Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Jan 12, 1929)

Page scan 0004 from Canadian Moving Picture Digest

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest
Date:
Jan 12, 1929
Volume:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Jan 12, 1929)
Leaf #:
0004
Language:
English
Subjects:
Motion Pictures, Film Industry Trade Magazine",Canad
Collection:
Canada, Hollywood Studio System, Early Cinema, and Global Cinema
Format:
periodicals
Contributor:
Media History Digital Library, Canadian Media Magazines Project, Paul Moore and Jessica Whitehead
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:
June 13, 2024
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RONTO 2, | ONTARIO. HEN Leo, Metro-Goldwyn-May -W er’s lion, saw bis autobiography in the Canadian Moving Picture Di gest, Christmas issue; and realized hat this publicity got him into Talk ing Pictures he at once conferred with : Howard Dietz and asked if he could tring up Ray Lewis and say some more. — Howard, being a good fellow and friendly towards Leo, leaving the party of the second part out of the question, said, “Sure, ~ Leo, call up Ray Lewis, tell her _ that you are no longer to remain silent, that you have been Movie toned; and the world is going to hear you as well as see you. Try and reverse the charges, try, it’s worth it to hear you talk, but dont, press the matter, nevcr press the press.” T 1 A.M., when lions should be +4 sleeping, although they tell me “Leo” never sleeps, he always has one eye open, Howard taught him that, 1 ‘received a long distance call from At Janta, Georgia, and after a few growls T heard Leo roar. “Hello, Leo, how are you? Happy New Year,” said I briskly, but Leo after more roars said, “Tf yowre paying for the message you can Happy New Year as often as you like, but if P’m paying for it, that is we, you know Howard M-G-M, why let's talk show business.” LL right, Leo,” said I, “since you ‘ are paying, make the conversa tion, although I’m willing to pay for the time it takes to say “Happy New — You know you can’t be offended at Leo’s “step on it” attitude. It’s self preservation. There are so many gushers in the world, but so little oil! VOU should see the letters Leo gets “1 from the screen fans, no wonder he has to advertise, “Spare My Blushes.” You know some of the girls think | ne is John Gilbert, others William Haines, or Lon Chaney, Ramon ] ovarro, Buster Keaton, all dressed RAY LEWIS up ina lion’s skin, and even men have written to Leo, thinking that he was some fascinating woman, dressed up to mystify the public and that some day Greta Garbo, or Marion Davies, or Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, would step out of that Lion’s skin, in “The .Skin You Tove ‘T'o ‘Touch.’ The public just loves a mystery, but Leo just roars; and states “Look up my history.’ “T have been connected with the MetroGoldwn-Mayer firm for seven years. I have a position of first unportance with the company, mtroducing all their pictures; and I am treated with great deference by the other members of the firm and by the M-G-M stars.” AM a lion, which means I am a male, I belong to the animal kingdom and I am not impersonating any male or female, I am a trade-mark for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, I appreciate the thousands of letters I receive from Motion Picture patrons, but I cannot pretend to be other than I am, nor would M-G-M permit any such duplicity, although Barnum has been credited with turning beasts into humans and humans into beasts by a wizardry known as showmanship, and hokum.” “T am the only lion in the world which has taken a ride in an aeroplane; and which has been msured for a million dollars. J am now making a good-will tour of the United States. I never roar at theatre-owners, or roar anything but co-operation. TI love to see my pictures in front of your theatre, I confess it gives me a thrill; ea in that you will confess that 1 am somewhat human. ; NE year I sail for Europe, I will visit every country, then cross over into Asia in order to see India, returning by way of Africa, stopping over a ‘few days to see my jungle home. My jungle home, excuse me if you notice a tremour in. my voice, hey central, don’t disconnect me, is that you, Ray Lewis? If ever’ ! get a telephone operator in a jungle, hey, yes, Trinity 1481, Canadian Moving Picture Digest, Toronto. Hey, ring off, this is a busy line, what's my number? What number do vou want? What's my name?. What name do you want? Oh, ring off, this is Leo, Metro-Goldz vyn-Mayer’s lion, talking from Atlanta Georgia. What's that? Mecwss didn’t you say so in the first place? Go toh..... yourself, no, no, not you, Ray Lewis. Didwt sa hear that fresh guy butting in, Gee, Howard will be mad, ae up all this money, what was I saying? Oh, Ves, when I get to Africa I will visit my gungle home. s saa college professors are coming — along with me to the jungle to watch how my family and other wild beasts, accept a civilized lion. Will I try to escape? Now what do you want to bring that up for? I have been told that I shall be watched. My world tour will take about three years. I will be presented at the various European courts, Lam particularly anxious to meet that British Liow you much talk about, and then return -to my studio home in Los Angeles, which is modeled like a jungle scene, and surrounded by a large arena. J told you I was insured for a million? Hey, central, dowt cut us off, well Pll be Sec tee Hello, Hello, Ray, you can't hear me? Thewve cut us off again, call you again next weer.” | SAW a Canadian production, “The Devil's Bear,” recently produced by the Thunder Fort William, Ont., which cost, well the figure involved would be most interesting to the financial backers of “Carry On Sergeant.” .The quality of the picture would interest them also (Continued on Page 7) > Why in the ~ hear so Bay Films Ltd., at .