Canadian Moving Picture Digest (May 1925-May 1926)

Page scan 000361 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 #:
000361
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
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 Four F.B.O’s Ray Lewis Independence Week Beginning March 14th. B. O.’s Ray Lewis Independence Week was presented as a token of appreciation to Ray Lewis for her fight for the preservation of the Independent theatre owner and producer in Canada. The week of March 14th was selected since March 14th is Ray Lewis’ birthday. “We, in Canada, in this Picture Industry, have weathered, as they say, many storms together, we have seen Independents in Canada prosperous. Have watched them build up big enterprises. through trading with Independent theatre owners. We have also witnessed the inroads of the Trust, and the Monopolistic pressure of elimination in which many Independent theatre owners were forced out of business and producing units absorbed. It is necessary for the life of the Independent Theatre owner that the career of the Independent distributing units in be a prosperous one. As long as the Independent theatre owner can secure good Independent product, his Independence cannot be assailed. I hope that my Independent theatre-owners-friends will co-operate with me in making the week of March 14th a monument to commemorate what Independent theatre owners can do for an Independent distributor in Canada. Say it with Play Dates for F. B. O. Independent distributors build up prestige and business Week of March 14th.” —RAY LEWIS. R. J. Romney States Vital in Canada Not Involved R. J. Romney in a recent telegraphic communication to The Digest states that the Vital Exchanges of Canada are in no way involved in the bankruptcy proceedings in which Vital Exchanges Inc., of New York now finds itself. Mr. Romney states that his company in Canada are making splendid progress; and that he has a programme of Independent product to offer exhibitors in Canada which show every indication of fulfilling the expectations of their buyers. In addition to the present programme Mr. Romney states that he has a line-up of other product which will prove in the nature of a surprise when the announcement of this Maritime Film Board Formed For New Brunswick A Maritime Film Board of Trade has been formed recently in New Brunswick with the following officers. President—R. G. March, Vice-President—P .W. Hogan, Sec.-Treas.— W. A. Sault. is made. Vital Exchanges will continue to do business in Canada as usual. if particular interest is the series of six James Oliver Curwood Classics now being released. The stories are by a wellknown Canadian author; and have been given big productions, all-star casts and that individual attention which goes towards making each Curwood a feature. In addition to the Curwood series, Vital are offering a varied programme of other features and short subjects, including a series of comedies. Mr. Romney enjoys an honourable reputation in Canada; and exhibitors should see that his efforts to establish Vital here, prove successful. Pete Gagnier, for many months Identified with the Regent Theatre, Ottawa, has migrated to Detroit, Mich. Charles St. Denis, formerly with the Regent and for the past year a resident of Montreal, has returned to the Regent staff and is being enthusiastically welcomed. CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST Walter H. Golding Accompanies Finnish Skater To Madison Sq. New York Attending the Skating Races at Madison Square, New York, was Walter H. Golding of the Imperial Theatre, St. John, who was representing the St. John Skating Association and who accompanied the Finnish Champion, Chas. Thunburg to St. John, holding out a friendly hand to the overseas skater in a new land whose language the European did not speak. Central Canadian Exhibition Association Join Exhibitors Fight Music Copyright Bill P. J. Nolan, owner of the Rex Theatre, Ottawa, has enlisted the aid . of the Central Canada Exhibition Association, which stages the Ottawa Fair each year, in the fight against the L. J. Ladner amendment to the Canadian Copyright Act by which a royalty could be collected from theatres and fall fairs for the playing of copyrighted music. Mr. Nolan attended a meeting of the Ottawa Fair directors and pointed out to them that the Fair would have to pay big fees for band concerts if the copyrighted amendment went through the House of Commons at Ottawa. The Exhibition association is now lined up with the local exhibitors in the fight. Patients at the Lancaster Military Hospital were the guests of F. B. Selby, manager of the Queen Square Theatre and of Basil Horsfall of the Opera Film Company at a matinee of the “Bohemian Girl.” The artists of this company volunteered to sing to the soldier patients in the County Hospital and their kindess was greatly appreciated. AGAIN QUALITY COUNTS!! Mr. John Myers, Imperial Theatre, Sarnia, has just installed two De Luxe Motiograph Projectors with De Luxe Reflector Arcs and Gundlach Lenses Results? PERFECT. Is it any wonder we say that “Quality Counts.” can ever approach the De Luxe Motiograph in design, massiveness, simplicity, durability or prices. It used to be —“Ask any Motiograph Owner.” SATISFACTION? 100% Because no other projection Now it is—‘‘Ask any Exhibitor!’’ The Coleman Electric Company 258 Victoria Street Toronto (2), Ont. Before Sale Pictures Read The Digest Advertising Pages. oogle