Canadian Film Weekly (Jul 22, 1942)

Page scan 0000 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Jul 22, 1942
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Jul 22, 1942)
Leaf #:
0000
Language:
English
Subjects:
Motion Pictures, Film Industry Trade Magazine",Canad
Collection:
Hollywood Studio System, Global Cinema, and Canada
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 ¥; aa ye > ew cy CANADIAN MOTION PICTURE Vol. 8, No. 30 TORONTO, JULY 22nd, 1942 eee Say Board to Freeze All Runs Report Worries Exhibs Stuck with Unproduetive Product According to reports heard in the haunts of film men, several important rulings dealing with the distribution of pictures are about to be issued by Ottawa on the recommendation of R. C. McMullen, director of the Theatre and Prices Cut in North Bay, Ont. Theatres in North Bay, Ontario, have cut their prices for the summer months, though this action is in no way part of a general agreement as to tariff policy by the circuits in control of the three houses. The slicing of admission fees now affects the Royal, a 20th Century theatre; the Capitol, a Famous Players house; and the (Continued on Page 3) Hollywood s Huge ‘42-43 Schedule The predicted cut in Hollywood production doesn’t mean a thing for 1943 if the schedule of films in work and planned meets no future snags. An add-up of activities at leading studios shows that there are 350 features planned or in production. Universal Pictures heads the big name list with its 55-feature (Continued on Page 2) Fox USA-Canada Up More Than One-Third Twentieth Century-Fox hit an all-time record on Canadian and American business for the first 26 weeks of this year. Business shot up 38 per cent over the same period last year. The first 13 weeks were up 34 per cent and the next 13 reached 43 per cent. New contracts of the company indicate that the upsurge will continue. Garfield USAir Star John Garfield has been cast by Warner Bros. as one of the stars f ‘‘Air Force,” the epic film that will show what American flying men are doing in World War II. This will be Garfield’s first picture for Warners since “Dangerously They Live.” HAMILTON, ONT. BEATS OFF 12.05s BAN It Didn't Mean A Thing... George Giroux, field man for Technicolor, spent some time joshing with the boys On the Square last week. George is on his semi-annual loop of the continent and the boys are always glad to see him, knowing that he brings news of people and things in far Film section of the Wartime Prices and Trade Board. One of these, supposed to deal with the freezing of runs, has caused considerable commotion among small operators. This ruling, it is said, will freeze all runs, down to the smallest exhibitor and the most minor product, with no changes allowed in any way. It will apply to 1941-42 product, avoiding the usual basic period of September 15th to Octo (Continued on Page 2) British Lead in War Help Shorts Though the USA is now in the midst of working on war shorts and at the same time planning a great program, British and Canadian studios have built up a tremendous backlog of instructional and inspirational films. In spite of the regular bombing, British (Continued on Page 3) Shine, Mister? Washington’s salvage minded workers have taken to swiping the rubber seat softeners on office chairs. A mass raid by them the other day netted hundreds. off places. He used to sell films years ago and he told about the exhibitor who suddenly began to bombard the distributor with wires, etc., claiming that his print hadn't arrived. The distrib investigated and wired back that his schedule for that date was marked plainly with ‘Nothing Available.” The exhibitor got on the phone then and took up the cry again. ‘Where is my print of ‘Nothing Available’ ?” he demanded. “I’ve got it advertised all over town. Even my marquee is ready and it reads: ‘Nothing Available’— with an all-star cast! You better ship the print right away or I'll sue your head off!” Barnes Gets Hespeler Pete Barnes has acquired the Queen’s Theatre, Hespeler, Ontario, from Lionel Lester. Barnes also owns the Brock, Niagara-on-theLake, and the Rex, London. Lester reopened the Hespeler house last year after it had been closed for quite some time. Before Justice McFarland at Osgoode Hall, Toronto, Hamilton, Ont., city solicitor, agreed not to enforce the recent police commission ban on EXHIB midnight shows until the fall. Gregory is Churchman Sees Film A tribute bo ove sopeTices ri Peers ae eas he meilary i 4.8. PREESTLEY MAIO HOOB BK SHARLIG GARNER When His Eminence Most Reverend Metropolitan Benjamin, head of the Russian Orthodox Church in North and South America, visited Toronto on his speaking tour in behalf of Russian aid he stopped off at the 20th Century-Fox screening room to see “Our Russian Allies,” an Esquire release. He is here shown with Miss Emily Barrett of Fox. As a good-will gesture Sam Glasier, Fox adsales chief, arranged the picture. [SR EL, So dl ee cae on July 17th, A. L. Polson, the appeal of Leslie Gregory, Hamilton exhibitor, comes up again in contesting the commission’s jurisdiction.