Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Oct 16, 1954)

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest
Date:
Oct 16, 1954
Volume:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Oct 16, 1954)
Leaf #:
0005
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 SIX Astral Films Sets Release Schedule “The Westerner,” Director, William Wyler, with Gary Cooper and Walter Brennan. “Dead End—Cradle of Crime,” Director, William Wyler, with Humphrey Bogart, Joel McCrea. Sylvia Sidney and Claire Trevor. And the Original Dead End Kids. “Port Of Wickedness,” (formerly “Barbary Coast”), Director, Howard Hawks, with Edward G. Robinson, Joel McCrea, Brian Donlevy and Miriam Hopkins. “Adventures Of Marco Polo,” Director, Archie Mayo with Gary Cooper and Sigrid Gurie. “Nana — A French Coquette,” from the novel by Emile Zola with Anna Sten. “Roaring Timber” (formerly “Come And Get It’), Directors, Howard Hawks and William Wyler, With Joel McCrea and Edward Arnold. “Cowboy And The Lady,” Director, Henry C. Potter with Gary Cooper and Merle Oberon. “The Frightened Bride,” starring Mai Zetterling, with Flora Robson, Dennis Price and Michael Denison and “Noose For A Lady,” Dennis Price and Rona Anderson. “The Sinner” featuring Hildegard Neff and Gustav Frolich which had a six weeks’ run in Toronto and is playing currently in four Montreal theatres. “Kept” starring Gustav Frolich star of the Sinner. “Fabian of Scotland Yard”, based on Capt. Fabian, for many years Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard. “The Spy” with Sir Laurence Olivier, Sir Ralph Richardson and Valerie Hobson. The Korda Technicolor productions “The Thief of Bagdad”, “Jungle Book", “Four Feathers”, “Over the Moon” and “Divorce of Lady X” all top flight productions. A group of action productions including such pictures as “Pancho Villa Returns” with Leo Carrillo, “Stolen Identity” with New!... AVAILABLE NOW TECHNICOLOR CINEMASCOPE DATE TRAILERS 250 VICTORIA ST. TORONTO 157 RUPERT ST. WINNIPEG Frances Lederer, “Dead Men Walk”, “Mad Monsters” and “Monster Maker”, Among the selected British productions are the Ronald Shiner series consisting of the longest running London stage play “Worms Eye View", “Reluctant Heroes”, “Little Big Shot”, “Lady Vanishes”, Hitchcocks’ great production with Margeret Lockwood and Wendy Hillier. The George Formby and Gracie Fields series, “Judgement Deferred” with Hugh Sinclair and John Collins, a dope racket and smuggling story and “Brave Don’t Cry”, with an all Scottish cast and Britain's entry at the Venice Film Festival. “Glory At Sea”, a story of one of the Lend Lease “tubs” Jaunched at Halifax with Trevor Howard, Sonny Tufts and Joan Rice; “Galloping Major”, a laugh a minute comedy with Basil Radford and “Mr. Lord Says No”, with Stanley Holoway. European Studios have contributed a number of great Artkino releases all in Color including the truly great ballerina picture “Trio” with Ulanova in three great Russian Ballets; “Sadko” and “Songs of the Ukraine”; two of the most unusual circus pictures “Ring of Daring” and “Circus Arena” and the ever popluar “Life in the Arctic”. “pIereT MANITOBA (Continued from Page 1) be allowed to retain the weekly tax remittances, which is enough to make the difference between profit and loss.” the letter from the committee follows. “You will be happy to know that we have arranged for you to bring about that needed improvement in your financial position, if you, and the other Exhibitors in Manitoba will co-operate in one of the most important rallies in the history of our business. “After careful deliberation, this Association has decided to press for the elimination of Amusement Tax on all tickets priced at 50c and under. All Theatre Owners of Manitoba will meet with the Honourable Ronald D. Turner, Provincial Treasurer, on Monday, Nov. 1, 1954, at 10:00 A.M. in the Legislature Building to lodge a protest against the present high Amusement Tax. “It is of utmost importance that every Theatre Owner in the Province, including yourself, be present at this meeting so that the maximum weight will be brought to bear on the Provincial Treasurer. “We expect that every Theatre Owner will attend this Amusement Tax Rally and have arranged for Across the Country (Continued from Page 3) The Starland Drive-in near Nelson, playing “Magnificent Obsession” broke all records on an eight-day run. e Syd Freedman, “Adventures of Robi) for the house. : e Dick Letts, manager of the campaign on “Susan Slept Here” section, resulting in the house leadir The Olympia and Fraser, Odeon units, have installe playing “Garden of Evil’ day and date. e manager of the small-seat Studio, reports that ison Crusoe” broke the all-time weekend record FPCC Strand, put over a totch-top with plenty of tie-ups in the D-T ig the town on grosses. d CinemaScope, John Hamill, formerly with the Odeon at Edmonton, is the new manager at the suburban Marpole, Vancouver, replacing Bob Hardy, who will act as relief manager for five suburban Odeon houses. British Columbia will have four more holidays from work before the year ends. Three of them have been declared holidays by the B.C. government under the shop regulations. They are Monday, Oct. 11 (Thanksgiving), Noyember J] (Remembrance Day) and Boxing Day, Dec. 26. In all cases business, industrial and commercial establishments, will be closed. Don McKenzie, formerly with Perkins Electric in Vancouver, is now supervisor of maintenance of the Western Division of Famouy Players, with headquarters in W innipeg. e e e Dave Gilfillan on the sick list for the past two years, iy back with MGM as assistant hooker, replacing Pearl Steele. 4 OCTOBER 16, 1954 them to meet at the Marlborough Hotel, Winnipeg, at 9:15 A.M. fo; a short discussion before appearing at the Provincial Treasurer's office, Ben Sommers, owner of the State Theatre, Winnipeg, will lead the delegation and act as its spokes. man. “The Manitoba Motion Picture Exhibitors Association, invites you to attend a Luncheon, as their guest, at the Marlborough Hotel at 12:30 immediately following the meeting. Because we know that all Theatre Owners are ‘Vitally interested in the new methods of Screen Presentation, we have been able to arrange with Paramount to hold a Trade Screening of their first VistaVision production, “White Christmas”, starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen, at the Uptown Theatre at 2.00 P.M. immediately following the Luncheon. “Hotel accommodation will be reserved upon request for those exhibitors who, through inconventent bus or train schedules, find it necessary to come in on Sunday. “So that we will be able to make adequate arrangements for the Luncheon, will you please sign and return the enclosed card, also indicating on it if you reauire Sunday hotel reservation. “All of the Theatre Owners in Manitoba are depending on you, as one of them, to give your personal attention to this matter. Yours faithfully, B. K. Beach, Secretary.” Iron Fence Sequel Having sold his first Torontoproduced 30-minute picture, “The Iron Fence,” to RKO-Radio Pictures, Gabriel Szovertfy has started work on another featurette, the tentative title being “Themis of the Atlantic,” which also deals with an escape from behind the Iron Curtain by a non-Communist group. The marine shots will be Lake Ontario but Marilyn Bell won't be in it. jpvENTURES OFA! 7 poBinoQN. CRUSOE a | Vic Nowe, Odeon, Toronto manager and A, Laurie, UA‘s publicity head stirred up wide attention with the above float for the engagement of “Adventures of Robinson Crusoe,”