Canadian Moving Picture Digest (May 1924-Apr 1925)

Page scan 000549 from Canadian Moving Picture Digest

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest
Date:
May 1924-Apr 1925
Volume:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest (May 1924-April 1925)
Leaf #:
000549
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:
August 07, 2025
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Page Six “The Lost World” Will Show in Boston For Indefinite Run at Tremont Temple First National to Present Sir Conan Doyle’s Prehistoric Story. IRST NATIONAL PICTURES has completed arrangements for the showing of its big special production, “The Lost World,’ from Sir . Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel, at, the Tremont ‘Temple Theatre, Boston, where its “Abraham Lincoln” enjoyed a ten weeks’ prosperous run last summer. The engagement, which is of indefinite length, will begin on February 2nd. It will play at $1 top admission price, with two shows a day. The opening will be preceded by a great advertising and exploitation R. A. Scott Appointed Universal Western Div. Mgr. While in Ottawa, Ontario, during the month of January for several important conferences, Clair Hague, general manager of Canadian. Universal Films, Ltd., Toronto, announced the appointment of R. A. Scott, branch manager at Vancouver, B.C., as Western Division manager for the Canadian territory. Mr. Scott will have general supervision of Universal activities from Winnipeg, Manitoba, to Vancouver, covering all four of the Western Provinces, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. Mr. Hague was accompanied by Sid Taube of Toronto, manager of the short subjects department for Ontario in the Universal organization. Educational Short Subject “The Chase” Makes Hit Manager Leonard Bishop of the Regent Theatre, Ottawa, Ontario, made a special sport attraction of the short subject, ‘““The Chase,” a ski-ing picture which was taken at St. Moritz, Switzerland, presented along with “Tongues of Flame,” starring Thomas Meighan, during the week of February 2. Manager Bishop used advertising display space on the sport pages of local newspapers, secured extra publicity readers on the short pages and obtained space from the ski editors of the respective papers regarding the short feature. ‘The subject itself stood up under all the boosts and made a hit with the thousands of skiers in Ottawa and vicinity. The picture was’ shown in England under the title of “He and Ski.” campaign, which will start eight or ten weeks in advance of the opening. Production and editing have now been completed on this mammoth production and the finished picture has been run off for the officials of the. company and the representatives of Watterson R. Rothacker, in association with whom the production has been made. They are unanimous in proclaiming “The Lost World” to be .the great novelty and the biggest mo tion picture ever produced. The exact date and the place of the New York showing of “The Lost World” will be announced in the near future. “Thundering Hoofs” Plays Imperial After Showing Princess Theatre An unusual occurence has _ taken place at Ottawa, Ontario, in that a large central moving picture theatre, the Imperial Theatre, played the second run of a feature after it had been presented less than a month before at a much smaller neighborhood house, the second local engagement being arranged by the proprietor of the Imperial with full knowledge of its previous local presentation. The production which has enjoyed this distinction is an F. B. O. release, “Thundering Hoofs,”’ starring Fred Thomson, the California athlete. It was shown for three days, 1, 2, and 3, at the Princess Theatre, Rideau St., this house having 475 seats. It was booked by Manager Sol. Coplan of the Imperial Theatre}. formerly owned and operated by the late Harry Brouse and presented at that theatre for three days starting January 21. The Imperial is one of the leading theatres of Ottawa and has a capacity of 1,200 seats. Mr. Coplan is the proprietor of both the Imperial and Princess Theatres, having recently leased the Imperial for a term of five years. A six piece orchestra has been established at the Imperial Theatre in place of the pipe organ which was used for many years. The new orchestra is under the direction of Roland Beaudry. The projection room is also now under the command of Sam Ventura, one of the best operators in the city. Assistant manager at the Imperial is Joseph Coplan, son of the proprietor, Sol. Coplan. The Imperial changes programmes twice weekly, on Saturdays and Wednesdays, under the new arrangement CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST and the policy has been adopted by Mr. Coplan of buying pictures ab solutely on the open market and after he has had them screened. Mr. Cop lan, incidentally, makes good use of © the moving picture trade papers by clipping out the reviews of pictures which he has under consideration and keeping the reviews in alphabetical order. He recently lengthened the Imperial programme by the addition of a comedy, the programme also in cluding the Pathe Review, “The Go : Getters,” and feature. Victorian Order of Nurses Sponsor “The Lost Tribe” The Victorian Order of Nurses at Ottawa, Ontario, has decided to sponsor the local presentation of “The Lost Tribe,” which was shown in Great Britain under the title of “Pearls and Savages.” The Ottawa engagement opened February 2 and the picture will be shown for a week, probably in the Franklin Theatre. The Victorian Order of Nurses arranged for the presentation in order to raise funds for local relief activities. ‘The Lost Tribe” recently played two weeks in Massey Music Hall, Toronto, with considerable success. Pictures of Prominent Men On Screens at Ottawa “How Well Do You Know Ottawa?” was the title of a special local picture which was presented in num-. erous Ottawa, Ontario, theatres recently in two editions, this film showing 32 prominent business men in varied poses. The special reel was first presented without subtitles and the audiences were invited to indentify the men in written replies in a contest for prizes. The picture was again shown a short time later with the proper subtitles. The theatres which co-operated in the stunt included the Regent, Francais, Fern, Coltimbia and Rex Theatres of Ottawa and the Laurier and Eden Theatres of Hull, Quebec, across from Ottawa. January 31, 1925. The Canadian Moving Picture Digest, Toronto, Ont. Dear Sirs: _ We have your letter and in reply would say that we believe that the Canadian Moving Picture Industry does need a Canadian Publication. We also enjoy the Reviews on the different pictures and would suggest if anything you should enlarge on this. We herewith enclose our check of $2.00 to renew the subscription for the ensuing year. Yours very truly, The Regal Theatre, H. HAGER. Cue rele Pictures Read The Digest Advertising Pages: