Canadian Moving Picture Digest (Jan 5, 1957)

Page scan 0003 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 #:
0003
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 23, 2024
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PAGE FOUR On the Geam On th from Page 1) JAMES DEAN (“Giant”—WB) ARTHUR O’CONNELL (“Picnic”—Col.) ROD STEIGER (“Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell’”—WB) Best Performances by SUPPORTING ACTRESSES ROSALIND RUSSELL (“Picnic” —Col.) CELESTE HOLM (“High Society’—MGM EILEEN HECKART (“The Bad ~ Seed’”—WB) JO VAN FLEET (“Til Cry Tomorrow’ —MGM) SUSAN STRASBERG (“Picnic” —Col.) Best Performances by JUVENILE ACTORS: RICHARD EYER (“Friendly Persuasion—AA) SAL MINEO (“Somebody Up There Likes Me”>—MGM) REX THOMPSON (“The Eddy Duchin Story”—Col.) ANDRES VELASQUES Littlest Outlaw”—Disney) SAL MINEO (“Crime in_ the Streets” —AA) Best Performances by JUVENILE ACTRESSES: PATTY McCORMACK Bad Seed”—WB) SUSAN STRASBERG —Col.) NATALIE WOOD (‘The Searchers’—WB) BETTY LOU KEIM (‘“Teen-Age Rebel” —20th-Fox) CARROLL BAKER (“Giant” — WB) Year’s Outstanding Directors: GEORGE STEVENS (“Giant”— WB) JOHN HUSTON (“Moby Dick”— WB) WILLIAM WYLER Persuasion” —WB) KING VIDOR (“War and Peace” —Para.) CECIL B. DeMILLE (“The Ten Commandments”—Para.) Best Photographed Pictures: “WAR AND PEACE” (Para. — Jack Cardiff) “THE KING AND I” (20th-Fox —Leon Shamroy) “MOBY DICK” (WB — Oswald Morris) “PICNIC” (Col. — James Wong Howe) “THE TEN COMMANDMENTS” (Para.—Loyal Griggs) Best Screenplays of the ‘Year: “GIANT” (WB — Fred Guiol and Ivan Moffat) “WAR AND PEACE” (Para. — Bridget Boland, Robert Westerby, King Vidor, Mario Camerini, Ennio De Concini and Ivo Perilli) (“The (“The (“Picnic” (“Friendly Tivoli, Saskatoon Hosts Old Folks Saskatoon: 200 old-age pensioners were given a special Christmas treat a couple of days before Christmas by the Odeon-Tivoli Theatre, Saskatoon. The Tivoli and the restaurant across the street got together this Christmas and really gave many pensioners of Saskatoon a night to remember. Each pensioner was the guest of the restaurant for a full course dinner, and they then were escorted over to the Tivoli, as Honored Guests, where they enjoyed a topnotch movie. The Star Phoenix newspaper gave a very nice write-up along with pictures and the radio station carried a 15-minute tape recording of the pensioners enjoying themselves. Net result—a foundation for a bigger program next Christmas and most of all a lot of happy old folks! “FRIENDLY PERSUASION” (AA—screenplay credit is in dispute) “MOBY DICK” (WB—Ray Bradbury and John Huston) “TEA AND SYMPATHY” (MGM — Aeneas MacKenzie, Jack Garisse, Jesse Lasky, Jr., and Frederic M. Frank) “THE TEN COMMANDMENTS” “Para.—Robert Anderson) “Finds of the Year”: ANTHONY PERKINS (‘Friendly Persuasion” —AA) DON MURRAY (“Bus Stop” — 20th-Fox) PAUL NEWMAN (“Somebody Up There Likes Me”’—MGM) CARROLL BAKER (“Giant” — WB) SUSAN STRASBERG (“Picnic’— Col.) Deborah Kerr came in for two citations for her performances in both “Tea and Sympathy” and “The King and I’. Young Susan Strasberg hit the jackpot with three citations, all for “Picnic”, but in three different categories, Supporting Actress, Juvenile Actress, and Find of the Year. Sal Mineo scored twice for “Somebody Up There Likes Me” and “Crime In The Streets”, as did Anthony Perkins, both for “Friendly Persuasion”, and Carroll Baker, with both of her’s for “Giant”. By picture, “War and Peace”, “Giant”, “Picnic” and “Friendly Persuasion” all tied with five citations each, with “The Ten Commandments” next with four. Several films received three citations, and a number more were good for two votes, “piercer STAR CONTEST (Continued from Page 1) Contest, which also gets underway shortly. In 1956, the Toronto Telegram acted as