Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Aug 10, 1929)

Page scan 0009 from Canadian Moving Picture Digest

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest
Date:
Aug 10, 1929
Volume:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Aug 10, 1929)
Leaf #:
0009
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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Page Ten Ben Turpin will piay the cross-eyed lackey in Ernst Lubitsch’s romantic musical operetta, “The Love Parade,” it was announced today by Paramount. Addition of Turpin to the cast brings a second noted comedian into the picture, Lupino Lane having been furnishing comedy during the several weeks that the film has been in progress. Maurice Chevalier, the French Music Hall favorite, heads. the cast. Betty Caldwell, whose leading lady-ship for the past three years has been devoted almost exclusively to comedies, has the feminine lead in “Fire Proof,” the Educational-Lupino Lane Talking Comedy just completed. Betty Compson has been engaged to play one of the leading roles in the Tiffany-Stahl production “Woman To Woman” now being directed by Victor Saville at their Hollywood studios. George Barraud and Juliette Compton were also engaged to play leading roles in this alldialogue production. Mr. Barraud was loaned to Tiffany-Stahl by M-G-M. Farina is featured in the latest Gang comedy, “Lazy Days,” just finished at the Hal Roach Studio in Culver City. Robert McGowan, Gang director, gives each of the six members of the Gang a turn at being head man in a whole picture, and “Lazy Days,” the story of a lazy black boy, is Farina’s plum. “Light Fingers,” an absorbing story of regeneration through love, which combines sophisticated underworld drama with a fascinating love tale, is Columbia Pictures’ latest all-talking release. Ian Keith, appearing in the title role, shares the featured honors with Dorothy Revier. The outstanding cast assembled for the supporting roles inciudes Carroll Nye, Ralph Theodore, ‘tom Ricketts, Charles Gerrard and Pietro Soso. Larry Kent, appearing in Tiffany Productions. CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST Round About the Studios Eddie Phillips, who had a featured role in the series known as “The Collegians,” has been given an important part in “Road Show,” ‘the musical production which Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer will soon put into production. This is an original story of a travelling troupe with Bessie Love and Charles King, who were feetured in “The Broadway Melody,” in leading parts. The cast will include Jack Benny, who acted as master of ceremonies in “The Hollywood Revue,” and Polly Moran. Patricia Caron, who plays one of two feminine leads in “Oh, Yeah?” Pathe’s all-dialogue comedy featuring Robert Armstrong and James Gleason, was a member of the chorus of the Winter Garden show “Innocent Eyes” the same season Nancy Carroll, Joan Crawford and Jack Oakie were in the company. Universal's lead-off picture for the season of 1929-30 has been chosen. It will be “The Drake Case” by Charles A. Logue, directed by Edward Laemmle. Its official release date is September Ist, 1929. beautiful Metro-GoldwynMayer star. Anita Page, The first of the Tuxedo ‘Talking Comedy Series, as yet untitled, has just been completed at the Educational Studios. The comedy is based on a playlet written by Kenyon Nicholson. ‘The cast includes Raymond McKee, Marion Byron, Cissy Fitzgerald and Billy Engle. With a shooting schedule that will keep her working steadily for the next month, Nancy Carroll, Hollywood's newest redhead star, has begun work on her first featured vehicle “Sweetie,” at the Paramount studios in Hollywood. An original musical romance of campus life by George Marion, Jr. “Sweetie” is the story of a New York chorus girl who inherits a boys’ college in Connecticut. Lloyd Corrigan wrote the screen play. Virginia Valli and Ricardo Cortez have been added to the cast of the TiffanyStahl super special production “The Lost Zeppelin,’ now being filmed. Conway Tearle also plays one of the leading roles in this picture. “The Three Godfathers” which Universal Nils Asther playing opposite Greta Garbo in M-G-M’s “The Single Standard.” Marion Harris, the “blues” contralto who has been featured in various musical shows and has also recorded a number of Movietone shorts, has been given the feminine lead in a_ full-length feature, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s “Lord Byron of Broadway,” adapted from Nell Martin's story of the romance ot a song-writer and a singer. William Nigh, whose last film was Lon Chaney’s “Thunder,” will direct this as his first talking production, with other members of the cast shortly to be announced. Tom Reed, who did the adapting, continuity and dialoguing of Peter B. Kyne’s will make as a great outdoor talking picture, has been promoted. Carl Laemmle, Jr., general manager at Universal City, announces that he will be assistant to C. Gardner Sullivan, supervising scenario chief of Universal pictures. : Rudolph Flothow, director and supervisor of synchronization for ‘TiffanyStahl’s productions, left New York for the company’s Hollywood studios where he will supervise the Tiffany-Color Symphonies and also the first of the technicolor feature productions. Mr. Flothow make the trip across the continent by automobile, accompanied by his wife and son, ; Greta Garbo, whose latest Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer starring vehicle, “The Single Standard,” has been released, began work last week in an untitled production which is being directed by Jacques Feyder. Miss Garbo has a new leading man in the new film. Anders Randolph, who was seen in “Four Devils” and “The Gangster,” will have the part of the star's husband in the photoplay. Other cast selections have not yet been announced, Betty Boyd is playing the leading feminine role in “Hot Sports,” the latest Ed ucational-Cameo Comedy, which feature Monty Collins and Vernon Dent.