Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Oct 25, 1947)

Page scan 0005 from Canadian Moving Picture Digest

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest
Date:
Oct 25, 1947
Volume:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Oct 25, 1947)
Leaf #:
0005
Language:
English
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:
April 11, 2024
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.

SC ele i ate eee a a Page 6 CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST Vancouver News By JACK DROY ES fascinating documentary films, one describing vividly the salmon industry of British Columbia, and the other the . intricate and scientific RCMP methods of tracking criminals, were shown for the press by Columbia Pictures. The salmon film, “Red Runs The Fraser” had its Canadian premiere at New Westminster, Oct. 20th. The town is built on the Fraser River and much footage was_ shot there. The true-to-life film “The Connors Case’ is now playing the Or pheum and is factual, fessional actors or using no proHollywood sets. Both are National Film Board pictures, “Red Runs The Fraser” is in cinecolor and is the first NFB release in color. Both films are being given feature treatment by the two FPp theatres. * ok x J. “Scotty” Johnstone of Filmart, and his wife, have left for Toronto via U.S.A. They will be away for six weeks, visiting Toronto and other Easter n Canadian cities. * * Ox Theatremen met last week and decided to make representations to the Dominion government for removal of the 20 per cent federal excise tax on grosses. Theatres now pay the B.C. government. 5 per cent and the federal government 20 Ds cent: George Preston of the Plaza Theatre staff, is convalescing, at iis home, from injuries received in a head-on automobile collision near Bellingham. His wife will be -. im the hospital for at least another. three months. Ray Cooke, Paraadise projectionist, was rushed to hospital with a serious heart attack. He is coming along fairly well now. Penny Piper, daughter of George Gerrard, projectionist at the Strand Theatre here, is making a name _ for herself through the American Broadcasting .Co., in Hollywood, and Penny. was given front page publicity in all Vancouver newspapers when she joined the Henry Morgan booster club in the film city after the radio comedian broadcast against long skirts, a hot subject here on the Pacific coast. * * * Two top showmen of Vancouver, Ivan Ackery, Orpheum manager, and Gordon Hilker of the Hilker Attractions, were given full page spreads in the Vancouver Sun and Province Sunday issues. Ackery for winning the Herald award as top Canadian and U.S. showman, and Gordon Hilker for his work in making road show attractions pay off nee * Now that the pou epidemic has about run its course here, the Or—pheum is starting Saturday mornin Cartoon shows again. Odeon Movie Clubs have also started in the majority of suburban theatres. * Pete Egan, manager of the Palace Theatre, Calgary, accompanied by his wife, has left for Toronto where Mrs. Egan will undergo a serious operation. She was advised to undergo a corneal transplant. Total blindness is approaching and only the operation will prevent loss of her sight. Pete Egan has been given an indefinite leave of absence by F-P and will re main with his wife until the operation is completed. Norman Duncan western exploitation manager for F-P will take over temporary management of the Palace. His assistant will be Carl Egan. October 25th, 1947 Theatre employees in B.C. theatres will now come under the jurisdiction of Local 348 of the IATSE, but will operate under their own charter. Formerly, the AFL Building Service Employees. Union were interested in theatre workers organization. As soon as the charter is granted, negotiations for wage increases will get under way with all Circuits and other theatres. Union will cover doormen, cashiers and ushers, but not cleaners and janitors, who will be a part of the Building Service organization. Bek Work has begun on the new’ F-P theatre at Chilliwack, B.C. The front of the theatre will reach a height of 54 feet, higher than any other city building. Theatre will seat 900. F-P operate the Strand, a 529-seater, town’s only theatre. Chilliwack is 55 miles from Vancouver in the Fraser Valley section of the province, Py Dee Odeon Theatres will build a 1500seater at Edmonton, Alta., costing approximately $450,000. Property iS close to the Capitol, F-P house and was acquired by Odeon four years ago. , Construction is expected to start next spring, Odeon heads reported. A. D. Ross, former official of the British Film Council, who has made Victoria his home for the past year, has been given a post 4 as director of the Vancouver Film | Council. . sg eae Dave Cantor, R-K-O’s Pacific publicity head, was a visitor from Hollywood headquarters conferring with his B.C. representative, Lloyd Muir, on future campaigns for R-K-O pictures in Western Canada key towns. “Crossfire”? and “Fun and Fancy Free”? paigns prior to their release dates. Only $795.00 F.O.B. (60 cycle) TORONTO VANCOUVER Why Pay Percentage? BUY YOUR OWN KORN KING POPCORN MACHINE FEATURES : FUMES vented DIRECTLY Outside. INFRA RED LAMP insures continuous supply of hot crisp popcorn KETTLE: has full 1 Ib. capacity. removed in 1 minute for easy scouring. recessed operator protected against burns. Aspitved by odie Standards Association NATIONAL SUPER SERVICE Co. OF CANADA We 16365 Parliament St, poate; Ont. 110 Water St., Vancouver, B.C. will be given extensive cam-.