Immigra ton Bureau before
they could obtain re-entry permits
and, in addition, had to pay their
income taxes up to and including the
Aliens Were Problem.
Aliens of other nationalities, of
whom there were several in the COM
pany originally chosen, were barred
from joining the trip. Labor per-
mits had to be obtained by the pro-
ducer from Canadian authorities
before certain technicians and
skilled workmen could be taken
across the line to do jobs that only
Hollywoodtrained men could do.
Making the picture unique among
war films was the fact that virtually
every man who appeared before the
camera in uniform had a right to
be in uniform. Acting as Com
mandos were troops of Canadian
Scottish, the Saulte Ste Marie and
Sudbury, the Royal Rifles of Can
ada and the Rocky Mountain
Ranger Regiments.
The Nazi soldiers were played by
Canadian soldiers from the same
regiments, wearing field-gray uni
form brought from Hollywood. Nazi
flyers were impersonated by flight
officers from the RCAF and RAF.
The roles of naval personnel in
shipboard scenes were played by
Navy men with the exception of
that of the British rear admiral, in
which Sir Cedric Hardwicke ap-
peared. But even he is a former
serviceman, having served for seven
years as British army officer
during and after the First World
War.
Thus did the picture currently
at the Earle Theater become action
packed celluloid. From its recep-
ton by audiences there is every
reason to believe that Producer
Cowan will reap substantial divi-
dends for his time and trouble.
Storm Cost Theaters Money.
What the storm and traffic diff
culties cost the downtown theaters
on Thursday, Friday and Saturday
is a matter for pure speculation.
Houses ordinarily filled were salts
fed with so per cent capacity. One
cinema shrine which, with good
weather, expected between $4,000 |
and $1,000 on Friday, counted up
5000.
Producer John Golden has an
attraction in Claudia" that the
rigors of winter failed to affect |
Probably because of that $3.50 top
price. A double line on the day
the ticket sale opened poured $4,000
through the box Office windows. a
record advance at this popular
priced scale.
Fred Warnings Band Was Busy.
Fred Warnings band and choir was
the hardest worked unit Saturday
in the Birthday Ball celebration.
The maestro, after completing one
hour st the Mayflower Hotel, gath
cred his specialists together. They
included Donna Dae. Jane Wilson,
Daisy Bernier, Ruth Cottingham
and Ferne Buckner. This group
went to the Shoreham, Wardman
Park and new Statler Hotels for
impromptu concerts. In addition,
the Waring band insisted upon