Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Jul 28, 1956)

Page scan 0000 from Canadian Moving Picture Digest

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest
Date:
Jul 28, 1956
Volume:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Jul 28, 1956)
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 30, 2024
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cin el JAY L. SMITH EDITOR AND PUBLISHER VOL. 48, NO. 31 ‘Peg Ozoner’s Free Admiss By JAY L. SMITH beam The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, in its annual report released last week, revealed that it wound up the year ending March 31, 1956, with a deficit of $1,358,621 for its combined radio and television operations, as against a profit of $4,267,668 the previous year. Breakdown of the figures contained in the annual report shows that in the television field, the CBC operating expenditures for Canada’s two-language, publicly-owned television system rose to $25,274,260 compared with $15,915,901. Commercial television revenues continued to rise, increasing to $7,403,438 from $4,157,325 in 1954-55, but income from the tax on the sales of sets and parts rose by only $778,026 to $17,737,991. These two sources made up the bulk of the total operating revenue of $25,362,088. Thus the TV service finished the year with a profit of $1,071,791 after allowing for depreciation. in 1954-55, profit on the TV service was $4,479,421. In the radio broadcasting field, advertising revenues continued to decline almost entirely offsetting an unexpected increase in revenue from the tax on sales of radio sets and parts. The CBC ended the year with a deficit of $286,830 on its sound service after providing for depreciation. This was about $75,000 greater than the 1954-55 deficit in radio. The report estimates that more than 2,000,000 homes are equipped with TV receivers in Canada, and that television service has been brought within reach of 80 per cent of the population. There are six CBC and 22 privately-owned (Continued on Page 4) FIRST WITH THE FILM NEWS IN CANAD ecea Published by CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST COMPANY LIMITED Daily Papers Play Up Charges Of Monopolistic Film Tactics (Special to The Digest from our Winnipeg Correspondent) Winnipeg: Space on the front page of local dailies for movie houses is a rarity, but the Circus Drive-In, Kirkfield Park, St. James, Man., has been really breaking into print. A short time ago it was reported that the Fred Leavens New Regional Supervisor Toronto: Fred C. Leavens, former manager of the Circle Theatre, Toronto, and at the Elmdale, Ottawa, for the past five years, moves into Odeon headquarters at 20 Carlton Street, Sept. 1, to become supervisor of Regional Theatres (See LEAVENS Page 4) Circus Drive-In was admitting patrons free of charge, and one wondered how long it would last. Local dailies investigated and found that Harold Diamond, manager of the independently-owned dirve-in intends to go on showing free movies indefinitely, and-he is protesting against what he calls, “monopolistic” theatre tactics in Greater Winnipeg. (See “’PEG DRIVE-IN” Page 5) RKO Featuring ‘‘Dan O’Shea Sales Drive’, Aug. 31-Dec. 20 Toronto: Jack Labow, Canadian District Manager for RKO, on the eve of departure for a series of meetings with branch managers and salesmen across Canada, pledged the whole-hearted support of the Canadian district, and its six branches, to the “Dan O’Shea Drive,” announced last week by Walter Branson, RKO’s Vice-President in Charge of World-Wide Distribution. “Canada was right up at the top of the list in RKO’s last sales drive,” said Labow, “and you can be sure we will all be in there pitching to make an even better showing for the new RKO.” In announcing the sales drive, which will run for 16 weeks be (See RKO DRIVE Page 4) More Tax Relief Owen Sound: The four theatres at Owen Sound are the second group in Ontario to secure a tax concession from a municipality, the result of a campaign by the Centre, Roxy, Classic and Savoy. The successful result brought a reduction in the local seat tax from 25c to 10c per year. Previously the four theatres at Oshawa secured a substantial reduction in the city’s annual license fee. Veteran F-P Ottawa Operator Passes Ottawa: Funeral services for William Herbert (Bill) Hartnett, who died after a long illness, were attended by theatre managers and representatives of the IATSE and Moving Picture Operators’ Union, of which he was business manager (See VETERAN Page 3) RAY LEWis FOUNDER 1915-1954 JULY 28, 1956 ton Jag J ; » CONT; RMAC Dydzak-Union Battle Still Going Strong Toronto: Continued struggle between Joseph Dydzak, a_ wellknown drive-in theatre operator, and the Projectionists’ Union, over non-union booth help in the driveins at Windsor and Hamilton, continued this week, with more peaceful picketing than last week, when virtual riots occurred at the Windsor and Clappison Drive-Ins. At Hamilton, the union distributed passes in front of the Hamilton and Clappison Drive-Ins, the passes good for a free admission to A. I. (See BATTLE Page 4) Kalmenson Announces Roy Haines New W-B General Sales Manager New York: Roy Haines has been appointed General Sales Manager of Warner Bros. Pictures,Inc., it was announced last week by Benjamin Kalmenson, Executive Vice-President. Division Sales Manager, succeeds Benjamin Kalmenson as the film company sales head. Haines is a seasoned veteran in: motion picture distribution, with sales experience throughout the United States and Canada. Starting: (See HAINES Page 4) Mr. Haines, formerly Western Tax Drops $14,000 Regina: Amusement tax figures point up the decline in Regina’s movie attendance. For the first six months, the total was $46,421, a drop of $60,049 from the same time last year.