Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Apr 1923-Apr 1924)

Page scan 00043 from Canadian Moving Picture Digest

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest
Date:
Apr 1923-Apr 1924
Volume:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest (April 1923-April 1924)
Leaf #:
00043
Language:
English
Subjects:
Motion Pictures, Film Industry Trade Magazine",Canad
Collection:
Hollywood Studio System, Global Cinema, Early Cinema, and Canada
Format:
periodicals
Contributor:
New York Public Library
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:
July 31, 2025
Something wrong or inaccurate about this page? Let us Know!

Thanks for helping us continually improve the quality of the Lantern search engine for all of our users! We have millions of scanned pages, so user reports are incredibly helpful for us to identify places where we can improve and update the metadata.

Please describe the issue below, and click "Submit" to send your comments to our team! If you'd prefer, you can also send us an email to mhdl@commarts.wisc.edu with your comments.




We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.

Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.

Page Six aD hearse in Fairyland” is the title | of a fairy story by Ray Lewis, who in conjunction with Helen Ball, adapted this story in play form for the screen. The book is inscribed to Doris Hyde, winner of the Toronto Star’s “Loveliest Child Contest.” It is safe to assert that no contest in Canada has aroused the interest which this “Loveliest Child Contest” did, introduced by the Toronto Star. To the first prize winner was awarded the ‘honor of having her portrait in miniature painted for the Queen’s Dolls House. A miniature was also given to the mother of the child. Fifteen prizes in miniatures and gold were distributed. : A request from Princess Marie Louise was forwarded to Joshua Smith, R.B.A., the English artist, now resident in Toronto, for a contribution to the Queen’s Dolls House, designed by Sir Edwin Luychens, and to which the most representative British artists were making contributions. The Star introduced the contest'in order to find “The Loveliest Child” in Canada, as the subject for a miniature portrait. Doris Hyde of Toronto, who has just passed her fourth birthday, was selected as “Canada’s Loveliest Child” of 8,000 contestants. , With the winning of the first prize, which carried with it so much honor and distinction, a veritable flood of publicity descended upon this little lady. Her photograph was syndicated not only throughout Canada, but the United States, while! reproductions of the miniature and photos of Doris found their way across the ocean and into the English newspapers. In addition to the dedication of a. fairy play and fairy poems. by Ray Lewis, entitled “Doris in Fairyland,” and from which the screen presentation has been adapted, Doris Hyde has been feted, toasted and approved of by all the various organizations, social, fraternal and business of ‘Toronto. A doll has been fashioned and named after her. Candies named in her honor and introduced on the market with Doris: Hyde exploitation. There is a Doris Hyde frock also. Front cover pages in magazines, pages of advertising in other magazines have given Doris unrivalled publicity ; and now with her screen debut, she enjoys the distinction of being the “youngest star on the screen.” Blaine Irish, director-producer of Filmcraft Products, Toronto, directed “Doris in Fairyland,” and it is necessary to see the picture in order to realize what this young director man { B {2 ye) TORONTO STAR'S ‘LOVELIEST CHILD’ IN'DORIS IN FAIRYLAND? aged to do with such a little star on ‘his hands. The results speak volumes for his tact and patience. The story revolves around the “Loveliest Child Contest,” ‘which precipates Doris Hyde as winner into a veritable Fairyland. Doris visits the Queen. This scene was photographed in the Parliament Building, Toronto, and furnishes a most pretentious set for the scene.. Doris then is taken to the artist’s studio, and here too, the setting is most luxurious, and advantageous in showing off the beauty of this little Canadian star,. ensconced in a huge Chinese chair. It is here that Doris wearied of posing for her portrait, goes to sleep and dreams that she visits the Queen. “Are you Mrs. Queen?” is Doris’ question and answered in the affirmative, Doris upon being asked who she is replies, “why don’t you know? I’m Doris from Canada.” | All the titles are beautifully illustrated and form an attraction in themselves. Doris’ visit to Fairyland introduces her to “The Old Woman Who Lives in a Shoe,” and her many, many children. To an orchid which blossoms into a lovely little dancing fairy (played by Eleanor Dinsmore), a peacock (played by Muriel Lea), who, under the influence of the magic wand, develops into a peacock-dancing-girl, The dance of the fire-flies, the dance of theflowers, incites little Doris to do her dance of the goloshes of good fortune, and Doris is indeed equal to the task. The setting for this Fairyland scene is spectacular and picturesque, and the animal and bird band of musicians speed along the action. -Dr. Bull Frog, leaping into the pond, sends up a spray of bubbles, which the Fairy Godmother (played by Elsie Disney), who. also plays Doris’ real mother, effectively, changes into balloons. One of the features of the picture is the reproduction of the miniature which will be placed in the Queen’s Dolls House, along with three other miniatures, one of His Majesty King George of England, one of Queen Mary, and one of Princess Marie Louise. | No less important than the fairyland scenes, are the scenes taken in the child’s pretty nursery, where Doris and’ her doggie play together, and listening to mother’s fairy story about the beautiful Queen of Hearts, grew sleepy. The close-up of Doris yawning in company with her doggie is as amusing as it is clever. “Doris in Fairyland,” is a two-reel special. Beautifully photographed, hig Pictures Read The Digest Advertising, Pages. . to any bill. CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST | arid should. prove a welcome addition Exhibitors who are not interested in using this Short Subject as a special attraction, availing them selves of all the innumerable tie-ups which Doris Hyde, as winner of the Star’s contest affords, should leave this excellent Short Subject alone. The presentation of the Queen’s Dolls House will be made to Queen Mary, in June. It will be a British event of much importance, and lend added publicity to the “Doris in fairyland” feature. The work of the players is excellent throughout. The dances arranged by Amy Sternberg, whose reputation for the management and direction of dancing pantomines extends over a period of twenty-five years, furnishes “Doris in Fairyland” with a series of special dances which are artistic and attractive entertainment. Filmcraft product have produced a Short Subject which can take its place for interest and pretentiousness with the best Short Subjects on the market. If your editor was not responsible for the story, more lavish praise would. have been bestowed, but modesty ‘forbids your editor from “tooting her own horn.” However, exhibitors know, that if “Doris in Fairyland” was not good entertainment, your editor would be the first to say, “off with its head.”—(Ray Lewis.) J. M. Franklin Visits Strand, Halifax . M. Franklin of the Strand Theatre, Halifax, and lessee of the St. John Opera House, spent a week in St. John recently and expressed himself as greatly pleased with the splendid patronage given to the Carrol Players at the Opera House. | Roy McDonald Welcomed By Halifax Friends Roy McDonald, manager of the St. John Opera House, was warmly wel comed by his many friends when recently he spent a week in Halifax. “Plumb Crazy,” Educational Christie, June Release Harold Beaudine has finished pro duction work on the Educational Christie Comedy, “Plumb Crazy,” with Bobby Vernon and Duane Thompson. It is listed as a June release. | Walter Golding Joins St. John Daily Journal Walter Golding, who was for a long time associated with the exchanges, having been with the Specialty Film -and The Fox Corporation, has joined the staff of the St. John Daily Journal in the circulation department.