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 #:
0006
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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SEPTEMBER II, 1954 ry cies? That Could Matter Y By MAX CHIC Congratulations to one of Wariety Club’s main supporters, Jack Kent Cooke, owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs, for bringing home the International League Pennant after an absence of I! years... Lionel and Bob Lester’s Studio, Toronto, is presenting a weekly Italian newsreel, flown direct from Rome . . . Italian feature films are also being shown which come straight from the Italian Hollywood. The 1954 Pioneer of the Year Selection committee met last week to go over names submitted by the Pioneer membership for this year’s Award Dinner . . . committee consists of J. J. Fitzgibbons, Hugh Sedgwick, Jule Allen, Oscar Hanson and Hye Bossin . . . Win Barron is busy making up a special salesbook containing 11 x 14 stills and synopsis of Paramount’s coming product. . . it’s an eyeful. MGM in Canada will re-issue “Random Harvest” in wide-screen . the film opens at the Loew’s Uptown, Toronto, shortly . . . what film opening in Toronto was billed as the North American Premiere and had already opened in Vancouver a week previous . . . Dave Coplan is busy at his new job at Audio Studios. Pat Henning, who is appearing at the CNE Grandstand Show with Roy Rogers, also appears in a key role in Columbia’s “On The Waterfront” . . . Pat who does comedy bits in his personal appearances has been consistently killed off in every film he has appeared in... Sam Glasier reports the opening of Darryl Zanuck’s “The Egyptian” at Famous Players flagship, the Imperial, Toronto, on September 24. Anne Kaplan, of Paramount's headoffice in Toronto is soliciting membership amongst the female population in the film industry for the Women Of The Motion Picture Industry Club (WOMP)) . . . there are four clubs in the US, with a National Convention scheduled for Dallas, September 18 ...the purpose, which we heartily endorse, “to promote a feeling of closer friendship and better relationship among the girls of the Industrv.” The Event Of The Week .. . the continued record breaking crowds which the CNE has been attracting every day since its open ing. “piererT Reap The Wild Wind Cecil B. DeMille’s 1942 production of “Reap the Wild Wind” will be re-issued by Paramount Iate in October. It will be the first DeMille picture on the market since “Greatest Show on Earth.” Film, which will be given the wide-screen treatment, has Ray Milland, Paulette Goddard and John Wayne in the top roles. In selling the film this second time, Paramount will no doubt underline Susan Hayward, who had featured billing but is now an important marquee name. 24 C’Scopes In Toronto Toronto now has 24 CinemaScopes, by far the most for any city in Canada. The latest installations are at Loew’s Uptown and the Park and Birchcliffe theatres, units of 20th Century Theatres. The screening room of 20th Century-Fox Film Corp, is also to be the first of the trade theatres with C’Scope equipment. Peerless Films Get JARO Distribution Joe Bermac, sales manager of Peerless Films, announced over the week-end that all Peerless films, in Saint John, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver would be distributed through the JARO branch offices in the above territories. Toronto and Montreal will still be hand!ed through Peerless offices. Ready and in release are “Country Parson”, “Man Of Conflict”, starring Edward Arnold; “Born To The Saddle”, in color and with Leif Ericson; “Love Island”, starring Eva Gabor in color; “Marika” with Marika Rok in color; “Daughter Of Darkness” with Anne Crawford and Maxwell Reid; “The Robot Monster” in 2-D and 3-D. As well as the above new releases, Peerless has available a number of re-issues. Jack Roher, general manager of Peerless Films, and a familiar figure on Toronto's film row, now headquarters in Montreal. TORONTO IMPERIAL 3rd week. The High And The Mighty (WB) C’Scope & WarnerColor with John Wayne. SHEA‘S Sabrina (Par.) with Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn & William Holden. UNIVERSITY 