Canadian Film Weekly (Nov 25, 1942)

Page scan 0004 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Nov 25, 1942
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Nov 25, 1942)
Leaf #:
0004
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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November 25th, 1942 Sunday Movies For Soldiers? “We are very anxious indeed to see all obstacles removed that stand in the way of moving picture shows being made available to troops on Sunday afternoons,” stated J. R. Johnston, executive secretary, Citizens Committee for Troops in Training, in a statement issued in Toronto last week. “We are, and have been, catering to the entertainment needs of some 50,000 men _ intraining centres in Military District No. 2 and Air Force Training Command No. 1, for the past three years, and in that time have had ample opportunity to observe the lack of suitable entertainment for troops both in training centres in Toronto, and from camps within 100 miles, here on leave on Sundays. “We have no wish whatever to compete with the churches’ Sunday morning and evening services but we do feel that moving picture entertainment could suitably fill the bill Sunday afternoons without interfering with the spirit of the Lord’s Day Observance Act,” continued Mr. Johnston. “We are at present presenting a series of Sunday afternoon concerts at the Art Gallery, but this only takes care of several hundred troops’ entertainment needs, while actually there are several Canadian FILM WEEKLY New Reviews CASABLANCA (Vitagraph) A truly terrific drama with title and story tied in with the times. It deals with the fight of the anti-Nazis and is played perfectly by some of the screen’s most appealing draws. Humphrey Bogart is the anti-Fascist gone sour after the Spanish debacle who gains a new realization through his love for Ingrid Bergman and returns to the fight. Paul Henreid is the anti-Fascist underground leader and Claude Rains a corrupt police chief. For the most part the story makes sound common sense. The production is superb and is in keeping with excellent and exciting dramatic developments. PALM BEACH STORY (Paramount) A very funny flight of Preston Sturges’ fancy. To get fancy, you could call it a satirical farce but it’s what we understand to be screwball comedy—and a very good brand. Claudette Colbert is the wife deserting husband Joel McCrea so she can hustle some smitten sucker into backing his airport design. Joel doesn’t want it that way and what happens as a result makes the whole show. Rudy Vallee, as a stuffed shirt—stuffed with greenbacks and a heart of gold—turns in a fine performance and Sig Arno, as a nutty gigolo, is immense. Mary Astor, playing a man-grabber, does well. All around it’s a very funny picture, made so by Sturges’ fine talents and his eye for unusual characters. MY HEART BELONGS TO DADDY (Paramount) This film straggles after its catchy title, never quite gaining. It’s the implausible story of a burlecutie who hides in the house of a beard-wearing professor and spontaneous combustion causes love. There’s a baby involved, child of the girl’s late hubby, which causes disputes and developments. Richard Carlson is the beavered prof and Martha O’Driscoll the girl. There’s a nice character job done by Cecil Kellaway. thousand troops in Toronto every |IGELAND (20th Century-Fox) Sunday who are away from their homes and their friends, and who, after strenuous training periods, really need, for purposes of change and relaxation, a good moving picture show. “The National executive of the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire whose membership, of course, includes thousands upon thousands of church members from coast to coast recently passed a resolution urging the dominion government to remove all obstacles to the men and women in uniform being allowed to see Sunday movies. “With winter here and outdoor sports and entertainment nil, the need for Sunday movies in downtown theatres is imperative,” he concluded. Letters for and against have been appearing in the daily press. 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Don Ameche is a South American playboy in the USA to float a loan for his rubber plantation. He rents the fancy apartment of the newly-impoverished Joan Bennett, picking up the idea that she’s the maid. She helps him get the loan. It’s quite amusing and is made that way by Billie Burke, Frank Craven and Alan Dinehart. THE CAT PEOPLE (RKO) A well-done and chilling horror story based on an old legend that jealous women, under certain circumtances, would be changed to cats and spread evil. The fear that she has inherited this curse makes Simone Simon a psychological problem. Jealousy provokes a grisly tragedy. Kent Smith is the suffering husband of the cat woman and Tom Conway plays the psychologist. THE BOOGIE MAN WILL GET YOU (Columbia) A screwy kibitz on horror films which is very funny. Boris Karloff leads the goings-on in an old inn peopled with nuts. Peter Lorre and Maxie Rosenbloom are in the game. Karloff is the professor trying to create another Frankenstein who knocks over anybody arriving at his door. This is right in the groove with the new trend for comedy-horror combination. FOREIGN AGENT (Monogram) Monogram was smart enough to move the Nazis right into the heart of Hollywood to get some new twists into the old routines. In this good melodrama, which also has two musical numbers, the spies are trying to get hold of a searchlight filter invented by a movie technician. John Shelton and Gale Storm are the leads. The best piece of work is done by old-timer Ivan Lebedeff as a Jap. A nice job all around. Page 5 eleasing © WeTinted’ Qo, Xo,. aR fi <e) os 8 Fan H. J. ALLEN, Pre ent A Picture For Every Week JUNGLE SIREN The No. 1 Gorgeous Girl. Bewitching! Exciting! Ann Coreo, Buster Crabbe x A YANK IN LIBYA A daredevil American and a beautiful English girl match their wits against an Arab uprising! 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