Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Aug 28, 1954)

Page scan 0004 from Canadian Moving Picture Digest

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest
Date:
Aug 28, 1954
Volume:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Aug 28, 1954)
Leaf #:
0004
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:
May 18, 2024
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F sAUGUST 28, 1954 ‘SPENCER (Continued from Page 1) ‘ drive-ins in Canada to 214, and faising to 30 the number of ozoners opening since the first of the year, with at least another 24 reported in various stages of conStruction. The Mountain Drive-in is located on the Val D’Amour highway, about two miles from Campbellton and features all the latest equipment. The operation is under the capable direction of Gordon Gazeley, who also manages Spencer’s Paramount and Capitol theatres. Warner Bros. “The Big Trees” Starring Kirk Douglas, was the Opening film. “Tampering” States Maritimes Drive-In The City Council for the Town of Lancaster, N.B., this week reported that it had found no evidence to substantiate charges that someone had tampered with plans for the proposed Drive-in theatre to be located on Manawagonish Road. Sitting on four occasions late in July and early this month a committee was set up to investigate charges by a City Councillor that plans for the theatre had been tampered with by an addition of figures relating to the height of the proposed screen. Council has previously emphasized that the committee”’s report had no bearing on its decision on whether or not to grant a building permit to Rodney Wiggins who, proposes to build the Drive-in theatre. The investigation was merely to determine whether any city employee had been at fault in “tampering” with the plans. The controversy over this proposed Drive-in theatre has waged now for many months. RKO DRIVE (Continued from Page 1) Quotas for the Drive were set for each branch, by talking the average weekly billings for the same period of time for the top year each branch has had to date. The billings for the first 4 weeks have exceeded this record quota, Mr. Labow informed The Digest, backed up by some of the biggest box-office winners RKO has ever had. The films in release during the Drive are, Pinocchio, French Line, The Living Desert and Carnival Story. The St. John branch under Branch Manager Kenneth Snelgrove is leading in the 4th week of the Drive. ~“piereT Across the Country (Continued from Page 3) Ottawa Hold-overs as of last week in Ottawa, included “The Student Prince” at the Capitol, “The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe” at the Little Elgin Theatre, “Secret of the Incas” at the Regent, “The Robe” at the Nelson, and “Garden of Evil’ at the Odeon. e ° e Television so far has shown little—if any—competition to the movies in Canada’s capital city. Bob Blackburn, who runs the TV column in the Ottawa Citizen, says CBC-TV has nothing to keep viewers away from the theatres. But theatre managers are keeping their fingers crossed, what with a new CBC-TV tower, now in the course of erection just outside the city, and the Big Four Football games coming this way from Toronto, Hamilton and Montreal. All home games of the Rough Riders will be blacked-out in the Ottawa area. e oe e Moviegoers with robbery on their minds stayed in the building after the last show ended at the Linden Theatre, Ottawa, on Saturday night, ransacked the cashier's booth and a soft drink machine in the foyer of approximately $110 before slipping out an exit door. The crime was not discovered until owner Casey Swedlove visited his theatre Sunday morning. e e e The Nelson Theatre, one of the 20th Century (Twinex) chain in Ottawa, is now equipped for the presentation of films via CinemaScope. Famous Players’ Capitol was first with the new medium, followed by the Odeon. The Cartier, a Famous Players’ unit in Hull, Que, (across the Ottawa River), is also equipped for CinemaScope and stereophonic sound. The Robe was selected as the first CinemaScope presentation at the Nelson and was held over for a second week, Vancouver Gordon Brewerton, President of Mayfair Theatres Ltd, operator of two indoor spots at Cardston in Southern Alberta, opened his new Park Drive-in near the town, It has a 200-car capacity. The Ridge Drive-in at Hammond in the Fraser Valley with a 500-car capacity also opened this week, it's 3 miles from Haney. Owners