Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Apr 1923-Apr 1924)

Page scan 000530 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 #:
000530
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
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TORONTO, CANADA. | Regal Offers Advantage of Varied Affiliation With Leading Producing Concerns Insures Economy and Satisfaction to Exhibitors Regal Films Lid., of Toronto, with its extensive affiliations, 1s today distributing the output of a very imposing array of big producing companies and a large num‘per of favorite screen stars. Regal Films, through its branch offices in Toronto, Montreal, St. John, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver, distributes the output of such important companies as Metro Pictures Corp., Goldwyn-Cosmopolitan Pictures, Warner Bros., Pathe, Selznick and the WelshPearson Betty Balfour Pictures. Regal Films, with these important affiliations, is im a position to furnish exhibitors with two complete changes of program every week in the year. This includes everything needed anced entertainment, features, comedies, serials, news reels, magazines, cartoons, travelogues, scen Rene Marier Goes to Hull as Director Rene Marier, ‘until recently a mem ber of the Regent theatre concert OT chestra, Ottawa, has become director of the orchestra of the Eden theatre, Hull, Quebec. Mr. Marier has been with the Regent orchestra for five years, substituting as conductor during the absence of Rodolph Pelisek in Europe for several months last summer. Mr. Marier has also been providing special Sunday evening concerts at the Eden theatre, Hull, during the past two years, im addition to his work at the Regent. Mrs. Marier will have the piano in the new Eden orchestra. Holds Them a Week Sam Weiner, owner of the Colonial and Regent theatres in Winnipeg, an the Rose in Regina, reports business as picking up. The Regent now holds a second run big production an entire week. It is centrally located on Main street. Tom Mix Back in | His Favorite Role In “North of Hudson Bay” ‘Tom Mix again is found in his favorite role. The William Fox production stars the popular player in a part for which he has every aptitude. During his enactment he rides and shoots, tT0mances and captivates with all the vigor of old. for exhibitors. for a well bal. B Ce re Oot aun Entertainment ics, novelties and educationals. This matter of securing an en-— tire program from one exchange Is one that has manifold advantages With the tremendous output of Regal Films, Ltd., exhibitors are assured of a sufficient variety of subjects to suit any class of theatre. They. are saved considerable time and worry in doing business with several exchanges and there is no small saving in the course of a year in express charges when films and advertising accessories are received in a single shipment instead of coming. from three or four exchanges, with a duplication of carrying charges on each. Regal Films, Ltd., has won its position as a leading film distributing company of Canada by handling the best line of motion pictures possible to procure and backing these up with real service and square dealing with exhibitors. A Regal customer is a satisfie customer—a Regal contract means business insurance for exhibitors. United Artists Fix | Province First Runs Irving Sourkes, Montreal manager of United Artists, has been busily engaged up and down the province lately arranging first run representation 0 “Richard the Lion-Hearted,” one of this exchange’s super-specials: in connection with this and reports that everything points to an early showing of the picture both here and outside the city. Sidney Olcott 3 Starts Out Right ‘1 Paramount Picture In order to be sure that the French atmosphere shall be jicorrect in his first picture for Paramount, “The Humming Birc starring Gloria Swanson, Sidney Olcott has engaged Jacques d’Auray, of Nice, France, to act as a technical advisor. ‘The story of “The Humming Bird” deals with life in Paris from 1914 to 1918 during the war period and it is most necessary that all the details of the picture be correct. Mr. d’Auray was in the French army and knows the military angle as well as the civilian life of the French capital. He has been working in pictures on the Coast since 19 8, having acted as technical advisor of “The Four Horsemen” and played the part of Gaston with Gloria Swan son in “My American Wife.” Page ‘Twenty-one Exhibitors Wire Unstinted Praise | for Pioneer Trails Splendid reports of the immediate success of “Pioneer T'rails,” the Vitagraph special of the early settlers in the West and Middle West, are reaching the executive offices from all parts of the country. This David Smith production, only recently released and now showing only in the larger and more important theatres, has so impressed many of the exhibitors that they have not waited to write their approval of the picture, but have telegraphed. One of the first to wire what he thought of “Pioneer Trails” was J. Greenbaum, of the New State theatre, Lorain, Ohio. He said: “ ‘Pioneer Trails’ broke all records. The picture was enthusias-_ | tically received and applauded by audience. . Opposition ‘The Spoilers,’ ‘Going Up,’ ‘Brass Bottle,” local Style Show and benefit boxing show at Flk’s Auditorium. We topped receipts of all other Lorain theatres.” First National Signs | Up Benny Alexander Ben Alexander, the ten-year-old hero of J. K. McDonald’s “Penrod and Sam,” has been placed under a long term contract by First National. He will appear first in Maurice Tourneur’s forthcoming picture, “Jealous Fools,” and then in “Old Fathers and Young Sons,” to be produced by Mr. McDonald. Ben Alexander is the youngest actor today to have five years’ screen experience. He came first into prominence as the baby in “Hearts of the World.” Following this he appeared in child roles in many independent pictures until he passed the age of curly-headed kindergarten euteness and developed into a perfect hero for Booth Tarkington's “Penrod and Sam.” ‘This picture established him in the foremost ranks of boy actors, and his characterization, one of the outstanding of the year, was partly responsible for the huge success which has been bestowed upon Mr. McDonald’s production. “We, Too!” Pat Dowling, purveyor of publicity extraordinary to the Al. and Charles Christie forces in Los Angeles, is back on the Pacific Coast. Dowling has made the swing around the circle this year, covering almost every city of importance in the United States and Canada. He has a backslapping and handshaking acquaintance with practically every ~ large exhibitor and prominent moti picture critic in the country. ves Read The Digest Advertising Pages.