Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Jun 1921-Apr 1922)

Page scan 000742 from Canadian Moving Picture Digest

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest
Date:
Jun 1921-Apr 1922
Volume:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Jun 1921-Apr 1922)
Leaf #:
000742
Language:
English
Collection:
Canada, Hollywood Studio System, Early Cinema, and Global Cinema
Format:
periodicals
Contributor:
New York Public Library
Sponsor:
Google Books
Coordinator:
Media History Digital Library
Description:

Canadian Moving Picture Digest

Editors: Merrick R. Nutting (1917-18), Raymond S. Peck (1918), Ray Lewis (1918-19 and 1920-54), Walter Greene (1919-20), Jay Smith (1954-57)

Canadian Moving Picture Digest (1917-57) was initially a Montréal-based rival of the first film paper in Canada, Toronto-based Canadian Universal Bulletin (1915-18, edited by W.A. Bach 1915-17, J.W. Cambridge 1917-18, Raymond S. Peck 1918). The two periodicals were combined in 1918, keeping the Digest name, but moving production to Toronto with Peck as editor. Canadian Moving Picture Digest assumed The Bulletin’s volume numbering and always claimed 1915 as its year of origin. Ray Lewis (née Rae Levinsky) was a writer and playwright, who spent time in early Hollywood’s publicity departments. She briefly took the Digest helm in 1918, then long-term editor, later owner and publisher, from 1920 until her death in 1954. Under Lewis’s leadership, the trade paper claimed to serve as a voice for independent exhibitors and advocated for a Canadian cultural presence in cinema, particularly emphasizing British films as a way to keep a distance from Hollywood. Lewis's editorials were notable for their advocacy, wit, and critique of American dominance in the Canadian film market. While initially positioning herself as an outsider, she became integrated within the industry and a true insider. She even had an ongoing correspondence with Canadian Prime Minister R. B. Bennett, advocating for the industry as a whole and supporting British film imports. She was well-known at Toronto’s Dundas Square film row as well as in New York and Hollywood. Variety’s Sime Silverman called her “the Girl Friend in Canada,” and she delighted when U.S. writers not “in the know” presumed “Ray” was a man’s name. Lewis was later an inaugural member of the Canadian Picture Pioneers, eventually the group’s first female president and Pioneer of the Year. After she died in 1954, her son Jay Smith took over editorial duties until Canadian Moving Picture Digest was bought by Nat Taylor’s Film Publications of Canada in 1957. Taylor incorporated the legacy journal into a joint masthead for Canadian Film Weekly (1942-70), which subsequently dated its roots back to the 1915 origins of the film press in Canada.

– Jessica Whitehead and Paul Moore, March 2024

Further Reading

  • Whitehead, Jessica, Louis Pelletier and Paul Moore, “‘The Girl Friend in Canada’: Ray Lewis and Canadian Moving Picture Digest (1915–1957).” In Daniel Biltereyst and Lies Van de Vijver, eds., Mapping Movie Magazines: Digitization, Periodicals and Cinema History, 127-52. London: Pagrave-Macmillan, 2021.

Date Added:
June 13, 2024
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“CANADA’S FIRSTBORN” The CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST RAY LEWIS Managing Editor Subscription $2.00 United States $3.00 Foreign $3.50 VOL. 13, No. 26 TORONTO, CANADA : The CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DiGEST Published Weekly bp 27 JARVIS STREET, TORONTO HARRY J. MANHEIM Business Manager APRIL 29th, 1922 “MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS” N the newspaper field there is an expression “Go and get it,” used in connection with News. The rule to “go and get it” holds good in every field of enterprise. Noth ing comes to us ‘on the wings of air” save that which we send out on these self-same wings. A fool is soon parted from his inheritance and a foolish exhibitor from his theatre. The exhibitor who rests on his oars and floats down stream may enjoy the lazy experience, if the elements are with him, but who knows when the sunshine of prosperity may become clouded over, the waves of security over which he is gliding become disturbed by the winds of adversity and the exhibitor stranded. “Eternal Vigilance is the price of peace,” so say wise men . Eternal Vigilance means ‘Minding your own business.” The significance of “Minding your own business” has been lost since the expression has degenerated into a reproof given to the other fellow, who appears to be interfering. “Minding your own business” means exactly what it says. No one can “Mind your own business” as well as you can mind it yourself. Ixperience has proven that when someone else minds your business, you have no business left to mind. Every exhibitor should run his own theatre, select the pictures which he knows will give him the business. The exhibitor who thinks “Minding his own business” means opening his theatre every day, and letting the Exchanges select his pictures for him, keeping his seats dusted, will always have plenty of empty seats to dust. The successful exhibitor knows that he knows better than any exchange what his audience wants, and he presents his product, or wares to his audience or buyers in the most attractive manner, continually creating or finding new and novel methods of presentation. This exercises his brain, and increases his thinking capacity with good results. What kind of an exhibitor are you? We are now hovering ’twixt the Spring and Summer Season. June is the Herald of Summer. Summer has innumerable attractions which entice your audience Google away from your theatre. More vigilance, more ‘Mind ing your own business” should be expended now and during the months of June, July and August, than you expend during the rest of the year. Don't drift. Take hold of the oars of your boat, which is your theatre, and row, row hard and evenly; and above all, know where you are heading. ‘The instinct of most humans is to be comfortable. It is uncomfortable for most humans to “go and get” their business. It means “sweating under the collar” a whole lot, for getting business is not easy. It is far easier to let someone else “Mind your business” for vou, but is it as profitable? Very few men will neglect their business to mind yours. Every man “Minds his own business” first, you come next, unless the man “minding your business” is a philanthropist. Havé you met a philanthropist in Moving pictures? A philanthropist is a kindly disposed individual whose tendencies are to give away the money he has taken from the people, back to the people, in his own particular way. That is according to the inclination of his hobby. There are some philanthropists who give Service and Ideals, having no money. The public generally call this kind of a philanthropist a crank. As yet we have not discovered either of the two species of philanthropists in Moving Pictures. We may develop the latter species, however, the exploitation idea of moving pictures, is in this field. Ideas are given to exhibitors of how to get the most out of what they have purchased, and these ideas are given without charge. The money-giving species will not be produced. Exhibitors centralize your efforts on getting your own money. Be your own philanthropist. ‘They call Radio in connection with music, “Canned Music.” The public have never called Moving Pictures “Canned Drama.” You have a business which is big enough, vital enough and creative enough to be alive and alive enough to mind. Are you uive enough to “Mind your own business ?” —RAY LEWIS