Canadian Film Weekly (Oct 7, 1942)

Page scan 0009 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Oct 7, 1942
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Oct 7, 1942)
Leaf #:
0009
Language:
English
Subjects:
Motion Pictures, Film Industry Trade Magazine",Canad
Collection:
Canada, Hollywood Studio System, and Global Cinema
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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Page 10 Movie Houses and | Fire Prevention The interesting article below is by W. L. Clairmont, the Dominion Commissioner, whose offices are in Ottawa: The movie theatre has been re cognized as one of the best media for getting messages across to the public. This fact has resulted in a flood of trailer films being shown in connection with every national campaign that has been launched in this country for the past several years, including the Fire Prevention trailer which has been released annually for a number of years. The theatre managers have shown unlimited patience in this regard and we, who depend so greatly on this form of publicity, are deeply appreciative of this annual co-operation on the part of the distributors' and theatre managers alike. This year however, our film publicity is taking another form. Instead of the trailer there will be a fire prevention newsclip in the newsreels which will be shown in Canadian theatres during the month of October. In this way, showings will not have to be limited to Fire Prevention Week only, October 4-10. The newsclip will probably run for three or four weeks and will no doubt go into every theatre in Canada. It is therefore anticipated that our message will reach millions of Canadian theatre goers. We are planning on producting at least two fire prevention newsclips a year and possibly three. In addition to the one currently appearing, we plan another one for the Spring Clean-Up Campaign. We would also like to run one at Christmas-time if possible. Theatre managers in Canada are keenly alive to the matter of preventing fires as evidenced by the ’ theatre fire loss record. A 5-year average shows 37 fires a year from all causes with an average property loss of slightly under $75,000. Considering the amount of values involved—somewhere in the neighborhood of $75,000,000 I believe— this is a very creditable record. To achieve this record, however, it has required persistent efforts on the part of men like Lieut.-Colonel J. A. Cooper of the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association, who this year was elected President of the Dominion Fire Prevention Association in recognition of the keen interest which he displayed in fire prevention over a long term of years. It is to be hoped that the cooperation of theatre managers in the miatter of fire prevention will continue during the succeeding years and that they may share in the credit for a reduced toll of life and property loss by fire. TS EE SSS SSS Canadian FILM WEEKLY 4 BEL OLE Kg Zz wr S98 By TAP KEYES Doug Fairbanks, Jr., was one of the first stars to enter the services. Since then little has been heard about him. But he hasn’t had it easy. Advices from London admit that he has sailed the sea in almost every kind of large war boat. . . . 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John Coote, on leave from the RCAF, has returned to active duty after working in “The Commandos Strike at Dawn.” He’s stationed at Calgary. He was directed by John Farrow, who served with the Canadian navy. Farrow will direct Alan Ladd’s next picture, “China.” a * * Anna Neagle and her director, Herbert Wilcox, who made “Wings and the Woman,” aren’t ready to make a film with a Canadian background, as reported. Canada has certainly won a more honest presentation lately than at any time in the past... Paramount has changed its mind about “Calgary Roundup” be cause the war made it tough to shoot. .. . Who do you think will play the léad in Noel Coward’s play, “The Astonished Heart’? Maria Manton, daughter of Marlene Dietrich. . . . Lew Lehr, the funny Movietone man, will be back after a long illness. He’s been missed, with his “Monkeys are the funniest people!” ue * * * You'll soon be hearing plenty of song-and-dancing. Hollywood, desiring to balance the large amount of war films, has 59 musicals scheduled. ... All-star films are on the way. Fox’s ‘Tales of Manhattan” has a raft of them and no less than 30 will appear in Paramount’s “Star-Spangled Rhythm.” Now “Stage Door Canteen” is on the way with Benny Goodman, Katherine Hepburn, Helen Hayes, Benny Goodman and anyone else you can think of. Leave it to that Hepburn to be different. She didn’t divorce her husband—he divorced her. And for desertion. ... A new game is on the way—‘Movie Quiz.” The screen presents the questions, you tear the answers out of a provided sheet and get war certificates and bonds. * % % x Did you know that children under 16, unaccompanied or not, are not allowed in Quebec theatres? The law was passed because of a tragic fire years ago. The government wouldn’t relax it for Walt Disney’s “Dumbo.” . .. Don’t think those stars have an easy time on their bond tours. Bette Davis is the fifth star to fall ill after the strenuous jaunt. . . . With cowboy stars headed for the army the cowgirl may come back. The early silents featured. some. Now one studio has signed trick rider Evelyn Finley. Westerns will be fewer, due to film rationing, but they’ll be bigger and better. Columbia has “The Desperadoes,” a Technicolor shooter. Sears Announces UA Lineup The leading figures in the field a series of twelve “World In Ac of independent motion picture production, will contribute sixteen full-length features, six Hopalong Cassidy Westerns and. eight streamlined comedies to the release schedule of United Artists Corporation during the 1942-43 film season, which will also include tion” shorts and a Bob Hope-Bing Crosby Golf short. In addition, ten other top-flight independent producers are now readying production plans for additional featurelength pictures, definite announcements of which will be made in the near future. October 7, 1942 | Revivals in New York Algiers — 1938 romantic drama; Boyer, Lamarr, Gurie. Angels Over Broadway—1940 satirical comedy-melodrama; T. Mitchell, D. Fairbanks, Jr., R. Haywortn. Arise My Love—1940 farce comedy; Colbert, R. Milland. sseachcomber—1938 drama of the Dutch East Indies; C. Laughton, i. Lanchester. Cat and the Canary—1939 comedymystery; B. Hope, P. Goddard. Cheers for Miss Bishop — 1941 biography of a school-teacher; M. Scott, W. Gargan. Clairvoyant—1935 melodrama; C. Rains, F. Wray. Devil and Miss Jones—1941 farce comedy; J. Arthur; C. Coburn. Divorce of Lady X—1938 technicolor comedy; L. Olivier & M. Oberon. Don Quixote—1933. Excellent musical with Chaliapin, G. Robey. Farewell to Arms—1932 revival of Hemingway’s famous story. H. Hayes & Cooper. Foreign Correspondent—1940 melodrama; J. McCrea, A. Basserman. General Died at Dawn—1936. Exciting melodrama in China; G. Cooper & M. Carroll. Ghost Breakers—1b+0 comedy; B. Hope, P. Goddard. Grand Illusion—1938 French war fim; Eng. subtitles; Eric von Stroheim, P. Fresnay, J. Gabin. His Girl Friday—1940 comedy; C. Grant, R. Russell. Holiday—1938 comedy; Hepburn and C. Grant. Housekeeper’s Daughter — 1939 farce comedy; A. Menjou, J. Bennett. Lady Eve—1941 comedy; Fonda & Stanwyck. Letter, The—1940 drama; B. Davis, H. Marshall, J. Stephenson. Long Voyage Home—1940 nautical drama from 4 O'Neill plays; T. wiitchell, I. Hunter, J. Wayne. Midnight—1939 comedy; Colbert, Ameche, J. barrymore. Mr. & Mrs. Smith — 1941 marital farce; C. wombard, R. Montgomery. Northwest Passage — 1940 techni color aaventure tale; S. Tracy, Robt. Young, W. prennan. Plainsman, The — 1937 historical drama; G. Cooper, J. Arthur. Scarface—1932 gangster melodrama; Paul Muni. Secret Agent-—-1936 spy melodrama; J. Gielgud & M. Carroll.