Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Jan 5, 1957)

Page scan 0002 from Canadian Moving Picture Digest

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest
Date:
Jan 5, 1957
Volume:
Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Jan 5, 1957)
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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JANUARY 5, 1957 Across Toronto H. C. D. “Dick” Main, secretary-treasurer of the Motion Picture Industry Council of Canada and of the National Committee Motion Picture Exhibitors Associations, has been re-elected a member of the town council of Sutton, Ont., where he owns the Simcoe Theatre. The Barkers of Toronto Variety Tent No. 28 have turned to the alley game (bowling) as an escapist pastime, a league having been organized to start early in the New Year under the chairmanship of Joe Bermack. e e . The late H. A. Friedman of Edmonton, an associate of Odeon Theatres (Canada) Limited who died some weeks ago in Ontario, left an estate valued at $2,661,860, the beneficiaries being his widow, now of Burlington, Ont., and two daughters in New York City. Although he had been a lawyer for 33 years, he left no will. He was president of Odeon (Midwestern) Theatres Limited, Edmonton, and had other business interests. ® e e Clyde Gilmour, Toronto film critic, picked the following 10 best features of the year: “Richard III’, “The King and I’, “Around the World in 80 Days’ ,““Private’s Progress’, “The Man Who Never Was”, ‘The Killing”, “The Solid Gold Cadillac’, “The Ladykillers”, “The Prisoner” and “The Court Jester”, in that order. He named Sir Laurence Olivier as best actor and Deborah Kerr (“The King and I’’) as best actress of 1956. e e e A special inducement for the attendance of juveniles at Saturday morning shows has been put into effect by W. L. Parrent, manager of the O’Brien Theatre, Pembroke. He has organized a “1-2-3Go Club” so that those who take in three performances in a row will get a pass for the fourth Saturday matinee. At the College Theatre, Brantford, all juveniles who paid for admission any night of one week received a ticket for the following Saturday matinee. Winnipeg “Get Well Quick” wishes to Max Heppner, of the Colonial, Winnipeg, who has been in the General Hospital for the past ten days. Lyon Heppner, of Montreal, has arrived in Winnipeg to spen a few days with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Max Heppner. ° e ° With Winnipeg stores now open every Friday evening until nine o’clock, downtown theatres advertise in larger type than usual “free parcel checking”. se e e Norm Simpson, who recently became Branch Manager of Paramount Films, St. John, is spending the holidays with friends and relatives in Winnipeg. e ® e The Vogue Theatre, St. Vital, has gone to one program a week. s e e The Capitol and Metropolitan Theatres sold tickets well in advance for their New Year’s Eve mid-night shows. e e ® The Gaiety Theatre, Winnipeg, held Walt Disney’s “Secrets of Life” a second week. ° e e The movie page has practically been taken over by the Capitol Theatre advertising “The Girl Can’t Help It” and the Metropolitan Theatre advertising “Hollywood Or Bust”. For their holiday offering the Odeon had “Battle Of River Plate”” while the Garrick billed “Everything But The Truth”. The Grand Theatre played a triple— “The Man From Laramie, “The Black Knight” and “Outlaw Stallion”. ~“RIGEST PAGE THREE “Country Andrew Ostrander, manager of the Uptown Theatre, Winnipeg, has been installed as Master of Winnipeg’s unique Masonic Lodge — the Tuscon Lodge. The Tuscon Lodge, comprised mainly of members of the entertainment industry, is the only lodge in Canada which meets in the morning instead of the evening. e e * There appears to be a scramble between three well known theatre operators for approval of an application to build a theatre in International Nickel’s new mining development at Moak Lake, in Manitoba. * * e D. Girouard, of the Lorne, Central Theatre, Somerset, Man., is now renting the theatre at Glenboro, Man., and is operating both theatres. se e e Theatre Poster Services (Midwest) Ltd. reports excellent results from the kiddies matinee coin promotion, which has now been operating for approximately 14 weeks in eleven Odeon Theatres in B.C. territory. The success of the promotion is based on the beautiful three color world map coin folder, on which the various genuine foreign coins are mounted. e es e Definite plans have been made for a Drive-In to be built in Steinbach, Man. Mr. E. G. Mallard, owner of the theatre at Steinbach, has moved his operation thirty miles away to St. Annes. e se e Meadow Lake, Sask., situation has now resolved itself to a one theatre operation by Sam Karby of Regina, as W. Zaparaniuk’s operation of the Mid-Way ends Dec. 3lst, 1956. Mr. Karby will take over the Mid Way Theatre building, which will be rented out for purposes other than the showing of movies. Vaneouver Officers elected for 1957 by the B.C. Projectionists Union included A. E. “Mac” McManus, President; Bill Graham, Vice-President; Les Walker, Business Agent; Frank Smith, Treasurer; Don Foli, Secretary, and Gordon Sutherland, Member-At-Large. All are from Vancouver except Bill Graham, who hails from New Westminster. ; * e e The father of Lou Segal, IFD manager, died here recently at the age of 72. Bert Ellis, 69, doorman of the Odeon-Paradise, died after a two years illness. C. Heaven, father-in-law of Dave Borland, Dominion Theatre manager, passed away in his 83rd year. & e e The majority of the film exchange staffs held a combined Christmas party at a downtown club, but, as per usual, JARFD, under Jack Reid, manager, still held the best party on film row. Paradise, Strand, and Trans-Canada Films, also had fun at their staff parties. 2 e e Christmas visitors helped to keep the theatres busy, with the crop of new films, and the real mild weather, also helping considerably. “Battle of the River Plate’, “Hollywood or Bust” and “Teenage Rebel” all are doing smash business, and exhibitors here are only hoping it will continue. s e e Lou Karp, head of the booking dept. at F-P district office, was in St. Vincent Hospital over the holidays, suffering from a slipped disc. Norma Smith, Orpheum secretary, spent Christmas in Calgary with her family, and Natalie Miller, head usherette at the same theatre, holidayed in Victoria. Mickey Isman, Eastern district manager for Empire-Universal, stopped off in Vancouver on his way back from a Hollywood sales meeting, to visit his family here. aS Ln ee ee ee 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: WAlInut 1-4352. Cable: Raydigest. Est. 1915. Publication weekly. Subscription: $5.90 yearly.