Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Oct 2, 1954)

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest
Date:
Oct 2, 1954
Volume:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Oct 2, 1954)
Leaf #:
0006
Language:
English
Subjects:
Motion Pictures, Film Industry Trade Magazine",Canad
Collection:
Hollywood Studio System, Canada, 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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OCTOBER 2, 1954 Gesell oe That Could batter Y By MAX CHIC Warner Bros. won’t need a net to drag them in for “Dragnet”... it’s sure-fire box-office the Village theatre, Toronto, had its first CinemaScope preview, last week, showing Fox’s ‘Broken Lance.” Chet Freidman, MGM's publicity head, has a way with women 3 every personal appearance tour set by MGM _ has involved women, and pretty ones at that... this time 2 Bonnie Scottish lassies from “Heather Land” were under his wing promoting “Brigadoon” . overheard at their press conference, “MGM has had a divorce of convenience.” Gus Ryder, the trainer of champs will address the Motion Picture Softball League’s “Luncheon of Champions” where the 1954 League Winners will be presented their trophy, next Tuesday, October 5. The Main Event of The Week ... at least for me... the birth of a 7 Ib. baby daughter . . . the proud parents, my wife, Charlotte and yours truly . . . If there are errors in this week’s issue, please forgive me, as this, our first production, has me slightly excited. 25 YEAR CLUB (Continued from Page 6) complished in Canada and it may be throughout the world,” he said. R. W. Bolstad thanked Frank Gow and Maynard Joiner for the arrangements for the meeting of the Vancouver Branch of the 25 Year Club. “Twenty-five years ago there was a revolution in our industry when talking pictures were introduced,” Mr. Bolstad said. “Today we have entered on another important phase of our business with the introduction of radically new types of presentation such as CinemaScope and VistaVision, new methods of sound reproduction and new techniques in picture making. “Canada and Famous Players have grown together in the past 25 years,” he said. “You members of the 25 Year Club have made your contribution to your company and this country. With your help Famous Players will take its part in making Canada a better place in which to live.” The duties of toastmaster were ably handled at all 25 Year Club functions by Bob Eves, Western Division manager. “DIGEST C. Doctor Honored A highlight at the closing dinner held by Famous Players in the Hotel Vancouver, Vancouver, on September 20th, was the presentation by J. J. Fitzgibbons to Charles Doctor, manager of the Capitol theatre, Vancouver, of the Quigley Grand Award for 1953 which Charlie won in competition with showmen from all over the world. This marked the second time Doctor had won this honor in worldwide competition. “It is my honor to present this plaque to you on behalf of Martin Quigley,’ Mr. Fitzgibbons said. “Once again you have brought great honor to our company and yourself and we bask in the refiected glory of you and your colleague, Ivan Ackery. Both of you are twotime winners of this coveted award. You are an inspiration to our other managers.” Doctor also has been a winner in the Digest Showmanship Contest. White Christmas Paramount held a preview at the Orpheum, Vancouver, Sunday, of “White Christmas” in VistaVision with 600 invited guests present, comments on the new system were tops. Clyde Gilmour in his column, said “as to VistaVision, I can report that it yields the clearest, brightest, easiest-on-the-eyes Technicolor I have ever seen, with no blure anywhere on the big screen, and with a depth-of-focus that promises superb results in future outdoor and spectacle productions,” N.S. Exhibitor Dies The death of Mr. Seth McClearn Bartling, joint proprietor of the Astor Theatre in Liverpool, Nova Scotia, occurred at Liverpool on Monday, September 13th. Mr. Bartling and Mr. F. Gordon Spencer of Saint John, N.B., had been partners for some years in the operation of the Astor Theatre in Liverpool. Ws TrausCanada a tS sse THIS INFORMATION AS YOUR GUIDE ON RELEASE DATES ~~~ TORONTO IMPERIAL The Egyptian (20th-Fox) CinemaScope, color by DeLuxe with Jean Simmons and Victor Mature. SHEA’S 4th week. Sabrina (Par.) with Humphrey Bogart and Audrey Hepburn. UNIVERSITY 3rd week. Susan Slept Here (RKO) Tech. with Dick Powell and Debbie Reynolds. NORTOWN 2nd week. The High ond the Mighty (Warner) C’Scope ond WarnerColor with John Wayne. ODEON : 5th week. Magnificent Obsession (E-U) Tech. with Jane Wyman. UPTOWN Random Harvest (MGM) with Ronald Colman and Greer Garson. LOEW'S 4th week. