Canadian Film Weekly (May 20, 1942)

Page scan 0000 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
May 20, 1942
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (May 20, 1942)
Leaf #:
0000
Language:
English
Subjects:
Motion Pictures, Film Industry Trade Magazine",Canad
Collection:
Global Cinema, Canada, and Hollywood Studio System
Format:
periodicals
Contributor:
Media History Digital Library, Canadian Picture Pioneers, Paul Moore and Jessica Whitehead
Coordinator:
Media History Digital Library
Description:

Canadian Film Weekly

  • Editor: Hye Bossin (1942-64)
  • Renamed Canadian Film & TV Bi-Weekly (1965-69, editor: Stan Helleur)
  • Renamed Candian Film Weekly(1970, editor: Ed Hocura)

Canadian Film Weekly (1942-70) was edited by Hye Bossin and published by Film Publications of Canada, Ltd., wholly owned by leading exhibitor, Nat Taylor. In the late 1930s, Taylor was head of the Independent Theatre Association and his Toronto-based chain, Twinex-Century (Twentieth Century), was the largest independent circuit in the country. In 1941, however, he negotiated for chain affiliation with upstart Canadian Odeon before leveraging a better deal and greater booking control with nationally-dominant Famous Players Canada, Ltd. No longer independent, he took ownership of the Independent Theatre Association’s semi-monthly magazine, The Canadian Motion Picture Exhibitor (1940-41), installed Hye Bossin as editor, and laid plans to relaunch in January 1942 under a new name, Canadian Film Weekly. This enduring key publication was no longer solely focused on independent exhibitors but instead covered the entire industry on a national scale–exhibition, distribution and production–with some attention given to studio news from New York and Hollywood.

Bossin was a vibrant writer with a canny way with words, admired in the industry in the United States as well as Canada. He was one of a large family who lived above their father’s secondhand shop in the Jewish “ward” downtown in Toronto. His older brother was a bookie with ties to the underground; his younger brother was a famous journalist, protégé of Walter Winchell, and Hollywood screenwriter. In contrast, Hye spent nearly two decades learning the publishing trade in a printers’ shop before trying a stint as a Hollywood publicist, then writing a column for the Toronto Star Weekly before taking Taylor’s offer to edit the Film Weekly. Bossin was central to the creation of the Canadian Film Archive, the Canadian Film Awards, and he wrote some of the first histories of early cinema in Canada, published in the first volumes of the annual Canadian Film Weekly Year Book (1951-70).

In 1957, the Film Weekly had incorporated the rival Canadian Moving Picture Digest (1917-57), and began dating its start to that paper’s earlier start as the Canadian Universal Bulletin (1915-18). Subsequent variants of the Canadian Film Weekly and its yearbooks always claimed their roots all the way back to 1915 and the origins of the film industry trade press in Canada. After Bossin died in 1964, the Weekly’s new editor, Stan Helleur, renamed the magazine Canadian Film & TV Bi-Weekly, scaling back the pace of publishing but adding a purview for television and broadcasting. The annual was renamed similarly, its subtitle amended to “Year Book of the Canadian Entertainment Industry.” An attempted renewal to weekly format in 1970, edited by Ed Hocura, was short-lived and Nat Taylor decided instead to relaunch under an entirely new title, Canadian Film Digest (1971-77) and Canadian Film Digest Yearbook (1971-86).

– Paul Moore, March 2024

Further Reading

  • Bossin, Hye. “Canada and the Film: The Story of the Canadian Motion Picture Industry.” In Canadian Film Weekly Year Book of the Canadian Motion Picture Industry, 21-41. Toronto: Film Publications of Canada, 1951.
  • Moore, Paul. “Chronicling a National History: Hye Bossin’s Canadian Film Weekly and Year Book.” In Eric Hoyt and Kelley Conway, eds., Global Movie Magazines. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2024.

