Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Jun 2, 1956)

Page scan 0007 from Canadian Moving Picture Digest

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest
Date:
Jun 2, 1956
Volume:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Jun 2, 1956)
Leaf #:
0007
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 30, 2024
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PAGE EIGHT PARAMOUNT (Continued from Page 1) Commandments” and Ponti DeLaurentis’ “War and Peace’; Jerry Pickman, vice-president in charge of advertising and publicity; Oscar Morgan, sales head of Paramount Shorts and Paramount News, and Maxwell Hamilton, co-ordinator of the world-wide promotion plans for “The Ten Commandments”. Taking a realistic view of conditions within the Industry, Lightstone pointed out that although business did not parallel that of last year, “if you have what they want, they will come and buy it”. The picture line-up that Paramount had ahead for the balance of the current season, and for.the 195657 season, in the opinion of Lightstone, will act as a decided stimulus to the Industry. George Weltner gave the Canadian Paramounteers some idea of the greatness of “War and Peace” and “The Ten Commandments’, which latter he predicted would indeed be “the greatest picture of our lifetime.” In alluding to other pictures on the Paramount roster, Weltner referred to the fact that only top stories, with top producers, top directors and top stars would be in the lineup. Oscar Morgan, discussing shorts and newsreels, said the lack of their use would “be deliberately weakening the entertainment value of the exhibitor’s program’, 7080% of newsreel coverage is never seen on TV, and for this reason, the newsreel fills a great gap in the day-to-day education of the public. Gordon Lightstone announced that the Canadian company would join in the tribute to George Weltner, by declaring the “Paramount Salute to George Weltner” effective July 1 to December 29. Paramount Weeks’ pictures will be “That Certain Feeling” and “Pardners”, the dates, July 25-Aug. 7. At the conclusion of the two-day sessions, Lightstone announced that in addition to the four top productions still to come in the 195556 season, Paramount will have a minimum of 15 outstanding features for the 1956-57 season, plus four “specials”, “The Proud and the Profane”, “Gunfight at O. K. Corral’, Alfred Hitchcock’s “From Amongst the Dead’, and “The Red Nichols Story”. In addition, also are the two road-show attractions, “War and Peace’, and “The Ten Commandments”. Nine of the Paramount films have already been completed, and two have had their premieres. The two are “The Man Who Knew Too Much,” Alfred Hitchcock suspensethriller, starring James Stewart and Doris Day, and “The Leather Saint,” warm-hearted story of a young Episcopalian minister who turns to ‘boxing to help the sick and needy children of his parish. It stars Paul Douglas, John Derek, Jody Lawrence and Cesar Romero. The other seven awaiting releases are: “The Proud and_ Profane,” Perlberg-Seaton production, starring William Holden and Deborah Kerr, based on the _ best-selling novel by Lucy Herndon Crockett. Pre-release engagements on_ this film are scheduled for August. “That Certain Feeling,” starring Bob Hope, Eve Marie Saint and George Sanders, with Pearl Bailey. iT “RBICEST Produced, directed and written by Norman Panama and Melvin Frank, the team that made Danny Kaye’s “Knock On Wood” and. “Court Jester.”’ Scheduled for release in July. “Pardners, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis’ sixteenth picture, and their first western comedy, with five hit tunes by Sammy Cahn and James Van Heusen. Scheduled for August release. “The Vagabond King,” which co-stars Oreste, mew singing discovery, and Kathryn Grayson, with Rita Moreno, Walter Hampden and Sir Cedric Hardwicke. A lavish Technicolor musical, featuring the music of Rudolph Friml. Directed by Michael Curtiz. “The Mountain,” based on Henri Troyat’s best-seller, produced and directed by Edward Dmytryk. Costars Spencer Tracy and Robert Wagner, with Claire Trevor and William Demarest. “War and Peace,” monumental filmization of Leo Tolstoy’s immortal novel, produced by Dino DeLaurentis, and starring Audrey Hepburn, Henry Fonda and Mel Ferrer. Scheduled for its Canadian premiere in Toronto and Montreal, October 3rd. “The Ten Commandments,” Cecil B. Demille’s crowning achievement and one of the most ambitious undertakings in motion picture history. A cast of thousands is topped by Charlton Heston as Moses, Yul Brynner. as Rameses, Anne Baxter as Nefretiri, and Edward G. Robinson, Yvonne de Carlo, Debra Paget, John Derek, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Nina Foch, Martha Scott, Judith Anderson, Vincent Price, plus a host of others During Cieo’s Moore’s recent personal appearance tour, the star of Columbia’s “Over Exposed’’ made a series of visits in Toronto, including above, left to right, to the Downtown Theatre, to several Plaza Shopping Centers of Principai Investments Co., and to the Maple Leaf Stadium, where she presented the Players of the Week award, and a personal greeting to Don Johnson. JUNE 2, 1956 in featured roles. Canadian premiere ‘will be at the University Theatre, Toronto, November 28th. Currently in production are seven more large-scale Paramount pictures. These include: “Funny Face,” musical comedy co-starring Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire, with music by George and Ira Gershwin. “The Loves of Omar Khayyam,” romantic adventure tale of ancient Persia, co-starring Cornel Wilde, Michael Rennie, Debra Paget, Raymond Massey and Yma Sumac. Direction is by William Dieterle, with Frank Freeman, Jr. producing. “Gunfight at the OK Corral,” Hal Wallis production, being directed by John Sturges. Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas head an all-star cast which includes Rhonda Fleming, John Ireland and Jo Van Fleet. “Three Violent People,” formerly titled “The Maverick,” stars Charlton Heston and Anne Baxter, the co-starring team of “Ten Commandments,” in a post Civil War story. “Hollywood Or Bust,” another Hal Wallis production, starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, with Pat Crowley and Anita Ekberg. “The Lonely Man,” a significant western which co-stars Jack Palance, Anthony Perkins, and newcomer Elaine Aiken. “The Search for _ Bridey Murphy,” based on the sensational best seller, which just went into production last week, with Teresa Wright and Louis Hayward in the top roles. Four more important films are scheduled to start shooting this month. cea aN ea ne RE a