Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Nov 6, 1954)

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest
Date:
Nov 6, 1954
Volume:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Nov 6, 1954)
Leaf #:
0003
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 FOUR Ou the Seam (Continued from Page 1) of Technicolor, and the terrific pre-selling job that has been done by the Paramount organization, you have all the ingredients of a top smash hit. As for audience reaction, the crowd at Radio City Music Hall seemed to thoroughly enjoy the picture from beginning to end... so did I. The following night I went to the Victoria Theatre, N.Y., to see “A Star Is Born”, and again a wonderful treat was in store for me. According to the latest reports, Warner’s are cutting 27 minutes from the 3 hours and 2 minutes running time of the picture, as I saw it. This is very easy to understand, not just because of the difficulty encountered with such a long picture, but because “A Star Is Born” has enough entertainment values for two ordinary motion pictures. If all the production numbers performed by Judy Garland were eliminated, you would still have an outstanding dramatic film with what was left; and if most of the dramatic story was to be cut out, you would still have a smash musical film with the remainder. The press reports that James Mason has said he is giving up his acting career, and will devote himself to production and direction from now on. I doubt if he will stick to that decision, but if he does, I can understand it, for he is simply quitting while he is ahead, It is inconceivable that he could ever equal, let alone top his performance in “A Star Is Born”. As for Judy Garland, her performance is something that will go down in Motion Picture history as the greatest comeback in the annals of the Industry. After being off the screen for several years, suffering a complete nervous breakdown, and according to published reports being really down and out financially, Judy has bounced back with one of the finest performances it has ever been our pleasure to watch. She is magnificent, scoring just as effectively in the dramatic sequences, as she does in the musical numbers. Her voice has never been better, and her liming is perfect. As dangerous as such a prediction may be, I must go out on a limb and predict that when the Oscars are handed out next March, it's my guess that the first two will go to Judy Garland and James Mason for their performances jn “A Star Is Born”. & “pIECECT POLIO (Continued from Page 1) Junior Chamber of Commerce devote long hours going from one small group to another projecting the program on equipment supplied by provincial exhibitors. The superintendent of the hospital claims that since this program has started the morale of patients has improved considerably. It is hoped that the other film distributOrs in the industry will follow in the footsteps of Paramount and 20th-Fox and supply features on a similar basis, “making it easier on the two participating companies and creating a more complete variety of program for the viewers. C’Scope Installations As of last week, J. Arthur Rank had 230 of his Odeon and Gaumont-British theatres equipped with CinemaScope and announced that before Jan. 1, he will have 400 theatres using this equipment. Other circuit installations of CinemaScope include: ABC, 165; Granada, 23; Essoldo, 61; independents, 291, CENSORSHIP (Continued from Page 1) television and radio programs in all the provinces. Chief objection was taken to the type of films for TV programs which were viewed in many homes as well ‘as occa sional profanity on the CBC network, OTTAWA THEATRES (Continued from Page 1) Hull, Que., coupling French product. Latest theatre to turn to an art policy for half of each bill is the Sll-seat Rialto. Latter has been acquired by Bob Maynard, mana-: ging director of the suburban Eastview and owner of the downtown Francais. It'll play first-runs as a primary policy. The Rialto opened up with Columbia’s “The Affairs of Messalina,” dubbed into English from the Italian, Film was coupled with “Shock-Proof.” The German-made “Saizon in Salzburg” came in this week. This art-sex-and-action policy gives Ottawa its fourth art or semiart house, with 20th Century Theatres’ 410-seat midtown Little Elgin successful on that policy for years under Ernie Warren. National Theatres’ Glebe and Towne Cinema houses, under Fred Leayens, are doing okay after a few months and a few weeks repsectively. Sunday public showings are illegal here as everywhere in Canada outside Quebec province; but Hull, just across a short bridge, lures many Ottawans to its regular Sunday pix, advertised in the capital’s dailies. Hull’s Cinema de Paris, with full-week French double bills as a steady policy, draws plenty of French-Canadians from the capital every night. Across the Country | at Christmas. e (Continued from Page 3) mitted to the theatre. Firemen wil l repair the toys and distribute them Tenor Lauritz Melchior was a recent visitor in Calgary in the course of an Alberta hunting trip. With him were Henry Ross, Chicago, chairman of Imperial World Films, and Frank Diaz, art director and chairman, also of Chicago. Maritimes Mr. Morris. Diamond, Sales Manager for International Films, is Spending several days in Saint John, N.B., conferring with the local manager, Mr. G. M. Hoyt. ° The Paramount, Kentville, and Acadia Theatres, Wolfville, N.S., report very satisfactory CinemaScope installations with full Stereophonic Sound. Mr. Duncan McDonald and Mr. Harry Clarke of General Theatre Supply Company were the engineers responsible, The Capitol Theatre, Woodstock, N.B., (F. G. Spencer Company) has been undergoing extensive renovations for the last few months. This theatre will have an entire new front installed by the Hobbs Glass Mfg. Company — a new heating system — new floor and new seals. The Kenney Construction Company of Yarmouth, N.S., are the builders. e e e The Gaiety Theatre, Lancaster, N.B. (L. A. Sprague) opened with CinemaScope this week — the opening feature is Doris Day in Warner Bros.’ “Lucky Me.” ASSOC. SCREEN (Continued from Page 1) sions, demonstrations and exhibits, Invitations have gone to representatives of advertising agencies, motion picture and television producers, television station personnel, government officials and advertising and public relations executives. Outstanding motion picture and television authorities from Canada and the United States will speak at the three-day clinic and give demonstrations on the many phases involved in this specialized work, from the inception of an idea to the finished productions. Dr. A. W. Trueman, the National Film Board commissioner, will be the first speaker at the Opening session of the Workshop on December 6, speaking for the film industry. Other speakers will outline the legal aspects of motion picture and television production with specific reference to copyright law, clearances of music and artists releases, demonstrations will also be given at this opening session on animations and art titles for both motion pictures and television films. Discussions on the selection of narrators and magnetic and optical recording demonstrations will conclude the first day. . . The second day’s session on December 7 will be opened by A. Davidson Dunton, chairman of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, representing the Canadian television industry. He will be followed by talks by experts on new film developments, the new Eastman color process, music for television and motion pictures, a demonstration of music types and uses as well as research .and scripts for story material, color film for television and pre-planning for motion pictures and television films. The third day’s sessions on December 8 will be opened by E. Fitzgibbons of Famous Players Canadian Corporation. He will speak on the operation of private television stations. Others speakers on this closing day will direct translations and interpretation of foreign language films. The costing of a motion picture or television commercial, demonstration of rear projection, processing and lJaboratory procedure, set designing and construction and discussion on the future of color in television, motion pictures and newsreel productions. According to Mr. Singleton the Workshop idea originated with the Calvin Company of Kansas City, Mo,, which is one of the largest producers of motion pictures for industry in the United States.