Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Jan 3, 1948)

Page scan 0002 from Canadian Moving Picture Digest

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest
Date:
Jan 3, 1948
Volume:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Jan 3, 1948)
Leaf #:
0002
Language:
English
Subjects:
Motion Pictures, Film Industry Trade Magazine",Canad
Collection:
Hollywood Studio System, Global Cinema, Early Cinema, and Canada
Format:
periodicals
Contributor:
Media History Digital Library, Canadian Picture Pioneers, 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:
August 14, 2025
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ee. a January 3rd, 1948 CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST Page 3 RAY PRESENTS a LLOWING a successful presentation of Rossirti’s, “Barber of Seville’, Italian produced motion picture opera, with Deems Taylor, English narration, at the Royal Alexandra, Toronto, Cornelius Otis Skinner in the stage show, “Lady Windemere’s Fan”, had a most successful week’s engagement, the week before Christmas which week Show Folks write down as “slim box-office”. On Christmas Day, Arthur Rank’s production of “Henry V”, opened for an eleven day engagement at this same theatre, with a healthy box-office advance seat sale. “Black Narcissus” with Deborah Kerr as star, had two more than good weeks at the Uptown, Toronto. Something new in show business was the Famous Players Canadian Corporation’s announcement, that theatres of this circuit would not open on Christinas Day until 3:00 p.m. in order to allow the managers and staff to spend Christmas Day with their families. Some of the neighborhood theatres opened only for evening performances. Christmas Day, in Canada, at one time considered among the big holidays, for box-office, ts gradually losing its theatre appeal, gust as Christmas Day is more and more becoming a family reunion day, with emphasis on a holiday for the children. I have always said that this business of ours is full of surprises, and therefore, there is no exeuse for growing old, or stale. AP Quebec City, at the Cambrai, “Pagliacci”, Italian produced, had an excellent day’s business on Christmas Day, its opening, in this French-language theatre, where it played with the short version of “Adventure In Music”. Soon the province of Quebec will become “The Province” which gives the best box-office returns to p-ctures with music, and provides the most appreciative Canadian audiences, for the unusual in pictures. Theatres, in Toronto, put on a festive front, with a sparkling Merry Christmas to greet the passers-by, and to cheer the patrons. Everyone had a party and my house guests, Mr. and Mrs. George Margolin (Mr. Margolin is president of Continental Motion Pictures Corporation) remarked, that Toronto truly expressed Christmas, and while they had lived in many capitals of the world, never have they experienced “The Merry Christmas” spirit as seen in Toronto, as friends and acquaintances greeted each other in office buildings, in restaurants, on the streets, with “Merry Christmas, Happy New Year”. The windows were full of Christmas symbols, Simpson's with Santa's toy shop, where even the reindeer stood-on their hind legs, hammering out toys for the children. Eaton’s window's carried, in model figures, the complete story of The Flight From Egypt and the Birth of The Child at Bethlehem, while church bells chimed, and across the busy streets came the voice of the bells with their chimes of “Noel” and “Holy Night’. At the hotels, there were reservations for families, for the Christmas Dinner, and to my way of thinking it was the most old-fashioned and best Christinas spirit I have seen since I was a. little gil, I WAS glad to see that the Famous Players Canadian Corporation closed their theatres to enable managers and staff to have Christinas dinner with their families. In this very selfish world of today, the thought behind this deed sent forth a ray of light, as bright as must have been the Star of Bethlehem, which guided the Three Wise Men to the Manger. I am told that F. G. Spencer closed his theatres all day Christmas in the Maritimes, and, also, closes his theatres on Good Friday. Pioneers are reminded, that on Thursday, Janvary 22nd, the Pioneers will hold their Annual Meeting, with business sessions in the afternoon, dinner and entertainment in the evening, Crystal Ballroom, King Edward Hotel, Toronto. The entertainment provided, under the chairmanship of Len Bishop, and a special comunittee of Charles Mavety, Joe Garbarino, Jack Arthur, Ben Cronk, is going to be something which exhibitors will write home about. The Pioneers will present the show and will be the actors. Charlie Mavety will, also, be in charge of the ticket sale, to Pioneers only, tickets will be five dollars inclusive, meaning dinner, cocktail party, show, etc. NOMINATION and election of officers will take place at the afternoon session. Registration at 2:00 p.m. Harold Babcock of Sturgeon Falls is sending venison for the feast, and there will be everything from oysters to nuts. Applications by the “25 year olds” should be made immediately. The Initiation Ceremonies this year will be under the direction of “Ride ‘Em Cowboy Mavety” and Ben Cronk, “Quiet Weekend” closed a twelve week run at the International Cinema, Toronto, and Warner Bros. Max Reinhardt’ production of Shakes peare’s “Midsummer Night's Dreanv’ is now playing this theatre. Time Magasine listed the Italian produced pic ture, “Shoe Shine” among the ten best pictures of the year. “Shoe Shine” both in Italian and French versions will be distributed in Canada through Alliance Films, which, also, recently acquired the French productions of “Maria Chapdelaine”’, “St. Theresa’, Rene Clair’s “The Last Millionaire”, “The Royal Hotel”, “Tales of Hoffman”, “The Barber of Seville” “Pag hacci’”’, ete. (eee MARGOLIN, who saw the Columbia picture, “Traviata”, produced by Rabinovitch in Italy, for Columbia Pictures, states that this motion picture opera is a superb picture and should prove a box-office sensation. Rabinavitch has secured for Columbia Pictures, the motion picture rights to the Verdi, Puccini and Gounod operas, which means, “Carmen”, “Faust”, “Aida”, “La Boheme”. Perhaps motion pictures has at last found the answer to the universal language, “say it with music”, the latter the title of a motion picture. In several Ontario towns and cities, special Christmas free shows were provided for children under the sponsorship of various organizations, and pictures were carefully selected for these shows, Roly Young, “Rambling with Roly’, movie reviewer of the Globe and Mail, presented “Alladin. ’47” at Hart House, Toronto. It was a musical fantasy, which proved most entertaining and successful. Roly wrote the play and the lyrics, as well as staging the show. AMON G the successful Christmas picture offerings, fourteen are being presented in New York. “The Bishop’s Wife”, at the Astor, currently playing; “Gentleman's Agreement” at the Mayfair; “Body and ; ‘(Continued on Page 8)