Canadian Film Weekly (Oct 6, 1943)

Page scan 0006 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Oct 6, 1943
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Oct 6, 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 08, 2024
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October 6, 1943 Two BC Theatres Opened for Army {Continued from Page 1) the Department of Munitions and Supply and the Department of National War Services on consideration of the needs of servicemen and women stationed there. After three years of housing a Red Cross canteen the Empress Theatre at Vernon will be converted by local labor in early October. Because of the present dificulty in obtaining theatre equipment the furnishings, sound and air conditioning equipment from two Famous Players’ houses now closed will be transferred to the new theatre. Walter Bennett, manager of the Capitol, Vernon, will also manage the new house which seats about 400 persons. Future plans are only tentative as the period of operation of a second theatre will be determined by the size of the Vernon Military Camp. Necessary permits and licenses were issued by the Wartime Prices and Trade Board and the construction controller for the renovation of the Royal Victoria Theatre at Victoria to Famous Players designating the new theatre as a place of entertainment exclusively for men and women of the armed forces. Blames Theatre Light In Fatal Accident Charged with manslaughter in the death last August of Mrs. Redmond Burke, George T. Middleton told an Assize Court jury last week that a spotlight on the Beach Theatre, Toronto, blinded him temporarily as he was driving through a crowd of theatregoers. The accident resulted in the death of Mrs. Burke and the injury of three other persons. 7,000 USA Theatres Show NFB Films Commenting on the lack of publicity about Canada in foreign countries, B. A. Proulx, in charge of distribution for the National Film Board, on an inspection trip in Winnipeg last week told reporters that over 7,000 USA theatres are showing films about Canada made by the NFB. “TEST FILM, 10,000 cycles 85 mm., with easy instructions, so that you can focus your Sound Lens in absolute precision and secure clear sound and the Maximum from your sound System. Just what many theatre owners have longed for! Bargain $6.60.” Canadian FILM WEEKLY Page 7 Coe’s Canadian Bow ‘MPTA of Ontario Pleases (Continued from Page 1) plete interest and the approval of the gathering. “Here in Canada,” he said, “I should talk about hands across the sea. I can’t. We've always had our hands across the sea. I cannot distinguish between our two peoples. History will be irrevocably written on those pages belonging to Canada and its sovereign neighbor, the United States.” Pointing out that Edison did not think enough of his invention to invest $150 to patent it in certain areas, he declared that pictures have been a universal language since man first carved hieroglyphics and were the most international element on earth today. “Art had been confined to a small and privileged group,” he said, “but with the coming of motion pictures to every community in the nethermost corners of the world, everyone knew and liked art. The movie industry is an art industry.” Coe declared that industry was held in trust for the public and described a part of his address as “a report of that stewardship to you.” He described the monumental and minute details that go into every section of movie-making; the work of Hollywood men and women and their sense of responsibility. “There isn’t one of them,” Coe stated, “that wouldn’t rather make a good picture than money.” He pointed out that when people had to be trained overnight for new tasks, the industry was called on. His statement that enough film was made for this purpose to surround the globe—“and with not one dollar of profit’—drew prolonged applause. Declaring Axis types of propaganda films a failure, he affirmed that “the first mandate of the public is entertainment and we intend to fulfil that mandate.” In behalf of the Advertising and Sales Club, Win Barron thanked the speaker and assured him that all were proud to share the road to the future with the motion picture industry. Seated at the head table were: Glen F. Bannerman, President HAVE 207, 0R MORE OF YOUR MONEY Eyl. ASU TRE MAR So ale ANAC RACE EE 8 DOMINION THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO SO? CAVE ST VANCOUVER BC Association of Broadcasters. Frank E. O’Byrne, Toronto Manager Associated Screen News Limited. R. G. McMullen, Director of Motion Pictures, Meals, Refreshments and Beverages, Service Division, Wartime Prices and Trade Board. Rabbi Samuel Sachs, University Avenue Synagogue. Henry L. Nathanson, President, Regal Films Corporation Limited. O. J. Silverthorne, Chairman, Motion Picture Censorship and Theatre Inspection Branch, Ontario Provincial Government. B. K. Sandwell, Editor, Saturday Night. J. J. Fitzgibbons, President and General Manager, Famous Players Canadian Corporation. L. F. R. Winchell, President, the Toronto Board of Trade. Brigadier O. M. Martin, Temporary District Officer Commanding Military District No. 2. Honorable and Reverend H. J. Cody, C.M.G., M.A., D.D., President the University of Toronto. His Worship Dr. Fred J. Conboy, Mayor of Toronto. Lee Trenholm. North Winship, American Consul General. Air Vice-Marshall F. S. McGill, Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Training Command, R.C.A.F. S. H. Logan, President, the Canadian Bank of Commerce. R. Alan Sampson, Chairman, the Toronto Board of Education. Pau] L. Nathanson, President, Odeon Theatres of Canada. Howard S. Mark, Circulation Manager, The Globe & Mail. Lieut.Colonel J. A. Cooper, Chairman of the Board, Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association. Winston Barron, Director of Publicity and Advertising, Paramount Pictures Inc. James R. Nairn, Director of Advertising, Famous Players Canadian Corp. Fifteen Directors Work for Warners Latest tally of directors on the Warner Brothers’ lot shows x total of 15 under contract, the highest number in the studio’s history. The new line-up includes Herman Shumliin, Delmar Davies, David Butler, Peter Godfrey, Edward Blatt and Norman Krasna, who is making his directorial debut with the recently completed “Princess O'Rourke.” Throng EE a eee Receives Thanks Realization of the importance of theatre co-operation to the success of any drive is shown in letters of thanks received lately by the Motion Picture Theatres Association of Ontario and individual managers. The Ontario branch of the Netherlands Relief Fund sent Syd Taube, secretary of the MPTOA, sincere thanks for “your beneficial advice to us with regards to our publicity. We are very pleased to be able to tell you that we have collected, throughout the city, nearly $15,000 and want you to know just how helpful you were.” The letter was signed by Mrs. A. Hartog, president. Also received by the association was a letter of thanks from B. G. Sullivan, Ontario Regional Superintendent of the Unemployment Commission. Writes Mr. Sullivan: “May we, in behalf of Mr. Arthur MacNamara, Director of National Selective Service, the Local Council of Women and the War Industries of Greater Toronto, extend our sincerest thanks for your assistance in publicizing the drive. The campaign was a great success and much credit can be attributed to the placards displayed in the foyers of your theatres.” Charles V. Gordon, chairman of the Theatre Committee of the Windsor Greek War Relief Committee for the Windsor Junior Chamber of Commerce, sent 2 letter of thanks to J. J. LeF'ave, manager of the Tivoli, informing him that the Capitol, Palace, Tivoli and Vanity had collected $2,422.50 between them. “Many thanks for your fine cooperation and diligent work in connection with the theatre campaign of the Greek War Relief Drive ...I doubt if there is any other place in Canada where the whole-hearted co-operation of a group of theatres, such as we received from Windsor theatres, cculd be equalled.” 20th Century-Fox 14 Best-Sellers New 20th Century-Fox story purchases show a total of fourteen best-sellers of the current publishing season and recent years slated to go before the cameras. Soon to be released is Franz Werfel's “The Song of Bernadette,” on which the cameras have been grinding for many months. Now in production are “Col. Effingham’s Raid,” from the best-seller by Barry Fleming; “One World,” by Wendell Willkie; “Guadalcanal Diary,” by Richard Tregaskis; and “Happy Land," by MacKinlay Kantor.