Canadian Film Weekly (Aug 25, 1943)

Page scan 0005 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Aug 25, 1943
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Aug 25, 1943)
Leaf #:
0005
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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Page 6 Canadian FILM WEEKLY j Ons SQUARE a o Emp-U's Double-Feature Dinner The evening hours of the Hmpire-Universal convention were 277 Victoria St. given over to successive get-togethers, Republic on the first night Toronto and Universal on the second. Both provided an unrestrained atmosphere and much raillery of a personal nature, usually the case Sign Up With the when old friends foregather. On the Republic occasion Paul Nathanson was the amiable OF CANADA LTD. NEW MONOGRAM ringmaster who, with quiet and insinuating wit, prodded business e rivals such as J. J. Fitzgibbons of Famous Players and Haskell B i gger an d Better Masters into a ribbing match. The toastmaster became snared in Films for 1943-44 his own oral net, which reached out and snagged Jimmy Grainger of Republic, the guest of honor. = Grainger came out on top, not because he was better at the SIX SPECIALS good-and-badinage, but because he had the last word—which was J. LADY LET'S DANCE, ged a featuring the skating venus, At the Universal dinner in honor of Bill Scully everyone, rank BELITA. and file and neutral, was given a chance to throw verbal brick2. HITLER’S WOMEN will bats. Haskell Masters, the most uninhibited orator in the world, tossed a few himself and invited a dozen others to have a go at prove the boxoffice sensait. The fellow who came out best in this conversational battle tion of the year—portraying the savagery of the Reich royal was the popular Frank McCarthy, who can speak a piece | ana Stadhritall treatnentiot pols best of them. Not that Bill Scully didn’t make a top: notch runner-up. 3. poh Nets aE: featurIt all came off in a fashion to warm the heart of Archie ing Jackie Cooper. Laurie, who likes nothing better than whipping up a high-class 4. WHERE ARE MY CHILparty and succeeded in his efforts on both evenings. +o > ; , SEN ne exploita || Touches and Retouches 5. FIGHTING QUARTERStaff, partners and heads of 20th Century Theatres gave a MASTER, 2 booming saga farewell party one day last week for popular Margaret Sweigman of the services of supply. who has since become the wife of LAC Sol H. Litkind. Margie, 6. A second BELITA musical in charge of all communication with the outside world via phone, ice spectacle. has been brightening up the office for over four years. Her gifts were positively ooh!-inspiring. The staff gave her a many-pleced TEN BOXOFFICE WINNERS set of classic crockery and Nat Taylor, the g.m., presented the -_————$— then bridé-to-be with an elegantly-encased set of Rogers 1847 FOUR EAST SIDE KID flatware for himself and Raoul Auerbach. Couldn’t happen to a Specials nicer girl....A sentimental event took place at Premier OperatFOUR Big Musicals ing when the kids got together to present Jack Melzer, leaving TWO Charlie Chan Pictures to operate his own theatre, with a swell bag and a military brush set.... Happy is Harvey Harnick, who just found how to see the TEN REAL ATTRACTIONS Maple Leafs play on a pass. The rest of the film mob is trying to shake the secret out of him. TWO Cisco Kid Pictures TWO Bela Lugosi Subjects Second Front Note SIX to be Announced At the Scully dinner, fresh from the Winnie-FDR confab at Quebec, Frank O’Byrne of the Associated Screen News told a few OUR WESTERNS ARE of us a story going the parley rounds. TOP-BRACKET An American newspaperman who came to the Citadel City PRODUCTIONS because of the persistent rumor that Stalin would be on hand | so decided to drown his disappointment. Loudly ho invited the other FOUR featuring Johnny Mack scribes to his room to share a bottle of vodka. Brown and Raymond Hatton “Why vodka?” one asked. FOUR featuring Hoot Gibson “Churchill’s here and Roosevelt’s here,” answered the miffed and Ken Maynard and spiffed scribe. ‘‘Who do you think is taking care of the war?” For Real Profits Ycleptomania pe BS OO oe Chris Georgas sent Harvey Hunt of Famous,a big fish, whic Buy Monogram was put on a window sill to keep it cool. It was somehow forPictured gotten overnight and the morning whiff sent the staff scuttering for gasmasks. Some nasty person suggested that it was coming for 1943 44 from the screening room, where the new product was being unreeled. ... Jackson Barker had his quirks recorded and his * amiable mug reproduced in the Telegram last week. His fame company as an Ellington disc collector was spread everywhere by SatevegE: see Je dha 124 ieee post and the Tely took the tip. He ought to peddle autographs : for the war effort. ... Mickey, the Shea’s cat, presented Manager Fred Trébilcock with quintuplets. Three he named after Tom MONOGRAM Daley, Archie Laurle and LAC Colin Corbett. The others were Pp ICTURES dedicated to “Plugger,” the NFB goon—and yours truly. Ah, Toronto, Montreal, St. John fame at last! ... Johnny Ganetakos was the sleepless wonder of | Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver the Emp-U meet, the boys using his room as a day-and-night haunt, Oa August 265, 19438 Gates of Italy Revised for USA “The Gates of Italy,’’ the National Film Board short which won editorial condemnation because of its pro-Italy content and its lack of Anti-Fascist sentiment, is being revised for USA and foreign showings. ’ Variety, leading trade paper of the show world, reported that ‘Downfall of Mussolini and swiftly moving events in Italy are causing the National Film Board of Canada to hold up revisions on ‘Gates of Italy’ for two or three weeks. World in Action short was altered to comply with Grad Sears suggestions, but considerable additional revamping will be done if there are further changes in military leaders for the Italians. United Artists distributes these shorts. Commentary on all footage showing Mussolini had to be revised as a result of the Duce’s dethroning.” The information apparently reached the public through United Artists head office only. In view of the stir it would have been more in order for the NFB to have made the revisions known through & press release in Canada. The National Film Board, a government body, has an obligation to the Canadian public. A friendlier atmosphere all-around would have prevailed if some public acknowledgment of the protests and actions arising from them were brought to the attention of the taxpayers. “Gates of Italy” opened in Toronto at the Imperial, the feature film being ‘Coney Island.” Though the feature was held over, the short was dropped. SEAT REPAIRS Send us your torn seats to be re-upholstered with genuine Leatherecloth Seats returned same day as received. CANADIAN THEATRE CHAIR CO. 277 Victoria St., Toronto, Ont.