Canadian Film Weekly (Feb 3, 1943)

Page scan 0006 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Feb 3, 1943
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Feb 3, 1943)
Leaf #:
0006
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 01, 2024
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we February 3rd, 1943 Movie Publicity Doing a Fade (Continued from Page 1) trimming the format and reduc-} ing the number of pages, have cut | down motion picture theatre pant ers and Hollywood news. The dropping of a number of American | movie magazines from publication is something to think about, considering the millions who rely on fan mags and picture news as their major reading interest. Curiosity about pictures built up by the highly-geared press departments of the studios and the theatre chains has long been considered of great importance to patronage. It may be that the exploiters will have to use neglected avenues or open new ones to make up the missing propaganda. Since there few published in Canada, American periodicals which had Canadian circulation affects the Dominion situation. Fawcett Publications, for instance, just dropped 36 of its periodicals from the active list, some movie, others radio, and most using movie text and art. Other companies have cut down the titles being marketed. are fan mags the loss of America’s among them leading magazines, Time, Life, Look, Saturday Evening Post, McCall's and Red Book, will cut down on circulation. All of them are : | | } | users of motion picture material. Studios are looking for equivalent means of keeping alive public curiosity in coming pictures—and looking hard. United Nations Week USA motion picture theatres are expected to yield $2,500,000 to the United Nations Week being | carried on there. The theatres are collecting and staging special pre“Hitler's views of Children” for the fund. “New Super GARDINER Projector” With Barrel rear shutter Has no equal for fine projection and long life. | As low as $9.00 weekly GET OUR PRICES AND YOU WILL SURELY BUY FROM US “YOU CAN GUESS THE REASON” HAVE 20). OR MORE OF YOUR MONEY ‘eed, THis BESTE 2S SCURC; PRODECYCRS AKL COMDLEVE 1 HieAIRE SUNULES AVECIAL SYS POR-2 © YEARS One Hie DOMINION THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO ue? OAWIE ST wancouwte EC Stickup Canadian FILM WEEKLY Se ie) >) When Gilbert Roland graduated as an Air Corps officer, along with William Holden, Eric Rhodes and Bryant Washburn, Jr., and several hundred more, it was Gil’s wife, Constance Bennett, who pinned the gold stars on his collar, along. with the others During a fire in a movie theatre in Huntington, West Virginia the audience, which watching a Western, get out. So interested were they in seeing how it came out that they had to be pushed to safety In England last year 7,000,000 people saw films through mobile units, or wagon shows, as they are known to the trade. Canada has an ever-expanding program along the same lines... . Jinx Falkenberg flew to London to entertain the troops and marry one of them, Tex McCrary was tense refused to . * . . One of the biggest laughs in the Columbia picture, “Something To Shout About,” arises from the previous roles of Don Ameche. In the picture, which features Janet Blair, Cobina Wright, Jr., and Jack Oakie, Ameche is being held in a police station. “Can I use the phone?” Ameche asks the sergeant. “Do you know how?” queries the officer sarcastically. “Do I know how!” shouts Ameche. “Why, I invented it!” * . . . Hollywood has enough enemy uniforms to outfit an army Each studio has hundreds and the research departments see that each rank is dressed correctly Hardest Canadian theatre men is L. W. Payne of Listowel. Mr, Payne, assisted by his wife, has handed out almost 10,000 free passes to the troops. Some of his other contributions are 3,000 razor blades. 500 dozen oranges, 1,000 chocolate bars, 1,500 good luck pencils 3,000 ice cream bars, 50 cases of tomato juice and—the list is endless. The boys remember the Paynes, no matter to what parts of the world they go, writing them and sending mementoes It was Leif Erikson, former husband of Frances came to her rescue when she got into her war worker among Farmer, who recent trouble . * : . Humphrey Bogart’s favorite story is about the fellow who was telling about his adventures in Darkest Africa. “I remember the time,” the yarn-spinner said, “that a Zulu threw his spear at me and pinned me to the ground for three days.” “Didn't it hurt?” someone asked. “Sure,” was the answer, “but only when I laughed!” al . > * David Selznick wants to make a picture of Hitler's “Mein Kampf.” Two ex-film stars, Gloria Swanson and Francis Lederer, are appearing together in a series of one-act plays When Grant Withers, who leading man some years you igo, needed money for his wife's operation he didn’t have any. And couldn't earn it because he the army. Knowing of his plight, his superior officer gave him a 30-day leave and some film friends gave him enough acting work to make the money. Now he’s back at the Randolph Scott will appear in “Corvettes Zasu Pitts comes back to films and will appear with Bob Hope and Betty Hutton in “Let's Face It.” Vivien Leigh, Starring in a play at the Haymarket Theatre, London, is the fire watcher for the building may y remember as a handsome was in base. who is Faced by a gun, Mrs Fails at 3] . L id stalled and touched off the emer| ayview, easiae gency signal. The thug saw her | The refusal of the cashier of the | do it and got away before Steve | a , hes » 2 side yn | Bayview Theatre Leaside OM| McManus, the manager, could get | tario, Mrs. Phyllis Jorgensen, to cigs ag eae ; \turn over the night’s receipts to| °° ‘he boxoffice. Police came up | a holdup man caused the thug to | Quickly but couldn't catch the run. | gunman. Jorgensen Page 7 OF CANADA LTD. 277 Victoria St. Toronto ay a —_— oe . y * *@ GRANLUND) AMD THE FLORENTINE GARDENS REVUE 2X GALE STORM ~ ROBERT LOWERY xX MARGARET DUMONT ~ THE MILLS BROS. TED FIO RITO ond HIS ORCHESTRA = “CANDY” CANDIDO x Sr is A em Mons picture Playing to Capacity Houses Everywhere! * WHAT MORE CAN WE SAY!