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 #:
0008
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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OCTOBER 16, 1954 ten That Could Matter Y By MAX CHIC WOMPI denoting Women of the Motion Picture Industry, will become a familiar abbreviation in the pages of the Digest if the enthusiastic plans now shaping up to form a club in Toronto take place... prime movers in the club’s formation are Anne Kaplan of the Paramount office and Glad Rownsley of the UA office . . . George Altman still going strong in his one man campaign for Variety Village . . his latest offering was $600 from his never-ending scrap campaign. Charles S. Chaplin attending home office meetings to spark the release of UA’S new winner “The Barefoot Contessa” . . . trade reports in the USA have John Davis coming to these parts in November. . . . Stan Helleur blew into town last week to study possibility of having a mat service for newspapers publicizing NFB activities . . . Jack Roher has a baby girl, his second. Principal Investments had a preview opening of its Golden Mile Theatre on October 13... Martin Simpson pulled a good one that attracted mobs around the Downtown theatre all last week . . . the gimmick, live monkeys, four of them cavorting in the Yonge St. window of his theatre . . . JARO’s “The Seekers” will have its North American Premiere at Odeon’s Danforth, Fairlawn, Humber, Colony and at a downtown theatre. Paramount will have color stills for all its VistaVision films, starting with “White Christmas” . . . the first picture produced in WV will have its world premiere at Radio City Music Hall, Thursday, Oct. 14... . Joe MacPherson, formerly with JARO, has joined Sovereign Films and moved out to Winnipeg the Royal George theatre, Toronto has been put up for sale, a 456-seater on St. Clair West, it has been offered as a theatre, community centre, household furnishings and automobile store. The Main Event Of The Week _.. Mavety trucks which travel to many parts of Ontario as well as every byway of Toronto's metropolitan area, will be bannered this week with “Let's Go To The Mo vies.” THE SEA CHASE Lana Turner on loan from MGM for feature role in Warner's “The Sea Chase.” Cc ~“DIGEGT Ed Grainger Has Independent Company Edmund Grainger, who has produced pictures under the RKO banner for the last four years, has announced that he will go into independent production in January. His company will be incorporated as Edmund Grainger Productions, Inc., and plans call for an initial program of ten features to be made at the rate of two a year. The first undertaking will be an adaptation of the James Street novel, “Oh Promised Land.” The producer says he will negotiate with Alan Ladd to star. Mr. Grainger also intends to attempt to maintain his relationship with RKO in negotiating with James R. Grainger, his father, who is president of RKO Radio Pictures Corporation, and C. J. Tevlin, vice president in charge of studio operations for production and distribution facilities. Cooper Forms Co. Gary Cooper is planning to branch out into business for himself and has formed Baroda Productions, Inc., to make pictures. It is said the company intends to produce “several” films and that Mr. Cooper will appear in some of them. SHOPPING CENTRE (Continued from Page 1) most modern theatre. Among the many innovations installed for greater customer convenience are a new wide screen and projection equipment, suitable for CinemaScope presentations; comfortable air-foam seats, scientific air conditioning, smoking loges, spacious lounges, modern refreshment bar and special hearing aids. A unique advantage is free floodlite parking for thousands of cars on the paved shopping centre parking lot. The Golden Mile Theatre is the first theatre integrated into a shopping centre in Canada. It is the intention to operate the theatre in conjunction with the shopping centre and special attention has been given to complete children’s programs. Under today’s conditions, the opening of a new, suburban theatre in Canada’s largest shopping centre, is a most encouraging and unusual experiment. GENTLEMEN