Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Jul 17, 1954)

Page scan 0005 from Canadian Moving Picture Digest

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest
Date:
Jul 17, 1954
Volume:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Jul 17, 1954)
Leaf #:
0005
Language:
English
Subjects:
Motion Pictures, Film Industry Trade Magazine",Canad
Collection:
Canada, Hollywood Studio System, Early Cinema, and Global 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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PAGE SIX CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST Allied Artists To Produce 15 Films In Six Months Allied Artists this month will launch the most important six-month production schedule in its history with 15 films to go before the cameras during that period, it Was announced by Walter Mirisch, executive producer. Of these, one will be in CinemaScope and three will be filmed in Technicolor. Eight of the pictures will roll between now and the end of September. Also reflecting the stepped-up activity at the studio are one picture, “The Police Story,” now before the camera, two films in the dubbing rooms and three being edited, Mirisch pointed out. Scheduled to roll in July are “The Annapolis Story,” which he personally’ will produce, to be filmed in Technicolor and to start on July 21; Ketchikan,” July 17; “Bowery to Bagdad,” July 7, and “Target Earth,” July 14. To be filmed in England, “The Black Prince,” a CinemaScope production to be jointly made by Allied Artists and 20th Century-Fox, will roll on August 2 with Henry Levin directing; and also to go before the cameras that month will be the Technicolor production of “Wichita.” Mirisch personally will hold production Odeon Theatre, Edmonton, Now Open The Odeon Theatres (Canada) Limited announced the opening of the new Odeon Theatre, Edmonton on July Ist, the circuit’s newest showcase in the oil city of Canada. The Odeon-Edmonton joins the Rialto, Varscona, Avenue and Roxy Theatres, Edmonton, which are operated in partnership with Mr. H. A. Friedman, Q.C. The new theatre was designed by Kaplan and Sprachman, Toronto architects and is the first theatre in Canada to be specially constructed for Wide Screen presentation. The seating capacity is 1,125 with the latest push-back seats and the theatre is fully air-conditioned with refrigeration and the latest in projection and sound equipment fully equipped to show films on CinemaScope with Stereophonic Sound, VistaVision and other Wide Screen aspect ratios. All sight lines ensure perfect vision from any seat in the theatre. A beautiful golden contour curtain merges into the side walls of the theatre and when lifted, exposes a giant Wide Screen which is. Virtually wall to wall. ' The theatre opened on July 1st with the Canadian premiere of the J. Arthur Rank Film Organization's “MAN WITH A MILLION” starring Gregory Peck from Mark Twain's world famed novel and filmed in Technicolor. Present for the opening were Mr. H. A Friedman, Q.C., Mr. A. J. Pauley, Director of Engineering, The Odeon Theatres (Canada) Limited and Mr. S. Binder, Odeon—Friedman, Edmonton Supervisor. The startling modernistic design of Mr. Binder began as an usher in 1921 with Famous Players and in 1925, at the age of 18 became the youngest assistant manager in the FP chain. He was named manager of the Empress in Edmonton in 1928. He transferred to Odeon in 1940, managed theatres in Winnipeg and Edmonton and had been manager of the Rialto, Edmonton, prior to taking over the new theatre. the new Odeon-Edmonton has not only created wide spread favorable comment, but is a fitting tribute to the expansion that is taking place in this great Canadian city. Another striking feature of the theatre is the giant animated sign, read-o-graph and marquee which is one of the finest in Western Canada. Plate glass doors afford passers-by a perfect view of the elegance and luxury available to them in their new Odeon show place. “Packaged” Cartoons From Paramount Beginning August 1, Paramount will make available to exhibitors “packaged” Technicolor cartoons, with each group of four or more individual subjects to carry a specially produced main title consisting of the familiar cartoon characters parading across the screen with banners reading, “Presenting a Paramount Cartoon Carnival.” Oscar A. Morgan, Paramount's general sales manager in charge of short subjects, announced the new cartoon package policy and explained that the theatres will have a choice of new or reissue cartoons in ordering the packages, Paramount cartoons still will be available singly. Morgan reported that Paramount Cartoon Carnivals were being instituted at the request of a large number of exhibitors, particularly drive-in operators. The Jatter have indicated that the popularity of “kiddie shows” at the start of programs reached a new peak in recent months. Color film projection at dusk is clearer on drive-in screens than blackand-white during that time, Morgan pointed out, and therefore color cartoons are especially well suited to opening drive-in programs, A special pressbook is being prepared by Paramount covering the Cartoon Carnival shows. Packages will consist of half-hour, one hour, or longer shows, Morgan said. reins on these films. In September, ‘‘Legionnaire,” in Technicolor, will go before the cameras, and during the same month producer Vincent M. Fennelly will launch filming of “John Brown’s Raiders.” Other films to be made this year, Mirisch said, include “Gun _ Point,” “Dreamland,” ‘Singapore East,” “Hold Back the Night.” In the dubbing rooms now are “Jungle Gents,” and “Killer Leopard.” Being edited are Walter Wanger’s “Hajji Baba,” “The Police .Story’ and William E, Selwyn's production of “The Bob Mathias Story.” (STI a oN UP TICAL TRACK is creating an early demand for CINEMASCOPE ANAMORPHIC LENSES are available for immediate delivery from: PERKINS ELECTRIC COMPANY LIMITED MONTREAL MONCTON TORONTO CALGARY VANCOUVER and BUFFALO JULY 17, 1954