Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Nov 27, 1954)

Page scan 0000 from Canadian Moving Picture Digest

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest
Date:
Nov 27, 1954
Volume:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Nov 27, 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:
June 13, 2024
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JAY L. SMITH EDITOR AND PUBLISHER VOL. 46, NO. 48 WT M NEWS IN Published by CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST COMPANY LIMITED dedecddddtat 1 CANADA RAY LEWIS FOUNDER 1915-1954 TORONTO, NOVEMBER 27, 1954 Alliance Films Gets DCA Franchise 10-12 Top Pix Including ’Scopes From Schwartz-Boasberg Set-Up Another major step forward was announced by James L. Smith, president of Alliance Films Limited, this week, with the announcement that he had successfully concluded negotiations with Fred J. Schwartz, By JAY L. SMITH This is the BIG week in the Motion Picture Industry in Canada, with Toronto the focal point for a whole week of dinners, Juncheons and meetings of exceeding importance, PLUS the Motion Picture Industry Trade Show. Exhibitors, distributors, and affiliated industry members poured into Toronto over the week-end to take part in the doings of the week. Starting Monday evening was the annual dinner of the Naticnal Council for Christians and Jews. Guest speaker was Conrad Hilton, head of the multimillion dollar Hilton Hotel chain. Headtable guests from the Film Industry included John J. Fitzgibbons, president of Famous Players Canadian Corp., and Gordon Lightstone, Canadian general manager for Paramount Pictures. A number of other film members attended the dinner. Tuesday marked the opening of the Trade Show, and the beginning of a series of meetings of the Motion Picture Industry Council, under the chairmanship of Arch Mason, Springhill, N.S. A_ brief Was presented by N. A. Taylor in respect to the formation of a Motion Picture Institute for Canada, and ‘@ report by Clare Appel on Public Relations, a summary of Which appears elsewhere in this Issue. A luncheon was tendered members of the Council by the CMPDA, Peter Myers, 20th-Fox, chairman. Tuesday evening was the installation banquet for Variety Club Tent No. 28, with Harry Mandell stalled as Chief Barker, together with the other members of the new crew. Wednesday features continued Sessions of the Industry Council, and on Thursday is the luncheon and convention of the Motion Pic(Continued on Page 2) Odeon Announces Staff Changes Across Can. Effective from Monday, November 22, the undermentioned theatres previously supervised by Mr. Keith Wilson will be transferred to Ontario District “C” and super (Continued on Page 2) president, and Charles S. Boasberg, general manager of the recentlyformed Distributors Corporation of America, for the Canadian franchise of the DCA product. All motion pictures produced for DCA, or acquired by them for U.S. distribution, will be handled in Canada by Alliance Films. First major production to be released (Continued on Page 5) Petrolia Paper Supports Local Exhibitor’s Appeal For Aid As a result of a paid ad in the Petrolia Advertiser-Topic appealing for public support by the Iroquois theatre, the paper printed the following editorial, in one of the best film industry-newspaper public relations jobs yet seen. The ad is printed elsewhere in this issue. “Timely attention is drawn to a situation in Petrolia in an advertisement in this issue that conceras the general public of this area. An open letter from Mr. and Mrs. Jack McCulloch of the Iroquois Theatre makes a very reasonable (Continued on Page 2) "GEORGE ALTMAN (See page 3) Proudlove Edmonton Manager Dies at 44 Manager of the Empress Theatre in Edmonton, W. J. (Jack) Proudlove, 44, died in hospital Nov. 7 after a lengthy illness. Born in Winnipeg, he began his career as an usher and doorman in (Continued on Page 2) Public Relations the first organizational | esting of the WOMPI’s, the women’s club of the | : indusity will be held at the SK Regis Hotel, Toronto, “December Zad ot 6 pm. The “presentation of the _ Charter attiliating the Toll ronto club with the US ll parent group will take © “place as weil as eloctions | for temporary officers. Dinner will be served. John Davis Here For Important Meetings The experiences of British product in Canada over the last ten years will no doubt play an important role in the thinking of the Rank interests as they study their next move to increase their playing time across the border. Visiting Toronto, New York and Hollywood next week, John Davis, although not over here specifically to follow up the recent announcement (Continued on Page 3) Speech at MPIC Meet By Appel Reports Progress Clare Appel, chairman of the Public Relations Committee of the MPIC of Canada, delivered his report at the current meetings in Toronto, and again registered new progress and consistency in building better public relations for our industry. The following are excerpts from his report. “Several weeks ago the Canadian Moving Picture Digest fired an editorial salvo in the general direction of Toronto newspapers which led to a new development in that field. I was invited to take part in the discussions and I believe it (Continued on Page 3) Famous Dividend Famous Players Canadian Corp. have declared a 372 dividend per share for the quarter ending December 31 on all issued common shares, payable on December 29 to shareholders of record on December 3. The company also announced an extra dividend of 10c payable at the same time.