Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Nov 12, 1955)

Page scan 0007 from Canadian Moving Picture Digest

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest
Date:
Nov 12, 1955
Volume:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Nov 12, 1955)
Leaf #:
0007
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:
August 01, 2024
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——_—_ PAGE EIGHT qosebas bore rei DI¢EST Ou the Seam of the National Film Board, kept his acceptance address, on behalf of the Film Board, to a minimum, but he proved so effective that many expressed the hope that we would be able to hear more from Dr. Trueman on another occasion. Heartiest congratulation to Dave Griesdorf, new Chet Barker of Toronto Tent No. 28, Variety Clubs International. I firmly believe that under the leadership of Chief Barker Griesdorf, the Toronto Tent will rise to even greater heights than it has seen in the past. Congratulations also to Nat Taylor, new Ist Assistant Chief Barker, to Dan Krendel, 2nd _ Assistant Chief Barker, to Al Troyer, the new Dough Guy, and to Louis Davidson, the Property Master. Our compliments also to the retiring crew, Harry Mandell, Chief Barker, Dave Griesdorf, 1st Assistant Chief Barker, Clare Appel, 2nd Assistant Chief Barker, Dough Guy Dan Krendel, and Property Master Paul Johnson, for a job well done. Reports in the American weekly trade paper, Variety, that U.S. Distributors were unusually concerned with the idea that Canadian exhibitors were being “inaccurate” in their box-office reports on percentage engagements, and had hired a new firm of sleuthing accountants to check Canadian theatre companies’ books, aroused considerable indignation when the story appeared. The Canadian Press picked up the story and carried it over their wires, with resultant publicity that could do nobody any good. A check on the story, revealed that it was not written by Variety’s Canadian representative, but emanated from New York, and was, to put it mildly, grossly exaggerated. Distributors have always checked percentage accounts in Canada, as well as in the U.S., that they felt should be checked, and no change in procedure is contemplated according to the Canadian G.M.s. The reference in the Variety story to the fact that “N. Y. sales execs for some time now haye been unhappy with grosses” in Canada, brought a Jaugh from Canadian exhibition execs, who all had the same answer, “So Have We”, Empire-Universal have a smash hit in the Audie Murphy picture, “To Hell and Back”. In the U.S., where Murphy is a national war hero, as well as being a popular young movie star, the picture is @ (Continued from Page 1) —-------------— exceeding the company’s most optimistic expectations, doing as big, and in many instances bigger business than the phenomenally successfully “Glenn Miller Story”. In Canada, Murphy does not have the same following as he has in the States, but in spite of this, the picture is doing the biggest business of any Universal picture in the past two years, with holdovers in almost every situation. In addition to the extended runs announced in The Digest two weeks ago, the picture has also been held-over in such important houses as the Vanity, Windsor and the Century, Sudbury of the Twinex chain, and in the four United Amusement houses in Montreal, the Strand, Snowdon, Seville and Outremont. It all goes to prove that in spite of Television, hockey games, bingos, and any and all other forms of competition, if the public takes to a picture, they will still turn out in droves. BILL SMITH (Continued from Page 1) booker and office manager in the Toronto branch, advancing to salesman in the Toronto office in 1950. Previous to joining RKO, “Bill” was employed by Empire-Universal. He first joined the industry about 1923, going to work for the then Educational Films. He later worked for Empire-Universal and also spent 1 year working for Warner Bros. The appointemnt which takes effect as of November 12th, resulted from the resignation of Jim Davie. ROBERT “BILL” SMITH RECEIPTS (Continued from Page I) with an increase showing for drivein theatres. Receipts increased in all provinces excepting New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia with greatest drop being reported from Ontario andQuebec. A considerable increase in receipts is noted in P.E.I. amounting to14.5%. RECEIPTS EXCLUDING TAX— REGULAR THEATRES CANADA 1954 1953 No. Theatres 1954-1953 Nfld. 67 58 1,301,452 1,174,724 P.E.L. 14 12 397,529 347,294 N.S. 84 84 4,283,840 4,177,407 N.B. 62 63 2,675,844 2,724,148 Que. 45] 436 22,506,182 25,405,212 Ont, 521 536 37,269,532 39,570,871 Man, 154 154 5,169,144 5,030,045 Sask. 206 199 5,053,250 4,583,073 Alta. 201 191 8,464,959 7,676,634 Bree 1Z8) ai73 9,890,408 10,200,043 97,012,140 100,889,361 Receipts down 3,877,221 Admissions down 22,674,073 Newfoundland, up $126,728; Prince Edward Island, up $50,235; Nova Scotia, up $106,433; New Brunswick, down 48,304; Quebec, down 2,899,030; Ontario, down 2,301,249; Manitoba, up 139,099; Saskatchewan, up 470,177; Albera, up 788,325; British Columbia, down 309,635. DRIVE-IN THEATRES CANADA No. Theatres 1954-1953 1954 1953 230 174 6,316,947 5,862,920 Receipts up — 454,027 NOVEMBER 12, 1955 SUMMARY STATISTICS OF MOTION PICTURE THEATRES, BY PROVINCE, 1954 (Regular Theatres) Newfoundland Number Amusement of paid Taxes Admissions CANADA $12,098,922 218,508,653 Newfoundland 217,255 3,540,090 Prince Edw. Island 67,871 1,011,358 Nova Scotia 471,650 11,331,485 New Brunswick 303,789 7,100,849 Quebec 3,352,526 46,742,231 Ontario 4,403,305 82,188,424 Manitoba 592,873 13,581,368 Saskatchewan 208,416 12,166,221 Alberta 814,584 17,947,049 British Columbia* 1,566,653 22,899,578 *Including Yukon and NW Territories. Total receipts from 1938 regular theatres and 230 drive-ins in 1954 as compared with 1953 is shown hereunder: 1954 1953 $103,329,087 $160,752,281 Decrease in 1954—$3,423,194 Total admissions from 1906 regular theatres and 174 drive-ins in 1953 were: 252,317,514. Total admissions from 1938 regular theatres ((32 more than in 1953) and 230 drive-ins (56 more than in 1953) in 1954 were: 230,888,899; a decrease of 21,428,615. Comparative statement of receipts and admission in 1953 and 1954 for: Community Enterprises 1953 $1,851,685 Halls Serviced by Itinerant Operators 1953 $468,562 1954 1,800,794 1954 385,682 Decrease $ 50,891 Decrease $ 82,880 ADMISSIONS 1953. 5,647,668 1953 1,381,655 1954 5,269,925 1954 1,106,070 Decrease 377,743 Decrease 275,585 Summary of Motion Picture Exhibition in Canada 1954 Halls Serviced by Total Regular Drive-in Community Itinerant Item All Types Theatres Theatres Enterprises Operators No, of theatres cnd_ halls 3,471 1,938 230 645 658 Receipts, (excl. taxes) $105,515,563 $97,012,140 $6,316,947 $1,800,794 $385,682 Amusement Taxes $ 12,975,256 $12,098,922 $ 721,630 $ 128,515 $ 26,189 No. of paid admissions 237,264,894 218,508,653 5,269,925 1,106,070 12,380,246 Motion Picture Industry Council DELEGATES — 1955 Chairman — D. Griesdorf British Columbia Exhibitors Association, Owen Bird and Max Chechik, Vancouver. Alberta Theatres Association, Douglas Miller, Taber. Roy Chown, Calgary. A. W. Shackleford, Lethbridge. Saskatchewan Motion Picture Exhibitors Association, J. D. McKenzie, Estevan. J. F. Lundholm, Swift Current. Manitoba Motion Picture Exhibitors Association, Ben Sommers and Robt. Hurwitz, Winnipeg. Motion Picture Theatres Association of Ontario, E. G. Forsyth and Morris Stein, Toronto. S. C. D. Main, Sutton W.; Russell Simpson, Renfrew. Quebec Allied Theatrical Industries, William Lester, John Ganetakos and D. Robert, Montreal. Maritime Motion Picture Exhibitors Association, Arch. J. Mason, Springhill; F. Gordon Spencer, St. John. Association of Motion Picture Producers & Laboratories of Cananada, Jack Chisholm, Toronto. Pierre Harwood, Montreal. Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association, Charles Chaplin, Clare Appel, Harvey Harnick and Peter Myers, Toronto. Equipment Dealers Association of Canada, L. M. Bleakley and G. Cuthbert, Toronto. Trade Press, Hye Bossin and Max Chic, Toronto.