Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Dec 25, 1954)

Page scan 00046 from Canadian Moving Picture Digest

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest
Date:
Dec 25, 1954
Volume:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Dec 25, 1954)
Leaf #:
00046
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:
June 13, 2024
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DECEMBER 25, 1954 JOURNEY (Continued from Page 31) Leagues Under the Sea.” Mr. Abe Montague of Columbia gave the Digest a short report on the work of the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital, and asked for Canadian contributions to aid this worthwhile project. The Toronto offices of Dominion Sound had moved to their new home on Wingold Ave. On Friday, October 22nd, Blanche Rosenfeld, wife of Louis Rosenfeld, passed away. William Summerville, Jr., Chief Barker of Toronto’s Variety Club announced that Famous Players Canadian Corporation and a number of associates were breaking an ironclad rule by presenting a commercial film on their screen, and of course the reason had to be a good one, and it was, in exchange for presenting the film, a single recl short subject sponsored by the Imperial Oil Co., the Heart Fund of Variety would receive a cheque from the Imperial Oil Co. for $10,000. NOVEMBER NOVEMBER 6 The Digest issue of November 8th confirmed an earlier story appearing in The Digest, that a Canadian company would produce a Picture about Marilyn Bell, conqueror of Lake Ontario. Meridian Productions, formed by Julian Roffman, and Marilyn Bell Corporation had signed an agreement whereby Meridian would produce a One-reeler film starring Marilyn. November 25th was set as the date for the Pioneer Award Dinner honoring Jack Arthur as Pioneer of the Year, and also honoring Will McLaughlin and Charles Stephenson. “On the Beam” reviewed Paramount’s “White Christ j | ' 1 | ~ ©. R. HANSON resident, Sterling Films, Ltd. CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST mas” and Warner’s “A Star Is Born” and reported, after seeing them in New York, that all advance notices were fully justified, and the pictures were in the “Rave” department. Show Business, the industry with a heart, was living up to its reputation. Paramount and 20th-Fox were supplying 16mm features gratis for the entertainment of polio patients at the King George Hospital, Winnipeg. GORDON LIGHTSTONE Gen, Mgr., Paramount Film Service Ltd. club. December 27th was set for the first showing of Cinerama in Canada and the Stanley Warner Cinerama Ltd., has leased the Imperial Theatre, Montreal, for this purpose. NOVEMBER 13 In the November 13 issue Hillis Cass, General Sales Manager for MGM in Canada stated that his company would concentrate a major share of its 20 pictures for aarp es Ae ! CHARLES S, CHAPLIN Canadian Gen. Mgr., United Artists. NEWLY ELECTED CREW FOR 1955 OF VARIETY CLUB, TENT 28, TORONTO Back Row—I, to r.—dJ. J. Fitzgibbons, Jr., Louis Davidson, William Summerville Jr. (Immediate past Chief Barker), Monty Hall, George Altman, Herb Allen, Front row—l. to r-—Rabbi Slonim, David Griesdorf, Harry Mandell (Chief Barker), Clare Anpel, Paul Johnston, Dan Krendel. Associated Screen News planned a film and Television workshop to take place in Montreal, Dec. 6, 7 and 9. Warner’s publicity and exploitation director, Irving Herman was featured in this issue, and his public relations career, from the age of 15, made interesting reading. J. Arthur Rank announced that 230 of his Odeon and Gaumont-British theatres were equipped with CinemaScope and that before Jan, 1 he would have 400 theatres using this equipment. Over 250 girls frim practically every film office met, to launch the Toronto Branch of the club called Women of the Motion Picture Industry, WOMPI for short, and the Digest’s Max Chic was the only male present—strictly business—his job the outline of the principles behind the proposed Fall and Winter in the CinemaScope medium, prompted by exhibitor demands and public acceptance of this development. Toronto was secing the debut of VistaVision, at the Imperial, Toronto, with the showing of Paramount’s “White Christmas,” and from all signs and comments, both the picture and the new technique were immediate successes. Lionel Lester and Ben Freedman headed a special committee of the Ontario Exhibitors relief from the Amusement Tax which has become a terrific burden to the exhibitor, Haskell Masters was in New York attending an important sales meeting, to discuss distribution for forthcoming Warners’ Bros. Pictures. Jim Hardiman was appointed Director of Advertising and Publicity for Odeon Theatres, as Wannie Tyers return PAGE FORTY-SEVEN ed to theatre operation and became Manager of the Odeon, Hyland. NOVEMBER 20 “On the Beam”, Nov. 20th gives the names of the new crew for Variety Club Tent 28, headed by Harry Mandell, Chief Barker; Daye Griesdorf, Ist Assistant Chief Barker; Clare Appel, 2nd Assistant Chief Barker; Paul Johnson, Property Master; and Dan Krendel as Dough Guy. By this week, it was apparent to the entire industry that what we needed was more “Doctors in the House,” JARO’s picture of this name was doing holdover business wherever it played, and in its 11th week at the Hyland, Toronto, Bas Mason, Toronto Telegram Director of Promotion, had sent out a personal letter to Toronto Exhibitors, circuit heads and distribution executives, to the effect that the Tely was expanding its Amusement Page, and to further add to this good news came the word that it would terminate the understanding whereby the exhibitors of first-run films are given a picture in the Saturday entertainment section and pay for the cost of the engravings. Paramount's earnings for the third quarter ending Oct. 2nd, 1954, was up from the previous year. JARO’s 10th Anniversary in Canada, was being celebrated in a big way, with 26 top-notch films. Peter Myers of 20th-Fox. announced the appointment of Cecil Black as Canadian Circuit Sales Manager. NOVEMBER 27 November 27th ushered in the “Big Week” in Toronto, with a trade show, Pioneer Award Dinner, annual dinner of the National Council for Christians and Jews, meetings of the Motion Picture Industry Council, installation banquet for Variety, Tent 28, a luncheon by CMPDA. Alliance Films reported the acquisition of a very (Continued on Page 49) aa —* PAUL L. NATHANSON Vice-President, Emplre-Universal Films.