Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Dec 29, 1956)

Page scan 0002 from Canadian Moving Picture Digest

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest
Date:
Dec 29, 1956
Volume:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Dec 29, 1956)
Leaf #:
0002
Language:
English
Collection:
Global Cinema, Hollywood Studio System, Canada, and Early 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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DECEMBER 29, 1954 ~“pRICEST PAGE THREE Across Toronto Miss Beatrice Kuno was presented with a $250 award in the Movie Game contest at the Centre Theatre, Pembroke, by Manager Don Dickerson. Following this presentation, however, it was announced that the theatre, which is a unit of 20th Century Theatres, had discontinued the competition. e ® e Ross McLean, who quit in 1950 as commissioner of the National Film Board following the regime of John Grierson, paid a visit to Toronto after serving for some years with UNESCO in Paris. He said he was considering several propositions here. e ® e To stimulate pre-Christmas patronage and to capitalize on the Anniversary Celebration of Foto-Nite in Ottawa, the six combined independent theatres mailed out notices to many persons who had signed attendance cards for the contest, the coupons being good for one free admission prior to Dec. 22 when the user was accompanied by a paying adult. The theatres, which were offering more than $4,000 in cash and merchandise, comprise the Centre, Linden, Mayfair, Eastview, Francais and Somerset. : ® e ® With the sponsorship of the Ziona Chapter of Hadassah, the Vaughan Theatre, Toronto, opened an engagement of the Israeli feature ‘““Khamishia” Dec. 13. This was the B & F theatre which had a lengthy first-run of the previous picture from Israeli, “Hill 24 Doesn’t Answer’. e e ® Mayor Nathan Phillips of Toronto failed to secure the withdrawal of the film “Untamed Mistress” from the Casino Theatre because the municipality had no jurisdiction in the matter, the picture having been approved, with deletions, by the Ontario Censor Board. Not only did the engagement continue but the feature was also rushed into the Hollywood Theatre as a result of the unusual publicity. e e e Manager Vic Nowe of the downtown Odeon Theatre in Toronto again featured his lobby stunt for children in hospitals and orphanages at the holiday season. A huge Yule tree was placed near the entrance to theatre and patrons were invited to place toys and gifts at its base which were to be distributed under the personal direction of Nowe. « e s Manager Bill Trudell of the Capitol Theatre, London, put impetus into the advance sale of books of admission tickets as holiday gifts by recommending to parents and teenagers that purchase of booklets would facilitate patronage for two appropriate attractions, “Hollywood or Bust”, scheduled to start Christmas Day, and ‘Love Me Tender’, which would open New Year’s Day. ; e ® e The E. B. Eddy Company in Hull, Que., held its annual Christmas Party for 1,500 children of employees at the Capitol Theatre in Ottawa which, of course, is on the Ontario side. The Quebec provincial government bans the admission of children 16 years and under to moving picture theatres in that province, with occasional exceptions such as for the production, “The Ten Commandments”. ® e e Ken Davies, manager of the Odeon Theatre, London, staged a gift-toy performance for underprivileged children in connection with the Movie Club Show last Saturday morning, a special stage attraction for the occasion being a demonstration of the London Lions Majorettes, in addition to screen fare and prize contests. Maritimes Norman Rea, Theatre Confections Ltd., Montreal, spent several days recently in this territory. the Country Norman Simpson, new Paramount Films’ Branch Manager in Saint John, N.B., is the third local Branch Manager to hail from the City of Winnipeg. The others are Mr. Lou Simon and Mr. Mickey Komar. e s e Friends about the Maritimes will sympathize deeply with Mr. Willard Boudreau, long-time Manager of the F. G. Spencer Company Limited interests in Dalhousie, N.B., in the death of his wife. Mrs. Boudreau passed away recently after an illness of only two days. Winnipeg Charlie Krupp, Associated Theatres, left recently for a threeweek visit to Houston, Texas, where he will visit his sister and her family. e . e On Sunday, Dec. 9th, the Paragon Theatre, Melville, Sask., and the Kinsmen Group combined to hold the “Kinsmen’s Big Christmas Stocking Show.” The special feature shown was “The Pickwick Papers.’’ On Tuesday, Dec. 11th, the Paragon presented another in their series of “live” entertainment, when the world famous “Four Knights” appeared on their stage. Melville was the only point in Saskatchewan where the quartette appeared. The newspaper ad stated “if you desire — you may pick up your tickets now and pay for them after the pay-day following the performance.” There was also a tie-in with the local Music Store. e e e Recent visitors to Film Row included D. Girouard, Somerset, Man., Dr. Potoski and J. Kowbel, Melville, Sask. J se e L. Keiffer, Dominion Sound engineer, has been transferred to the Regina Branch. e s e The Windsor Theatre, St. Vital, is now open only three days a week, e e e The Memorial Theatre, Raymore, Sask. closes Dec. 31st, and as yet it is not known whether this theatre will re-open in the summer or stay closed permanently. e e e The Lux Theatre, Humboldt, Sask. will close for a two week period — Dec. 3lst, 1956 to Jan. 14, 1957. Vaneouver Ted Bielby, former manager of the Alma (F-P) Theatre, and Harvey Levine, shipper at IFD returned from a Honolulu holiday. While Bielby was away, the circuit decided to close the house due to lack of business. After being dark for a year, it was reopened a few weeks ago, but now looks as if it will be sold for real estate. e s e The one-man booth plan of the circuits is now in effect, with seven veteran operators retiring on pensions paid by the union and the circuits. With the one-man operation reducing jobs, many projectionists are going into other businesses. e e ° The Theatre Employees Union members are reported as still unhappy with their executives, and are calling for a new election of officers, through the IATSE in New York. e e e Pat Johnson, who resigned from the Orpheum and went to Fairbanks, Alaska, to work in a supper club, is back at work as cashier at the Orpheum. e e e One hundred and seventy theatre folks and their friends attended the theatre trade ball and dinner, held at the Forbidden City Supper Club in Chinatown recently. LL THE CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST, Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post Office Department, Ottawa. Jay L. Smith, Editor-in-Chief; Correspondents: Bruce Peacock, Regina; Libby Bookhalter, Winnipeg; Jack Droy, Vancouver; Will McLaughlin, Ottawa; Bill Press, Toronto; Helen Crawley, St, John. Address all mail to Publisher, Canadian Moving Picture Digest Company. Ltd., 501 Yonge St., Toronto. Telephone: WAinut 1-4352. Cable: Raydigest. Est. 1915. Publication weekly. Subscription: $5.00 yearly.