Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Aug 7, 1954)

Page scan 0001 from Canadian Moving Picture Digest

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest
Date:
Aug 7, 1954
Volume:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Aug 7, 1954)
Leaf #:
0001
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 TWO On the Beam (Continued from Page 1) been my life and my livelihood for so many years . . . my position with the company will still be on a full time and active basis.” According to a resolution passed by the Board of Directors of the Theatre Owners of America in Hollywood last June, the TOA is scheduled to select an “industry coordinator”, a man “qualified and experienced” to carry out the TOA plan to encourage independent production, by way of financing as well as guaranteeing bookings. Two men are being prominently mentioned for the coordinator role, Ned E. Depinet, former head of RKO Radio Pictures, Inc., and William F. Rodgers, former General Manager of Sales-Distribution for Loew’s, Inc. Either man would be an excellent choice for the job, for both fill the requirements set out by the TOA Board, being fully able to “comprehend all matters relating to the exhibition, production and distribution of motion pictures and the financing thereof.” Any action is subject to approval of the general TOA body, which is scheduled to meet in Chicago, Oct. 31-Nov. 4. Frank Davis, Jr., President of the Selznick Releasing Organization, has just announced the appointment of Ben Babb as head of advertising and publicity for SRO in New York. Babb was associated with Selznick on the Coast from 1946 to 1949. He starts to work immediately on campaigns for the re-release of “Duel in the Sun” and other pictures, which Budd Rogers is handling for SRO. LAD to hear that U-I’s remake of the Lloyd C. Douglas bestseller, “The Magnificent Obsession,” is breaking all records for the company in its initial runs. First reports show the picture running ahead of the sensational “Glenn Miller Story” at the Palace, Cleveland and the Palace, Akron, and establishing new house records in Chicago, Atlanta and Youngstown. The original version, produced by Universal in 1935, costarred Irene Dunne, and Robert Taylor and established Taylor as a star. The new version, in Technicolor, co-stars Jane Wyman, Rock Hudson and Barbara Rush. Incidentally, it appears that the producers feel that twice-told tales can be more profitable even than first editions. Paramount, for example, are reported to have a bud _ get of over $6,000,000 for the remake of “The Ten Commandments,” and $3,000,000 for “The Covered Wagon.” ~“pIereT AA To Co-produce With Cornel Wilde Allied Artists announced it would co-produce “The Big Combo” with Cornel Wilde’s Theodora Productions and Security Pictures. The gangster melodrama will start Aug. 26, Jack Palance and Jean Wallace, who is Mrs. Wilde, were named as co-stars with Mr. Wilde. Allied Artists is in the midst of large scale expansion, and is affiliating with outside producers and production units. John Huston recently signed with the studio and negotiations are now going on with William Wyler and Billy Wilder. Fox Buys ““Can-Can”’ Twentieth Century-Fox will film “Can-Can” under a $750,000-deal set last week. The purchase gives the studio a big backlog of musical properties, including the $5,000,000 “There's No Business Like Show Business,” now in production and said to be the most expensive film musical ever made in Hollywood. Other projected musicals at Fox are “The King and I,” “Daddy Long Legs,” “Pink Tights’ and ‘Carmen Jones.” Horvor To Boredom Childven‘s Reaction Children’s reactions to motion “picture scenes, recorded recently by infra-red photographs, revealed a wide range of responses ranging from horror to boredom. A report compiled by Miss Mary Field, executive officer of the Children’s Film Foundation for the Carnegie Trust states: “Little of the fear aroused appears lasting. Most children protect themselves against what they personally dislike—blood, violence and height — by shutting their eyes.” AUGUST 7, 1954 ae I ML ES Plottel Predicts "Bannes Year At Empire-Universal Mark Plottel, Assistant general manager, Empire-Universal is a busy man these days. Currently running and in its ninth week, is the 1954 Republic Sales Drive, which ends on December 4th. The Republic Drive, has always been successful, but this year backed by some of Imsurwe Goldstein Productions Future Negotiations to insure the continuation of Leonard Goldstein Productions are under way. The producer’s sudden death a week ago left the company’s future in question. Robert Goldstein, the late producer’s brother, and Robert L. Jacks, both vice-presidents of the company, have been conferring with officials of United Artists, which has a one-year agreement to release the company’s products. The outcome of the talks is expected to be known shortly. “Black Tuesday” and “Stranger on Horseback,” the initial features for United Artists were completed last week. The original plan was to produce ten pictures for United Artists release in a period of a year. Six other properties were in various stages of production preparation at the time Mr. Goldstein was stricken. **The Violemt Mem”’’ Columbia Pictures has announced that the CinemaScope Technicolor production it had filmed under the working title of “Rough Company” will be released as “The Violent Men.” Starring Glenn Ford, Barbara Stanwyck and Edward G. Robinson, “The Violent Men” was directed by Rudolph Mate and produced by Lewis Rachmil. Cagney Back To Gangster Roles Co-Stars With Doris Day At MGM Metro Goldwyn Mayer has chosen James Cagney to co-star with Doris Day in the biography of Ruth Etting. The studio is calling the story “Love Me or Leave Me.” The former movie tough guy will play a Chicago hoodlum called The Gimp. In the film, his underworld machinations will be largely responsible for pushing Miss Etting from obscurity to fame and fortune as a star of nightclubs. The role calls for Mr. Cagney to go back to the type of part that made him famous in gangster films of the Nineteen Thirties. Of late, the actor has been seen in more sympathetic roles. He has just finished the part of the hero in “Run for Cover” and soon will embark on “Mr. Roberts” as the harried ship’s captain. Miss Day was being borrowed from Warner Brothers to replace Ava Gardner, who was placed en suspension for refusing the film. Miss Day is in the midst of “Young At Heart” for Warners and will be ready for her first job at Metro early in September. Fourteen songs will be included in the film, the best product Republic has yet produced and the current top grosser “Johnny Guitar,” starring Joan Crawford, a record drive is in the making. Despite the activity for the Republic Drive, Mark took time off some weeks back, for a swing through the West, all the way to Vancouver, building up interest in the Republic Drive as well as laying plans for the showing of the top box-office winners from Universal-International, shortly to be released. Enthusiasm, backed by the “out of this world figures of ‘Saskatchewan,’ a terrific grosser out West” and the highest sales in the history of the company, particularly out West, have not kept Mark Plottel and Empire-Universal from reading its plans for a new record year. “Magnificent Obsession,” states Mr. Plottel, “Will out-gross The Glenn Miller Story,” this as well as our “S CinemaScope productions,” he added, will make this a banner year for Empire-Universal. Drave-Iue (Continued from Page 1) 66 by 38 foot CinemaScope screen, double cone speakers and facilities for 600 cars. It will be expanded later to accommodalz 800 cars. The theatre also has its own plumbing system and a 300foot well provides the water. It is Edmonton’s fifth drive-in. Built in 40 days at a cost of $100,000, the theatre is owned by the Golden West Drive-in Company, an independent firm, with Peter Ewankow president and manager. Mr. Ewankow operates the Roxy theatre at Barrhead, Alta. With him in the drive-in project are William Stetsko, operator of an Edmonton cafe, and the Hoffman brothers, of Barrhead. A staff of 18 persons, including 10 Waitresses, are employed. Toronto Wins JARO 1G6mm Date Drive Sam Lambert, Sales Manager of the 16mm Division of JARO, has announced that, after a nineteenweek playdate drive ending June 26th, Toronto wins, with Montreal and Vancouver as _ runnerups.