Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Dec 22, 1956)

Page scan 0004 from Canadian Moving Picture Digest

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest
Date:
Dec 22, 1956
Volume:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Dec 22, 1956)
Leaf #:
0004
Language:
English
Collection:
Hollywood Studio System, Global Cinema, Early Cinema, and Canada
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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DECEMBER 22, 1956 HIGHLIGHTS (Continued from Page 3) tion, with Benjamin Thau appointed studio administrator. Reports are that Sol. C. Siegel, independent producer whose “High Society” proved the biggest moneymaker from M-G-M this year, is being sought by Joseph Vogel and the Loew’s Board, to take over as V-P in charge of production. Death took a number of important Industry figures during the past year, most prominent being Jack Cohn, Executive Vice-President and co-founder of Columbia Pictures, who passed away just two weeks ago. With his brother Harry, the President of the company, handling production on the Coast, Jack Cohn had his headquarters in New York, and had charge of the sales and distribution end of the business. Founder of the Motion Picture Pioneers, Jack Cohn was one of the most important executives in the Motion Picture Industry, and his loss will be felt by the entire Industry. One newcomer who has made rapid strides in the Industry this past year, is Canadian financier Lou Chesler, who put up over $20,000,000 through a corporate shell company known as PRM, to buy the entire W-B film library for Television and theatrical distribution. Chesler also attempted to secure the M-G-M library, but the Loew’s Board failed to go along with the proposed deal. Through a subsidiary company, Associated Artists, headed by Elliot Hyman, Chesler is distributing the W-B reissues theatrically in the U.S., and is expected to open up a branch in Canada shortly. Two companies have surged ahead in the past year in remarkable fashion. United Artists, which just a few years ago was in virtual bankruptcy, has continued to progress under the inspired leadership of Robert Benjamin, Arthur Krim, William Heineman, Max Youngstein and Arnold Picker, and General Sales Manager Jim Velde. Six years ago, UA was losing $100,000 per week. This year the company will roll up a world gross of over $63,000,000, and a record profit. Since 1951, the gross sales of UA have gone from $18,000,000 to $63,000,000, and the goal for next year is $75,000,000. The other company that has made the biggest forward steps has been RKO, which under its new owners and management, has concentrated on production of new and important pictures for the exhibitors. Under the O’Neil-O’Shea direction, production chief William Dozier has completed enough new pictures to put several into distri CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST bution this year, and to guarantee delivery of 17 in the first six months of 1957. In addition to the pictures produced at the RKO studio, the company has acquired several important independent productions to add to the schedule. O’Neil and General Teleradio bought RKO from Howard Hughes just a little over a year ago, for $25,000,000, at a time when RKO was not only in the doldrums, but actually did not know where their next picture was coming from, or when. In the short period of time since the new group took over, RKO has bounced back with a vengeance, and once more is taking its place in the ranks of the major producer-distributors. In Canada, no major personnel changes have taken place either among the distributors, or the two leading theatre circuits, with the exception that John J. Fitzgibbons, President of Famous Players, who for a number of months was making his headquarters at the Paramount studios in California, is now back in Toronto permanently, having bought a new home here; and that Ron Leonard has replaced Jim Hardiman as Odeon’s Advertising and Publicity Director, Hardiman resigning to join National Theatres in Los Angeles. A number of changes have occurred in distribution at the Branch level, and these are recorded in the Industry Highlights of 1956, which follow. One independent distribution company, Alliance Films, which was headed by this writer, has quit the distribution field this year, turning over its pictures and its branches across Canada, to Astral Films. Cardinal Films, headed by Harry and Leslie Allen, whose sales were previously handled by the J. Arthur Rank Organization, has made a change in its set-up during the past few months, and now physical distribution only is handled by JARFD. During 1956, Morris Stein, Eastern Division Manager for Famous Players, succeeded Nat Taylor, as President of the Canadian Picture “seasons greetings from ASN’ *ASSOCIATED SCREEN NEWS 2000 Northcliffe Ave., Montreal Pioneers, and guided that organization to new successes, culminating in the Annual Dinner and Dance, at which the ‘Pioneer of the Year” Award was presented to Oscar R. Hanson. The Motion Picture Industry Council of Canada, at its annual meeting returned ail its executive officers, with R. W. Bolstad, VicePresident of Famous Players, again the Chairman. The Publicity Committee of the MPICC, under the Chairmanship of Charles S. Chaplin, sponsored the Academy Award Contest, or “Oscar Derby” as it was more popularly known, which proved to be an outstanding success, and will be repeated again this year, with Dick Main appointed special co-ordinator for the project. At the Variety Ciub Tent 28, Nat Taylor succeeded Dave Griesdorf as Chief Barker, while Dan Krendel moved up to the office of Ist Assistant Chief Barker, and J. J. Fitzgibbons, Jr., became 2nd Assistant Chief Barker. Chet Friedman, in his first year on the crew was appointed Property Master, with Al Troyer repeating as Dough Guy. And so another year has come and gone, and Movies ARE Better Than Ever. Pictures like “The Ten Commandments”, “War and Peace”, “Giant”, “Trapeze”, “The Eddy Duchin Story”, “The King and I”, “High Society”, “The Benny Goodman Story”, “The Conquerors”, “Picnic”, “Reach For The Sky”, and several others have proven that the really good pictures can make more money today, than ever before. The iine-up of product for the coming year from all the companies promises that 1957 will see a steadily increased patronage of our motion picture theatres from one end of Canada to the other. With this pleasant thought in mind, we at The Digest, extend to you and yours, our very best wishes for a Merry Christmas, and our hope and confidence of a Happy and Prosperous New Year. a) ee s PAGE FIVE JANUARY M-G-M release of Samuel Goldwyn’s “Guys and Dolls” smashes all records at Odeon houses across Canada . . . RKO Canadian District under Jack Labow wins Billings Drive, with five Canadian branches winning top honors . JACK LABOW Steve McManus named Odeon Ontario district manager; Wannie Tyers, Hamilton city supervisor... Joe Garfin resigns as Emp-Univ. Toronto branch manager; Perry Wright moved from Vancouver to Toronto, with Charlie Backus appointed new Van. manager .. . JARO star David Knight makes P.A.’s in Toronto and Montreal... Phil Stone appointed Programme Director CHUM .. .Col. John A. Cooper dies in Toronto .. . JARO and Odeon to sponsor “Miss Canada Contest” . . . Industry endorses Scott appointed Toronto branch “Oscar Derby” Contest . . . Frank manager JARFD; Reg Doddridge new Calgary branch manager .. . FRANK SCOTT Hon. C. L. Shuttleworth of Manitoba proposes one Western Canada Censor Board . . . Bob Gardner appointed assistant to Frank Fisher at Odeon ... Jack Labow announces RKO to spend $22,500,000 on 11 features ... B.C. Government reduces Amusement Tax from 15% to 10% . . . Mort Margolius and Jim Hardiman named co-chairmen Toronto Committee (Continued on Page 9)