Canadian Moving Picture Digest (May 1925-May 1926)

Page scan 000286 from Canadian Moving Picture Digest

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest
Date:
May 1925-May 1926
Volume:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest (May 1925-May 1926)
Leaf #:
000286
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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CANADA’S MOTION PICTURE ‘TRADE PAPER The Canadian Moving Picture Digest General Manager and . Editor-in-Chief RAY LEWIS Subscriptions— — Canada + $2.00 Onited States $2.50 Great Britain $2.50 ESTABLISHED 1915 FOR EXHIBITORS Pablished by Canadian Moving Picture Digest Company Limited 259 Spadina Ave., Toronto Official Organ of the M. P. T. O. of Canada TEL. TRINITY 1481 TORONTO, CANADA 17, No. 32. December 12th, 1925 Facts Concerning Canada’s Picture Industry yor have no doubt heard of the titanic struggle which the Independents in our Picture Industry are putting up for their very existence. You have in all probability heard of the Trust Trio, and that Famous Players-Laskv-Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer First National have been designated under this caption. The Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Canada is an organization of Independent Theatre Owners, who formed this association in order to safeguard their very existence. On May 12-13-14-15th while in convention at Milwaukee, a Bureau of Trade and Commerce was formed and affiliated with the M. P. T. O. A. In order to give adequate protection to those Independent producers who were being attacked by Combine Interests and whose Independence is in as great a jeopardy as the Independence of the Theatre Owners. The alignment of these Independent Interests was for the purpose of stimulating Trade between Independent Theatre Owners and producers, for the Independent Theatre Owner has, through sad experience, observed that in buying pictures from Combine Interests he simply is furnishing them with the capital to build theatres in opposition. Perhaps in no other business does such a deplorable standard of business ethics prevail as in Motion Pictures as it applies to the policy adopted by the Trust. These Combined Interests actually build theatres in opposition to the men who have for years been purchasing theit’product; and after committing this misdeameanor endeavor to further force the Theatre Owner to continue to purchase the product that is not good enough to present in their own theatres, by endeavoring under intimidation to restrict other Trademarks from offering their product to them; and through the nefarious practise of buying up Independent product in certain territories or zones, not for the purpose of exhibition, but because, through shortage of product to force the Independent Theatre Owner who has for years been their customer, to buy their own product at increased rentals ,or to give up his theatre to them. The latest turn of the Screw of Monopoly has been the intimidation of players, to still further hamper Independent production; and enlarge their monopolistic activities. Intimidation of the press is also availed of Not so long ago a movement was launched, as you have in all probability read, in New York City to suppress reviews as they interfere, the plea was made, with boxoffice returns. Our Trade press has been threatened, the press of the world has also had the Lintels of its Door marked with blood for the Angel of Death to visit. :Surely this Freedom of Speech which has been purchased for us out of the Martyrdom of a Host of Liberators shall not be again enslaved by the greed of Trust Motion Picture Interests. Statement made by Mr. Cecil John Graham, Famous-Players, London representative, announced a $12,000,000 flotation by Famous-Players “For the purpose of building theatres in England and America.” Five years ago in London, England, there was such an agitation against Famous Players who were distributing, producing and beginning to build theatres there, that construction of the Tivoli site was stopped, as was | also the proposed Famous-Players flotation. The ambition of this company is to establish a world film monopoly. ‘Theatres are being built across the American and European continents. Million dollar theatres, forcing other theatre owners who have no producing affiliation out of business. The Famous Players-Lasky Corporation has opened a school for screen aspirants, $500 is the tuitional fee, this with 46,000 extras, who have had screen experience, in Hollywood, seeking work, according to the California Labor Commissioner’s investigation. They have opened a school for the training of managers not over 28, not under 18, and followed this up with an offer of participation in the stock of the company by the employees to the extent of 20% of their earnings, maximum $200 weekly. Theatres are being built one on the doorstep of the other, destructive to enterprise and precipitating a financial ruin to many theatres and those who have given these theatres credit in their undertakings. Here is an issue which needs government investigation. Is it fair to the theatre owners who have helped to build up a town, a community, a city, by investing capital therein, stimulating trade, paying taxes for the improvement and the necessities of the town or city to be forced out of business by an interloper concern which dictates its policy from a head office hundreds of miles away—giving the town or city nothing since the very capital for the theatre-building is taken. out of the very town and city through the selling of shares therein. A census of theatres in districts should be taken and if found to be sufficient for that district, the government should protect its present licenses by refusing permits for further theatre building. To build up a new enterprise and kill an old which is a live issue, is not an indication of prosperity, but poor business foresight. It so happens that Mr. Adolph Zukor’s daughter 1s married to the son of Mr. Marcus Loew and it 1s alleged by thousands of exhibitors that this “family,” in conjunction with its affiliations, controls the Picture Industrv of America. From across the :e>* comes the cry of the “American Film Menace”—As a Britisher I view this outcry fairly (Continued on Page Four) Bophes OE Bictures Read The Digest Advertsing Pages: