Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Jan 24, 1948)

Page scan 0006 from Canadian Moving Picture Digest

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest
Date:
Jan 24, 1948
Volume:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Jan 24, 1948)
Leaf #:
0006
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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January 24th, 1948 CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST 20 New Members Inducted At F-P 25-Year Club Banquet In the candle-lit Crystal Ballroom of the King Edward Hotel, Toronto, more than 150 invited guests attended the fourth annual dinner of Famous Players’ 25-Year Club. Twenty new members of the Club from Ontario and Quebec were the guests of honor and received their awards from vice-president, R. W. “ . ot bel . . Bolstad. Iach new member was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation signed by the president and citing the services of the recipient. New members also were presented with inscribed watches or government bonds, jewelled pins of membership and each will now be given two extra weeks’ vacation. Guests were seated at flower-banked tables arranged in the form of a huge horse shoe in the colorful decorated ballroom and, following the dinner, witnessed the presentation to new members. R. W. Bolstad explained that Mr. Fitzgibbons was unavoidably detained on business out of the city and read a letter of regret from the president and his message to the new and old members of the Club. “It is my honor and privilege to start the induction of our new members”, said Mr. Bolstad. “As Fitz said in the preface to our Jfamily Album, ‘just 25 years ago the Allen organization joined Famous Players, bringing to our company a group of showmen, the value of whose services and experience to Famous Players could not be estimated in dollars’, “Tam very proud that Jule and Herb Allen are here with us tonight’, he continued. “No one has made a finer contribution to this industry than they. “You 25-Year Club members who are being inducted tonight have seen many changes in the industry in the past quarter century”, he said. “You have seen our Company grow from 60 theatres to more than 350. You've seen the value of our properties increase from $6,000,000 to $24,000,000 and the Company's cash assets develop from $400,000 to over $8,000,000”. All this, he said, was due to the loyalty and faithful service of men and women being honored this month. At the Toronto banquet in honor of Famous Players Be Leos Cc head booker and buyer, on his entrance to the august circle. on the Toronto honors list, is also congratul Iamous Players, he continued, 1s doing everything in its power to assure the well-being of every one of its employees. “You've seen many changes in the 25 years you have been with our Company’, said Mr. Bolstad. “It used to be that owners of theatres were managers, ‘l‘oday, management in Famous Players’ theatres comes up from the ranks. “Membership in the 25-Year Club must mean more than the immediate benefits to each of you”, he continued. “Some of you haye devoted your business life to your jobs and it must bring you great satisfaction to know that through your experience and ‘knowhow’ you are helping to train others who are coming along in the Company. “Ours is a good business”, he said. “We are bringing clean, wholesome entertainment at low cost to more than 4% million Canadians every week. “T am sure that with men and women like you and the leadership of John Fitzgibbons we'll continue to go forward as the leading Company in the industry”, concluded Mr. Bolstad. The new members were called to the head table by Morris Stein, eastern division manager, who gave a_ brief biographical sketch of each one called upon to réceive awards from Mr. Bolstad. Only one woman was on the honored list in Toronto — Mrs. If. Holt, matron of the Beach Theatre, Toronto. Others honored included W. A. Birchall, projectionist, Runnymede Theatre, ‘Toronto; Art Culley, manager, Capitol Theatre, Peterboro; ‘Tom ated on her induction to the 25-Year Club. lub members, R. W. Bolstad. vice-president, congratulates Ben Geldsaler, Mrs. E. Holt, matron of the Beach Theatre in Toronto, and only woman Page 7 Daley, manager, Imperial Theatre, Toronto; F. G. Doney, manager, Royal Theatre, Guelph; Roy Downey, manager, Beach Theatre, Toronto; Harley Kickart, projectionist, Capitol Theatre, St. Catharines; Archie Fraser, projectionist, Capitol Theatre, Brantford; Ben Geldsaler, chief booker and buyer for Famous Players; Tom Hoad, manager of the service department, General Theatre Supply Co.; Norman Jackson, assistant general auditor, Head Office ; H. C. Jarmain, projectionist, Runnymede Theatre, Toronto; Fergus Martin, senior internal auditor, Head Office; Bert Massey, projectionist, Imperial Theatre, Toronto; J. R. McLennan, manager, Capitol Theatre, Brockville; George Morrell, manager, St. Clair Theatre, ‘Toronto; H. Pervis, watchman, Palace Theatre, Montreal; Ernie Smithies, manager, Capitol Theatre, Kingston; Jack Ward, manager, Seneca Theatre, Niagara Falls and Val Zuana, engineer, Regent ‘Theatre, Ottawa. Posthumous awards were made to Joseph Bolinsky, manager of the Imperial Theatre. Sarnia and William York, projectionist in the Regent Theatre, Ottawa. Both had died within a few weeks of becoming members of the 25-Year Club. Norman S$. Robertson, K.C., president of the North American Life Co. and a director of Famous Players, proposed a toast to the ladies which was gracefully responded to by Ray Lewis. Other speakers were Jules Allen, who spoke on behalf of the Company's partners and associates; Harry Jarmain, who spoke on behalf of the new members of the Club; Ben Geldsaler. who voiced the sentiments of the new members from the Head Office; Noel G. Barrow, who spoke on behalf of the charter members, and Larry Bearg, western divisional general manager, who brought greetings and good wishes from the 25-Year Clubbers in Western Canada. During the evening entertainment was provided by the Gay Nineties Quartet, Johnny Perkins’ Trio and the lovely Giselle of radio fame.