co-sponsor in the Toronto area of the Oscar Contest, and that paper is again participating in the 1957 renewal. The Toronto Star, rival evening newspaper, recognizing the value of movies for reader interest, decided to jump the gun with their own contest, and this Movie Popularity Poll is the result. The Star Weekly is devoting space worth well over $10,000 to the Contest, in addition to spending additional thousands in mailing pieces and other publicity, An oversize one-sheet, in color, has been mailed out to all participating theatres across Canada, and letters have gone out to every theatre in the Dominion of Canada advising them of the Contest, and inviting their participation. To start the ball rolling, the December 29th issue of the Star Weekly carried a three-page story by Jack Karr, giving brief resumes of the outstanding pictures released during 1956. Additional stories will appear in the issues of January Sth and January 12th. The leading circuits and independent theatres across Canada will contribute the 200 double passes. There will be 66 prize winners in Ontario, 58 in Quebec, 17 in British Columbia, 14 in Alberta, 12 in Saskatchewan, 11 in Manitoba, 8 in Nova Scotia, 7 in New Brunswick, 5 in Newfoundland, and 2 in Prince Edward Island. It is hoped that as many theatres in Canada as possible will co-operate in promoting the Star Weekly Popularity Poll. As in the case of the Oscar Contest, the publicity and general interest in movies aroused by the Star Weekly Movie Popularity Poll, can only reflect favorably at the box-office for those exhibitors smart enough to take advantage of it. “Thieves’ Market” Hollywood: Academy Awardwinning director William Wyler has joined forces with screen star Gregory Peck and will direct “Thieves Market” as a joint venture with Melville Productions, Inc., with release through United Artists. Wyler and Peck will co-produce the mystery romance set against the background of modern Spain. and plan to start production in Madrid, March 15th. The new partnership reunites the noted director and star for the first time since their successful teaming on “Roman Holiday.” JANUARY 5, 1957 CANADIAN STAR (Continued from Page 1) and of British films. Herbert Marshall previously was announced for another stellar role. As an indication of RKO’s enthusiasm for the 27-year-old actor, who has been described as a younger Laurence Olivier, Plummer will be given special introductory attention and billing in “Stage Struck.” He recently co-starred with Claude Rains and Wendell Corey in “Night of the Auk” on Broadway. Plummer previously attracted attention for his portrayal opposite Julie Harris in “The Lark.” A native of Canada, where he was the first Canadian to head the company of the Stratford Shakespearean Festival of that country when he appeared in the title role of “Henry V” last summer, Plummer also has appeared with such footlight favorites as Katharine Cornell and Judith Anderson. In “Stage Struck,” he will portray a successful playwright. With Stuart Millar producing and Sidney Lumet directing from a screenplay by Ruth and Augustus Goetz, “Stage Struck” will be filmed in color in New York, starting January 14. Actual Broadway theatres and familiar locales in Manhattan’s famed theatrical district will provide authentic backgrounds for this, the first of RKO’s major projects for 1957. Martin-Lewis Film Hollywood: “Sad Sack” will be the title of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis’ next comedy for Hal Wallis. To be one of Paramount’s top films, it is scheduled to start before the VistaVision cameras in March. 35 MM SIMPLEX SOUND PROJECTOR ONLY $425.00 35 MM HOLMES SOUND PROJECTOR $325.00 Each complete. Excellent Condition. Write International Firearms Co. Ltd. 1011 Bleury, Montreal, Que.