Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Oct 23, 1954)

Page scan 0000 from Canadian Moving Picture Digest

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest
Date:
Oct 23, 1954
Volume:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Oct 23, 1954)
Leaf #:
0000
Language:
English
Subjects:
Motion Pictures, Film Industry Trade Magazine",Canad
Collection:
Global Cinema, Hollywood Studio System, Canada, and Early 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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JAY L. SMITH EDITOR AND PUBLISHER VOL. 46, NO. 43 CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE FIRST WITH THE FILM NEWS IN CANADA Published by CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST COMPANY LIMITED % RAY LEWIS g FOUNDER 1915-1954 TORONTO, OCTOBER 23, 1954 Skouras Grateful to Canadian Exhibs Pledges 2nd ’Scope Anniversary Even More Significant & Happy A Canadian general sales meeting of all 20th-Fox personnel, chaired by Canadian general manager Peter Myers, took place October 21-22-23 at the Royal York Hotel. Coinciding with ther celebration of Cinema By JAY L. SMITH Famous Players Canadian Corp. wound up its series of regional meetings for partners, associates and district managers, with a twoday session at the King Edward Hotel, Toronto, last Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 13th and 14th. Present were representatives of Consolidated Theatres, Montreal, United Amusement Co., Montreal, Premier Operating Co., B & F Theatres, 20th Century Theatres, all associated with Famous Players, as well as individual partners from Owen Sound, Barrie, Three Rivers, Rouyn-Noranda, Hamilton, Peterborough, and Toronto. District managers in attendance included Dan Krendel, Bill Trudell, Ray Tubman and Mort Margolius. Meetings were on a. strictly informal basis, with Eastern Division Manager Morris Stein acting as chairman, President J. J. Fitzgibbons and Vice-President R. W. Bolstad shared the ball with Morris Stein, in putting forward policy questions and supplying answers to the partners and associates. Considerable time was given to a discussion of admission prices in respect to the various types of programs being presented, regular, CinemaScope productions, and road-show attractions. Jack Fitzgibbons, head of Theatre Confections Ltd., an F-P Subsidiary, revealed some _ very interesting figures on the operation of confection counters in the theatres. Due to judicious buying, with subsequent savings Passed on to the individual thealres, a number of houses that have seen their admissions and gross reduced, have at the same time Seen their profit on confectionery sales increase. A dinner was held Thursday (Continued on Page 8) Mayer To Address Ontario Exhibitors Arthur L. Mayer of New York, distinguished exhibitor, distributor, film industry representative, author and speaker, has accepted an invitation to be the guest of honor (Continued on Page 5) Scope’s first and inspiring Anniversary in Canada, the sessions formulated the selling policy for Canada of Fox’s 1954-55 releases. Attending the sessions from the home office are Bill Gehring, Arthur Silverstone and Clarence Hall. Mr. Spyros Skouras, President of 20thFox has sent the following message to Canadian exhibitors on the eve (Continued on Page 10) Paramount Spends $36,000,000 On 20 Films For °55 Release A program of 20 films, finished or ready to go before the cameras, costing an estimated $36,000,000, is planned for 1955 by the Paramount Pictures studio, it was announced by executive producer Don Hartman. Hartman also stated that “horizontal projection enables a better presentation of VistaVision product in the large theatres.” “The present production plans for Paramount studios include 20 films next year, but it is very pos (Continued on Page 9) PETER MYERS (See Page 3) NFB Wins Three Awards At Edinburgh Three films produced by the National Film Board of Canada have been granted Awards of Merit at the Edinburgh Film Festival. Merit Awards are granted only to outstanding films shown at the (Continued on Page 9) Movie Trade Show Profits To Pioneers Present indications point to this year’s Movie Trade Show far surpassing last year’s, and judging by the inquiries and the interest already being shown it now appears that exhibitors are planning on attending in greater numbers than last year. Gerry Fitzgerald, who is again promoting the Show, stated that many supplier firms and exchanges will be occupying display (Continued on Page 5) Mason Re-elected President Manitoba Exhibitors Association Mr. A. J. Mason was re-elected President of the Maritime Allied Exhibitors Association at its meeting last week in the Admiral Beatty Hotel. Other officers are: Vice-President for New Brunswick, F. Gordon Spencer, Saint John; vice-pres. for Nova Scotia, Fred Gregor, New Waterford; vice-pres. for Prince Edward Island, B. H. Yeo, Montague; Secretary, George Walters, Charlottetown, and Treasurer, W. G. Fenety, Fredericton, N.B. Elected to the Board of Direc (Continued on Page 3) Trade Papers Honored At B’Nai B'rith Dinner Ten leading film industry publications will be honored for “their contributions to the American ideals of freedom, equal opportunity and fair play” at the annual Joint Defense Appeal luncheon of (Continued on Page 9) S. TORONTO HOLD BENEFIT NIGHT FO HURRICANE FUND, SUNDAY, ‘OCTOBER 24, 8 P.M