Canadian Moving Picture Digest (May 1924-Apr 1925)

Page scan 000583 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 #:
000583
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 Four Larry Semon Producing Huge Castle Sets for “Wizard of Oz” Cave Set — Throne Room and Barnyard Sets Hard to Equal for Elaborate and Minute Detail. PARRE SEMON, who is producing “The Wizard of Oz” at the F. _ B. O. studios in Hollywood, is building sets on a large scale, and ‘nothing is being spared to make them the most magnificent’ of their kind ever erected on the studio lot. The cave set at.the Melrose Avenue entrance of the big producing plant has been estimated by many at a cost of around $50,000, and is the largest set ever built by the F. B. O. lot, with the exception of the “Kismet” set built by Robertson-Cole a few years ago. : The Throne Room of the Castle in the Semon picture covers practically all of stage three, and was built at a cost rivaled only by some of the sets in recent Marion Davies’ pictures, of a similar design. In another sequence of “The Wizard of Oz,” a barnyard scene is featured. The whole barnyard was built on an indoor stage; the barns, fences pumps, straw piles and animals -all being “planted” in their natural positions. For their master workmanship, the I’. B. O. employees deserve much of the credit. British Industry Healthy States G. F. Braddock, British Trade Government Commissioner at Toronto GCG F. BRADDOCK, British Government ‘Trade Commissioner at Toronto, in discussing the position of industry in Great Britain the—film 1 ‘ jeer a representative of Canadian Moving Picture Digest said that a good deal of attention was being given in the trade press in the United Kingdom at this time, to the state of film production in the United Kingdom. “As always during the winter months, work on British films is not being carried on very actively, but” said Mr. Braddock, “statements which have been made to the effect that the whole industry is in danger of something approaching annihilation can only be regarded as ridiculously pessimistic. At the same. time, endeavours are undoubtedly being made among British film producers to discover ways in which the production of films in the United Kingdom can be made effective. The chief difficulty facing British producers has been often stated, and lies in the fact that the British market at present is unprotected against foreign producers, so that the maker of a British picture does not possess a safe home market from which he can be certain of securing repayment of the greater part of his outlay on any given film. It is therefore, necessary for British producers to think on a larger scale, and opinion is gradually hardening to the necessity of making films which would have an appeal in any country, This state of mind links up with re CO eile Pictures Read The Digest AdvertisinyiPagen cent attempts at securing co-operation between European producers with a view to producing super films on such a scale as to demand and secure large markets throughout the world. By cooperation amongst certain European producers it is possible to secure a very great variety of scenery in which pictures can be taken, and artists of different nationalities can be employed to widen the appeal of the finisled film. In this connection Mr. Brad dock instanced “Moon of Israel,” a Stoll production, which has just eoncluded a special run in one of the big london theatres. The plot is taken from the story by the well-known English writer, Sir Rider Haggard, and the scenes are laid chiefly in ancient Egypt. The attempt to secure popularity is based entirely upon art'stic and beautiful settings with a good dramatic story. In this new type of film, British pictures may come into their own. Norton H. Payne Organist, Palace, Montreal Norton H. Payne, graduate of the London College of Organists, a popular figure in Ottawa’s theatredom for years, has gone to Montreal where he has become organist of the Palace Theatre, of which George Rotsky is manager. Mr. Payne was organist at the Centre Theatre in Ottawa for years and later joined the Imperial Theatre, Ottawa. CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST . $30,000 For Princess Theatre at Winnipeg Messrs. Rudolph, Henry and John Besler have completed a deal for the purchase of the Princess Theatre, from Harry Bronfman, the purchase price being $30,000. The Besler Brothers went to Yorkton about nine years ago, during wh'ch time they have rented the two theatres. at different periods. It is the'r intention to make alterations to the building which will increase the seating capacity. It is proposed to enlarge the stage to such an extent that it will be posible to put on any of the larger road shows in Yorkton. No Organ at Imperial Orchestra Now Installed Mr. Sol. Caplan, new manager of the Imperial Theatre, Ottawa. owned by the Estate of the late Harry Brouse, an original director of Associated First National recently announced that “there would be no more organ” at the Imperial Theatre. In place of the organ, which has done service at the house for the past 10 vears, an orchestra of fair size has been installed. Another feature of the new policy is the changing of programmes twice weekly on Saturdays and Wednesdays with the ex-: ception of special releases which go for a week’s run. Film Managers Busy Among Winnipeg Exhibitors Among the film men who have been calkng on exhibitors in Winnipeg the past week are A. Berman, general sales manager for United Artists with headquarters in New York City: Phil Kaufman, general sales manager for Reeal in Canada with headquarters in Toronto; and W. H. Workman, general manager for Metro in Canada. John T: Fiddes Singing Province, Winnipeg John T. Fiddes, former theatre manager in Montreal and Winnipeg, who has been in New York for six months, is filling an indefinite singing engagement in the Province Theatre in Winnipeg. The M. P. T. O. are putting up a big fight to defeat the Perkins Measure which would subject Moving Picture Theatre Owners to a music taxation, for music played in their theatres, would consequently work a great hardship cn the public. who would in the end be obliged to pay for th's added taxation by increased admission prices. This new bill would tax cue sheets also.