Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Sep 11, 1954)

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest
Date:
Sep 11, 1954
Volume:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Sep 11, 1954)
Leaf #:
0003
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 23, 2024
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PAGE FOUR : athe Geam -“—— (Continued from Page 1) and “Mutiny on the Bounty,” DUBBED IN ITALIAN, and the Pylon Theatre, “Toronto, and the Royal Theatre, Montreal, have installed 16 mm. equipment in addition to their regular 35 mm. equipment. “Waterloo Bridge” opened at the Royal, Montreal, Sept. 3rd, and “Mutiny on the Bounty” is scheduled to open at the Pylon, Toronto, Sept. 13. These are test engagements, and Reg. Wilson states that more Italian-dubbs will be brought in if distribution on these first pictures proves profitable. Big factor, of course, is the low print cost for the 16 mm. films, with duty, in comparison to the cost of importing 35 mm. Italian prints. Alex Metcalfe, General Manager of Sovereign Films, which handles the 16 mm. releases for RKO, Universal, Columbia and Republic, adVises that he also has been approached in respect to 16 mm. Italian-dubbs, and is currently checking the availability of several important films. If this trend continues, it can well sound the death-knell for all original Italian imports. The representatives of the Italian film producers would be very wise to consider if they are not being foolish to price themselves out of the Canadian market, as it seems they are doing. Very much the same thing happened in Quebec with the original French productions, which are not grossing anywhere near the revenue they did a few years ago, while the French-dubbed American films are piling up the grosses. Here too, it was the greediness of the French producers, or their representatives, that forced the Canadian distributors to bring in French-dubbs, jnstead of paying the fancy prices demanded for original French films. It looks like once more, history is going to repeat itself. TRAILERS! For Immediate Service and Economy For All Special Trailers Date Trailers PERSONALIZED WITH $*).75 THEATRE NAME ONLY —— ORDER NOW! = FROM 250 VICTORIA ST. TORONTO 157 RUPERT ST. WINNIPEG UA DRIVE (Continued from Page 1) to make it the exhibitors as well as United Artists’ most prosperous 6 months. The Drive, which will award $50,000 in prizes to the winners among United Artists’ 32 competing branches, supports the “blockbuster-a-month” releasing program announced recently by President Arthur B. Krimm. Among the blockbusters are: “The Barefoot Contessa,” Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s Technicolor drama starring Humphrey Bogart and Ava Gardner; “Vera Cruz,” the Hecht-Lancaster Technicolor epic starring Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster; “Sitting Bull,” first United Artists release in CinemaScope, starring Dale Robertson, Mary Murphy and J. Carrol Naish; and “Suddenly,” suspense thriller starring Frank Sinatra in his first dramatic role since winning the Academy Award. The salute to Mr. Benjamin, which will place emphasis on a drive for billings and collections, will be divided into four laps; the first lap from Sept. 5 to Oct. 16; the second from Oct. 17 to Nov. 27; the third from Nov. 28 to Jan. 1, and the “home stretch” from Jan. 2 to March 5. The 32 UA branches in the United States and Canada will compete in three groups of equal grossing potential. CINEMA RE-OPENS (Continued from Page 1) Scotland Yard into the mysterious disappearance last year of Marion McDowell, under Toronto Telegram sponsorship. The International Cinema has been improved with new seats, air-conditioning, wide screen and re-decorating, Bow Tamely To Me Barbara Stanwyck, who finished “Cattle Queen of Montana” two weeks ago for Benedict Bogeaus, will make another picture for the independent producer in October. The movie js entitled “Bow Tamely to Me,” based on a magazine story by Kenneth Perkins. The adventure-romance is set in Burma before World War II and calls for two leading men, both yet to be chosen. One is an American soldier of fortune with a criminal record, the other a British officer who directs the hunt for him in the jungle. Miss Stanwyck will be romantically involved with both men. Mr. Bogeaus has a productiondistribution agreement with R.K.O. Radio Pictures for two films. ~“pIersT Republic Studios Continue To Grow Construction is underway. of an office building at the Republic Pictures Studio in North Hollywood. The building represents the climax of a $3,000,000 expansion and improvement program started three years ago. Herbert J. Yates, president, announced that the building, together with new facilities for film editing and projection rooms~and the installation of modern equipment, will cost the company $1,000,000. Last year, Republic added four sound stages. “Since then our production program has been revised for largescale production,” Mr. Yates said. “We will continue our expansion program as conditions dictate.” Six features were listed by Mr. Yates as comprising the studio’s immediate theatrical production program. These are, “Timberjack,” “Magic Fire,” a life of Richard Wagner; an untitled feature to be directed by John Ford; “Rebel Island,” an action romance to be shot in the Bahama Islands; “The Admiral Hoskins Story,” and a screen play about Texas, yet untitled, Lloyd. to be directed by Frank PERKINS ELECTRIC CO. LTD. SEPTEMBER 11, 1954 AA President Broidy Appoints Rodgers William F. Rodgers, former vicepresident and director of Loew's Inc. and general sales manager for MGM, has been engaged by Steve Broidy, president of Allied Artists, as adviser and consultant to AA in its stepped-up program of quality pictures. The prime function of Mr. Rodgers will be to advise in the handling and distribution of such coming AA projects as an untitled William Wyler production, starring Gary Cooper; John Huston’s version of Kipling’s, “The Man Who Would Be King,” with Humphrey Bogart and Billy Wilder’s “Ariane.” FRANKLIN (Continued from Page !) to be built and equipped for the new panoramic screen and new sound system. The building is to be air-conditioned. Its cost has been estimated at about $200,000, Plans are for a two-storey brick, steel and concrete building which will also contain shops and offices. The new unit will be the eleventh in the Franklin-Herschorn chain, including drive-ins at Sydney, Halifax and Saint John. ALL EYES ARE ON OPTICAL CINEMA$COPE Perkins have it! MONTREAL VANCOUVER TORONTO MONCTON