Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Jul 17, 1948)

Page scan 0004 from Canadian Moving Picture Digest

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest
Date:
Jul 17, 1948
Volume:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Jul 17, 1948)
Leaf #:
0004
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
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July 17th, 1948 « Capital Story » By WILL McLAUGHLIN power breakdown at the Linden Theatre during a recent electrical storm made it necessary for a large number of tickets to be given out so that patrons could return the following night to see the show that was interrupted in this way. However, about 75 of the younger patrons insisted on staying until the high-voltage power came on, and, that night, the Linden did not finish until 2 a.m., with the patrons staying until they had seen the advertised = show. Following this, Casey Swedlove, proprietor, left on a trout fishing expedition to Northern Quebec, where he met John Hausler of the Westboro Theatre, and the two visited some favorite haunts where they were fortunate in getting a nice catch of the speckled beauties. * Ok Ok Louis Wolfe is building a new theatre on Bank St., Ottawa South, about two blocks from the Mayfair Theatre and is hoping to be able to draw his patronage from Billings Bridge and the area which has recently been built up con siderably around that suburban district. * * Much speculation is going on among Ottawa’s theatre managers on the effect the two new drive-in theatres, which are to open shortly in this district, will have on patronage in the already established regular theatres. Mr. Herbert Ochs, owner of the new Drive-In theatre, nearing completion near the Britannia amusement park, was in Ottawa this week to arrange final details for the opening. Messrs. Gamble and Cater are also rushing their drive-in theatre, out on Fisher Avenue, and it will be a race to see which of these new operations will open first. x Ok * Louis Gauthier applied for a reduction on the assessment of equipment in the Cartier Theatre, Hull, and at a recent ruling of a Hull court the valuation for assessment purposes of the equipment was lowered considerably. * * x Bob Martin, formerly manager of the Avalon (now the Glebe) and other theatres of the Odeon Circuit in Western Ontario, and for the past several years at the Rexy in Ottawa, has resigned to enter another line of business. Jim Fox, who has been assistant to manager Steve McManus at the Odeon Theatre, Kingston Ont., has been promoted to the management of the Rexy which, incidently, is a neighborhood theatre on Somerset Street, west of Bronson Avenue, and is one of several operated in Ottawa by Odeon. CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST Pioneer Benevolent Fund Elects New Executive At a recent meeting of the Trustees of the Canadian Industry’s Pioneer Benevolent Fund, the permanent ‘Drustees= Oseare “hlansone »Charles Mavety, George Beeston and Ray Lewis, and the supplementary Trustee, The Hon. J. Earl Lawson, President of the Canadian Picture Pioneers, elected the officers of the ‘Trustee Board, for ithe coming year. Oscar. Rk. Hanson was elected prac dents Ray Lewis, Vice-President: Charles Mage ety, Secretary, and George Beeston, Treasurer, The Trust Fund is administered through a majority vote, regarding donations, in response to Emergency Appeals, and provides that the President of the Canadian Picture Pioneers shall officiate as a Trustee and _ shall have a vote in the operation of the Trust Fund. Where the President is a Permanent Trustee, another member may be appointed to officiate; this obviates the possibility of a tie-vote, in any case for Emergency aid. All Emergency Appeals are investigated, locally, by the District Branch, and must be recommended by the District Branch before the Permanent Trustees may give the Emergency appeal consideration. The Benevolent Fund has a separate Banking Fund, apart from that of the Canadian Picture Pioneers. Emergency Aid is not restricted to members of the Canadian Picture Pioneers, it is a Motion Picture Benevolence which operates nationally in Canada. When making Charitable donations remember our own Benevolent Fund and in making your Will, give to the Industry which gave to you, a portion in your bequests. 5 LE EEE BESET IE ETE ENED PO BEE REE TE S OunnjMasreR -SOUND EQUIPMENT ~ _ The Golden Voice of the Silver Screep Built for To-Day’s Modern Theatre To Meet the Demands of To-Day’s Progressive Exhibitor IMMEDIATE DELIVERY WRITE WIRE TELEPHONE p ELECTRIC Ss COMPANY LIMITED 277 VICTORIA ST. 2027 BLEURY ST. TORONTO MONTREAL Page 5 Films Show Canada To U.S. Tourists Something new has been added to the growing list of tourist activities across Canada. At nearly 50 major tourist points, motion pictures of Canada and Canadian subjects will be screened regularly. Tourists planning to cover the Dominion will see places they expect to visit, while those visiting only one or two points will be shown a great deal of the rest of Canada and mill probably be interested in seeing more of the country. Practically all the films screened will be in color. The screening program for tourists, on a national scale, is being operated by the National Film Board through its regional and field staffs, with the co-operation of the local auth orities, including parks superintendents, government and civic. officials, libraries, theatres, community groups, film councils, etc. In Ottawa, the programs will be screened in the lecture hall of the National Museum. Among places scheduled for the tourist showing are Minaki and Pictou Lodges, Bigwin Inn, Niagara Falls, Highland Inn, Royal Muskoka Hotel, Devine Lake Lodge, Banff, Jasper, Waterton Lakes, Elk Island Park, as well as a number of Quebec and Maritime resorts, lodges, camps, hotels and parks. Programs will include films on salmon fishing in British Columbia, tuna fishing off Nova Scotia, a flight across Canada by TCA, Jasper, Banff, Winnipeg, the Calgary Stampede, hockey, skiing, the St. Lawrence and Peace Rivers, the Great Lakes, Isle of Orleans, the Canadian north, the Alaska Highway and many more. Celebrity Tees Off “Stampede” Premiere Sally Rand, world famous fan dancer, appearing in Western Canada with her Royal American Shows review, participated in the opening ceremonies of the co-world premiere of “Northwest Stampede”, Eagle Lion (Hollywood) — $2,000,000 cinecolor cs cee — which bowed in at the Rialto Theatre in Edmonton, July 16th, it was announced by Irving Herman, director of advertising and publicity for International Film ‘Distributors. The Sally Rand show opened in Edmonton at the local annual Exhibition July 12th, and Miss Rand consented to appear with her entire company at the Rialto’s premiere festivities. Others attending the Edmonton opening of the picture were Lieut. Governor J. C. Bowen, the King’s representative in the Province of Alberta, Provincial Premier E. C. Manning, members of the Alberta Provincial Cabinet and leaders of the Canadian business world. Extensive preparations were made by J. J. Lieberman, manager of the Rialto Theatre in Edmonton, with the assistance of Irving Herman, who left Calgary for the capital city of the province.