Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Jan 24, 1948)

Page scan 0007 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 #:
0007
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 apie , : : DEON circuit haye now completed their managerial changes in_ the B.C. division. Bob Fraser, Circle to Paradise; Frank Brown, assistant manager at Hastings, Vancouver, promoted to manager of the Odeon Theatre at Abbotsford, succeeding Johnny Stobbart. who moves to the Rio. Vancouver; Jimmy Adams of the Olympia takes over the Circle, and .\l Goodwin of the Rio moves to the Olympia; Flliott Brown, of the Odeon, Trail, will be in charge of the new Odeon at West Vancouver which opens shortly; Jack Armstrong of the Paradise, Vancouyer, succeeds Brown at the Odeon, Trail; .\l Davidson of the Plaza, at Victoria, was appointed manager of the new 1.500 seat Odeon in the Capitol city which is expected to open around the end of I*ebruary. * me & Paul Lambert, formerly with the Beacon Theatre in Winnipeg, has been appointed assistant manager at the Odcon-Hastings Theaire, under manager Al. Mitchell. ; x * Ox Norman Duncan, manager of the new F-P International -Cinema, is losing no time in putting his house over. He is working with the school boy patrols, from which the cinema derives plenty of publicity in the newspapers. He invited the boys to be his guests at a showing of the “Thief of Bagdad” and the “Pasadena Rose Bowl Game". He received many favorable comments in the newspapers and from the local school board. Be ie ll Jenkins, manager of — the Plasa Theatre, was passing out cigars as his wife presented him with a new baby daughter. a ee Ok The Odeon circuit policy, recently inaugurated, of day-and-date showings of first runs in the downtown Plaza and suburban Park Theatres here, is working out satisfactorily, Odeon heads reported. The Lux on the East side of town is also on a diet of action-Western pictures on a first run policy. The Hastings Theatre, formerly first run, is now playing second run films, also an amateur show each week on the stage. eo» It’s the guess of many theatremen that film business in 1948 will be off from 15 to 20 per cent in this section, and that only outstanding pictures will do business. ee ae fverything is going to be done in a super-colossal manner at the Motion Picture Pioneers Ball to be held here on February 3rd. Two ballrooms at Hotel Vaneouver and two orchestras will be necessary to accommodate the expected crowd, and in that crowd will probably be some notable names from Tlollywood, including — several old-timers of the Mack Sennett comic days. CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST Vancouver News By JACK DROY Most of Vancouver's first runs have upped admissions from five fo ten cents to meet the increased overhead. The rising costs of operation have inereased vastly over the past year, theatre operators reported. x Ok OK The front office white collar employees of the Vancouver Film [%xchanges have now been granted a charter by IATSE. The local will be I-71. Tlection of officers will be held shortly, and wage scales and other working conditions discussed. Theatre Ismployees Union local B-72, IATSE, covering theatre workers have now a membership of 200. Wage scales with the circuits have been agreed upon and shortly will take effect. The chain agreed to a union shop for all their workers, which means that any new employees in theatres after 30 days employment must join the union, or no jobs. January 24th, 1948 The Cameo Theatre at Whalley's Corners, B.C. which has been doing below average bis since it opened Si months ago, has hit the jack-pot with the addition of Foto-Nite each week. Foto-Nite played lo capacity this week, Charlie Nelson of Foto-Nite, supplied the stage talent, which looks like what the doctor ordered for this spol. x eK * Vancouver first run theatres were heading for a big week until the foggy season came down in mid-week. “Road To Rio”, at the Capitol, on its second week, was the leader. James Mason in the “Upturned Glass” was in the second slot. ‘Desert Fury” at the Orpheum was above average. A revival of ‘’I‘he Thief of Bagdad” at the International Cinema had line-ups throughout its engagement. x OK Ok The Odeon circuil, the Rank outlet in Canada, are tsing, in all their major houses in B.C. “J. cirthur Rank presents” in advertising the overseas releases in newspapers, etc. Trans-Canada Showing Use This Information As Your Guide On Release Dates TORONTO CAPITOL-VICTORIA 2nd week. “Drums Along The Mohawk” (Fox re-issue), with Claudette Colbert and Henry Fonda. Also “The Mark of Zorro” (Fox re-issue), with Tyrone Power and Linda Darnell. EGLINTON-TIVOLI Ath week. “The Bachelor and the BobbySoxer” (R-K-O), with Cary Grant, Myrna Loy and Shirley Temple. FAIRLAWN 2nd week. “Captain Boycott’ (E-L), with Stewart Granger and Kathleen Ryan. IMPERIAL , 8rd week. “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” (Goldwyn-R-K-O), Technicolor, with Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo. INTERNATIONAL CINEMA 2nd week. “The Raiders” (Astral), Technicolor. LOEW'S 3rd week. “Green Dolphin Street’’ (M-G-M), with Lana Turmer and Van Heflin. SHEA’S 3rd week. “Hoad To Rio” (Para.), with Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour, UPTOWN “Sleep, My Love” (U-A), with Claudette Colbert, Robert Cummings and Don Ameche. MONTREAL CAPITOL “Singapore” (U-A), with Fred MacMurray and Ava Gardner. IMPERIAL “The Thief of Bagdad” (Astral), Technicolor, with Conrad Veidt, Sabu and June Duprez. Also “Over The Moon” (Asira)). LOEW'S 2nd week. “Road To Rio” (Para.), with Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour, PALACE 2nd week, “This Time For Keeps” (M-G-M), Technicolor, with Esther Williams. PRINCESS “The Long Night” (R-K-O), with Henry Fonda and Barbara Bel Geddes. SNOWDON 3rd week. “Jt Happened On Fifth Avenue” (Mono.), with Don DeFore, Ann Harding and Gale Storm. SAINT JOHN CAPITOL “The Romance of Rosy Ridge” (M-G-M), with Van Johnson and Janet Leigh. MAYFAIR “Pursued’ (W-B), with Teresa Wright and Robert Mitchum. Also “Don’t Gamble With Strangers” with Kane Richmond. STRAND “Cry Wolf’ (W-B), with Errol Flynn and Barbara Stanwyck. WINNIPEG CAPITOL “Red Stallion” (Int'l), Paige and Noreen Nash. DOMINION 8th week. “Abie’s Irish Rose” (U-A), with Michael Chekhov and Joanna Dru. GARRICK 2nd week. “The Wistful Widow of Wagon Soe, (U-I), with Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. METROPOLITAN “Possessed” (W-B), with Joan Crawford and Van Heflin. ODEON 2nd week. “Captain Boycott” (E-L), with Stewart Granger and Kathleen Ryan, CALGARY CAPITOL “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” (GoldwynR-K-O), Technicolor, with Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo. GRAND “Singapore” (U-I), with Fred MacMurray and Ava Gardner. PALACE “The Laughing Lady” (Int'l), Technicolor, with Anne Ziegler and Francis L. Sullivan. VANCOUVER CAPITOL 2nd week. “Road To Rio” (Para.), with Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour and Bob Hope. INTERNATIONAL CINEMA The Thief of Bagdad” (Astral), Technicolor, with Conrad Veidt, Sabu and June Duprex. Also “Pack Up Your Troubles” (Astral), with Laurel and Hardy. ORPHEUM ‘Desert Fury” (Para.), Technicolor, with Burt Lancaster and Lizabeth Scott. PARK-PLAZA ane err “Captain Boycott” (E-L), with ewart Granger and Kath] Weate een Hyan. and week. “It Had To Be You” (Col.), with Ginger Rogers and Cornel Wilde, Color, with Robert