Canadian Film Weekly (Jan 20, 1943)

Page scan 0005 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Jan 20, 1943
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Jan 20, 1943)
Leaf #:
0005
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 01, 2024
Something wrong or inaccurate about this page? Let us Know!

Thanks for helping us continually improve the quality of the Lantern search engine for all of our users! We have millions of scanned pages, so user reports are incredibly helpful for us to identify places where we can improve and update the metadata.

Please describe the issue below, and click "Submit" to send your comments to our team! If you'd prefer, you can also send us an email to mhdl@commarts.wisc.edu with your comments.




We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.

Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.

Page 6 Gin ‘asing _Vinuted Cre, Dear Reader: Every once in a while a picture is released which stirs the heart of the world. Just now an English picture, “In Which We Serve,” which is 2 tribute to the British Navy, is capturing the heart of the United States. The reception that “Wake Island” got in Canada is proof that patriotism today reflects the spirit of the United Nations and that it has no geographical limits. Each of the United Nations has great names which symbolize the valor of its nurses, soldiers and civilians. Dunkirk will forever occupy a hallowed place in English history, just as Stalingrad is the proof of Russia’s boundless courage and Dieppe gave the world an idea of the superb indifference to fear of the Canadian soldier. Each nation shares the others joys and tragedies. That is why the name ‘Corregidor’ has such universal appeal. Producers Releasing Corporation devoted arduous preparation and its finest talent to bringing this great American saga to the screen. I honestly feel that it has met its high responsibility well and that the film is a fitting tribute to the gallant nurses and soldiers wh made ‘Corregidor’ a highlight of United Nations history. I am proud to be able to offer this fine motion picture, which brings Elissa Landi back to the screen, to the exhibitor of Canada. Yours truly, Harry ALLEN Producers Releasing || Corporation LIMITED Executive Offices: 7 Victoria St., Toronto, 2, Ont. x SS Ss SSeS Canadian FILM WEEKLY Industry Responds | To Russ Aid Appeal Reports reaching the office of the general chairman of the Motion Picture Committee of the Canadian Aid to Russia Fund, Herb Allen of Toronto, indicate that the results of the Industry’ s effort will be one to make its members proud, and reveal the busy way iny which film men everywhere] gen, Ontario, has tied “Moscow in the Dominion have applied} strikes Back” in with the Rotary themselves to the raising of] Club campaign in that town, funds for aid to our fighting ally.| which opens on January 18th. On Not only have they put into prac-| January 26th D. J. Sandie of the tice the suggestions of the com-| Empire Theatre, Thessalon, On mittee but many have shown clever examples of individual en~-| featuring terprise in instilling in the public } a realization of the importance of contributing. Besides boosting the} private drive of the film field, they; have joined wholeheartedly in the civic and provincial campaigns. Though no quotas were set for any territory nor a fixed assessment applied, exhibitors and circuit, exchange and theatre employees of every rank have been liberal, each coming forward with a relatively substantial contribution. Quebec has been very active, the committee of exhibitors and exchange men consisting of E. Beaulac, W. Lester, B. A. Garson, W. Elman, H. Cass, H. F. Taylor, N. Lazanis and C. S. Chaplin, secretary. Certain theatres were allocated to individuals carrying out the collection procedure and those, acting are A. Hirsch, G. Ganatekos, E. Taba, A. Adelman, D. Berzan, I. Rosenbloom, E. Gautier, J. Deseve, EB. Beaulac, W. Lester, B. A. Garson, N. Lazanis and all exchange managers. The Maritimes is also providing an enthusiastic response. The Nova Scotia organizer of the film end of the drive is R. S. Roddick of Halifax, who was appointed by W. H. Cuzner, president of the Allied Exhibitors of Nova Scotia, which body is intensely active, its members sparking the particular campaign in each centre of population where thelr theatres are located. Roddick is also chairman of the Halifax municipal campaign for the public appeal. One of the finest efforts to swell Canadian Aid to Russia is being made by W. V. Cole of the Cole Theatres, located in Bellevue, Alta., Coleman, Alta., Blairmore, Alta., and Michel, B.C. Arrangements were made for the showing of “Moscow Strikes Back” for two days in each theatre at an ladmission price of $1.00. The money derived through this will not go to the Motion Picture Committee but to the general collection throughout the Crow’s Nest territory, which Mr. Cole be an ass lieves will set a proportionate record for the Dominion. M. Bailey of the Strand, Dry a benefit show, of the Russian tario, will run “Sweetheart Campus” and “Our Front.” In Winnipeg I. H. Allen, with the aid of local projectionists, is staging 16 mm. showings of Canada Carries Un and the World in Action series wherever possible, all services and prints being donated and complete proceeds going to the fund. This is an idea worth imitating everywhere. The Winnipeg Hungarian community shelled out $50 for a hall showing of the shorts; a special} Sunday show and show and dinner at the Windsor Theatre brought $103 to the fund. The running time was 40 minutes. Harry Atkins of Kirkland Lake made $165 for the fund through a Sunday show. Camp Borden Military Theatre, with a seating capacity of 6,000, was the scene on January i7th of the Canadian premiere of Paramount’s “Happy Go Lucky,” the profits being turned in to the Aid to Russia Fund. Paramount do January 20th, 1943 Archie Laurie Gets Silver Love and Xs The staff of Esquire Films got off a real smart one on the boss, Archie Laurie, during the festive season, the news of which just leaked out now. A really novel idea it was too, On Archie’s desk right now is a silver loving cup with the following inscription: SPECIAL AWARD FOR BEST BOSS OF 1942 to A. J. LAURIE A shield on the base carries the names of the staff members. nated the print and Mrs. Saso, Barrie, Ontario, exhibitor, waived her right to the run, the camp being in her zone. “Children in War,” the Russian short, is booked solid for the next four weeks, 50 prints being in circulation. The rentals for the showing of this one-reeler go directly to the Motion Picture Com Tea Scars | mittee. Esquire Films is distributdir 1etted: ; = 7 in it ££ ratis, another $700; and another special | 4 Ppractis Artkino passed up its share and Associated Screen News made the prints free. Rubber stamps on poster, theatre and exchange literature; newsreel clips, lobby displays, ad slugs and other means are being used by theatres to inspire the public to contribute. ivery last cent turned into the Motion Picture Fund of the Aid to Russia Fund goes to the general fund, expenses for the Industry drive being paid by the Motion Picture Pioneers War Services. Lorne Green, CBG announcer and narrator of National Film Board short subjects, recently won the Eastern Division award of the National Broadcasting Company in the Beside the H. B. Davis Memorial Announcer’s Award, Lorne got a certificate and a ring with a ruby stone, annual judging.