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (MGM) C’Scope & Color with Jane Powell. HYLAND & CHRISTIE 4th week, Doctor in the House (JARO) Tech. with Dirk Bogarde. INTERNATIONAL CINEMA 4th week. An Inspector Calls (IFD) with Alistair Sim. DOWNTOWN Duel in the Sun (IFD) Tech. with Greg ory Peck. MONTREAL PALACE 2nd week, The Student Prince (MGM) C'Scope and Color with Ann Blyth. LOEW'S The High ond C’Scope and WarnerColor Wayne. PRINCESS Duel in the Jungle (Warner) Tech. with Jeanne Crain. CAPITOL Magnificent Obsession (E-U) Tech. with Jane Wymon. AVNUE Sth week. Mon With a Million (JARO) Tech. with Gregory Peck. KENT Sth week, The Living Desert (RKO) Tech. ORPHEUM Broken Arrow (20th-Fox) and A Yank in the R.A.F. (20th-Fox), the Mighty (Worner) with John WINNIPEG CAPITOL 2nd week. The Student Prince (MGM) C’Scope and Color with Ann Blyth. LYCEUM Gorilla at Large (20th-Fox) Tech. MET 2nd week. Rear Window (Par.) Tech. with James Stewart. ODEON The Long Wait (U.A.) GAIETY The Iron Glove (Col.) and the Stratford Adventure (Col.) GARRICK 2nd week. Garden of Evil (20th-Fox) C‘Scope and Tech. with Gary Cooper. VANCOUVER CAPITOL Demetrius and the Gladiators (20th-Fox) C’Scope and Tech. with Victor Mature and Susan Hayward. ORPHEUM 2nd week. Rear Window (Par.) Tech. with James Stewart. VOGUE Magnificent Obsession (E-U) Tech, with Jane Wyman. STUDIO The Green Scarf (IFD) Redgrave and Ann Todd. DUNBAR 2nd week. The Final Test (JARO) with Jack Warner. ST. JOHN STRAND The Black Shield of Falworth (E-U) C’Scope and Tech, with Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. CAPITOL Princess of the Nile (20th-Fox) Tech, with Debra Paget. PARAMOUNT Rear Window (Par.) Tech. with James Stewart. Beau Brummel MGM's “Beau Brummel” has been chosen for the annual Royal Film Performance to be held this year on Nov. 15 at Metro’s Empire Theatre, London, England. with Michael “Music by Duchin,” portrayal of the famous Eddie Duchin from College gra Columbia to film duation until his death... Empire-Universal planning early release for two of their Technicolor features, “Foxfire,” starring Jeff Chandler and Jane Russell; and “Man Without a Star,” with Kirk Douglas and Jeanne Crain. . Paramount announces that Hal Wallis has signed Marissa Pavan, beautiful young Italian star, to play the part of Rosa, Anna Magnani’s daughter in the forthcoming VistaVision film “The Rose Tattoo,” Daniel Mann directing . Clark Gable signed by Columbia for the title role in the William Goetz production “Captain Calico,” to be released in Technicolor ... United Artists have set Sept. 29th as the big day for their gala world premiere of “The Barefoot Contessa,” at the Capito! Theatre, Broadway . . . “Port of Hell,” new title for the A.A. release “Dynamite Anchorage,” which has recently been completed with Dane Clark heading the cast . . . Cecil B. DeMille has added another star, Yvonne De Carlo, to his already star-studded cast of “The Ten Commandments,” cast includes such famous names as Charlton Heston, Edward G. Robinson, Anne Baxter, Cornel Wilde, Yul Brynner, Vincent Price, Debra Paget and Sir Cedric Hardwicke. Pinewood Studios Producer Maurice Cowan and director John Paddy Carstairs are at work on the Norman Wisdom comedy “One Good Turn”... It’s Tony Curtis for the lead in Empire-Universal’s “The Goodman Story”... Walter Wanger announces October 8th as the date for the premiere of Allied Artists’ “The Adventures of Hajji Baba” to be released by 20thFox... Allied Artists have Debra Paget on loan from 20th-Fox to co-star with Raymond Massey in “John Brown's Raiders” . . . Ben Kalmenson announces a formal 2theatre premiere for the Warner musical drama “A Star Is Born,” which will take place simultaneously at the New York Paramount and Victoria Theatres, October I 1.