Date Added:
August 08, 2024
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VOICE of the CANAD 1AN MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY Vol. 8, No. 21 TORONTO, MAY 20th, 1942 $2.00 Per Annum War or No, Hollywood Spurts Board to Ban Midnight Shows ? Highly credible rumors are to the effect that the Theatre and Film section of the Wartime Prices and Trade Board intends to ban all midnight shows except those to be held on New Year’s Eve. The order, it is said, will come into effect on June ist. The reason advanced for the (Continued on Page 3) PRC Takes A Toehold Happiest film man in Canada right now is the veteran Harry Allen. The reason for his bubbling good nature these days is the news from the convention of Producers Releasing Corporation. Harry has the Canadian franchise. Allen took on the distribution (Continued on Page 2) Horne Succeeds Botsford at 20th Hal Horne has replaced A. M. Botsford as publicity and advertising director of 20th CenturyFox on a two-year deal. Botsford} will work with Tom Connors, 20th vice-president, as a special representative in distribution matters. Scholes Flies Too Fred Scholes, formerly manageroperator at the Queen’s, Hespeler, which is owned by Lionel Lester, has resigned to join the RCAF. Glazer Promoted The word has arrived that Flying Officer Al Glazer has been made a Flight Lieutenant. Al, son of Sam Glazer of Columbia and formerly busy in the film business, is stationed at the hottest spot of the war. It has had over 2,000 raids. INTERNATIONAL POOL OF WAR REEL FOOTAGE Plenty of Product Planned For Next Season’s Market The threat of restricted activity and restrictive taxa tion hasn’t as yet affected the plans of Hollywood studios to make the general ’42-’43 product bigger and more numerous than ever. Reports from the v Making Money During a Blackout Exhibitors are gnawed by dark fears when blackouts-tobe are announced. They black out the patronage as well as the lights. Morris Becker of the College Playhouse, Toronto, was joshing with the matinee idlers in front of the Film Exchange Building just before the blackout. He offered to turn over his evening’s receipts for $25. Harry Goldhar said, “It’s a deal!” Lou Rosefield checked on the Becker boxoffice that night and found that Goldhar had snagged a profit of $6.25. Becker said it was worth that much to keep his peace of mind intact. But Goldhar called the deal off and kicked back the profit. Film Boys Bash the Ball The baseball season is on with the film lads, though no league has as yet been organized. Benny Ulster’s Broadway Aces have already taken a beating from Al Perly’s Kenwood Premiums and are set to get even against the Regal Lions. The Lions have already taken an early-season lacing from Empire-Universal. RCAF Gets Wolfe Aaron Wolfe, manager of the Parliament, has bid bye-bye to the film business for the duration, He’s joined the RCAF. arious studios show that Holly ®wood is unworried about the effect of war economy on film production, although information during the recent past pointed to a curtailment for various reasons. The $5,000 per set limit hasn’t dimmed the outlook. But Hollywood, while awaiting the impact of greater restrictive measures from Washington and detrimental effects of priorities, is going right ahead to meet the increased demands of the continent’s boxoffices. J. R. Grainger, president and (Continued on Page 2) 3 Billy Rene Wolfe Cohen, vice-president ®. Bishop and Wolfe Cohen Famous Greets Anna Neagle ‘I cannot tell you how happy I was to receive the wire inviting me to appear in the film. This is my fifth trip to Canada and the welcome is always so warm that we look forward to coming.” These were the words of Amn Neagle, famous English screen star, at a luncheon in her honor given by Famous. Players last (Contunued on Page 3) © Zanuck in London Col. Darryl Zanuck, production chief of 20th-Fox, is in London working on ‘co-ordination of American and English army training films. eS of Vitagraph, Ltd. and general manager for Warner Bros. Pictures in Canada, has presented Air Marshall William A. Bishop, RCAF, with $5,000.00 and $1,000.00 cheques, respectively, for the RCAF and Benevolent Fund of the Air Cadet League of Canada. The ceremony was staged at the scene of a special League display in the downtown store of the T. Eaton Company, Toronto. The Motion Picture Academy has established a pool in Hollywood of all allied war reel footage. Ottawa, Washington and London are shipping authentic war shots for future use and reference. 2