2nd week. About Mrs, (Par.) with Shirley Booth. EGLINTON 2nd week. Demetrius And The Gladia tors (Fox) C’Scope & Tech. with Victor Mature. NORTOWN Knock On Wood (Par.) Tech. with Danny Kaye. ODEON 2nd week. Magnificent Obsession (E-U) Tech. with Jane Wyman, UPTOWN 2nd week. The Block Shield Of Falworth (E-U) C’Scope & Tech. with Tony Curtis. LOEW‘S 2nd week, Seven Brides For Seven Broth ers (MGM) C’Scope & Color with Janc Powell. HYLAND & CHRISTIE Doctor In The House (JARO) Tech. with Dick Bogarde. INTERNATIONAL CINEMA An Inspector Calls (IFD) with Alistair Sim. MONTREAL PALACE 2nd week. River Of No Return (Fox) C’Scope & Tech. with Marilyn Monroe. LOEW’S 3rd week, Gone With The Wind (MGM) Tech, with Vivien Leigh. PRINCESS Francis Joins The WACS (E-U) with Donald O’Connor. CAPITOL Living It Up (Por.) Tech. with Martin & Lewis, AVENUE 2nd week. Man With A Million (JARO) Tech, with Gregory Peek, KENT 2nd week. The Living Desert Tech, ORPHEUM Adventures Of Robinson Cru with Don O’Herlihy, eee UAl Leslie (RKO) | Wy “rausCauada We USE THIS INFORMATION AS YOUR GUIDE ON RELEASE DATES WINNIPEG CAPITOL Sabrina (Par.) with Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn & William Holden. LYCEUM Dangerous Mission (RKO) Tech. Victor Mature. MET 3rd week. Gone With The Wind (MGM) Tech, with Vivien Leigh. ODEON 2nd week. Man With A Million (JARO) Tech. with Gregory Peck. GAIETY Indiscretion Of An American (Col.) with Jennifer Jones. GARRICK Apache (UA) Tech. with Burt Lancaster. VANCOUVER CAPITOL Sabrina (Par.) with Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn & William Holden. ORPHEUM 3rd week. Gone With The Wind (MGM) Tech, with Vivien Leigh. VOGUE Doctor In The House (JARO) Tech. with Dirk Bogarde. STUDIO 2nd week. An Inspector Calls (IFD) with Alistair Sim, CALGARY CAPITOL The Student Prince (MGM) C’Scope & Color with Ann Blyth. PALACE Living It Up (Par.) Tech. with Martin & Lewis. GRAND Apache (UA) Tech. with Burt Lancaster UPTOWN 2nd week. Magnificent Obsession (E-U) Tech. with Jane Wyman. SAINT JOHN STRAND Magnificent Obsession (E-U) Tech, with Jane Wyman. CAPITOL The Man With The Iron Glove (Col.) Tech. & Last Of The Duannes (Fox). PARAMOUNT Sobrina (Par.) with Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn & William Holden. with Wife PAGE SEVEN Universal will produce a featurette in CinemaScope titled “Music In Faith” .. . it will accompany U-I’s release of its CinemaScope feature, “Sign Of The Pagan”... Richard Conte will replace Jack Valance in AA's “The Big Combo” .. . Ernest Hemingway has signed to write and appear in a film about big game hunting in association with Frank McCarthy, public relations executive for Fox... no distribution has been set. Columbia's “The Caine Mutiny” is a top contender for the grand prize at the Venice Film Festival . . . Columbia’s “On The Waterfront,” Fox's “Three Coins In A Fountain” and MGM's “Executive Suite” are also being shown at the Festival. “Till Cry Tomorrow,” Lillian Roth’s tale of 16 years of alcoholism will be made by MGM with Dore Schary signing Susan Hayward for the starring role... Marilyn Monroe in New York and goes before the CinemaScope cameras for on location shots in Fox's “The Seven Year Itch”. . . Columbia will release the new Alec Guinness film, “Madam Will You Walk,” now in its final stages of planning. Judy Canova, starring for Republic in “Carolina Cannonball,” has just finished 3 days of shooting on the Mojave desert .. . the Hecht-Lancaster production company are busy preparing a $12,000,000 program of pictures for United Artists, following the record breaking release for their first production “Apache’ . . . William Holden and Deborah Kerr have been assigned the leading roles in the forthcoming Perlberg-Seaton production “Magnificent Devils,” for Paramount. Premiere date for Warner's “A Star Is Born” starring Judy Garland, has been advanced to September 29 at the RKO Pantages, Hollywood . . . Joan Greenwood, British stage and screen star has reported to MGM for her role in “Moonfleet” . . . Audrey Totter, Howard Duff and Cleo Moore have been added to “Women's Prison,” a Bryan Foy production for Columbia and starring Ida Lupino,