Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Mar 6, 1954)

Page scan 0001 from Canadian Moving Picture Digest

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest
Date:
Mar 6, 1954
Volume:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Mar 6, 1954)
Leaf #:
0001
Language:
English
Subjects:
Motion Pictures, Film Industry Trade Magazine",Canad
Collection:
Global Cinema, Hollywood Studio System, Canada, and Early Cinema
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:
May 18, 2024
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CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST MARCH 6, 1954 VANCOUVER NEWS | By JACK DROY Motorists won't be able to get any free glimpses of Drive-in theatre screens as they drive along highways from now on. New traffic regulations approved by the B.C. provincial government specify that screens must be placed so that no picture on the screen is visible from the highway, which has been causing a traffic hazard according to Royal Canadian Mounted Police who are in charge of road traffic in this area. Many outdoor theatres in British Columbia will have to make changes in their screen spots to come within the new law. D =) -. 1 tn Oa ' nr CL’ witecccanaaeeeteet! Chrysler Corp. has announced an arrangement for a 100 year loan, to the amount of $250,000,000 with the Prudential Insurance Co. of America. L. Colbert, President, stated, that the loan is to finance continuing expansion and modernizing production facilities. Chrysler will issue notes to Prudential at 33/4,% interest. British Columbia's amusement e tax will be reduced with the understanding that the cut will be passed on to theatre patrons. The question was debated in the house on the Speech from the Throne at the opening of the Legislature, which passed on a reduction of children's clothes and shoes and a 10 per cent tax on liquor by the glass to become exempt under the present 3 per cent sales tax, and a reduction of auto registrations fees, which were cut by 25 per cent. B.C, revenues reached a new high of $161,765,536 compared with $143,771,541,in the last year. Four downtown theatres are at present showing pictures at advanced prices at a dollar top, uv from 75c. Martin Luther caused so much critical newspaper comment with letters to the editor that the papers have stopped publication of them. The pro and con dispute on the reason for the Quebec banning of the picture was a first rate topic. Note film is still playing to capacity business at the Studio at advanced admissions. Prairie News BRUCE PEACOCK On March Ist the New York Stock Market reached a 1954 high. There were 79 highs registered and 6 lows. ® Robert Weitman, Vice-President American BroadcastingParamount Theatres, has announced Invitation To Hollywood as new title of TV series to promote the Motion Picture Industry. +) Alex Harrison takes on temporary appointment as Western Sales Manager for 20th Century-Fox, the post which the late Edwin W. Aaron held. Mr. Aaron, we regret to report, died suddenly two weeks ago. ® In England, Independent exhibitors are calling the J. Arthur Rank ys. 20th Century-Fox disagreement on CinemaScope, Stereophonic Sound Equipment, a battle of the Titans. ®@® Allied Artists reports that Walter Wanger’s, Riot in Cell Block 11, playing in Michigan area, has resulted in holdovers in all houses playing the picture. ® Universal-International achieves an all-time business record with the Glenn Miller Story, which opened in about 200 cities on Washington’s Birthday, and attained receipts exceeding any picture which this company released in its 40 years’ history. Theatre employees were the cheapest © baby-sitters in western Canada, Hugh Vassos, Melville, Sask., theatre manager, said in a recent address to the Melville Home and School Association. If was obvious many parents sent CinemaScope pictures will be showing in more than 1,000 theatres in Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australasia by the middle of April; 20th Century-Fox reports 700 orders ote gains 40 Sikarday afternoon *° being currently processed by manufacturers of Cinemashows so they could have a few free Scope equipment. hours themselves, he said. He felt some ry aap ph baad tad ES Brandt Theatres take over Rialto Broadway Theatre from revenue for an eight-week period so he James Mage, who operated it on a lease which Arthur L. Mayer could buy films suitable for schoclag> had, This gives Brandt four Broadway first run houses. children, He suggested the sale of 400 . eight-ticket books at $1 in the schools, : ; Palm Springs residents pay an average of $10.00 per month for Telemeter reception of new pictures, according to Carl Leserman, Telemeter president. Pictures are furnished by Warner With the co-operation of the home and school organization and a board of parents to help select pictures, he would try to bring in the movies they chose if the theaire could break even, or nearly so, on them, he said. Bros., MGM, Paramount, Republic, U-A. Set-owners pay $1.00 per picture.