Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Dec 31, 1955)

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest
Date:
Dec 31, 1955
Volume:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Dec 31, 1955)
Leaf #:
0000
Language:
English
Collection:
Canada, Hollywood Studio System, Early Cinema, and Global Cinema
Format:
periodicals
Contributor:
Media History Digital Library, Greig Dymond in memory of David Dymond, 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. 48, NO. 1 CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE Published by CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST COMPANY LIMITED RAY LEWIS FOUNDER 1915-1954 DECEMBER 31, 1955 Bel’’s °**Forward Look For 1956°° By JAY L. SMITH beam The FILM DAILY’S annual Filmdom’s Famous Fives national critics’ poll for 1955, has just been released, and a few surprises appear in the long list of poll winners. Ernest Borgnine, who turned in such a memorable performance in “Marty” headed the list of male performers, nosing out the late James Dean, who recently topped the COMPO Audience Awards poll. However, critics and public were unanimous in their choice of Jennifer Jones as top feminine star of the year for her work in “Love Is A Many Splendored Thing.” By company, the FILM DAILY Poll gives Warner Bros. 14 citations to lead the list, closely followed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer with 12. These are followed by United Artists with 7, Paramount with 6, 20th-Fox with 5, Universal with 2, DCA with 2, Buena Vista with 1, and Daiei (Japan), 1. The following is the complete list of the FAMOUS FIVES. Best Performances by Male Star Ernest Borgnine as Marty Pilletti in United Artists’ “Marty”; James Dean as Cal Trask in Warner Bros.’ “East of Eden’; Henry Fonda as Mister Roberts in Warner Bros.’ “Mister Roberts”; James Cagney as Marty Snyder in Metro’s “Love Me or Leave Me”; Spencer Tracy as John J. MacCreedy in Metro’s “Bad Day at Black Rock.” Best Performances by Female Star Jennifer Jones as Han Suyin in 20th Fox’s “Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing”; Katharine Hepburn as Jane Hudson in United Artists’ “Summertime”; Doris Day as Ruth Etting in Metro’s “Love Me or Leave Me”; Julie Harris as Sally Bowles in DCA’s “I Am A Camera.” Betsy Blair as Clara in United Artists’ “Marty.” (Continued on Page 2) Perry Announces ‘Feldman Drive’ Plottel Lists 12 Top Pictures Toronto: Highlighting the theme “The Forward Look For °56” and stressing “power packed profit product,’ Empire-Universal will launch the 6th Annual “Charles J. Feldman Drive” on Sunday, January 1, Victoria, Toronto Sold To City Parking Toronto: Victoria theatre, once the mecca of vaudeville in Toronto, has been sold, to provide room for another downtown parking lot. The historic theatre at the corner of Richmond St. and Victoria (See VICTORIA Page 2) 1956 and continuing through Saturday, April 28, 1956, it was announced by President A. W. Perry, on his return from the company’s week-long Sales Conference at the Universal-International studios. The announcement of the Feldman Sales Drive climaxed four days of meetings during which (See FORWARD LOOK Page 7) Frank Vaughan Set As Gen. Mgr. Frank Scott Named His Assistant Toronto: An announcement from Frank Vaughan, General Manager of J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (Canada) Limited, names Frank L. Scott as his new assistant in the company’s Toronto head office. A member of The Canadian Motion Picture Pioneers, with 25 years of varied experience in film distribution, Frank Scoit was the first branch manager in Calgary (See VAUGHAN Page 2) John Davis Reports $10 Million Spent Here London: John Davis, managing director of the J. Arthur Rank Organization, took the opportunity of describing his organization’s worldwide activities at the 21st anniversary dinner to celebrate the founding of the Federation of Scottish Film Societies in Edinburgh recently. (See JOHN DAVIS Page 2) MGM Week, Feb. 5-11 New York: February 5-11, 1956 has been designated “M-G-M Week” with the goal — “An M-G-M Picture on Every Screen of the World” during those seven days. (See MGM WEEK Page 2) Happy WT Year! TV Sales Increase Toronto: The Radio-Television Manufacturers Association announced at Toronto that sales of television sets in October totalled (See TV SALES Page 2) THE THREE DEUCES, top singing trio, will appear at the Barclay Hotel, Toronto, starting January 2. Left to right, Paul Summerville, Shane Rimmer and Barry Hamilton. Additional story on page eleven. NEW YEAR'S MESSAGE FROM J. J. FITZGIBBONS, PAGE 7