Canadian Film Weekly (Apr 21, 1943)

Page scan 0000 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Apr 21, 1943
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Apr 21, 1943)
Leaf #:
0000
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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Vol. 8, No. 17 VOICE 6f the CANADIAN MOTION PICTURE TORONTO, APRIL 21, 1948 FS ws INDUSTRY $2.00 Per Annum Industry Geared for V Loan NFB Runs Trade Union Circuit A plan recently adopted by the Winnipeg Trades and Labor council to show documentary and other industrial films to the membership of its affiliated unions has met ‘with considerable success, J. Sin clair,’ secretary of the film committee, announced. The films are being shown in (Continued on Page 3) Graham, Odeon Settle Suit The action of Fred H. Graham of Walkerton, Ont., operator and manager of the Reeneville Theatre, against Odeon Theatres of Canada, which came up before Mr. Justice MacKay at the Bruce Spring Assizes, was settled amicably between both parties at the suggestion of the trial Judge. , Walker asked for repossession (Continued on Page 4) Ferg Martin Married Lance-Corporal Fergus L. Martin, who was a popular member of Famous Players’ staff before joining up, was married in Toronto last week to Mildred Chambers. Corporal John Heggie was best man. Theatre Sold The Prescott Theatre, Prescott, Ontario, has been sold by W. H. Westman of Chatham to James P. Doyle of Prescott. F. O. Scott, the present lessee, will continue to operate. Turaldo to RCAF Leonard Turaldo, manager of the Grand, Regina, has been granted leave of absence to join the RCAF. He will be succeeded by Miss Mary Graham. Ralston, Mansur, Film Men in Toronto Pre-Drive Pow-Wow The Canadian motion picture industry drive for the Fourth Victory Loan got a rousing start at a meeting held in Toronto last week. The Hon. J. L. Ilsley, Finance Minister, and D. B. Mansur, assistant chairman of the Public Relations rc THE LATE ARTHOR A. LEE for whom memorial services were held in New York on Tuesday, April 138th. The funeral, on ‘Thursday, was private. Charles Mavety and Oscar Hanson attended the funeral services. A wreath was placed on the grave for the Canadian Picture Pioneers, of which Mr. Lee was a life member. Silverstone to Fox As Foreign Chief Murray Silverstone has filled the post of vice-president in charge of foreign distribution at 20th Century-Fox, it was announced by President Spyros Skouras. The position has been vacant since Laudy Lawrence resigned at the beginning of the year. Silverstone occupied a similar post with United Artists up to recently, having been with that company for 22 of his 25 years in the business. ©Section of the National War Finance Committee, addressed the gathering. J. J. Fitzgibbons, national chairman of the War Finance Committee, presided. Several provincial chairmen of the motion picture drive were present and others wired their regrets at being absent. On hand (Continued on Page 2) Levey Sues Monogram Jules Levey of Mayfair Pictures is suing Monogram for negative costs on “Jacare,” which was distributed for him by United Artists. Thieves Get $900 Thieves hid themselves in the Mount Royal Theatre, Montreal, after the last performance, broke open the safe and stole $900. They got out through a fire escape. Canada 41 Take All-Time Record Boxoffice receipts and admissions in Canada during 1941 were the greatest in Dominion theatre history. A total of 162,646,690 tickets were sold, resulting in a grand gross of $41,569,259. In that year 1,244 theatres were in operation. The figures were issued by the Dominion Bureau of Statistics. (Continued on Page 3) Sunday Shows OK d for Troops Free Sunday shows, exclusively for members of the armed forces, will be presented in five Canadian situations by Famous Players. Sunday entertainment gets under way on April 25th in the Imperial Theatre, Toronto, Canada’s largest house; Capitol Theatre, Halifax; Capitol Theatre, Edmonton; Capi (Continued on Page 2) Toronto Booth Men Ask Pay Boost As a consequence of the increase in the cost of living, the Toronto Motion Picture Projectionists, Local 173 of the IATSE, is asking an increase in all Independent situations within its jurisdiction wherever contracts are about to eS Exhibs Change Mind On Single Bills Exhibitors of St. Louis, Missouri, voted to kill a resolution passed by them several weeks ago in favor of eliminating the double bill after June ist. Independent exhibitors offered a substitute plan, while circuit theatres wanted to play single bills only when certain features could stand up by themselves at the boxoffice. expire. Some exhibitors have granted the demands and others are negotiating. There are 65 theatres affected. The projectionists are asking from $1 to $3 more than present wages. Those working in large first-run theatres received a bonus of $3.35 in 1941 but projectionists in small Independent situations were boosted 60 cents by a cost of living allowance. The union scale for houses be tween 500 and 750 seating capa(Continued on Page 3)