MARRY BRUNETTES U-A announces “Gentlemen Marry Brunettes” as their first starrer for Jane Russell. This lavish CinemaScope musical co-stars Jeanne Crain. Sz Trans-Canada gy tS use THIS INFORMATION AS YOUR GUIDE ON RELEASE DATES ~~-~-~— TORONTO IMPERIAL Third week. The Egyptian (20th-Fox) C’Scope and De Luxe Color with Jean Simmons and Victor Mature. SHEA’S & NORTOWN The Caine Mutiny (Col.) Technicolor with Humphrey Bogart. UNIVERSITY Dragnet (WB) WarnerColor with Jack Webb. ODEON Rogue Cop (MGM) with Robert Taylor and Janet Leigh. LOEW'S Apache (UA) Tech. with Burt Lancaster, HYLAND & CHRISTIE Sixth week. Doctor in the House (JARO) Technicolor with Dirk Bogarde. INTERNATIONAL CINEMA Pickwick Papers (IFD) with Hermione Gingold. AVENUE Tit-Coq (Cardinal) with Gratien Gelinas (Fridolin). DOWNTOWN Silver Lode (RKO) and Jungle Gents (AA). MONTREAL CAPITOL Third week. Magnificent Obsession (EU) Technicolor with Jane Wyman. LOEW’S The Caine Mutiny (Col.) Technicolor with Humphrey Bogart, PALACE Second week, Demetrius And The Glodiators (Fox) C’Scope & Tech, with Victor Mature. PRINCESS Suddenly (UA) with Frank Sinatra, ORPHEUM A Bullet Is Waiting (Col.) Tech. with Jean Simmons. KENT Seventh week. The Living Desert (RKO) Tech, AVENUE Second week. The Belles Of St. Trinian’s (IFD) with Alastair Sim. VANCOUVER CAPITOL Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (MGM) C’Scope and Color with Jane Powell. ORPHEUM Broken Lance (20th-Fox) C’Scope and Color by DeLuxe, with Spencer Tracy. VOGUE Second week. Magnificent Obsession (E-U) Technicolor with Jane Wyman. STUDIO Held over, Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (UA) Pathecolor. DUNBAR Held over. Doctor in the House (JARO) Technicolor with Dirk Bogarde, PLAZA, PARK, PARADISE Apache (UA) Technicolor Lancaster and Jean Peters. WINNIPEG CAPITOL The Egyptian (20th-Fox) C’Scope and De Luxe Color with Jean Simmons. LYCEUM Prisoner of War (MGM) with Ronald Reagan. MET Dragnet (WB) WarnerColor with Jack Webb, ODEON Magnificent Obsession (E-U) Technicolor with Jane Wyman. GAIETY Sobrina (Para.) with Humphrey Bogart. GARRICK The High and the Mighty (WB) C’Scope and WarnerColor with John Wayne. with Burt Sterling Hayden set by Republic to star in the title role of “The Admiral Hoskins Story,” Navy epic which is now in production with Alexis Smith and Dean Jagger... Frank P. Rosenberg signs producer’s contract with Warner Bros., first assignment to be “Miracle in the Rain” ... Martha Scott joins Humphrey Bogart and Fredric March in the cast of Paramount’s “The Desperate Hours” . .. Columbia shooting background scenes for “My Sister Eileen,” in New York City . . . World premiere for 20th-Fox musical “Carmen Jones” at the New York Rivoli Theatre, October 28th, produed and directed by Otto Preminger . . . Opening day gross for the United Artists feature “The Barefoot Contessa,” starring Humph rey Bogart and Ava Gardner, matches the take of “Moulin Rouge” . . . Director John Ford signs Betsy Palmer for leading role opposite Henry Fonda in the WarnerColor CinemaScope production “Mister Roberts” which is now on location in Honolulu, a Warner release . . . Paramount going all-out with big promotional campaign for their first VistaVision film, Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” . . . Walter Mirisch announces that three films will go into production for Allied Artists in October, “High Society,” Bowery Boys comedy, the Richard Conte starrer “Sweet Charity,” and “Tonight is Forever”... Sir Alexander Korda makes deal with 20th Fox to produce “The Deep Blue Sea” in England, film to be shot in CinemaScope and will feature Vivien Leigh, direction by Anatole Litvak ... MGM gives “Green Mansions” the go sign, preparations now being made for a January shooting date .. . Alan Hale Jr. reports for his role in Warners’ “The Sea Chase” after completing “Young at Heart”... Esther Williams set for new MGM starring vehicle, “Body Beauty,” story of Olympics diving champion who barnstorms Europe, to be produced by Joe Pasternak . . . Republic signs Valentina Cortese (to join cast of “Magic Fire,” cast already includes Yvonne de Carla,