are the Ridge Drive-in Theatres Ltd. with Ivan Morrison of Port Coquitlum, President. Ozoners at Port Alberni on Vancouver Island and Prince George in Northern B.C. will open this month, owners are Harold Warren, PA, and Herb Stevenson, Prince George. e e e Max Chechik of Mayer Enterprises operators of the Bay, Vancouver and two Drive-ins in this area is back from an Eastern Canada trip. His brother Benny is still in Australia and reported interested in ozoners down-under. e ro] e John Hamill, who was in Edmonton assisting Sam Binder in opening the new Odeon Theatre is back in town awaiting a new assignment with the circuit on the coast. e ° e Jack Benny and his “Variety Review” broke the all time record for the Georgia Auditorium, Vancouver, netting $28,800 for four days, big business for this town, 2 e e Two CinemaScope pictures did solid business in Vancouver, “The Student Prince” at the Capitol, and “Garden of Evil” at the OdeonVogue. “The Robe” is now playing suburban houses and the Paramount Drive-in. CinemaScope is being installed at the Odeon, Duncan and the Capitol. Both theatres are on Vancouver island. All Famous Players upcountry houses will have wide-screens shortly. e ° e ; Earl Dalgleish, Vancouver W-B manager, is happy at the grosses being turned in by “Phantom of the Rue Morgue” at Dick Lett's Strand Theatre, Vancouver. ° . e Perit Hb gs Ste mere forced to close down their Sunday « how come the Ruskin Drive-in is allowed to stay open on Sundays, it's in B.C. PAGE FIVE Record No. Inductees FP 25 Year Club This year 90 employees and associates of Famous Players will become members of the 25 Year Club. This is the largest group yet to be inducted many of them are projectionists for this year marks the 25th anniversary of the introduction of sound in our theatres. Induction ceremonies are planned in a number of key centres and will be presided over by Mr. Fitzgibbons, Mr. Bolstad and other head office executives. Dates for the 25 Year Club meetings are as follows: Winnipeg, September 13th; Regina, September 15th: Calgary, September 16th; Vancouver, September 20th; St. John, October 4th; Toronto, October 18th; Mon treal, October 20th. Following is a list of the 25 Year Club members for 1954: C. H. Aitchison, Toronto; Mrs. E. Amplemon, Quebec; L. E. Arnold, Toronto; Miss M. A. D. Auclair, Ottawa; W. Ayres, Toronto. B. Bahrynowski, Fort William; W Bennett, Vernon; L. Bishop, Toronto; J. A. Bond, Toronto; O. Bowes, Moose Jaw; P. D. Brown, Toronto (Deceased); W, Brown, Colgary. A. Castrucci, Toronto; W. J. Chase, St. John; K. H. Clork, Kingston; A. M. Crowell, Halifax. R. W. Davy, Kingston; E. J. Demeroh, Ottawa; A. DeSalliers, Windsor; L. R. Duck, Toronto; H. K, Durham, Shaunavon; Mrs, L, A. Durham, Shaunavon. Mrs. A. W. Easthom, Vancouver; S. B. Elfierington, Vancouver. C. R. Fields, Moose Jaw; J. F. Fitzgerald, St, John; Mrs. V. Francis, Regina; C. J. Ford, Brockville. E, Gagnon, Quebec; Miss VY. Gillis, Sydney; A. Gaudette, Three Rivers; Mrs. V. C. M. Glynn, Toronto; A. R. Gunn, Toronto. 1. F. Hackie, Winnipeg; J. R. Hartree, Regina; L. W. Hicks, Colgery; J. Fe Hyland, Toronto. Mrs, L. Jorvo, Cornwall; A. E. Jackson, Toronto; Miss B. Jordan, Montreal. W. L. Karp, Vancouver; P. Kehayes, Ottawa; F. B. Kipling, Quebec. H. W. Lackey, Calgary; Laplante, Quebec. W. J. Longmuir, St. Catherines; WB. Lovell, Niagara Falls. E. B. Marshall, Vancouver; J. R. Martin, Yoncouver. W. E. McCartney, Vancouver; J. P. McGuire, Ottawa; T. H. MeLelland, Brontford; R. J. Mitcheltree, Calgary. N. W. Novak, Winnipeg, Miss A, Olynik, Winnipeg. W. J. L. Pacey, Vancouver; L. H. Parker, Ottawa; C. H. Perry, Sudbury: H. Plante, Quebec; H. L. Preston, St. Thomas. C. Rau, Victoria; J. R, Reaney, Winnipeg; J. P. Reldy, Montreal; N, Rizzo, Hamilton; G. T. Robert, Three Rivers; S. J. Roberts, Three Rivers; J. E, Robinson, Belleville; J. Rosenberg, Monty real; G. E. Ringel, Preston. H. P. Scott, Sydney; Miss V. E. St. Edward, Toronto; R. H. Shepherd, Montreal; W. E. Shields, Toronto; R.C. Shortt, Toronto; Miss H. M, Simpson, Guelph; C. G. Smith, Chilliwack: D. Smith, Windsor; G. H. Steph7m, Sault Ste. Marie; Mrs, Rose Stephens, Ottawa; A. S, Summers, Vancouver. W. H. Taylor, Vancouver; Mrs. ©. Thompson, London; E. L. Turner, Winnipeg; L. A. Tureldo, Brandon. P. Valliere, Quebec, P. Walsh, Saskatoon; S. G, Williams, Cornwall; F. L. Willis, Winnipeg. Miss Y. R, E. Young, Halifax, A, B. Zumar, Ottewe,